Serene, can you tell us what you mean when you say the site is not mobile friendly? We're currently working on one section after another, so much of it should be. We'd like to know what you're finding to be unfriendly.
Back to top: There is a "back to top" button at the bottom of the right sidebar, next to the green "Post Comment" button.
To quote a post: Click a "Reply" button inside a post. At the top of the comment-entry page will be a copy of the Comment you clicked on. Underneath it is a question- Quote the Post Above? Click yes if you want the quote to appear in your comment.
Font size: Text on member's comments is the same size at it was before. Text inside the quote boxes is smaller to focus on the member's comment.
Go to Last Post: -On a thread page- click on the icon at the end of the page numbers at the top and bottom of the thread. That will take you to the last page of that thread.
-On the All Forums page- click on the icon in the far right column of a thread on the list of threads to go to the Last Post of that thread.
OP Options: The OP Options have not been included. The OP can no longer hide posts or ban members from their thread, which most often resulted in bad feelings in the past.
Editing & deleting: Forum posts cannot be edited, as changes would affect the meaning/integrity of the thread.
After you enter a post, click the PREVIEW button and read what you have written.. before you click Submit. A preview of your post will appear in a yellow box above the entry box. You can then edit in the white entry box as long as you do it before you press Submit. You can click Preview again to view your edits if you wish.
Please think before you post! Comments posted should be considered permanent. A wide public audience views the forum. Your posts represent you to viewers, and you will be judged by your words. If you get angry, take a break to cool off before you write something you may later regret.
Mercedes, To make your photo look better... -Start by uploading a CLEAR photo of yourself. -Use the photo cropper on your Upload Photo page to create a thumbnail photo of your face that includes some space above and around your head.
We will be working in the future on the quality of the photos, but there isn't much we can do if the photos you upload are dark, distorted, or blurry. Just saying...
Re: ALL THREADS --- ALL CATEGORIES Please notice the breadcrumbs at the top of this page...
All Cats> All Threads> Forum Help> New change to Forum page
-Click "All Cats" in the breadcrumbs to go to the main Forum Categories page. (On some pages the Categories page link is an icon of a house.)
-Click "All Threads" in the breadcrumbs to go the the list of all threads.
-Tabs to Country Forums are located at top of All Forums and Categories pages. We also added a "Mine" tab to take you to threads YOU have posted, and a "Filter" (icon) tab that allows you filter and find threads by several criteria
-No, sorry, edit will not be available for forum posts
- - - - - - - - - - BTW, to find a political thread that doesn't appear on the All Threads page, go to the Categories page and click on the "Current Events" category.
This is a dating site, and we've found that most members don't want the All Threads pages flooded with politics. The Current Events category on the mail Categories page gives members who want to discuss politics a place to find them, without taking over and pushing down topics that are more dating related on the All Forums list.
The new system is LIKE or DISAGREE with what is posted. -The up-thumb is to show you 'Agree' with the post. -The down-thumb is not a dislike of the post... it's that you 'Disagree' with it.
You don't have to click them... but if there's a post you agree with, or disagree with, you may click to show it there. We think it's an interesting way to show your opinion, and to scan through the posts to see how others feel about what is being said.
The old Like/Dislike was a scoring system that was too competitive. It added the total likes and dislikes together and it was possible sometimes to end up with a negative 'like' value. It wasn't a good plan.
Let's give this a chance and see if you guys like it.
Rizlared, We have tried to simplify the page and sidebar so have moved or removed a few things. To go to the "All Threads" or "All Categories" pages, click on them in the breadcrumbs at the top of a thread page.
Tabs for the Country Forums are located at the top of the All Threads and All Categories pages. We can put them back in the sidebar if they get used there.
Polls are listed on the All Threads page. The Link in the top nav for the Polls is basically a list of all Polls separated from other threads. It's mainly for members who just want to read Polls-only, and vote on one Poll after another without entering the Forum
Just want to let you know that within the next day or two we will be launching a new page for the Forum.
The new forum page will include the new simpler top nav bar, and it will no longer have a black background.
We understand that change to what you've grown comfortable with is hard. But the page will basically stay the same, and we hope you'll find it easier to read and to use.
*'Who's Viewed Me' lists are NOT PUBLIC. No one sees them except YOU.*
Your 'Who's Viewed Me' info is located in the eye icon on the top nav.
2 tabs- 1) a list of those who viewed YOU 2) a list of those who you have viewed
You can delete members in your Who's Viewed Me tab by clicking on the trash can.
We added the second tab list of members you viewed, for your convenience only... thinking you may want to go back to those in the future. No trash cans on that list.
- - - - - - You can turn off Who's Viewed Me and edit other profile settings by clicking your photo icon in the top nav and then click on EDIT SETTINGS in the dropdown
You can find all the links to manage your profile by clicking your photo icon in the top nav and then click MY ACCOUNT in the dropdown
This will get easier as you become more familiar with the new buttons. All your 'stuff' is still here.. click around and you will find them
We had a note about missing the link to last-posts on the All Threads page: -Please note that there is an icon on the far right of the All Threads table to take you to the end of the thread, along with the photo of the last poster for each thread.
Country Forums/USA Forum: -Also note that the flags at the top of the All Threads page will take you to those country forums. Per member request we have combined all the States Forums into one USA Forum. You may want to post threads about US elections there.
Blog Comment Limits: -We have increased that limit for you.
As you can see, we have launched some newly designed pages to the site. ALL features will remain the same and the site will continue to be FREE to use, as always.. We hope you like the updated, easier to use design. A lot of thought has gone into making things work better.
We understand that change is difficult, and it's annoying having to learn your way around over again, but hope you will look around, click new links and buttons, post new comments, see what's new, and give it a chance. We think you'll like the less cluttered pages and navigation, and the improvements in operation.. after you find where everything is located.
Some pages have been launched today, and more will follow over the next weeks.
The Forum thread pages, quizzes, and profile review sections will not be affected at this time. So you will be taken back and forth between the old and the new pages for those for awhile.
We appreciate your patience as glitches are worked out and new pages are launched gradually.
If you receive errors with the new pages, please report them to Contact Us (link at bottom of site pages).
The mail message that some of you received was not from a CS Moderator.
As we have stated many times, we have NO MEMBER MODERATORS here.
Mail from CS Staff to your inbox will always have a blue header with ConnectingSingles Staff across the top. It is unlike any other site mail, so you will always know it is authentic.
The story about CS closing is all a fake from a disgruntled banned member (westernstar) who doesn't seem to be able to separate himself from the site and is just trying to cause trouble and make fun of members here.
FYI: Forum Rules are listed at the bottom of the page you enter your post on. When you post, you click the Post Reply button which states you agree to those rules.
Rules for blogs are listed on the blog post entry page.
Rules for the various site features are listed on the entry pages for those features.
General site rules are also listed on site Terms of Use pages.
The upset by some of you about the OP-ban feature has gotten blown all out of proportion.
It's important that you understand that the OP-ban is a ban from THAT ONE THREAD ONLY. AN OP member CANNOT BAN anyone from the site.. either temporarily or permanently. Only staff can do that.
The OP-ban feature gives the OP (creator of the thread) the right to ban a troublemaker from his/her thread ONLY. Now why would any of you think that was a bad thing??? Troublemaker... that's the trolls that you all have been complaining about.. remember?
When you all settle down and stop fighting change in general, we think you will find that this is a positive improvement that will create a more friendly environment... you know, the one that you all have been wishing for, yup that one.. ;)
The OP-ban button appears only to the OP inside a thread s/he creates.
The main goal of a troll is to gather attention. The OP-HIDE feature cuts down on the troll's fun by getting their offensive posts away from easy view. For those of you who enjoy reading that sort of thing, you can simply click the 'show' button on the hidden post to view it.
The thumbs up and down buttons are simply feedback buttons to show a poster that you especially like or dislike their post.
We're glad to address issues regarding errors, as there are certain to be some... just send them to Contact Us. But the changes have been well thought out, and they are here to stay. It is a new look and a big change that will take time to get used to.. so keep a POSITIVE open mind and give it a chance. If not, there are many other features on the site for you to enjoy.
Yes, the Blogs section will be updated soon, but a blog is totally different from the Forum and is being designed to fit it's unique purpose and requirements.
A blog is a personal journal, a diary of sorts, a public log of personal thoughts. Although it may allow comments, it's not really intended for back and forth chat, discussion or debate on a stated topic like the forum is. Changes will be different, and it will not look like the Forum.
We posted this thread to inform you of the changes before they happened so that you will know how to use them... not to stir up unnecessary negative worries. Lighten up people!! This is a good thing :) - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fair use of the OP tools will result in better discussion and a friendlier environment.
The natural consequence of unfair use/ misuse of the OP tools is that other members will quit posting in the thread. The worst thing for a troll is to be ignored.
If an OP "posts a thread without wanting open discussion"... why would you want to stay and post in it anyway? Debate is interesting, fights are not.
The threads can be 'open and educational' only when members are posting with respect. Quick response by an OP to stop troublemakers should make that more possible.
If an OP unfairly bans members who s/he doesn't like, there will be very few posters in the thread. If you are banned from a thread, find another thread.. there's lots of them. Again, lighten up!
If you're afraid that you're not liked and will be banned from all threads, it may be time for you to look at your behavior in the forum and possibly make some changes... or to become more confident... this is not a grade school clique, everyone who respects members and the site is welcome here. Those who don't... eventually get banned.
As you know, site staff doesn’t sit in the forum and hold members hands to make sure members follow the rules. We don’t read every thread and every post, and we’re only aware of problems we find during site scans or receive reports about. Staff can’t deal with situations we don’t know about.
We believe that members enjoy the freedom afforded with this self-policing, hands-off approach, but that you would like more consistent control to keep the peace and prevent trolls from ruining what starts-out-to-be good threads. The best solution to forum problems is to catch them before they escalate.
Therefore, we’ve been working on changes to the forum 1) to give users more control of the threads, 2) to update the look, and 3) to keep the forum a fun, more peaceful friendly place to meet.
Below is some info about the changes and new options that will be launched within the next hour. Keep an open mind... it will take time to get used to.
Forums Home: The layout of the Forums Home (All Categories) page has been changed to make thread Categories and the latest thread in each Category more obvious. Click a Category name to view all threads within that category. Columns with underlined headings can be clicked to sort.
All Threads: The layout of the All Threads page has been changed to be more readable and to add more info about the threads. Click a thread name to view the thread. Columns with underlined headings can be clicked to sort.
Viewer Hide-Post Option: When you VIEW a thread— you will now have the option to HIDE individual posts. This HIDE applies to your own view while you are in that thread only and will reset next time you visit the page. The posts you hide won’t be hidden to others, only to you.
New OP Options: When you CREATE a thread— you will now have 2 MODERATOR OPTIONS to use when needed.
1) BAN-MEMBER BUTTON- click this button and the member will no longer be able to post in your thread. Sometimes a member gets carried away in a controversial topic and a short timeout helps. If the member cools off and contacts you in mail to work things out, you have the option to UNBAN and let the member re-enter your thread (click “Users you banned” button in the right sidebar). The moderator ban you give applies to that thread only, not to any other thread you create.
2) OP HIDE-POST BUTTON- click this button to close/hide a post from view. This is NOT a delete button. Posts closed by the OP will be hidden to everyone. Members reading the thread will see it as a closed post, but they WILL be able to manually open it if they want to.
These 2 moderator options should be used sparingly… to maintain respect and tolerance in your thread while still allowing difference of opinion and lively discussion. Good use of these tools will result in popular threads; misuse will result in threads that no one posts in. Offensive threads or posts will still be subject to site staff decision.
Reminder... when you create a thread or poll: Your title should clearly state your topic. Your first-post should clearly describe your topic and what you want members to discuss. It may not be only a link, video, or emoticon; you must describe your topic and your purpose for including the link or video and your opinion of it so members know what your thread is about and can enter appropriate response to it.
-When viewing the show, press "B" on your keyboard to cycle through the backgrounds.
Click on Auto Show to watch,
or Click on Manual show to set off some fireworks of your own: ...Click your mouse to set them off... ...Click number keys 1-7 to choose a specific firework... ...Click "B" on your keyboard to choose a background...
The reason for the 3-emoticon limit per post is to help page-load time for members with slow internet connections, and to conserve site resources and keep the site free to use.
So far, the new emoticons are seen only when you login to the connectingsingles.com site, but they will be available everywhere shortly as all site pages are reworked.
Forum colors: background color has been added to the reading areas of the forum to make the pages easier on your eyes.
Ubuntu, when you use your cool new plasma monitor for your computer, are the colors much different from your old monitor? Rather than change the resolution, you can resize the page - double click the top blue bar of your browser, then grab the right side of the site page with your mouse and move it to the left.
Builderbear, locked threads sink out of sight because they can't be posted to. They are left visible so members can see why posting on them has been suspended.
Your seven most recent forum posts are displayed at the bottom of your profile page and the rest can be viewed by clicking either the "My Forum Posts" or "My Forum Threads" links at the top of the profile page... good incentive not to post anything you wouldn't want displayed there.
Just a heads up that we will be installing some changes to the forum within the next few hours. The look will be slightly different from what you are used to here, and there will also be a few minor changes. Other changes will come later.
Most of the changes will be obvious to you. Mostly you'll need to notice that the forums navigation has been moved to the top left sidebar.
Getting used to changes is hard to do sometimes but we hope you'll give this time and a good try, and think you'll see it as an improvement after you use it for awhile.
Bear with us while we iron out any bugs. Contact Us if you find any.
Thank you all for your comments and feedback. We're glad to have you on the site and in the forums.
Fireliter: Don’t worry about mistakes and advance apologies. You wouldn't be banned for mistakes. It’s only when there is intent to cause trouble or repeatedly breaking rules. Intentions are usually obvious because staff is not involved with what is going on and is impartial, and because member reports show the situation from both sides. We do not like banning people, obviously we are here to connect members, not get rid of them.
Butterfly and Assets52: The photo is a symbol of connecting people that is being used on the site, shirts, etc.
Bulldog66: We value each and every one of our members, and we try to always be fair. But, we don't feel that any one member or group is "key" to the success or failure of the site, or has the power to make or break the forum. Members that were removed wanted to manipulate staff with protest. That won’t work. We want people who 'want' to be here, who are not in constant power struggles with staff and others. We feel that a forum that may be slower for a while is better than a hostile one and that it is much better off without self-righteous cliques and pack attacks.
Korangen: Bleach... forgetaboutit... I’ve tried it... it doesn’t work.
Ubuntu: hmmm, well, 1 out of 3 isn’t bad, right?
Ninamoosha and Galactic_bodhi: Thanks for the acknowledgement and empathy for the work involved. It’s hard not to get discouraged and mistrust when people go from glowing tributes for a place they’ve found friends, to hateful angry displays. But that’s life, isn’t it… full of relationships of all kinds. When one fails, we get over it, work harder, and move on. Everyone can empathize with that… that's why everyone is here… and that's what everyone is working on… moving on.
To all of you who posted: Thanks for your kind words and feedback. CS staff are real people who work hard and care about members, and it makes them feel good to hear your words of encouragement and support.
Thanks Rebecca9. Jack, we hope you will feel comfortable now to join in and post more often. Jan, we always welcome constructive comments. I will try to address them.
The forums are a very minor part of the population here with forum usage being ever changing and somewhat cyclical. And, of course, dating is our main focus here.
If you are bored with the forum right now, it may be time to take some time away, or concentrate on making friendships in the dating area for awhile.
As I stated, all members are treated equally and reports can only generate staff attention to offending threads when they are actually sent to us.
The audience of the forums is widely varied and diverse. Unfortunately all the threads cannot satisfy all the people, all the time. As we have said before, ‘You (all of you) are the forums. The forums are you.’ The threads and posts reflect the forum membership. But an ‘attitude’ can be developed, or changed, by just a few angry or controlling posters. And when staff decisions are constantly fought by this verbal few followed by their flock, it is difficult to maintain a quality fun environment. We agree, it’s unfortunate in this case where many good posters did get swept away due to being misled and recruited by the small angry core group that caused this.
If you do not find threads of interest to you, you have the choice of not posting for a time or starting some threads on topics you DO enjoy discussing. We are, however, working on a way to separate the forum categories a little more, to allow everyone to have their own style without being annoyed by a different style of others.
We are very optimistic about the future here. Of course, whether or not you choose to help create the place you seek, is up to each one of you.
Staff Forum Posts (31)
New change to Forum page
sorry... our software just can't read what's in an image.