Can I make this forum sort the "normal" way?

PvK · #1 January 31st, 2004, 10:27 PM

It should really be an option to sort either way.

Saying something like "every other forum" (or even "99%") sorts the other way is an exaggeration.

With a popular forum with a lot of topic drift, this reverse sort order can be convenient, particularly if you re-check threads often.

Personally, I think that now I'm used to it, I rather prefer this sort order, particularly to busy forums where reading the latest thread means re-reading page 1 of a very long old thread, and having to find the "page 17" link and having to scroll down to find the latest comment.

On the other hand, ideally I think if I had the option, I might choose forward-sorting, but having the initial view be the bottom of the thread.

PvK

Gandalf Parker · #2 January 31st, 2004, 10:45 PM

Shrapnel didnt write the software we are in. Its Ultimate BBS Classic 6.6.1 written in Perl. I dont know what it does and doesnt support but if anyone feels like finding that out then http://www.ubbcentral.com/ is the site to visit.

Sindai · #3 February 1st, 2004, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PvK:
Saying something like "every other forum" (or even "99%") sorts the other way is an exaggeration.

No it's not. Every other forum I have ever seen in the past six or seven years has been downward-sorting. I have never, ever seen another forum, of dozens and dozens, that sorted down-up instead of up-down. Why Shrapnel keeps things this way simply surpasses comprehension.

Has anyone else ever seen another forum that does this?

Graeme Dice · #4 February 1st, 2004, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sindai:
Why Shrapnel keeps things this way simply surpasses comprehension.

I imagine they keep it this way because it's considerably easier to read. You aren't required to guess which page has the most recent Posts on it. It's still quite inferior to usenet, but it's better than most other forums.

Unwise · #5 February 1st, 2004, 02:13 AM

You can put me in the "Don't like it" column too, as if anyone cares.

It offends me not because it is difficult to read (it is), but because it's inefficient. At a minimum, it doubles the amount of work you have to do to read a thread: scroll down to a post, scroll through it, scroll back up through what you just scrolled through to the next post, rinse and repeat. Bah.

I'm confused as to Graeme's "guess which page has the most recent Posts" comment. If a thread has six pages, the most recent are either on page one or page six, depending on whether the forum is forward or backward reading. Where would the mystery be in either case?

Xom · #6 February 1st, 2004, 02:16 AM

Quote:

You aren't required to guess which page has the most recent Posts on it.

The LAST one. Not that hard. :/

Graeme Dice · #7 February 1st, 2004, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Xom:

quote:
You aren't required to guess which page has the most recent Posts on it.

The LAST one. Not that hard. :/

But it doesn't necessarily have the Last message you read on it, so there's just as much guessing here. You can also always just read the Messages in backwards order.