Not ready for prime time.
I was locked out overnight, too, both the red server error message and an oopsie message when I tried other ways. Both tablet and cell.
Obviously, now resolved.
This is a terrible point in the app season to release a wonky new version. Why not wait until at least January?
@lookingforward, on my phone I was locked out of the current site, also, so I don’t think this problem was related to the new site.
Tried the new toys in composing a reply. If I open to full screen, there is no submit/post option. I have to exit full screen to post my reply.
What is the purpose or how do you expect the date/time stamp to be used?
I didn’t try uploading pictures/memes. Are those allowed now?
It looks like links to social media sites are going to be allowed. Is that the intention? If you copy and paste a link into the body of a post/reply, it opens a second window tab with the new site. If one uses the link function that is a new option in each post/reply then when one clicks on that link, it takes you away from CC and to the new site. I would change that so that it opens a second window so one doesn’t forget that they were on CC.
I don’t like all of the alerts about earning badges. If someone moves my thread or tags me or sends me a personal message, I want to know. If you are insistent on keeping the badges, use a different alert system and don’t mix the badges with the important notifications.
I clicked on the “dismiss” button thinking I could dismiss the notifications for badges but after clicking on “dismiss” the only thing that went away was the dismiss button. :-/ The badges really get in the way - especially for someone who is new and potentially earning a lot of “first” badges. Does anyone really care about a “first emoji” badge?
I like the fact that there is no longer a 15 minute time limit on edits. Is there an unlimited time limit? When I edit, the number 1 shows next to the pencil on the top right. It highlights what I edited. If I go back in and edit a second time, it does not change to number 2. If I try to delete completely and replace my text with “error” then it still shows my original post. I suppose that is your way of getting around people deleting posts. Is that correct?
I clicked on a thread with a blue dot next to the title and received this at the top “This is the first time lsum6513 has posted — let’s welcome them to our community!” How do you want us to welcome them to the community? Do you want us to post a bunch of “welcome” replies under their question? Are you going to add a “welcome” option where “like” and “helpful” used to be?
I actually don’t mind the infinite scroll…to a point. And that point is well shy of most of the threads I’m involved in, including this one.
To take an extreme example, as of this moment, the “Parents of the Class of 2019” thread is at 1,012 pages. (If I recall correctly, the 2017 thread was even longer.) At 20 posts per page, that means we’re at or just under 20,240 posts. This is not reasonably scrollable. It’s particularly bad when you want to flip back and forth when there’s an interesting subthread going on.
Related: Is there a way to bookmark a particular point in the scroll? That wouldn’t actually be a solution to this problem, but it would be a helpful add-on.
Until @lookingforward mentioned it, I never thought of the impact on a change in the middle of college application season. For example, I am having a PM “conversation” with a poster now. At this point, I can’t even find PM notifications on this Discourse format. If a change is made on November 1, it’s possible that some communications will be lost in that change.
It’s not as clear as it could be. The default is to look under your profile for an envelope icon: https://meta.discourse.org/t/view-private-messages/65306/2
When you get a message, it’s a little easier to find, but it’s still not obvious how you get back.
Got it, thanks. I like the current desktop arrangement, where there’s a red notification at the envelope that I immediately see on coming to CC. I don’t like the current mobile version, where I have to remember to click the upper left menu in order to see if I have any notifications or messages. I don’t check that often. It would make the site much easier if there was a way to see instantly upon logging on that there was a notification/message on all platforms.
Please make the message icon a more easily viewed than having to go back in to my profile to find it. I think this should be way more accessible than that.
It’s good to see if I’ve received a new message with the icon on the open screen. And I can easily send a new message or reply.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for this feature to be more accessible.
I can see what you post there, but it’s a bit easier to keep most of the conversation here for the moment. We’ll try to capture the feedback posted there, but it will be wiped out before launch and this discussion will be imported. I’m mostly using that space to post screenshots. 
The idea of timing is to get a reminder sent to you later: https://meta.discourse.org/t/improved-bookmarks-with-reminders/144542
I’m not sure how helpful that is, but the default when you hit “Save” is no time which is like the current bookmark system. I could see a situation where you might wonder what will happen later (“Did that student get into the school they were applying for?”) and setting a timer to help you remember to go back.
Several people mentioned that to me in our 1-on-1 interviews. I have a few ideas I’d like to test soon.
We put “School Forums” in the navigation as a temporary step. As you say, most new people are going to be looking for a specific school on the site. But that means they won’t care about the majority of schools. So most everyone really cares about a handful of categories but has to scroll past all of them. The current situation is a compromise until we have a better idea of what’s possible.
Putting schools in the left hand side works ok for most people on a desktop, but we eliminated that idea when we considered phones where the column would go to the bottom of the page anyway. I think the ultimate solution will be to encourage people to pick the schools they are interested in and show those prominently. When I know more, I’ll show you all what we are considering.
Yes there is! The URL changes as you scroll through the thread. But you can also click the date to get a link/post number. I recorded a quick video to show how it works on a phone: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FgSl2hZQzjOGpS3EY5pm5ERilsMj2gCh/view?usp=sharing
I don’t think it’s unreasonable either. I’ll check with the team to see if we can find a solution.
I’m trying not to complain just for the sake of complaining, but this is cumbersome. Top heavy. And slow. Iam sorry, but this doesn’t feel like a beta test, some final version opened up for polishing. It feels like an alpha. But you have a very soon release date.
On my tablet-
At the main page, first I have to x out the 4" banner ad across the bottom, which obscures part of the page. I see nothing for messages. I click my avatar, just get the unnecessary “earned anniv” notices. I don’t need this, don’t know what it’s about but it seems like stage dressing/unneeded fluff. It’s not college related or even Parent chatter. I click View All- but nope, same notices. Now, I have to click the Messages label- and the most recent is Aug 4, again, wrong. So I do not have visibility.
I see a label for Bookmarks. But it says I have none. If I click Latest, then the first unpinned thread, it’s dated to 8 hours ago (which we know is wrong.) Then it tells me Lindagaf2’s last post was 11 months ago, which we know is wrong. Under the best circumstances, do I need to know this?
After it, a ques about dorms- from whom? There’s a generic basketball icon and ski’s avatar. So who started this? Next thread, about ED1 finaid- who is Mr or Ms “R” in a colored circle? This matters to me. We all know there are serial posters asking the same question in 10 ways, versus those who ask more focused questions, first time out.
The dorms thread shows 3 replies but only 2 icons/avatars. I click on it and when the page finally opens, no posts. It’s another index, 4 pinned threads listed, I have to drop down to find the original “UCD Dorms” thread, to get to the actual thread and 3 replies. 2 from the OP, one from ski. It says he moved the original- but nothing up front had indicated that.
I go back to the Latest listing (again, slow.) Now theres a square ad blocking the page. Instead of having dates under the title, I have to physically look right. It was nice to see it right there, on the current version.
And so on. I’m guessing for me this is 4x longer to wade through than the current format. That’s why I said, not ready for prime time. This navigation confusion and a system that mysteriously goes down for hours/last night.
@lookingforward, you raise some good points, but as I said previously, last night’s outage wasn’t just the new platform, it was also the old one.
Yes, I knew it’s the current platform. I am not attributing the outage to the “beta.” If anything, last night made me more want the new version to be finished, not rushed, ready to go, easy to use. And certain. Not wobbly and hoping users just figure it out as they hunt and peck.
Last night is still a mystery to me. We don’t know if the basic goods, the structure, (the basic delivery, aside from the new formatting) is ready for a monumental format change. Or, I don’t. Just look at all the bullets raised here.
Currently if I have read all the posts in a thread, that thread will be shadowed in the forum, that doesn’t seem to be happening in the beta version. I can’t tell what I have already looked at.
Also, previously forums that had sub-forums we’re still their own forum. For example, the Parents Forum contains the “Class of xx” and “Parent Cafe”. In the beta version, the Parents Forum shows threads from those other sub-forums. Was that intentional?
Why are the badges staying?
Will my sign-in on this format carry over to the new one?
Will pages be numbered?
Will bookmarks be easy to find?
Why is this being so rushed. I have an idea of why, but let’s see if someone can verify it!
Well, never mind that question re sign-ins being carried over to the new format. I’ve been signed in, but thought I wasn’t, because it showed in the new format that I have no bookmarks.
Are you ever going to address the questions/concerns about moderation?
I went over to the new site to see how things are progressing. It is just still too busy for my taste, too much scrolling, too many words. IMO the left side should be color coded like it is but it would be so much better if there was one heading and an expandable list once you click on it.
Also, when I click on the hamburger menu, I don’t see how showing 8 categories and telling me there are 652 others is helpful. Rather than randomly listing 8 categories, let users choose what categories they might like to see in the box.
Asking for clarification. I’m using an IPad. People are referencing the right and left sides of the screen, and I feel like I’m seeing the opposite!
My left side is a column with the forums listed, and that LONGGGGG list of colleges at the bottom.
The right side seems to be latest posts from all over the forum. That is the one where I see the user icons in color. I’m not seeing color at all on the left side.
Regarding that list I see of apparently current new posts, this just doesn’t interest me. I have several forums that I read, and I honestly don’t care about latest posts in other places. Is there any way to make this more custom to each user…like they get to choose which forums they would like to see latest posts.
I’m wondering if you are getting any feedback from student users. It looks like this thread really has mostly the parents responding.