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General discussion

New user comments feature: Tell us what you think!

Oct 16, 2007 4:20AM PDT

Dear CNET members,

I'm happy to announce a complete overhaul of our user comments system, which was previously known as TalkBack. This project has been in the works for several months, and we'd like to hear your feedback on this new system.

With this change, we've simplified the entire process for you to effortlessly submit comments on your favorite CNET articles, blogs, and features areas; but we've also made it easier for you to read comments made by your fellow CNET members.

My coworkers have put a lot of thought and effort into bringing you this new updated feature, so a big shout-out to them. We truly hope you enjoy this value-added experience as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Now that you've had a chance to check out the new user comments feature, collect your thoughts and tell us what you think. Whether you love it or hate it, you can be brutally honest with us. As key members of the CNET Community, it's your feedback that counts. This feature was built for your use, and we want to do our best to make it right for you. So, please speak up--we're all ears! Thank you all in advance for your feedback!

Enjoy!

-Lee Koo
CNET Community

(For people who are reaching this message from the CNET forums here are some links to check it out:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3504_7-9803265-14.html

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3504_7-9802606-14.html)

Discussion is locked

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Seriously, this is messed up beyond belief.
Jun 16, 2008 9:36AM PDT

I read an article, and I see a note saying there are 100 comments, in 10 pages.
(article is at http://ct.cnet.com/clicks?t=58918261-586832f3b2d284942e6e678809c85fe1-bf&brand=NEWS&s=5
)
No comments are visible.
Hmm... maybe under the new, broken way CNet has adopted, I have to log in to read comments?
So I log in - Comments STILL not visible.
Geez - this stuff is STILL critically busted?
I guess "Jive Software" is more than just a name...
The old Talkback was MUCH better than this garbage.

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Doesn't work in Firefox 3
Jun 18, 2008 5:11AM PDT

I can't post anything using FF3, it just simply doesn't work or sits there saying "processing" forever and ever. Please fix this Grin

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Your comments technology sucks
Jul 23, 2008 3:27AM PDT

Your comments section that usually falls below all articles, pretty much sucks. I just typed up a comment, hit submit, and got a nice "the action was not successful, please try again or contact us for help" message. But since the form uses AJAX, I can't just hit "back" in my browser and see the comments I had typed up - the comments are lost. AJAX is great, but you should account for times when your form doesn't work properly. Why not attempt the submission, but keep a record of the comment in some form in case the submission doesn't work properly? That way people don't have to try to duplicate what they wrote, or like me, just give up on leaving a comment altogether. It's frustrating to put some thoughts together, try to get the wording all consise and well thought out, only to have it all lost by a faulty script.

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Still sucks
Aug 16, 2008 3:54AM PDT

This is August 2008, and the forums still suck big time. I just can't understand, while there are tons of working solutions (for example see thedailywtf.com forums), CNET is still using a flaky homebrew Jive solution that barely works when it does, and when it doesn't it's just dead.

A fourm should have opions:
1. Show all messages in chronological order (ascending or descending)
2. or show them as a tree of replies. This is less convenient. Properly implemented quoting option makes this unnecessary.
3. Messages should be shown fully, not just subj lines or main thread. It doesn't make sense to have to click to show replies to messages.
4. A submitted message should appear in the forum instantly, without requiring to click to a link. Of course, others won't see it until they refresh.

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We have two of those...
Aug 16, 2008 2:15PM PDT

-> Number 2 is performed by choosing Tree or Threaded mode, while Number 3 is performed by choosing Threaded or Flat mode.

-> Number 4 will be addressed in a future forum update.

-> This thread is about the user comment system (used on news.com, in the editor blogs, etc), NOT the forums we're currently in.

John

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I'm talking about user comment system
Aug 18, 2008 2:46AM PDT

I'm talking about user comment system. Too often the submitted comments fall into dev/null, or take quite long time (i'm saying hours) to appear in the thread. I'll take a hazard to suspect the whole thing is backed by flat file "databases", which crumbles when multiple users happen to submit a comment at the same time. I'm not sure about the latter allegation, though, as it requires that overall design be a spectacular fail.

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Chronological order
Aug 18, 2008 2:48AM PDT

And, by the way, showing all messages in chronological order frees the reader from browsing the whole tree just to find any new messages.

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Proper escaping?
Aug 18, 2008 2:59AM PDT

The software also doesn't do proper escaping of the input. Instead, it just drops any text that looks like an HTML tag. That makes me suspect that one day, something will get through and the whole system will be compromised.

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Uh....Wha?
Aug 20, 2008 8:55AM PDT

Submit button does not work.

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Can you provide a URL and what browser you are using?
Aug 20, 2008 9:07AM PDT

Thanks!
-Lee

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Ninth Life
Aug 20, 2008 10:38AM PDT

Will this new forum format still be censoring any truth spoken about your buddies at Yahoo's Flickr? Ironic that you have silenced our efforts to expose the millions of hardcore porn images there, being shared with countless kids by an army of sexual predators and pedophiles there. You people are as bad as them. Losers!

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(NT) Only offensive content is censored, and that won't change.
Aug 20, 2008 1:18PM PDT
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what objectionable content?
Aug 20, 2008 3:13PM PDT

i tried leaving a comment to one of your articles and i pressed the "submit" button over and over and it would not work. I said nothing offensive and it was only a paragraph or so!!!

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That's a glitch, not a censor issue...
Aug 23, 2008 11:03AM PDT

The filters Cnet has in place will filter out predefined words and, rarely, URLs, but comments are not simply rejected. Rather, comments are assumed valid until reported and edited/deleted by the moderators (in the forums) or editors (in the comment sections). The only exception is if you attempt to post duplicate posts, with the system automatically detecting and blocking subsequent posts containing the same subject line or body. If that was not the case then it's an issue of a glitch, either on Cnet's (usually rectified within a day or so) end or your browser's (try Firefox, Opera, etc. and see if that resolves the issue).

John

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How many times to i have to "confirm" my email?
Aug 27, 2008 4:45PM PDT

I keep confirming, it keeps thanking me for doing so, then it ask me to confirm again. Seems like a bug in your script...

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That's usually a result of a corrupt or blocked cookie...
Aug 28, 2008 12:23AM PDT

Delete your Cnet cookies, ensure you have not set your browser, browser add-ons, or security software to block/erase Cnet's cookies (whitelist them if necessary), and try logging in again.

John

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I don't think thats it
Aug 30, 2008 3:38AM PDT

Thanks John, I already have my browser set to clear history and cookies at the end of each session.

On a whim I went to news.cnet.com and tried to post, I got a login window. I can post.

In my earlier post I was trying to comment after clicking a link to the story from an email.

It seems like I was partially logged in, The site recognized me but said I wasn't confirmed.

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I figured it out
Aug 30, 2008 3:43AM PDT

All I needed to do was log in at the top of the page. I guess I just got used to clicking reply and getting my login promp then.

Is there a way to mark this "solved"?

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(NT) No, but certainly glad to hear it is.
Aug 30, 2008 8:03AM PDT
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Unable to post comments
Aug 30, 2008 3:16AM PDT

After reading a story today (Comcast Caps) I was going to post a comment. I kept getting a pop-up about confirmation. I clicked for the email, clicked that link, went back to the story and could'd post.

I like the new layout, I miss the old click to reply>login screen>back to the story.

I still can't post there but I can post here... weird.

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Same stupid problem!
Sep 5, 2008 6:33AM PDT

Will the CNET ineptitude NEVER end? I confirmed 10 times, and yet when I try to write a software review I get the same stupid box. If you people can't run a site, QUIT and let someone have the job who is competent!

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Reference to NEW LOOK
Sep 5, 2008 9:08PM PDT

Like so manny new or upgraded Web Sites, cnet has removed all the colors Looks like most web sites without any distinctive design, graphics or color. Just white featureless GLARE A very dissapointing uninprovement, Thanks for the eye straining GLARE. I'll visit cnet less now because of the painful WHITE GLARE Home Page

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Hi
Sep 20, 2008 12:31AM PDT

I got some problem on download camfrog,when i click the link of download it process but very fast it change to another website that inform me "thanks for your download" but i can't receive any software on it...How i suppose 2 do?Can it solve?

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Comments not getting posted
Sep 27, 2008 8:54AM PDT

I have yet to see a single one of my comments appear on your site. Why?

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Same Here
Oct 1, 2008 4:32AM PDT

I have exacly the same problem!

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davesnake can you give me a URL for where you posted?
Oct 1, 2008 4:37AM PDT

davesnake can you give me a URL for where you posted? How many times have you posted? Is it in more than one blog? Has any of your post ever shown up?

Any information to help me investigate the issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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(NT) Also can you let me know what browser you are using. Thanks!
Oct 1, 2008 5:16AM PDT
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mIRC downloaded
Oct 12, 2008 2:45PM PDT

hi,

I have downloaded mIRC as recommended to go into chat.But I am stillnot able to go into chat.

Please help.I am on Windows vista

Thanks

Message was edited by: admin to remove email address to prevent spam harvesters from picking it up

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2 things.
Oct 12, 2008 8:12PM PDT

Why have you posted in this discussion, and in this forum?

And, why have your added your email address?

This discussion is about changes to the forums. Your post is not relevant. In addition, this is the Forum Feedback forum, for posting problems about the forums in general. You are not likely to get very much help here. I suggest you pick anther forum from the Forum Listing.

That email address. Posting email addresses in these, or any, forums is dangerous. Forum robots, (bots), routinely trawl forums such as these for email addresses so they can be sent spam emails. The Forum Administrator has been asked to edit out your email address.

When you post in another forum, be sure to give as much information as possible. For example, "I still cannot" doesn't tell us much. What error messages do you get?

Mark

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BBS Code
Oct 21, 2008 3:55AM PDT

Hi there,

Can I know how to use BBS code in posting comments on cnet news, blogs and other cnet portal? I have tried inserting URL by typing but it does not turn out to be a proper link.