CSCO Thread Mates,
Re: Silicon Investor Ease of Use - Browse Master Features - A Petition
Please Read and Consider. TIA for doing so.
I would like to impose on each of you to consider signing a petition directed to the attention of Go2Net Silicon Investor Management.
The petition is here:
Subject 50392
The petition was originated by several of us SI users who have participated on various SI sponsored threads since Go2Net decided to "improve" SI over a year ago, by overhauling the "classic" interface, and overhauling and upgrading servers.
We first participated in the SI Beta Test, and more recently have been working with SI Technicians on the "Silicon Investor Think Tank Thread".
We are petitioning to add to SI "Usability Features" that allow posting to and reading the SI message boards, in a manner that is quicker and easier than the current interface allows, but does not alter the interface.
SI management committed to doing this before the Beta concluded. They have postponed the commencement of coding several times. They are now not responding to queries about when and if they will deliver on the promised upgrades.
The features requested were formerly available in a glitch-free software add on called BrowseMaster, written and supported by SI member Craig Richards
Whether or not you experienced BrowseMaster, if the feature set and productivity enhancements makes sense to you, I would encourage you to consider signing the petition.
I have enclosed below a copy of 1.) the prioritized list of features that have been requested and below that a copy of 2.) the petition.
Thank you very much for considering this request and taking a few minutes out of a busy day. There is no need to respond to me here. If you have questions, feel free to PM me.
- Eric -
1.) Prioritized List of Requested Features SI committed to Adding
BETA Member Results - More points = higher priority
158 C. Increase the number of messages retrieved at one time to 100 or other user-defined number.
142 A. Get ALL new messages across all bookmarked threads. (One click pulls in all unread messages on all book marketed subjects for which the total unread is below a threshold level which is set in the user's Configuration)
96 B. Auto-refresh this page.
92 D. Get all new messages from an individual peoplemarked poster.
60 G. Make get '100' accessible directly from the subjectmark page.
59 E. Display at least X characters but no more than Y (When displaying multiple messages, display at least the first X characters of a message but don't display more than Y where X and Y are set in the user's configuration)
46 F. When displaying multiple messages, pack them together tightly without much extra space between them. This allows lots of reading with little scrolling.
45 H. In the view-ten-messages-a-time mode, include a view replies to this message link.
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points computed by assigning 10 points to a #1 priority vote, 9 points for a #2 vote, etc. down to 3 points for a #8 vote.
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2.) The Petition to Go2Net and SI Senior Management
This is an open letter to SI management. This thread is not for a discussion of this issue, it's simply a list of signatures of SI users who would like to minimize the amount of time spent reading SI. Please type your user name into the list if you would like to read ALL new responses to ALL your bookmarked threads with one click. We will formally present this petition to senior SI and Infospace management, including Mssrs. Jain and Sarin.
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We are a group of individual investors who consider SI to be one of the better sources of information on stocks available anywhere. What unites this group is our heavy use of SI--many of us follow dozens of threads, some of which take hours to read. We are therefore especially interested in finding ways to get through our threads more efficiently.
We have found a way. It is a simple software program called Browsemaster, written by SI member Craig Richards. It allows a reader to get, with just one click, ALL responses of ALL threads followed. Before Browsemaster, we typically spent three, four, or more hours a day reading SI. With BM, we could do it in less than one. We were all very excited by the time and effort we saved with this simple program.
We were all in a state of shock when SI made a complete overhaul of its system, which meant that Browsemaster would no longer work. Craig contacted SI management, with our support, to inquire about making the new system work with BM, but he was rebuffed. We were now back to three or four hours of excruciating slow reading of SI. It was like surfing with a cable modem for years, only to be told that 56k modems would now be the only option available.
We urge you to talk to Craig and to work with him to allow use of this incredibly valuable program. You would be serving a real need in the SI community. At the very least, it should be made available on a trial basis. We have been told for more than a year that SI would "soon" be offering everything BM did, but we have been ignored for so long that many of us are tempted to give up on SI altogether, despite its obvious value to us.
Sincerely yours,
the undersigned
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- Eric - |
