Wow Jerry, settle man, settle.

Check back soon and often because if you move on you'll be seriously missed. This site is a pain in the ass to learn, but you'll get an
Aha!" moment and it'll come together. Give it some more tries. Randy

Watch the videos!!!

Perrie, 

Watch the videos 

They don't work in Android. 

Anyone seen a pail around here?

Still looking for that pail.  It's not in the NT Help Videos.

Six, you actually hit the paragraph button by accident. I just looked at the code.

One Potato  Two Potato

Three Potato  Four

Five Potato  Six Potato

Seven Potato  More

Eight Potato  Nine Potato

Count them up to ten

Let's Put Our Potatoes Back

And Count Them Up Again

For the moment... and until I find some better tricks... I use Windows's right-click option "paste as plain text". Then if I want emphasis, I use bold or underline. That has sufficed so far. 

Sorry to have cluttered up this article with all these comments I thought would go away when I deleted them as I promised I would do  last night.  My objective was to help myself and others but it has become obvious it was just a waste of time.

Never a waste of time Six! I will fix those... actually you could have put them into the pail yourself. 

Never a waste of time Six! I will fix those... actually you could have put them into the pail yourself.

Actually it was a waste of time Perrie.  I was trying an experiment to solve a problem.  I posted all those comments and they were invisible evidently.

I know everyone should realize how much time, stress, effort and everything else that has gone into making this site all it could be and personally, I really think it is great.  I understand there will be problems along the way and also know you can't satisfy everyone, but I even offered to work with Jerry on the two problems he was having.  I'm obviously not an expert.  I don't know who they are. 

I am aware some of us, in the heat of the moment, say things we later regret and wish we had never said them.  Since I deleted the comments there was nothing I regret saying in them.  They were just an experiment to try and solve a problem with the paragraphs and headings.

I was only trying in my first comment to let Jerry know I understood his frustrations and let him know the site should appreciate what he has done by greeting each and every new member who has joined The Newstalkers with valuable information to make it easier on them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to NewsTalkers Socalrunner!

This a little belated, so you may already have figured out that you've joined a dynamic and growing social news site with a diverse group of people discussing everything from pets to politics.

If you haven't already done so, you should click on Perries' Instructional Videos , they will help you learn how to navigate the site.

You may also want to consider joining NewsTalkers Community . The 'NTC' functions as the NewsTalkers bulletin board where any important changes, and some not so important changes regarding the site functions, its policies or the Code of Conduct (CoC) are posted.

Thank you for joining us, we look forward to your contributions and comments.

~Jerry Verlinger
Co-Administrator-NewsTalkers Community Group

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no earthly idea what the pail is.  I don't recall seeing anything about it in the videos, maybe I need to look at them again, I don't know, but as long as everyone is content with the way it is and aware problems will be solved if possible as time goes on that is most important.

I have no earthly idea what the pail is. 

Thank you for the compliment and your assistance Six I appreciate your stepping in to help.

I see you're still trying to figure out how to make use of the "Headings" feature.  I thought they were just a mislabeled feature that controlled the font size of the text when posting an article or seed. But, whatever they're supposed to do they don't do it. Actually I've given up on them, and as R. Nelson suggests, I just use bold, italics and underline. (Although I have had some minimal success with enlarging some text)

The 'pail' is a replacement for the old 'X' button used to delete a comment. It's in the upper right of the comment box and will only appear along with an edit 'gear' icon when the cursor is somewhere on the comment. However, it will only appear within the first 10 minutes of the comment being posted, after that the comment is 'timed out' for any changes.

Right now my biggest problem is with the 'Notifications' that do not go out. I have no idea if anyone has replied to any discussions I've started or have been involved in, and with having to scroll through multiple entries of 'comments posted' to find my previous comments, navigating the site has become extremely difficult.

I think, instead of Perrie trying to work through scores of emails with questions and complaints, she should post a 'Questions and Answers' article, and encourage people to post their concerns there. I believe many of the problems some are having may be answered by others that have figured out the solutions on their own. (ie; your query about the 'pail'.)  

Six, it was actually heading 4. Go look at the code. But you can change the size of the font

But you can change the size of the font

How? I've highlighted text and tried to change the font size, but the only thing that changed was the spacing. 

I would be surprised if Jerry read through your whole comment Six, since it is very visually unappealing. 

I see you trying to figure out a way to make the comments appear in a larger font, and maybe a thicker font as well. I agree that it is a problem, at least to me, I don't like to read small thin fonts, and I don't know that people should have to enlarge the page in order to be able to read it, but , man, what are you doing ? All these comments about using "headers" to make comments more readable. I can't follow what you are talking about in all these comments and I understand the stuff. You can't expect people to go through all kinds of manipulations of a "paragraph" function just to make a font larger. 

But the issue is even more than that. It is every comment that has small font size, not just a few. Everyone would have to follow your instructions every time they make a comment. I will predict right now that ain't gonna happen. 

the other issue is when you seed an article and it formats poorly on the screen. Using the paragraph function has not made it better, for the most part it has made it worse. 

Like other people, I am sure, I am awaiting a simple remedy to make my seeded articles look better and more uniform. 

I didn't pick this site because of I was trying to build a young person's site. I picked it because it met certain criteria.

You all wanted everything you had written from the last 4 years on Ning imported in. There was only 3 platforms that did that, Wordpress, Social Engine, and Jamroom. So let's go over those choice. 

Wordpress is actually the poorly blending of a blog, a social platform (read aka facebook) and a forum. None of the three interface well with each other, and if you want to know slow.. I tested it for over 9 months and couldn't get all three parts to work together. Really poor integration. 

Social Engine. Not bad. Not private groups, No threading... and no way to get threading. It is impossible to have a discussion like that. Need I say more? Oh yes I do. Every extra little thing had a huge extra in price plus, you had a 24 hour for any help. Yup. You would have loved that. Try waiting for every item I fixed tonight, 1 for each day. Tonight I fixed the smilies, (took an hour), fixed 2 odd glitches, got more CPU, took the likes/dislikes off the activity feed, and changed the language on the forum to make it easier to understand. So that would have been at least, if they were timely 5 days or waiting, if the company was even willing to do it. 

Yes, Jamroom as it's name would implys, started as a music platform, but since then many other ex Ningsters came here and loved it, so I decided to start to try it. The first thing that should be addressed is that the management here is the most helpful and the nicest guys to work with. They actually get things done usually that day.. not days. They didn't have a threaded forum, so I had one built from the bottom up and they didn't charge me up the wazoo. When I told them that the site was slow, they got the speed up within a few hours today. Is it perfect? No. But with each day,we get it closer to our goals. But considering that Ning was falling apart around us (yes how quickly you all forget and how many emails and IM complaints I had), I had to make a move. 

Now about the structure of the discussion forum. 

You guys complained and complained about gaming the board. So I created a system that it couldn't be gamed. You complained about not wanting to see stuff that you didn't like, and so I got rid of that. Again how quickly you all forget. So to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind ( I mean with the lack of sleep I could be) I took a look at the Wayback Machine to see if my memory faltered about the old NV. It didn't. It had a 24 hour board, which meant no matter how good an article was, after 24 hours, it went bye bye. It still does, just a different format. I suggest you take a look and remember the "Good Old Days" and see a site, very similar in structure to this one here. 

Now I understand that this is a change, and I get that. I also get that we have kinks and maybe thing we might want to change, but you have given it less than a week to come to judgement, and unlike NV, you can work with me. But hey, I have to read this kind of stuff and wonder why bother at all. 

And Jerry, I have to ask, when was the last time you built a platform?

Hey vote this up or down. I don't care. I have been stressing this out for months now, and I haven't had a night's sleep since we went live. It is flipping 3:13 AM and I am still at it with more stuff to deal with. Could you cut me a break?

Oh and Jerry, it's been a pleasure as usual/ sarc. 

The rest of us are not so negative about this site Perrie . I found that watching the instructional videos was very helpful . A willingness to learn & adapt goes a long way to making things work OK for those willing to put in the effort .

Thank you Petey for your understanding. 

Perrie,

When we change anything, it is upsetting. We are creatures of habit, and we absolutely hate to have to change habits!

But you are quite right! The members complained about all sorts of things on the old site, so it seems kinda logical to have quite a few changes here. Duh!

I'm not saying it's easy. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to get pictures posted... and the process still doesn't seem very efficient... but it works...

... and do not... do NOT try to put up a complex article from an Android tablet. Do NOT!!

But with my Windows machine, it's just a question of learning curve. It'll come along.

If I may ask a question: I was expecting to get email notifications of activity by the members I am "following". I occasionally get something... but very little. I verified that all the options are checked on my profile's "Notifications" page. Am I missing something?

Dear Perrie: Our thanks and gratitude to you, and all the Beta Testers for revising the site for the greater good of those who needed a fair chance to be heard, and to enjoy harmonious fellowship here.

No site will please everyone all the time over time.

What ever one does, the system architecture of a site is only as good as the people who use it.

It is more in how the use it than makes the site appealing or unattractive.

Great work.

I would ask patience on the part of one and all.

It takes time with new endeavors to iron out all the wrinkles.

I join our good friend Dowser in her excellent exposition on the merits of the new site.

Good work by all who did so.

Good wishes to one and all.

Peace and Abundant Blessings.

Enoch.

 I didn't pick this site because of I was trying to build a young person's site. I picked it because it met certain criteria.

And Jerry, I have to ask, when was the last time you built a platform?

Touche'

Perrie I'm really sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner on this. I appreciate you taking the time to explain what you went through to put this new platform together, and I realize it's only a very small part of the whole story.

Actually I never should have put you in a position where you felt you had to explain anything. Blowing up like that and writing this stupid article is certainly not one of my finer moments. I want apologize to you for that and my failing to appreciate and acknowledge all the hard work you put into this project. I don't know what else to say except I'm sorry for not supporting you in the way you deserve.

Of all the people around here, I should have been one the most supportive of the new platform and understood there were going to be glitches instead of throwing a childish fit and ignoring the feelings of you and everyone else that worked so hard to put this new site together. I can be a real asshole sometimes, but you already know that from some of the other stupid things I've done around here.  

At this point all I can do is promise to knock off the bitching and complaining and try to help in any way I can to smooth out the wrinkles and help the site grow.   

 Oh and Jerry, it's been a pleasure as usual/ sarc. 

I deserve that.

I think you've apologized enough, Jerry, so it's time to get busy posting interesting stuff and checking out the system. 

I think you've apologized enough, Jerry,  

Can't apologize enough. I know I let Perrie down by posting this negative article and  created an unnecessary distraction in the process. But you're right, "it's time to get busy posting interesting stuff and checking out the system." 

Hi Jerry,

Got your email and your apology is more than enough for me. I thank you for being as forthright in your apology as you were in your post and all is good with me. 

Hopefully by the end of this week, I will have most of the problems figured out and the site should be more user friendly. Some of the issues I have already taken care of, but others require a coder and he's busy right at this moment. 

Jerry says he wants to be on a "serious" discussion forum. I guess I do too. Although I can trade barbs and nonsense with anyone, that is the grease. I see a discussion forum as a place where people give their opinions about things. News, politics, lifestyle, sports, movies, medicine, family, sex, whatever it might be. But it is mainly about exchanging opinions. On some forums, this is mainly what you get. Sometimes it gets heated or obnoxious or funny , but it is mostly exchange of opinions. Of the forums i have seen , only Newsvine and Newstalkers got so much into chit chat. I think this is an aspect of Newsvine that Perrie enjoyed, and she wanted it to be part of her site. 

There were certain oppositional attitudes developed around this on the old Newstalkers, with the so called "front page" crowd and the "anti- front page" crowd, with the so called "moderates" feeling like they were ignored while the big mouths "ruled" the front page.

It seems like the decision was taken to change that on the new site. The "front page" on the old site , the array of the seeds and articles, would be put on an interior page on the new site. Seemingly a plain concession to the people who were "offended" by this and that on the old site. 

That's fine, most of the sites work in that way in one shape or another. There comes an issue WHEN the forum page here is underdeveloped , and the front page "activity feeds" appear to be overpacked with information some people may not need at all. I don't know why anyone would think that showing every single non -private comment or action by every member who is online at the time was a good idea. This is clearly where the social media aspect comes into it. We see that so and so "likes" someone's gallery. We see that so and so has commented on so and sos home page. We see pretty much everything that everyone is doing, like social media like facebook does.

Okay. Good enough. If that is what a lot of people want, okay.

But the "latest activity" feed where all this is going by is the only place on the site where a new thread on the discussion forum is announced. It comes as "so and so began a new topic, or new discussion" or whatever it says. Until a comment is made on that thread, that little announcement is the only place there is a notification of a new thread. There is no function on the forums page that shows a new thread in the sub forums. Someone could literally go to the trouble to copy and paste an article as a seed, and then have no one see it, or even see that it existed. This is because the "latest activity" is an ongoing feed with potentially pretty constant movement. 

The "newest discussions" feed, the other feed on the front page, is highly redundant. We see notification of every comment made, even if 20 of them in a row are to the same thread. Why?

The only thing I can think of is that the people who don't want to look at the forum could still find something said by one of their friends and zero in on just that one comment. In the meantime, the feed is very redundant. 

I assume these are things that will sort themselves out. 

Persoanlly, I see Jerry's point, and of course I see Perrie's point. She wants the site to be the way she wants it, based on her perception of the input she has gotten from everyone over the months and years. She owns and pays for the site and can do whatever she wants with it. She is also my friend and I am very fond of her. 

For the record, I like the new site a lot.  Since I primarilly use it on my phone, I wasn't initially impressed because the mobile version and desktop version are quite different.  But it's grown on me, and I know it will get improved as time wears on.

Good job, Perrie.

Hal, I'm usually on my phone, too and the most annoying thing is every time I change pages, an ad pops up across the screen and rolls to the bottom. I can hit the little tiny "x" in the corner toatake it go away but then when I go to another page  it comes back.  Do you have that on your phone?

This site was changed because members wanted to rid themselves of some of the old NT.

Perrie incorporated those changes into the this site. Of course there going to be problems when it's first up and running. It's frickin' Murphy's Law, wake up folks.

I'm still fumbling my way around the site. I'm old and don't like changes, but it is what it is.

Gawd, my avatar is a dog on the chat function. And it's not even a doxie. I'm not having a fit over it.

Give Perrie a chance to work out the problems before you go off the deep end.

As the Great American Patriot, Foghorn Leghorn said, ''Boy, I say boy, your about to  exceed the limits of my medication.''

Perrie has worked so hard on this!  Months and months-- I, for one, would like to say a HUGE thanks for her efforts!  YAY Perrie!

Yes. I greatly appreciate her efforts.

I too want to express appreciation for the effort that went into the new site.   One question.  Is it possible here like it was before to click on an option to view the desktop version from a mobile device?   I like the desktop better but now with my schedule the majority of my time here is on an I-phone.  

XX, I know there is, but I don't know how!  

Yes. I greatly appreciate her efforts.

Me too, I know she worked hard on this, I'll just have to be patient.

Anyway, if I don't stick around, who will be here to 'splain to Cerenkov why he's wrong about everything?! 

Give Perrie a chance to work out the problems before you go off the deep end.

(?!)

I went off the deep end years ago. How do you think I wound up here?

Damn.  I was kinda hoping this article was from Randy.

Hoping that Penny is feeling a bit better, Bruce.

Hoping that Penny is feeling a bit better, Bruce.

Believe it or not (and you probably don't) I feel the same way.

Damn.  I was kinda hoping this article was from Randy.

(?!) What?! You would like to get rid of Randy befor me?! 

And after all the effort I put into being a thorn in your side. 

I guess I'll have to stick around for a while and double down on bustin' your gun loven' chops. 

I hate for you to leave, Jerry, but all of us know our own frustration level, and when that is exceeded to the point of raising our blood pressure-- it's time for a break.  I hope you return soon!

Personally, I LOVE the new site.  It takes a while to learn how to use it, there are some glitches, but I think it looks clean, pretty, and I like the way it is arranged.  I love that when you open the front page, you're not confronted by a slew of articles that are mean-spirited.  I enjoy the groups, and think that the Forum is a good way to find the topics I'm interested in.  If you don't want so many emails, it is easy to adjust.

It seems to me that if you want serious discussion, the News and Politics Forum would be a great place to start!  There are plenty of other places, as well, that offer serious discussions that aren't so political in nature.

As we learn our way around, many of the groups I'm in are providing a link to their articles, so that our friends can find them more easily.  We had been doing that anyway, on the old site.  All in all, I think that if you want snark, there are plenty of places to find it, and if you don't, there are plenty of options.  

Take care, Jerry, and hope to see you again, soon!

I hate for you to leave, Jerry, but all of us know our own frustration level, and when that is exceeded to the point of raising our blood pressure-- it's time for a break.  I hope you return soon!

Is 24 hours soon enough? So I had a hissy fit and flew off the handle, nothing unusual for me. But you and others have given me reason to think twice about what I'm doing and made me realize I'm being a little rash.

So you're stuck with me. I'm going to wait at least until the bugs get exterminated and some adjustment are made before I do anything stupid (doing stupid things is a bad habit of mine, as you are well aware)

Thanks for the encouragement Marsha, it is much appreciated.

I'm glad you're not leaving!  Welcome Back, as they say!

Take care, Jerry-- not much is worth dying over, for sure!

Jerry

Sorry to see you go - we seldom agree on issues but it is never dull verbally jousting with you or just reading your verbal assaults and defensive actions with others.  You will be missed.

There are problems with the site, you have highlighted some of them as have others.

Guess what there were problems with the old site too and many complained about them - some left because of them and yet the site went on.

Change is seldom easy

I am not enamored with the format and clunkiness of navigating the site and following discussions, but I will make the best of it and perhaps more changes will come that make things easier or perhaps I (and others) will become more comfortable with the "new' way things are done.

Again you will be missed

"Sorry to see you go - we seldom agree on issues but it is never dull verbally jousting with you....."

Thanks RIO, I appreciate the compliment. You have always been one of the more reasonable people we have driving in the Right lane on this site.

You're also one of a number of people that have given me reason to think twice about what may have been a rash decision. I would have thought people would be glad to be rid of my wise-ass comments. I'm sure there are, but either they're not on this thread, or they're just being polite.

Anyway, I guess I'm going to stick around for a while and see what happens. 

Jerry

Good to hear

Jerry,

Every new endeavor has its own glitches and logistical problems; give this some time, please don't leave us.

Every new endeavor has its own glitches and logistical problems; give this some time, please don't leave us.

Thank you for the encouragement Mac, you have definitely helped me decide I should hang in here for a wile.

HI!  My 2 cents as one who hardly ever comments.  But I do read the stories and comments.  A LOT of them.   

I can't even imagine the hard work and frustration Perrie has gone through the months before and getting ready for, this "conversion".  (Don't even know the right word!)   And I can't even imagine the hard work Perrie has been doing since the "big move" to fix "bugs" and make adjustments.  I know absolutely nothing about programming so I admire her for being able to do what she has done.  I, personally, don't like change, either-- it kinda scares me.  BUT....I've been clicking around and trying to find things out, and so far I think I'm doing OK.   The HELP videos were a big help the first day. 

Perrie, I"m very proud of you!!  Other members, please give her and this new site to get settled in and "tweaked".   She has worked SO hard, for all of us.   Every "conversion" has troubles.  I can't even imagine what she has to put up with.    Don't make her also have to put up with US!!!     

(Hope this posts correctly!  HA!)

I see this morning that there is now a tab on the forums page titled "New Discussions". This is a good thing, it will let people know when a new thread has been placed in one of the subforums. The current formatting of this function, showing the entire content of each "discussion" in often unreadable fonts, is unusable as such, but at least the function is there now and can be corrected to make it more usable.

The current formatting of this function, showing the entire content of each "discussion" in often unreadable fonts, 

We discussed this elsewhere on this thread, but yeah, we don't need the entire article posted there.

IMO, the name and avatar of the author/seeder should be shown, plus the first paragraph of the article followed by a link to the entire article is all that is needed.

Maybe the link could take the reader to the homepage of the author/seeder where the entire article could be read. That way other articles posted by the a/s would be seen.  

Yes. I am not a fan yet. But we need to give it more time.

Come on, be patient And give the new site a chance.

You just need me around to keep you in line.

Dear Friend Jerry: I hope you choose to return soon.

When gone, you will be missed.

When you do come back, you will be warmly welcomed.

Those of us who have the honor and pleasure to know you through your contributions here hold you in very high esteem.

Peace and Abundant Blessings Always.

E.

Dear Friend Jerry: I hope you choose to return soon.

Enoch, 

Thank you for the kind words, they definitely helped me get over my hissy fit.

I've decided, at the least, I owe it to Perrie and friends like you to hang in and let the place shake out the glitches.  

I am zipping around the site on my android,  mostly,  and learning it a bit better.  I do like that little arrow thingie at the bottom that zips thr page back to the top. And I like that I can do more with fonts and emoticons on my phone, plus see my profile page. There are some things that are not my favorite,  but I can work around it.  Thank you to Perrie and all the beta testers, and Jerry, I hope you stick around.  You would be missed if you left.

and Jerry, I hope you stick around.  You would be missed if you left.

Thanks for the encouragement Jennilee, it's making me think I should hang in here a little longer.

When I leave Jerry, it'll be because of the people and not the site and some (many) days it's a real struggle and only my feelings of loyalty to Perrie that keeps me from saying 'Fuck it' and leaving some of these out and out assholes behind.

Randy, don't you dare go anywhere!  We very seldom agree but when we do, it gives me hope that someday mankind will be above all these differences and truly live on peace! Plus, we would miss you!!

Randy, don't you dare go anywhere!

It's Perrie. (In my best Al Pacino voice) "Every time I think I'm out...she keeps pulling me back in!"

For whatever reason you justify it I really do hope that you stick around.  This from one who disagrees with you on just about everything.  Everyone has a place and purpose here and it would be a boring echo chamber I hope no one really wants if a bunch from one side or the other really did leave.  What we should be doing is recruiting some of the classy members of newsvine on both sides to come over like Jerry and I among others did.  

For whatever reason you justify it I really do hope that you stick around.

I realized I was leaving you behind Corny, I've been debunking and shredding your Tea Party bullshit for going on 8 years now, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave you here to run wild.

There's an expression about being careful what you wish for and it might just be apropos at this time. 

Some people are sticklers for punishment.

Randy, don't you dare go anywhere!

He's not going anywhere. If he want me to stay, then he has to stay. 

Judging from our past disagreements I guess I would be numbered among the assholes you would like to leave behind. Of course, if you can't take the heat from those who disagree with you, then......

We agreed that was off limits.

Did I mention the topic that cannot be discussed? From your comment, I'm not the only person you consider to be an asshole. Makes me think of the scene from Spaceballs, when Dark Helmet says: "I'm surrounded by assholes."

By the way, I notice that you're still designated as Randy2, so from now on I'll call you Lord Randolph.

from now on I'll call you Lord Randolph.

I like 'Sir Randolph II' Why not add a little flair?

Actually 'R2' would be more practical.

Add D2 to that and you've got a droid. 

Add D2 to that and you've got a droid.

Randy is the closest thing to a droid this site will ever see.

Wait a sec, I was mistaken about the name of the English ballad, it's actually Lord Randal, not Lord Randolph.

Lord Randall

Anonymous Traditional Folk Ballad (published by Sir Walter Scott in 1803)

1 “O where ha you been, Lord Randal, my son? And where ha you been, my handsome young man?” “I ha been at the greenwood; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie down.”      2 “An wha met ye there, Lord Randal, my son? An wha met you there, my handsome young man?” “O I met wi my true-love; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m wearied wi huntin, an fain wad lie down.”      3 “And what did she give you, Lord Randal, my son? And what did she give you, my handsome young man?” “Eels fried in a pan; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m wearied with huntin, and fain wad lie down.”      4 “And wha gat your leavins, Lord Randal, my son? And what gat your leavins, my handsom young man?” “My hawks and my hounds; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m wearied wi huntin, and fain wad lie down.”      5 “And what becam of them, Lord Randall, my son? And what became of them, my handsome young man?” “They stretched their legs out an died; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m wearied wi huntin, and fain wad lie down.”      6 “O I fear you are poisoned, Lord Randal, my son! I fear you are poisoned, my handsome young man!” “O yes, I am poisoned; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”      7 “What d’ ye leave to your mother, Lord Randal, my son? What d’ye leave to your mother, my handsome young man?” “Four and twenty milk kye; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”      8 “What d’ ye leave to your sister, Lord Randal, my son? What d’ ye leave to your sister, my handsome young man?” “My gold and my silver; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m sick at the heart, an I fain wad lie down.”      9 “What d’ ye leave to your brother, Lord Randal, my son? What d’ ye leave to your brother, my handsome young man?” “My house and my lands; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”      10 “What d’ ye leave to your true-love, Lord Randal, my son? What d’ ye leave to your true-love, my handsome young man?” “I leave her hell and fire; mother, mak my bed soon, For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.” Now I know where Bob Dylan got the idea for his song "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? And where have you been my darling young one? I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall. Oh, what did you see, my blue eyed son? And what did you see, my darling young one? I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin' I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin' I saw a white ladder all covered with water I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall. And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son? And what did you hear, my darling young one? I heard the sound of a thunder that roared out a warnin' I heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world I heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin' I heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin' I heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin' Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall. Oh, what did you meet my blue-eyed son ? Who did you meet, my darling young one? I met a young child beside a dead pony I met a white man who walked a black dog I met a young woman whose body was burning I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow I met one man who was wounded in love I met another man who was wounded in hatred And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall. And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son? And what'll you do now my darling young one? I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin' I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest Where the people are a many and their hands are all empty Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison And the executioner's face is always well hidden Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten Where black is the color, where none is the number And I'll tell and speak it and think it and breathe it And reflect from the mountain so all souls can see it And I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin' But I'll know my song well before I start singing And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.  The line in Dylan's song "I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children" was the inspiration for an artist who was a friend and a client to create a big watercolour painting that I had since the 60s and now it hangs in my son's house.

Judging from our past disagreements I guess I would be numbered among the assholes you would like to leave behind

I doubt very much that Randy considers you to be an a-hole.

"When I leave Jerry,...."

(?!) "When" you leave?! That sounds a little foreboding.

".....it'll be because of the people and not the site"

Well, I'm not so sure about that. People I can deal with, but there is little I can do about mechanics of the site. When Newsvine launched their monstrosity of a format on Feb. 7, 2013, I was outa there!

There was no way I was going to deal with a that "Nations" nonsense. Anyway NV is too big, I had upwards of 650 people listed on my Friends list over there and I didn't "know" more than 80 -100 of them.

When I stopped posting on NV  and came here, I sent out over 450 emails to people on my NV Friends list telling them where I was going and inviting them to come with me. Why? Because it's the people that are important to me, not the site.

That's why I'm posting here right now, I have friends here, people I've never met, but they're still real friends. Like you Randy, I've never met you, but I consider you a true friend.

When I posted the article about my son having cancer, the outpouring of friendship was overwhelming and literally brought me to tears. The same was true when I posted the article about my grand and great- grandchildren almost being killed in a car crash.

And then there's Perrie. I know she'd busting her butt to make this new launch work, and to just walk out without giving her a chance to tweak the glitches is making me feel a little guilty.

   and some (many) days it's a real struggle and only my feelings of loyalty to Perrie that keeps me from saying 'Fuck it' and leaving some of these out and out assholes behind.

The 'assholes' are in part what keeps me from leaving. If everyone that has a sense of respect for the site left, Perrie would be left with a basket of assholes for her efforts. 

I love dealing with assholes, that's how I vent my frustrations! I fuck with their heads a little, tell them about themselves and then refuse to respond to their rants when they try to fire back. It makes them fucking crazy! Eventually they get tired of getting beat up and they go away.

The 'assholes' are in part what keeps me from leaving. If everyone that has a sense of respect for the site left, Perrie would be left with a basket of assholes for her efforts.

The many of the regular posters here already are "a basket of assholes".

The many of the regular posters here already are "a basket of assholes".

Every respectable social website has it's share of assholes. It's up to guys like you and me to keep them under control. Actually, they're a big part of the reason I did an about face.

There's going to be a-holes no matter where I go and I've come to kinda like the people I don't like here on NewsTalkers. Right now I'm anxious to get myself organized so I can start some new discussions and hopefully flush them out. 

Ok, I realize my hissy fit may not have been justified, because I haven't given the new format a fair chance to get the bugs out.

I don't exactly like the "facebook" feel the colors and terminology give the place, and I'm not comfortable with certain aspects of the main functions, but then I'm only one member, and what I like or don't like is of little importance.

I believe it's reasonable to assume that with time, if my misgivings are supported by other members, changes and adjustments will be made accordingly.

At this point I believe the smartest thing for me to do is to carefully go through the comments left here and address them one at a time. 

The "Newest Discussions" tab on the "Forums" page does not format the list properly. It is embarrassing to even look at that thing. What kind of page designer would possibly think that is the proper way to present that material ?  Having "never done it before" is not an excuse for everything. 

The "Newest Discussions" tab on the "Forums" page does not format the list properly. It is embarrassing to even look at that thing.

I agree. The name and avatar of the author/seeder should be given, with no more than the first paragraph of the article displayed, followed by a link to the full article. Also a slightly smaller font could be used to get more articles on the page, reducing the need to scroll.

Actually, the font size throughout the site could be taken down a notch or two. I know you wanted to make the pages easier to read, but when the font size is too large, the eye can't take in as much text than if the font were smaller, requiring unnecessary eye movement and causing loss of interest in the subject.  

The "Newest Discussions" sub-forum, as currently designed has a whole lot of wasted space and is aesthetically uncomfortable. Trying to provide a feature to satisfy a request by just throwing something together real quick, instead of taking the time to think about aesthetics and functionality is not exactly productive.

I was once told. "If you don't have the time to it right with the first try, how are you going to find the time to do it over?"

I know, you feel like you "just can't win with these guys". But if you expect us to hang in while you do the tweaking, you're just gonna have to tolerate the suggestions for what to tweak.    

     "I know, you feel like you "just can't win with these guys"."

I am sure that is definitely so.  One member complains the font is too small and another complains that it's too big. No way she can win.

One member complains the font is too small and another complains that it's too big. No way she can win.

John is complaining the text in the comment boxes is too small, I'm referring to the font size of the text on the site itself, the headings, titles, tabs and thing like that.

John and the others that are having the same problem with small text , will likely find the problem is with their 'puters. 

I use Chrome and I can change the size of all the text on any page by holding the control key [Ctrl] as I scroll up or down. 

Stick around Jerry! Agree with some of your views, disagree with some, and find some serious comic relief in others, and the comments, both pro and con, that you generate. Give it a chance!

Stick around Jerry! ....... Give it a chance!

Thanks for the support and encouragement DDW, you're helping me think I should give it some more time. 

I want to be on a serious social news site, not on a glorified facebookish chat room, so I'm going to go and find a site that has serious members looking for serious discussions on serious issues. 

Please dispense with the drama already ! If you gotta go, go !

Please dispense with the drama already ! 

It's no fun having a hissy fit if there's not a little drama involved. 

LMAO!   I don't believe this for a second.  You will be back less than a week.