Coleman (not Michael) made his fortune from the Mustard people left on their plates or was it on the screen.
I really can't see any point in changing the colour but then my wife reckons I am colour challenged.
A re-haul of the Recordings section, yes. A clean-up of all the pointlessly cross-referenced tunes (Paddy Fahey's, Padraig O'Keeffe's etc.), yes. A better ABC search engine facility, yes. A tune title fragment search, yes. A new colour? Whatever.
And also if you're reading discussions the back button would bring you back to the previous page instead of page 1 every time.
A minor point but a pain in the hole if you didn't take note of the page number you were on...
Why not make it small black text on a red background (like another site I belong to) Just think of the hours of fun and frustration you can have just trying to make out the writing....ugh!!!!!!
Ok Robert Ryan, get cracking on it! And while you're at it, see if you can develop a function that allows people to directly quote discussion posts from other members, makes the discussion flow a lot better.
Why didn't anyone buy it one of those day-spa gift certificates for Xmas? You know, the one Ma always gets? The site can go get its nails done, its hair did, put the little cucumber slices on its eyes, etc?
It would be great if the list of discussions were sorted by newest replies, as it is annoying to trawl through discussions on older pages to find one that is still ongoing on a subject you're interested in.
Also the search function isn't great. Searching for multiple terms brings back all the discussions etc were each word is found, even if you try in "" or write word1 AND word2, that type of thing to filter it down a bit, so searching becomes a bit pointless with 1000s of results.
Still a nice site though, although the yellow stands out a bit when I'm trying to sneakily read it in work. :p
banjoburger, your "back button" problem is an artifact of your browser. It works just fine in many browsers, including Firefox, Safari, etc. It does NOT work, however, in older versions of IE.
And RE:llig's idea of using Google to search thesesison, the Search tab in the Home section of this site does, in fact, use Google, which is helpful, because it searches things like the Comments section of Tunes, etc. And it's easier than typing "site:thesession.org" into Google every time...
I second (or third) the notion of floating the right-side menu.
In a sense a lot of the issues that people have with the site are due to the fact that it was one of the first of what are now called "social networking" sites to come up, and while the state of the art has changed, the board has remained the same. Now, it's still as functional as it ever was, and that's highly functional, but as our expectations have advanced, the board hasn't.
There's a reason for that: the hours involved in maintaining this site are unpaid time, and I'm sure Jeremy has plenty to do in his spare time without devoting it to rejiggering the discussion pages to feature pagination, or what have you. Some of the suggestions - some of the better ones, in fact - are probably more tricky than they seem. For example, better indexing of the tunes (so that Recording # such-and-such knows that the version of Paddy Fahy's it has is Tune # 697, and not one of the other five billion Paddy Fahy's listed) would require some coding (minor, I'd guess) to make it work - but it would also require human eyeballs and eardrums to examine each of the recordings to sort out which one is which. Since Jeremy's not going to do that, it would require some interface to allow the rest of us to do that - and that's a bit more major.
I can think of a number of things that I'd like to see done with the site, but the only way I think they'll be done is
a)Jeremy suddenly doesn't have to work for a living and decides to spend his fre time tinkering with this site
b)the users of the site pool their money and hire Jeremy to make those changes
c)Jeremy throws the code open to let users of the board help develop some of these features in an open-source model
(and then spends his time coordinating that effort.... requiring option a or b again)
Or, possible but still not likely,
d) some CS major convinces Jeremy to let them intern for him and make the changes, with Jeremy serving as a project manager. Still unpaid time for our good host, though...
If you're looking to change your computer or OS, rather than go for Vista hang in there for a few months until Windows 7 surfaces. Reports concerning the beta generally seem to have been positive, so the new route taken by 7 is likely to be a more enjoyable computing experience than Vista (it couldn't possibly be worse, could it?).
the site is great.
looking back through the archives there was more interest in making the site useful in the 1st 3 or 4 yrs. There was momentum & each of the tabs received input ~ session listing, recordings, events . . .
I have noticed in the last months some of the early members have been logging on more, people come & go. When the site is used, useful, & interesting that puts momentum behind improving things. This goes both ways ~ members & sponsors.
sometimes it is a matter of sussing out who can best help; http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/20554/comments#comment429416
thanks again everyone . . . especially a few of you.
I'm happy with it. Durham (UK) where I live claims to be the first town in Britain where jar mustard was manufactured, though the claim may be disputed. It matters here because, although we happen to have a magnificent cathedral and a university, Durham's most famous people have quite consistently been notorious inmates of the various prisons rather than estimable inhabitants of the town, who seem in general to have stirred neither hand nor brain to get into the annals of human achievement over the city's thousand plus years.
Claiming the mustard is therefore very important, to redress the imbalance and lift the shame.
Anyway, a mustard background is infinitely preferable to tiny white letters on a marbled purple and orange background, which I have known some UK publications to come up with.
Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
I'm bored of the mustardy browny creamy session.org
Jeremy why not give your site a lick of paint?
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by D.J.F.
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Well, I personally like the 'mustardy browny creamy colour', thank you very much.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by ScotiaBalach
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
me too!
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Splendid Isolation
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
No.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
It just wouldn't be the same. Some things should be constant.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by TaoCat
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
The color is fine. It's the furniture that needs replacing.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by leoj
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
I'm happy with it. I also prefer cassette tapes, rotary phones, and rabbit ears on my soon-to-be-outmoded TV.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Yes - let's turn this into an Indonesian Gamelan session web site.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Hup
Re: Isn't it time?
I'm with D.J.F. ~ the colors are so tom;
http://www.myspace.com/tom
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Random_notes
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
On this site Tradition is paramount ...... it is Traditionally Mustard in colour!
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Coleman (not Michael) made his fortune from the Mustard people left on their plates or was it on the screen.
I really can't see any point in changing the colour but then my wife reckons I am colour challenged.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Donough
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
A re-haul of the Recordings section, yes. A clean-up of all the pointlessly cross-referenced tunes (Paddy Fahey's, Padraig O'Keeffe's etc.), yes. A better ABC search engine facility, yes. A tune title fragment search, yes. A new colour? Whatever.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Robert Ryan
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Definitely English mustard (which probably has added colouring). Personally I've always rather liked this simple yet tasteful colour scheme.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by suesinger
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Words count more than window-dressing. I find the font a bit fancy - can't we use Courier? And lose the emoticons?
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by RichardB
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
The one thing I'd think would be great would be to get the menu box in the top right to float down with you when you scroll. Like on this site:
http://www.myvue.com/cinemas/index.asp?SessionID=4B27A80FE77A4E01839BE4471EBBFFF0&ci=61
That would be so useful on the long threads.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
I quite agree.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by ScotiaBalach
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
And also if you're reading discussions the back button would bring you back to the previous page instead of page 1 every time.
A minor point but a pain in the hole if you didn't take note of the page number you were on...
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by banjoburger
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
And personally I prefer sweet chili sauce to mustard.....especially on rashers!!!
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by banjoburger
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Why not make it small black text on a red background (like another site I belong to) Just think of the hours of fun and frustration you can have just trying to make out the writing....ugh!!!!!!
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Free Reed
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
If you don't like the colour, why not ask Jeremy to do what this fella has done with his site? Click on the customise/choose a theme thing.
http://adactio.com/?skin=renaissance
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Ok Robert Ryan, get cracking on it! And while you're at it, see if you can develop a function that allows people to directly quote discussion posts from other members, makes the discussion flow a lot better.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by D.J.F.
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Why didn't anyone buy it one of those day-spa gift certificates for Xmas? You know, the one Ma always gets? The site can go get its nails done, its hair did, put the little cucumber slices on its eyes, etc?
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
I wish, I'm barely able to function since I got Vista. I leave all that stuff up to people who know how to speak to computers.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Robert Ryan
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by D.J.F.
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
It must be the rerun season on postings.
I think we should put some skylights on the board, redo the wallpaper and build a digital wine cellar
Hey Robert. Off this rerun thread
I am looking at a new machine. They come with Vista. Have hear many horror stories and many people who didn't even notice the change.
Email me on the side and let me know your experience with Vista. My kids were no help. They are techies and seem to adjust to any ne operating system.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by zippydw
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
any new operating system
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by zippydw
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
I recall someone saying you can actually customise the colours by choosing
Tools
Internet options
Colors (sic)
assuming you're in Microsoft Explorer
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by domnull
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
in Firefox:
Tools > Options > Content > Fonts & Colors
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Random_notes
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
A few temporary changes wouldnt do any harm.
Maybe a diffferent look should be created on a trial basis
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by Walnut Box
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
It would be great if the list of discussions were sorted by newest replies, as it is annoying to trawl through discussions on older pages to find one that is still ongoing on a subject you're interested in.
Also the search function isn't great. Searching for multiple terms brings back all the discussions etc were each word is found, even if you try in "" or write word1 AND word2, that type of thing to filter it down a bit, so searching becomes a bit pointless with 1000s of results.
Still a nice site though, although the yellow stands out a bit when I'm trying to sneakily read it in work. :p
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by dee.
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
On the discussions page, if you use the "comments" tab, not the "new" tab, it lists the comments in order of posting, latest at the top.
Don't use the search function, just use google and add in thesession.org. Works a treat.
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Yeah, mustard is hot
# Posted on February 4th 2009 by mcknowall
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Yeh, I kinda hoped, after Obama sorted out Guantanamo he might have done something here too. Early days yet I suppose.
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by tooteyflutey
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
banjoburger, your "back button" problem is an artifact of your browser. It works just fine in many browsers, including Firefox, Safari, etc. It does NOT work, however, in older versions of IE.
And RE:llig's idea of using Google to search thesesison, the Search tab in the Home section of this site does, in fact, use Google, which is helpful, because it searches things like the Comments section of Tunes, etc. And it's easier than typing "site:thesession.org" into Google every time...
I second (or third) the notion of floating the right-side menu.
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by Reverend
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
In a sense a lot of the issues that people have with the site are due to the fact that it was one of the first of what are now called "social networking" sites to come up, and while the state of the art has changed, the board has remained the same. Now, it's still as functional as it ever was, and that's highly functional, but as our expectations have advanced, the board hasn't.
There's a reason for that: the hours involved in maintaining this site are unpaid time, and I'm sure Jeremy has plenty to do in his spare time without devoting it to rejiggering the discussion pages to feature pagination, or what have you. Some of the suggestions - some of the better ones, in fact - are probably more tricky than they seem. For example, better indexing of the tunes (so that Recording # such-and-such knows that the version of Paddy Fahy's it has is Tune # 697, and not one of the other five billion Paddy Fahy's listed) would require some coding (minor, I'd guess) to make it work - but it would also require human eyeballs and eardrums to examine each of the recordings to sort out which one is which. Since Jeremy's not going to do that, it would require some interface to allow the rest of us to do that - and that's a bit more major.
I can think of a number of things that I'd like to see done with the site, but the only way I think they'll be done is
a)Jeremy suddenly doesn't have to work for a living and decides to spend his fre time tinkering with this site
b)the users of the site pool their money and hire Jeremy to make those changes
c)Jeremy throws the code open to let users of the board help develop some of these features in an open-source model
(and then spends his time coordinating that effort.... requiring option a or b again)
Or, possible but still not likely,
d) some CS major convinces Jeremy to let them intern for him and make the changes, with Jeremy serving as a project manager. Still unpaid time for our good host, though...
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
It's fine the way it is. It does what it says on the can, and very well too in my opinion.
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by tctelboy
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
TRADITION!!!!!
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by mcknowall
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
Quote Llig -
On the discussions page, if you use the "comments" tab, not the "new" tab, it lists the comments in order of posting, latest at the top.
Don't use the search function, just use google and add in thesession.org. Works a treat.
Good tips, cheers!
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by dee.
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
if it aint broke, dont mend it
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by selston steve
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
If you're looking to change your computer or OS, rather than go for Vista hang in there for a few months until Windows 7 surfaces. Reports concerning the beta generally seem to have been positive, so the new route taken by 7 is likely to be a more enjoyable computing experience than Vista (it couldn't possibly be worse, could it?).
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by lazyhound
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
the site is great.
looking back through the archives there was more interest in making the site useful in the 1st 3 or 4 yrs. There was momentum & each of the tabs received input ~ session listing, recordings, events . . .
I have noticed in the last months some of the early members have been logging on more, people come & go. When the site is used, useful, & interesting that puts momentum behind improving things. This goes both ways ~ members & sponsors.
sometimes it is a matter of sussing out who can best help;
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/20554/comments#comment429416
thanks again everyone . . . especially a few of you.
# Posted on February 5th 2009 by Random_notes
Re: Isn't it time this place had a make-over?
I'm happy with it. Durham (UK) where I live claims to be the first town in Britain where jar mustard was manufactured, though the claim may be disputed. It matters here because, although we happen to have a magnificent cathedral and a university, Durham's most famous people have quite consistently been notorious inmates of the various prisons rather than estimable inhabitants of the town, who seem in general to have stirred neither hand nor brain to get into the annals of human achievement over the city's thousand plus years.
Claiming the mustard is therefore very important, to redress the imbalance and lift the shame.
Anyway, a mustard background is infinitely preferable to tiny white letters on a marbled purple and orange background, which I have known some UK publications to come up with.
# Posted on February 6th 2009 by nicholas