Dear All,

Hope this is okay to start another thread on this subject.  The previous thread... http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=site;action=display;num=...
... became difficult to follow and seemed to be going off topic too!

The original thread goes back to the spring of this year so I wondered what is the latest on updating this site.

I've added my comments below which re-iterate some of the points made above.

Cheers
Garry

* more integrated

For me the site feels a bit disjointed and there should be more consistency between screens, perhaps by keeping the top bar more standardised.  I think there should be a log-in window included in this top bar regardless of where you are. This hopefully would encourage more people to log in and participate.

* information centre

This, I feel, is wasted at the bottom of the forum home page.  I didn't even realise it existed for a few months!!!  This should be positioned in a standardised top bar (e.g the top left-hand corner by user-id) and should be on ALL pages of this site.  Knowing that so many guests are using the site and such and such member is logged on gives it a greater sense of being a community.

* forums

I think the presentation of the forum is better than many other forums (alernate colours for each post, clear means of quoting, various ways of highlighting text) but there's still aspects that could be improved.

View the 10 most recent posts is a very useful facility but again I feel this is wasted tucked away in the information centre.  It would be helpful if you could select his option for whichever section you're in (e.g Chat, Number Requests, Site Related etc) and get the last 10 posts within Chat, for example.

It would be good if users could list threads in several different ways (and not just accept the default date order of last reply) perhaps by number of views, number of replies etc etc.

Having a separate forum section for campaign actions sounds a really good idea and should include a diy took-kit (example lettes and emails) for challenging companies, complaining to ofcom amongst others etc

Likewise (as already mentioned) a separate section for a history of scams is another good idea

* instant messaging

Again, I didn't know this existed until recently.  Needs better highlighting (larger text, brighter colours) and perhaps should re-label this as private message

* geographic alternatives numbers

(as already mentioned) one integrated list of numbers, with unverified coloured differently sounds an excellent idea

What about a mailing list on this site for visitors to put there email addresses onto? They wouldn't need to join and it would be as simple as entering an email address.

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To avoid having to search both the database and forums (which may confuse people), an entry could be put in the database for each company with a thread which doesn't have a working/confirmed geographical number. The entry could link to the thread.

OK, so it's a big job, but popular requests would be made simpler, such as Sky and Dell.

Hi, I've been using this site for a while.  From time to time a recommend Geographical Number gets to a message "This number has been changed - please dial 0870....."

I thought there used to be a way of reporting incorrect numbers to they can be removed (after verification perhaps) but I searched the forum without luck.

Can there be a simple mechnism  - maybe it could be automated with a button - "This number is no longer working" and, if a given number of registered, different, people click on it, the number can be automatically removed.  Might also need an internal flag "never remove this number" to allow for companies who might try to use this as a way to get their listing removed.

Nick

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I have been thinking about this quite a lot.   The site is fantastic and there is so much information included and many of the members are very knowledgeable.   I have sometimes found it difficult to find all the information/arguments I need when making a complaint about NGNs, sometimes I have read it and lost it, others I don't find it until later.   Would it be possible for a member/members to put together a relatively short document explaining 087x/084x numbers, how they work and why they are evil.  This could then be sent to organisations where it is obvious the people in charge of phone systems don't understand, and enable members of the forum to argue the case concisely and consistently.  It would also be available to those who wish to oppose the move to NGNs in their organisation.   For example, the local council where my husband works is moving towards some kind of customer centre, I have been nagging him about checking they will stay with a geographical number but it would be so much easier if he had a document, say 2 sides A4 max, which he could distribute giving the arguments again NGNs and their implications for customers.  

I know it would mean some work and would need updating regularly but I think it would help and increase the number of forum members who might find it easier to object and give them more confidence to do so hence increasing the numbers involved in the war on NGNs.   I know I have struggled with some of the technical aspects in particular and marshalling all the arguments in one coherent document would be an enormous help.   If those using NGNs can use formula letters, why shouldn't we use a formula document giving the reasons to oppose their use?   Could then be cirulated eg to all MPs etc.  (I appreciate this may have been tried in the past but I am a fairly new member)

What do others think?

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Have you considered offering a download of the full database? As a text file, or spreadsheet, for example. I'd imagine it is pretty small. Then I could, for example, carry it on my PDA, which would be very useful.

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At present to move from one forum to another (eg chat to requests) I have to go via the forum home page.

I know its only one extra click but could you add links so that you can instantly skip from one forum to another ?

So instead of having this link on the site related forum:

SAYNOTO0870.COM » General » Site Related

The following link could be duplicated across all forums:

General » Site Related » Geographical Requests » Geographical Numbers Chat » Cheap Call Providers » Freedom Of Information Responses » Bargains, Freebies and Discounts [Announcements]

(or an abbreviated version)

In my opinion this would aid navigation and bring all of the forums 'closer together' whereas right now they feel too separated...



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And another good one...

it would be great to have a box next to each phone number entry, that allows you to either suggest an update to the entry if there is new information, or log a problem with the entry if there is one.  With global entries (that relate to a number of numbers), it would be good to have a click box where the exceptions are listed.

Currently there seems to be no way to easily change an entry (even one that I have made) once it has been put on the site?

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