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Quicker Link To The Forums

pjmorse

By pjmorse
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pjmorse

+pjmorse

Posted
Posted

Is there any way the link from the main site (currently "Forums", which links to http://www.geocaching.com/forums/register.aspx) could be a more direct link to the root of the forums, at http://forums.Groundspeak.com/gc/ ? At least for registered users who know about the whole software shift, howeverlongago that was, having to click twice to get in to the forums seems unneccessary to me.

 

If there's something that actually happens on that intermediate page, is there any way it can happen in the background and then forward us along automatically?

 

Thanks.

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Miragee

+Miragee

Posted
Posted

I don't know what browser you use, but I use the Opera browser which allows me to have several pages open at a time (as tabs).

 

Opera opens each day with all the pages I was looking at the previous session, so each of the Forums I'm interested in are right there, ready for me. :ph34r:

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The Leprechauns

+The Leprechauns

Posted
Posted

What happens on that page is that your Geocaching.com user information gets synchronized with your Groundspeak Forums information (they're on separate servers). If you change your username, avatar, forum title or signature line, it won't update in the forums unless you enter through the "Discuss Geocaching" portal.

 

If you want to bypass the page (except when updating your information), use a bookmark or do what I do and set the forums as your homepage. :ph34r:

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CompuCash

+CompuCash

Posted
Posted
You're all describing workarounds (and good ones, I'll admit) for a problem which shouldn't require working around.

 

But I can see I won't get anyone to agree with me on this, so thanks anyway.

 

you seem to be missing the whole point - this is your posting - have you read the entries? If you don't want to see that page set it up so you don't see it - this is NOT a work around - it is a bypass.

 

From the The Leprechauns above emphasis added

 

What happens on that page is that your Geocaching.com user information gets synchronized with your Groundspeak Forums information (they're on separate servers).  If you change your username, avatar, forum title or signature line, it won't update in the forums unless you enter through the "Discuss Geocaching" portal. 

 

If you want to bypass the page (except when updating your information), use a bookmark or do what I do and set the forums as your homepage.  B)

 

cc\

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Miragee

+Miragee

Posted
Posted

All the more reason to use a browser like Opera or Firefox where it opens up with the pages you choose (or the pages you were viewing during the last session).

 

When Opera opens, it brings up 18 different pages, including four of the Geocaching.com Forums. :D

 

It doesn't take any time at all to get to the Forums. :)

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Team GPSaxophone

+Team GPSaxophone

Posted
Posted
You're all describing workarounds (and good ones, I'll admit) for a problem which shouldn't require working around.

 

But I can see I won't get anyone to agree with me on this, so thanks anyway.

Nope, not a workaround. As the Leprechauns said earlier, that "extra" page serves a purpose. I just bookmark the main forum page. If I need to update my information, I go through the forum link on the main site to synchronize the data. Quite simple, really.

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CompuCash

+CompuCash

Posted
Posted (edited)
You're all describing workarounds (and good ones, I'll admit) for a problem which shouldn't require working around.

 

But I can see I won't get anyone to agree with me on this, so thanks anyway.

Nope, not a workaround. As the Leprechauns said earlier, that "extra" page serves a purpose. I just bookmark the main forum page. If I need to update my information, I go through the forum link on the main site to synchronize the data. Quite simple, really.

 

I said the same thing Lep - I guess he just doesn't get it -

 

I even quoted your previous post -

 

cc\

Edited by CompuCash
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ju66l3r

ju66l3r

Posted
Posted (edited)

PJ, don't worry that they don't understand. I am sure Jeremy knows that any sync of data could happen when you click the "Forums" menu option on the left instead of via a link on a second page.

 

You don't have to convince these people who aren't as saavy as him that:

 

www.geocaching.com --link--> /forums/register.aspx --link--> forums.Groundspeak.com

 

*could* be functionally equivalent to:

 

www.geocaching.com --link--> forums.Groundspeak.com

 

since anything happening in two links could technically happen in one.

 

In the meantime, because he's a busy guy and this is probably not a huge drain on resources in its current state and there are a number of work-arounds if you haven't changed forum/profile settings (a rare occurance per forum access for most users)... Because of all of that, I doubt this will be acted upon any time soon. There's still hope. Jeremy hasn't responded yet.

Edited by ju66l3r
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planetrobert

+planetrobert

Posted
Posted

Actually, the reason for the intermediary page is to sync up the data. That has to be done BEFORE you get to the forums. Not something you could do AS you got to the forums.

 

Another option that could be implimented is to make the page less wordy and have it redirect in 5 seconds or similar.

 

I think J actually has it right and the only improvement possible is a timed redirect.

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Glenn

+Glenn

Posted
Posted
Actually, the reason for the intermediary page is to sync up the data. That has to be done BEFORE you get to the forums. Not something you could do AS you got to the forums.

 

Another option that could be implimented is to make the page less wordy and have it redirect in 5 seconds or similar.

 

I think J actually has it right and the only improvement possible is a timed redirect.

Or, add another flag to user accounts. A "updated user info" flag. Then when displaying any page with the geocaching menu bar do a check for this flag. If it isn't set the forum link goes directly to the forums. If the flag is set then the link goes to the update page. The update page updates the forum DB with the new user info and clears the users flag, so that next time the update page doesn't display.

 

Nice and user friendly. Only thing is it has the potential to go very wrong if for instance the flag isn't setting correctly or for some reason the flag won't reset.

 

It is more reliable to send everyone to the update page all the time. If you don't like it then just go directly to the forum page through your own link. This IS the WWW after all and there is no rule that you must visit one page before another.

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planetrobert

+planetrobert

Posted
Posted
It is more reliable to send everyone to the update page all the time. If you don't like it then just go directly to the forum page through your own link. This IS the WWW after all and there is no rule that you must visit one page before another.

DING DING DING... WE HAVE A WINNER

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ju66l3r

ju66l3r

Posted
Posted
Actually, the reason for the intermediary page is to sync up the data. That has to be done BEFORE you get to the forums. Not something you could do AS you got to the forums.

Clicking the Forum left-menu option could easily run some C#, javascript, whatever you want that would push an update to the forum computer. The extra page was there because it is easier to program and had updated information at the time when the server/software was changing over. This code would run and finish by throwing the browser to the forum URL.

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beejay&esskay

+beejay&esskay

Posted
Posted
You're all describing workarounds (and good ones, I'll admit) for a problem which shouldn't require working around.

 

But I can see I won't get anyone to agree with me on this, so thanks anyway.

Hey, I'll agree with you. It should be changed.

 

But I'm using a workaround so I don't see the problem very often.,

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Team DEMP

+Team DEMP

Posted
Posted

I go directly to the forums via a bookmark, but to answer the original post, yes, it's a waste. It's a waste of human time, it's a waste of bandwidth and it's a waste of computer time. Not a huge waste in either area, but a waste.

 

As for automating it, it's trivial and could be automated such that if a user is already logged on, to just call the code that register.aspx did and go to forums.Groundspeak.com and if a user is not logged in, to display that page. It's very trivial to do.

 

But I'd suggest bookmarking the forums as it's quicker and doesn't rely on the somewhat less then stable (though not bad the past 2 weeks), geocaching.com servers.

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Team DEMP

+Team DEMP

Posted
Posted
With a different browser, with tabbed pages that open when the browser opens, it is no clicks . . .

Which is what I have with Maxthon. I have a few tabs open, one of which is the main forum page. It opens automatically when I launch the browser. You can do the same with Avant, another IE based browser and Firefox.

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Miragee

+Miragee

Posted
Posted

Actually, with my terribly slow (24K) connection, if I had to go through that extra page everyday, one click, and waiting for the new page to redraw, would be a big deal.

 

But as for the OP, I don't understand the problem . . .

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Tonsil

+Tonsil

Posted
Posted
You're all describing workarounds (and good ones, I'll admit) for a problem which shouldn't require working around.

 

But I can see I won't get anyone to agree with me on this, so thanks anyway.

Hey, if it makes you feel better, I agree with you. As has been said, that link could be made directly with the same effect. And for all the people with alternate browser suggestions, that's really not addressing the request. Neither is bookmarking the forum itself. Ideally, you want to be able to change your settings on the gc.c site, click(once) to the forums, and see those changes be there. No, it's not the end of the world to have to see the 2nd page and click again, but there's nothing wrong with seeing something that could be better and suggesting a change. That's what this forum is for.

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