Suggestions for a better Free Republic

Vanity | October 10, 2003 | RightFighter

[RightFighter]

I was just wondering if any of you have any suggestions for how to make Free Republic easier to use and a better place in general. This is NOT a criticism of Jim Robinson and I am most appreciative of all his hard work. This site is great and I enjoy coming here to learn about and discuss the conservative issues of the day. This is just my desire to see this site become more "viewer-friendly" than it is in its present iteration. I've had thoughts over the years about this and these are the ones that I keep coming back to:

1. Different background colors for alternating posts within a thread, for readability

2. Ability to set up chat rooms for certain events, rather than using the "Live Thread" concept. The entire idea of a "Live Thread" is somewhat of an oxymoron and EXTREMELY difficult to follow.

3. Smilies and other icons available when posting messages

4. Keeping track of numbers of posts by each user. Many forum sites do this, and some even give titles to users who reach certain posting milestones.

5. The ability to mark a thread for later reading, rather than having to "bump" the thread

[xzins]

Smilies don't interest me, colors don't interest me....all these can be done by indiv's if they wish.

I don't care how many posts someone has and your own favorites links can take you back to any thread you want to go back to.

Someone has suggested an "ignore" button so you can ignore those you don't like. I figure I can ignore someone all on my own.

I am, however, interested in an "edit" button. Some things really do "look worse in black and white," and I'd like to go back to change them a bit.

[new cruelty]

Regarding 3- Smilies and other icons available when posting messages

You can post a picture like so:

[areafiftyone]

Also the search feature needs to have an option to search the body of articles and responses...not just the title

I agree about the search feature. I don't know how many times I have done a search for an article before I post it by the title and found out it was already posted by some other Freeper but they changed the title around or created their own.

[theFIRMbss]

>how to make Free Republic easier to use and a better place in general

Jim needs to offer
one-on-one freeping classes
with teachers like this...

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[max_rpf]

I know, some of us are reading this at work! Nice pics though..

[metalboy]

Some porn videos would help...Or some video games such as throw pie in Hitlerys face, or 'To tell the truth' and play against liberals.

[PaulJ]

As to #4: I"ve found at sites that list the number of posts, you'll often see people writing inane posts just to get their numbers up.

And please, no smilees (blech!) You can always post a picture if you absolutely need to let others know how you're feeling without writing it.

I pretty much like it the way it is.I say keep it.

[rattrap]

good god, please no emoticons.

[Diddle E. Squat]

No way. 'Anthrax Scare' is the goofiest topic category, its an icon. I add it to all my threads...

[Skooz]

I pretty much like it the way it is. I say keep it.

Ditto. This is by far the finest forum on the internet I have seen. It's fine as is.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Agree. A spell-checker would be useful for us spelling-challenged.

[TomGuy]

2. Ability to set up chat rooms for certain events, rather than using the "Live Thread" concept. The entire idea of a "Live Thread" is somewhat of an oxymoron and EXTREMELY difficult to follow.

What is see as the value of "live threads" is this: They are a permanent (archivable history) record of immediate commentaries and thoughts on the subject of the thread. Chatrooms flows, unless logged, are temporary.

[RightFighter]

I don't want to add my bookmark list to my public profile. I just want to be able to come back later and read some articles that I saw earlier in the day that interested me. I don't really want everyone else to see what articles I'm interested in.

[socal_parrot]

I do have one suggestion.

Auto-refresh on the recent Threads/Messages page.


That and more cheese threads.

[proxy_user]

Here's a serious suggestion.

It's always bother me that you get 'New Posts to You' after you posted something yourself. I'm disappointed when I click on the link and find only what I just said myself.

[EllaMinnow]

I've always wanted to be able to search for an article by using the writer's name, which isn't always in the title.

[Skooz]

Ok. One suggestion. Maybe a Sports Forum. That would be cool.

[mhking]

3. Smilies and other icons available when posting messages

No smilies! Please!

[amom]

My 2Cents fwiw

1. Not a bad idea but not vital
2. Get's done often. Someone opens a chat room and puts up a link bingo folks who like that sort of chat are THERE! I like the threads because I can play catch up and it doesn't go away once I close the window.
3.Appears pleanty of folks have figured out how to do them here. I find the ones with motion distracting.
4. I believe the number of posts is available somewhere. I've just never been interested enough to look. Bet JohnRob or Jim or any of the Admin Mods can direct you.
5. There is a bookmark feature. See just below the main body of the article. Click on bookmark and it's bookmarked onto your bookmark page.