Communal Stalls/Personals

LuvBJz · #1 17th July 2004, 02:11 PM

Hey Jason, This may be in the wrong forum, but are the old stlye ads a thing of the past? Only the new ones with pics? I liked the old style where you could scroll down all of the ads, stopping at those you wanted. The new style takes longer & you have to open each one separate. Direct me if the old style is still there somewhere! Thanks

Winner · #2 17th July 2004, 02:19 PM

The new communal stall system is so cumbesome to use I (and many people I know) have stopped using it entirely.

I miss being able to scroll down the list and open then separately.

Also, I can't even understand the new format - the numbers by the cites.. what is that? Does that list of cities at top indicate which cities have ads?

I don't expect answers - just ranting my frustration. It was soo very good before and so very bad now. Change is not always a good thing.

biker4u · #3 17th July 2004, 06:21 PM

I'll 2nd that please bring back the old styled. Thanks

bearbenn · #4 17th July 2004, 07:27 PM

Didn't want to appear opposed to change, but...
I'll third that. Stopped using it altogether. Should 've updated what was there already, not present an entirely new site !
Thanx for the memories...

SFV1964 · #5 19th July 2004, 02:54 PM

I agree with all the above. I really liked the old format, and visited it frequently, often with memorable results.

I tried for a long time to adapt to the overhauled site, despite its difficult navigation, no ability to skim quickly, etc. Eventually I decided that it wasn't my slowness to learn the changes, it was just plain bad interface design.

Repeated frustration with it has caused me to just stop browsing the CSW personals altogether.

ScruffyCub · #6 31st July 2004, 10:49 AM

I've loved and supported CFS for many years, and while I find the rest of the site redesign to be simple to navigate, I have to agree with all the guys here: the Communal Stalls are cumbersome and confusing.

Sometimes TOO much organization results in even more mess.

TV Guide just changed their format. Instead of simple, easy to read television listings in columns as they have done for decades, they've now moved to include more grids and also removed massive amounts of late night listings. How is it easier and more convenient to have to use a grid, matching up two columns to find a show, than to scan down a single column? I called TV Guide to ask them the logic of this, but they had no response.

Add my vote to please change it back to the old format. A simple list to scroll through was so much easier to read. Additionally, even when I came across an ad that was not for a guy in my immediate area, or not someone I might be interested in meeting for whatever reason, I still enjoyed simply just READING the ads.

I'll still be using the rest of the site, which I enjoy very much, but the Stalls aren't worth it anymore.

Keith · #7 2nd August 2004, 03:04 PM

Guys, we appreciate all the feedback about the Stalls. While I disagree that this is not an improvement, I'd be crazy to ignore the thoughful comments being offered up by our loyal site visitors.

Short of returning to the old format, can anyone offer some specific suggestions how to make the current Stalls more friendly to use?

We are seriously considering restoring the old format, but not as the Stalls. We'd re-launch under another name. The Stalls are clearly popular with lots of people who enjoy the new features so we'll keep them as is (maybe some tweaking if you can come up with some ideas that can be implemented). But I believe we can please everyone (am I crazy or what?), if we try a little harder.

Just know we listen to your comments and take your opinions seriously.

Keith

SFV1964 · #8 2nd August 2004, 04:53 PM

1. If I am logged in to the Message Board, I wish CSW were
aware of that fact, rather than requiring me to log in
separately.

2. When I visit CSW, I wish it would clearly indicate one
or the other of the following:

· A persistent display of my cruisername, reminding me
that I AM logged in, and under which name.

· Persistent text indicating that I am not logged in.

3. I wish that as soon as I logged in to the Stalls, I would
be transported to the only area I ever visit (in my case,
Los Angeles); or, alternatively, to the last place I had
visited (such as "Advanced Search"); or, alternatively,
I wish it provided options that looked like this:
( ) Always start CSW at CSW home (current behavior)
( ) Always start CSW in
( ) Always start CSW in
( ) Remember where I last browsed and restart CSW there.

This would spare me the need to navigate through
CSW Home -> USA -> Los Angeles
each and every time I visit.

4. I wish that each distinct location in CSW had its own
unique URL, so that I could bookmark it for myself
and/or provide a link that a contact could teleport
to, rather than having to re-navigate the interface
each and every time.

By "distinct location" I mean any and each of:

· geographical cruising area, broad or narrow

· page that prompts for remembered search criteria

· remembered query that results in a list-of-ads

· each specific ad

5. I wish that I could scroll through a list of ads that
included ad text (not just title). Currently, when
browsing ads, I have to open an ad, return from it,
open another ad, return from it, etc.

6. I wish that I could close CSW (and CFS) without having
the window closure spawn a new window containing an
XXX-rated pop-under ad. The delayed-reaction opening
of a new window means I have no "panic button" for
browsing at work, or at home when family is around.

7. Especially if I am forced to see a list of ad titles
without content, I wish that I see the author of each
ad.

8. Especially if I am forced to see a list of ad titles
without content, I wish that I sort the list ...
· ... by cruisername
· ... by title
· ... by "IsPhotoAttached" flag

9. I really really wish I could search ads intelligently.

For example, I'd like to search ads in a specific
area that contain a specific word. Currently, if
I'm browsing Los Angeles ads and type in search string
"beach", I get a list of all communities whose names
have the word "Beach" and a bunch of ad titles --
from across the entire U.S. -- which all presumably
contain "beach" somewhere in the (undisplayed) ad text.

· I'd like to search ads by zipcode.
Even better, by zipcode range: { 91100 - 91199 }.
Best of all, by zipcode ranges: { 911*, 912*, 91325 }

In Los Angeles, an alphabetized list of community
names is a wretched way of categorizing places.
For example, the same address could be considered
as being located in any of the following:
- Valley Village
- NoHo
- North Hollywood
- the Valley
- San Fernando Valley
- SFV
- N.L.A.

And, incidentally, none of these appears on the current
list of "specific locations" -- apparently there are no
cruisers amongst the millions of people living south of
Santa Clarita and west of Burbank. (However, please do
NOT extend the list to contain five dozen possibilities
in a particular region.)

But if the alphabetized-list-of-communities is the best
solution for places in general, then maybe give some
thought to dividing regions intelligently, so that each
region is covered by the set of "specific locations"
and the size or population of each specific location
is large enough so that the list isn't too daunting.

So how about those zip code ranges, anyway? :-)

· I'd like to search ads by partial cruisername, rather
than having to match exactly. For example, if all a
guy can remember of my username is "sfv19xx" I'd like
him to be able to find me in one try, not twenty.

· I wish I could set my search behavior permanently to
Advanced Search, rather than having to reselect it
each and every time I search.

· I'd like to have a difficult-to-select option that
allow me to search ads that have expired.

10. I wish that ad authors could optionally fill out a
profile and/or write up a blurb with freetext and/or
supply a persistent photo, and that this info would
be displayed to the ad-looker when he clicks on the
ad-author's cruisername.

Generally, my preferred cruising behavior is to scan a lot
of text quickly, and then drill down more on an item that
looks like it might be interesting. I prefer for photos
to be displayed only if I ask, not whenever I open the ad.

I would welcome the addition of preset categories (group
play, nonrecip BJs, etc.), because it shortens the search
and reduces the back-and-forth of "so, what do you like?"
But please don't add them if doing so forced everyone into
a canned set of pigeonholes.

awesome2 · #9 5th August 2004, 03:50 AM

I agree, the new stalls are terrible, I quit using them all togather

loadeater · #10 24th January 2006, 12:42 PM

i liked the old format too. the one with the blue line under the captions, and it showed if there was a pix. much easier to navigate. i stopped using csw because it was too confusing for me..(not too sharp with computers). from the ads placed under csw, i think the new format- alot of people have stopped using them. in the old days, there would be 80-100 ads. now a days there are maybe 10, under maryland stalls.