How To: Use "What's New" / Easily Browse The New P&P
How To: Use "What's New" / Easily Browse The New P&P
Author
Discussion

Garlick

Original Poster:

40,601 posts

257 months

Monday 6th April 2009
quotequote all
Stolen from Mr Will smile

Mr Will said:
PistonHeads is becoming a very big place, but we do have a function which makes it quick and easy to browse just the topics that interest you.

If you click 'My Preferences' at the top of the page then you will see the following tools:


By moving topics to the left hand column you can mark them as "Favourite Forums". I've picked the following:

General Gassing
Website Feedback (because it's my job!)
Classic Cars
All the new P&P forums except Business and Jobs
French Bred (I have a Citroen)
Triumph (I'm restoring one)
Caterham (I wish had one!)
Kent and Essex (My Local group)

This changes two pages, firstly the gassing station homepage now looks like this:

showing only the forums I have selected.

More importantly though, it also affects how the "What's New" function works.

By clicking on "What's New" (in the top right of most pages) I can now see the following page, which shows all the topics since my last visit. I can also show the topics for either the last 3, 12, 24 or 72 hours, simply by clicking on the corresponding link:


As you can see, it has all the car related and non-motoring topics from the forums I'm interested in, in one place, without any of the topics I don't want to see.

It can also be sorted by forum (or back to by last post) just by clicking the relevant heading. The forum view looks like this:


If I want to go back to a broader view I can just click the "Show all forums" button to see everything, both on the Gassing Station homepage and in "What's New"

Any problems or comments then just let me know below! thumbup

va1o

16,090 posts

224 months

Monday 6th April 2009
quotequote all
I tried this, and then gave up.

Its not like the old P&P.

I really think you ought to change it back, otherwise PistonHeads will very rapidly loose its magic touch, as it becomes just another boring car forum.

The poll says it all really.

remedy

1,978 posts

208 months

Monday 6th April 2009
quotequote all
Garlick said:
Stolen from Mr Will smile

Mr Will said:
makes it quick and easy to browse just the topics that interest you.
But that is the main argument - the great thing about P&P, as the name suggests, was that it's a pub-type atmosphere where you can be involved in any topics you wish to be, ignore the ones you aren't interested in but occassionally stumble into incredible mind-broadening posts on any number of subjects that wouldn't necessarily be your 'chosen subjects'.

I operate 'change' for a living although I'm struggling to see how this is an improvement frown

Rob.

17,911 posts

235 months

Monday 6th April 2009
quotequote all
I don`t think Garlick has set out for a heated discussion on whether the new P&P is any good or not. I had my favourites set up before the change and whilst I`ve more selected it does make for easier browsing. Having said that the old style was pretty good.

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

266 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
I just go the same old route through 'Gassing Station' and look for 'Lounge' instead of 'P&P' now. I would like to see less subjects moved out of the lounge though as it helps the threads diversify, and after all that's what a pub lounge is all about.

lord summerisle

8,166 posts

242 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
Garlick said:
If I want to go back to a broader view I can just click the "Show all forums" button to see everything, both on the Gassing Station homepage and in "What's New"
but thats the censored of this new way of recreating the Pie n Piston complex. when ever i want to look at other forums that dont make up the Pie n Piston complex i have to go to the forum list page....then click show all forums.

then when i want to go view the pie n piston complex again i have to go to a different menu... whats new - then click 'show only fave forums'

frankly its a pain

andy_s

19,740 posts

276 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
It's easy, easier if you've been using preferences and whats new for a while - I've found it to be the best way to view pistonheads - the way you access material may have to change slightly but the content is all there still. I don't get what people don't get about it?

GPSS

694 posts

228 months

Saturday 11th April 2009
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This new P&P is totally crap, change it back now.

jas xjr

11,309 posts

256 months

Saturday 11th April 2009
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the way i have used ph before and since the changes is to use the whats new function.it means that i sometimes get to look at topics in forums that i would not frequent.

Road Pest

3,123 posts

215 months

Sunday 12th April 2009
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There is no "whats new" when posting from my phone.

jas xjr

11,309 posts

256 months

Sunday 12th April 2009
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Ok my phone now, I can see whats new.can't type too easily though

WorAl

10,877 posts

205 months

Tuesday 21st April 2009
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to me it just looks like the Lounge has become what the P&P was

pdV6

16,442 posts

278 months

Tuesday 21st April 2009
quotequote all
andy_s said:
It's easy, easier if you've been using preferences and whats new for a while - I've found it to be the best way to view pistonheads - the way you access material may have to change slightly but the content is all there still. I don't get what people don't get about it?
yes

As I've used favourites & What's New for ages I actually didn't notice that the site had changed for a while; the team that whips the hamsters clearly ensured that the new categories were added to people's existing favourites in a sensible manner clap