I hate the latest changes
Tal
April 15, 2010, 11:54 AM posted in General DiscussionAfter the last round of the site being turned upside down, (quite recently surely?), I promised myself I wasn't going to do any more moaning and complaining.
However... I simply cannot help myself... I am really really fed-up with the way this site cannot keep still for more than a few weeks before some new redesign is unleashed on the users. It's becoming ever harder work to navigate around the 'community' boards, and for the first time ever I'm considering only ever coming to CPod to study.
There once was a time when teaching Chinese and providing a forum for users to share and learn about China together was the mainstay of this place, but those days really seem to be gone.
Tal
Because it never seems to stop changing for long enough!
Oh, I have to start calling this a dashboard now, do I? Did I mention I'm sick to death of geek speak and associated acronyms too?
Anyway never mind, I'm done.
bodawei
April 16, 2010, 05:07 AM'Replies to Me' is actually not 'Replies to Me' - it is both replies to me and comments I have made that I have no replies to. 'Replies to Me' could be full of posts of me talking to myself.
Tal
April 15, 2010, 01:21 PMBecause it never seems to stop changing for long enough!
Oh, I have to start calling this a dashboard now, do I? Did I mention I'm sick to death of geek speak and associated acronyms too?
Anyway never mind, I'm done.
changye
April 15, 2010, 01:32 PMIt seems I'm already too old to keep up with "tweaks and tinkerings".
bodawei
April 15, 2010, 01:44 PMHey, these changes remind me of the film Matrix. We are all in separate rooms and all the rooms are painted white. I think we might all now be wearing white. I can't see you any more, and you can't see me. Someone is behind it all. I'm sure that we will all eventually get used to the changes and no one will be able to remember what it was like before. ;-)
changye
April 15, 2010, 01:51 PMI've finished joining Chinesepod groups now, but given up the idea of joining User groups because there are too many of them. Good by, user groups.
user76423
April 15, 2010, 06:30 PMI also starting to hate the last changes.
I was unable to unsubscribe some groups (system rejected and tells me that I need a lesson group although I already subscribed to Intermediate lessons).
The next things seems interesting at first but it's VERY strange that now everybody can see that I had Guided and knows with which teacher. Hint: Just look at the subscribed groups of the CP counselors. Those groups should be private but they are not. That's "private" Chinese style.
The "conversation groups" is a peculiar concept. This is very complicated to use and I wonder if a new user here will understand this concept. Sometimes SIMPLE is better.
xiao_liang
April 15, 2010, 08:02 PMOops. Not only that, but because you can see the conversations each teacher has posted in, you can go into each of those "private" groups, and read everything that's there. Not to mention their lesson plans, etc...
paulinurus
April 16, 2010, 12:10 AMDashboard is obviously another step taken for Cpod to build a virtual school with classrooms and rooms for private tutoring. You can expect more segregations and differentiations in the future... of course all these constructions are for the benefit of poddies.
trevorb
April 15, 2010, 01:17 PMI think Xiao liang has a good point. I've only had time for a little play (我家的电脑坏了！again） and it seems more personal to me.
Changing sites can alienate the existing user base but not updating can end up with new blood not taking it up. It's a balance and I'm sure that CPod will find some constructive critisism to be really useful for tuning the service to fit us all.
Tal
April 16, 2010, 03:15 AMHave you in fact deleted this whole thread? I can find no trace of it on the "discussion boards".
PS. Oh I see it comes up now I've added something. Amusing how if you click the Community button each thread appears marked with the first post made in it rather than the last.
Is there any point in asking/wondering why (as usual) all these latest changes were not perfected BEFORE being implemented? Is it still beyond the technical capacity of CPod's awesome tech team to get a site design working perfectly offline before it goes online?
And I'd also like to know if any thought has been given to the fate of groups like the transcript group I started? Seems to me that many users (especially new ones perhaps baffled or intimidated by the ever-increasing complexity of the boards) might be unaware that such groups exist, will certainly no longer easily notice new posts to such a group (seeing as they must first subscribe to it to even see such posts?)
changye
I agree. Furthermore, the less audience, the less people want to post a new thread/comment.
bodawei
Maybe there will be space on the Home Page where poddies can advertise their groups. :) (I haven't worked out how to subscribe yet - better go and read the blog.)
changye
> why (as usual) all these latest changes were not perfected BEFORE being implemented?
This is a Chinese custom which is called “试营” (trial operation = "trials-and-errors" operation). In China, you can see a lot of restaurants doing "trial operation" before they hold a opening ceremony.
go_manly
Perhaps Cpod realises that the most efficient way to test the dashboard is to expose it to the people who are most likely to find all the glitches - the people who want it to fail! Imagine the money we are saving them.
bodawei
April 16, 2010, 03:26 AMAre you ready for another film analogy? ChinesePod needs one of those funky little devices Tommy Lee Jones had in Men in Black - they can point it at us and then we will remember nothing about what happened before.
Tal
I'd say CPod needs a 'rear-view mirror' more than a new 'dashboard'. If only the current gang of geek-speakers and iPhiles could take a look back occasionally to the days when CPod was simpler and greater, (indeed greater because it was simpler).
Tal
April 16, 2010, 03:36 AMI'd say CPod needs a 'rear-view mirror' more than a new 'dashboard'. If only the current gang of geek-speakers and iPhiles could take a look back occasionally to the days when CPod was simpler and greater, (indeed greater because it was simpler).
changye
April 16, 2010, 03:47 AMI agree. Furthermore, the less audience, the less people want to post a new thread/comment.
bodawei
April 16, 2010, 03:56 AMMaybe there will be space on the Home Page where poddies can advertise their groups. :) (I haven't worked out how to subscribe yet - better go and read the blog.)
changye
April 16, 2010, 04:11 AM> why (as usual) all these latest changes were not perfected BEFORE being implemented?
This is a Chinese custom which is called “试营” (trial operation = "trials-and-errors" operation). In China, you can see a lot of restaurants doing "trial operation" before they hold a opening ceremony.
xiaophil
April 16, 2010, 04:30 AMI really want to like this new setup... really... I do (because I like liking CPod), but aargh#$%^!!! I'm trying oh so hard to not let out a rant. I just haven't seen anything I like so far except the look, and perhaps the feature that lets me see who has commented to me.
I wonder if CPod is still working on a way for us to keep track of the chronological order of comments?
henning
April 16, 2010, 05:05 AMxiaophil,
yes. Go to m.chinesepod.com. It is a time machine that take you back to the pre-threading era.
bill_w
April 16, 2010, 02:05 AMThe tech team is working on fixing this issue and for the privacy of our users the above comment has been deleted.
xiao_liang
April 15, 2010, 12:55 PMStrange. I find the new dashboard a much more efficient and sensible way to do just that: study chinese.
I would personally resist complaining about a change while it's still happening. John's already stated they are in the midst of implementing it and it will be finished in the next day or so. Why not wait until then before breaking your promise?