Catalina website

Status
Not open for further replies.
May 10, 2004
180
Catalina 30 Puget Sound
You know, I used to check this website multiple times daily. Now, maybe once a week. It's just a little too hard to navigate. Maybe that's just me. I guess I would rather just go sailing.... heh heh. Maybe I will..SS
 

Jimm

.
Jan 22, 2008
372
Hunter 33.5 Bodkin Creek - Bodkin YC
I agree with comment -- lots of info and capability on this forum, but enough of a pain to get around to discourage regular use... inserting the 'spam question' check may be a neat idea, but simply a nuisance to deal with.
Here's an example of a 'user-friendly' site ...... http://beneteau235.com/forum/
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
The spam question only pops up if you're not logged in.

This stuff is so interesting... when I look at that site it doesn't look friendly to me at all. very small font, lots of links scattered around. But I'm sure if you know where those links are it works great.

But I would really appreciate knowing what see that makes that site friendly and this site difficult... it will help me make this one easy.

Oh, and be sure to take they survey, too: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=YqUXJR9UqYJvtHrv_2fU3V1A_3d_3d
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
This site is more user friendly

One of the things I like the most here is that you can simply click on "New Posts" and see everything.

The downside of many 'sites that are like the B 'site is that for some unknown reason they've chopped it up into segments. With today's search engines, there's simply no reason to do that. We've had that discussion for years, with people wanting, for instance, separate engine and electrical "sections" and our response has been: is an alternator in engines or electrical?

When a member set up our C34 website Message Board, he included more categories than there were types of sailboats!:doh: Other than for specific local Fleet activities which we make accessible to our Fleets, we use one, and one only Board, where everything gets posted. We have both a MB search engine and a full website Google search engine and you can find anything you want to learn about or read up on.

Having the ability to see chronological posts makes watching the input and replies SO much easier. A post in any of the subsections shows up on New Posts, so you have the option of either looking in, for instance, Big Boats, or New Posts. Best solution for everyone.

Keep up the good work, Phil and Bruce and Maine Sail and all the others who make this 'site so useful and helpful.
 
Last edited:
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
I am totally incompentant in the use of computers. I could get around the other site but with all higher tech jargon and different fields I am totally lost on this site. If there was a set of directions for all the features that I could sitdown and study it would be tremendous help. Many of us older farts have no idea in the world what the hell an "avatar" is or what the smiley faces are and that's just the starting point. We can sail darn well and have experence we would like to pass on but lose out because we are so electronically challenged.
I have been on this site since 2000 but I am rapidly drawing back because of my limited ability.
This is the best site I've seen so it's worth continuing to strugle on.
Ray
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
Hi Ray,

This may help, although it is generic to the forum software and not specific to this site (yet) so it may do more harm than good:

http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/faq.php

The basics of these forums -- recent posts, list of forums, forum menu, post, reply -- are quite similar to the old site. Just ignore the functions you don't understand for now.

Do you use the "Recent Posts" screen (I think it was called Yesterday's Posts on the old site)?

If you work from that, structurally, it's really quite similar. I'm going to post some side-by-side comparisons this week of new and old; you'll be surprised. :)
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,077
Several Catalinas C25/C320 USA
I'm certainly not much of a computer guy and I find the site much more difficult to get around than the old one. On the old site, when you set up the threads you wanted to see...one click and you were there, not so here...unless I haven't figured it out yet.

Bottom line...I don't come here near as often as before.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I feel like some of the other guys. I'm just an old sailor who happens to own a computer. Way over my head in this site. Even my computer can't pick up the 310 site, which I really miss. Oh well, I'll keep looking, though.
 
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
Phil, Thanks for the link to the site that helps answer some of my questions about how this site works. I will study it at lenght.
There is so much information exchanged on your forum that it warrents learning how to get it.
You might post this link or its updated replacement more promenently in the near future for those of us wanting these instructions.
Again, thanks, Ray
 
Sep 10, 2007
36
Catalina 34mkII NJ
It 's like anything else... Just a matter of getting use to.
There are more options, the post look better and more information about users. I like the photo album ability :)...and yes a bit more complicated but still an excellent site. Thanks Admin for all you hard work! :)

Here a good example of a "Forum" site as well... What works well on this site is the post are all listed under the original post....
http://forums.audiworld.com/a4gen2/
 
Status
Not open for further replies.