CompuServe Messages

Paul – what is it that's "not going to happen"? You're probably really going to hate this, but perhaps I ought to explain what the TM in my CIS address means. It stands for ThreadMaster, a half-silly name TPTB thought up when they authorized us about three years ago on the old ADESK Forum. Other forums call people with similar functions Section Leaders or Assistant Sysops. The function of a TM is to gather interesting threads into files that can be placed in the data libraries–and it sounds like Jonas is doing an admirable job at that–and… making sure that messages are placed in the proper sections and threads don't stray to far from their topic. There are about a dozen of us although very few seem to visit ASOFT; most of us hang out in the ACAD Forum. We're not paid by Autodesk, but we do have free flags in ACAD and ASOFT. We may have started out in ACAD, but since the free flag holds here too, I'm assuming that Autodesk thinks we should be doing our job here as well. I said it before, but I guess I need to say it again… NO ONE WANTS TO RESTRICT YOU OR CENSOR YOU!!! All we ask is that you help us keep the forum running smoothly and avoid complaints from other members by a) starting threads in the appropriate sections and b) changing the header and/or section if the subject strays too far from its header. I counted over 30 messages on *this* topic under the header about Summa graphics tablets. If I were a member who couldn't afford to read everything, and had to go by the headers to decide what I wanted to download, I'd have been mightily p***ed off to read all the stuff under the Summa header. Threading messages seems to work fine on the ACAD Forum, and I'm not sure how having tons of different topics in one giant thread rather than in a bunch of different, descriptively headered ones, is going to help find the original message. > Changing the way this forum currently operates, and simultaneously > destroying the "synergy" that exists here, would cause a large number of > headaches for the forum regulars who regularly devote the time and monetary > commitment to keep this forum thriving. The forum membership that pops on > every so often to grab the thoughts and insights of the forum, simply have > to realize that the forum as a whole is a stream of constant thoughts and > opinions, and if they make the decision to pop on for a few seconds ever so > often, then they will simply have to weed through the message base to find > that little tidbit of info that they desire. Please don't take offense, but not everyone uses the forum this way. Many members will mark headers and download messages that sound interesting. Of course they're going to miss out on the "synergy", but I don't know what we can do about that. The alternative, to let people download 30+ messages on "Summa graphics tablets" and find they're all about people complaining about the message base itself, is to me, unacceptable. I'm sure it's also the primary reason that Autodesk does receive complaints about the forum. You keep saying how much money you invest in the forum; well, what about the guy who downloaded the 30 "Summa" messages. All I was asking for was a little consideration for everyone who doesn't fall into the category of old hand. But if you think differently, by all means get hold of Jeffrey Pike, the sysop, and tell him ASOFT doesn't need threadmastering.