Large Scale Central

MLS vs LSC

General Discussion
#1

I know this is a sensitive point for me and others. All my friends are there on MLS except… well, most of those people are posting here as well.

After three years of trying, I still can’t see how to easily follow a thread I started here. And I would like to start a couple. But the only screen I see has to do with current posts. So it’s tough to respond to a thread I started or contributed to.

People have said that I should just watch my “Updates,” but those never reflect post-answers to any thread I started or was involved with.

MLS has this in spades. It’s SO easy to see who responded to you, to quickly respond to that thread, to transfer PM’s, and to vote on a topic. Bob, I love and respect you, but I don’t see that functionality here.

But, being a relative newbie, I’m hoping that my complaints are due to my not turning the knobs just right…

Cliff

[edit] I belatedly changed the title on this post, after seeing where it headed, but too late. Oh well.

#2

Cliff,

On every thread here you have an option to choose to follow a thread. Right at the top up by the facebook symbol is a place that says “watch topic”. Also at the bottom right below the reply box there is a place to check that says “send me notifications when other members reply to this topic”. I have had no issue with following threads that I want to pay attention to. My updates at the very top will turn red.

My only issue is that I have no place that I know of to se a list of my postings like MLS. So dead threads that i want to refer back to can be a bit tedious to find. But following threads shouldn’t be a problem.

#3

and on your ‘My Profile’ page is a Forums Post tab that seems to show all of your postings, albeit you do need to page through (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#4

Devon, I guess you found the magic button for me, trying it now…

#5

Cliff,

I am also a member at both sites. LSC is my preferred of the two for reasons I won’t get into here. However, part of the many reasons I don’t post at LSC but occasionally is the lack of support from the staff running the place. When I first joined LSC it was a great place, Shad was an involved host. Then he ran into some unfortunate luck, time got away from him and ultimately he sold the site. The new owner appear to be solely interested in advertising clicks and not much else. Combined with the primary focus there seems to be Live Steam, not much interests me any longer. I do check in most days and review the active topics.

I have no problems finding threads I started several years ago using the search engine. It is not the best, and some times I have better luck using Google, but it works. Also keep in mind two other factors. One, the softwares for the two sites are considerably different, and if you find this one difficult to navigate, try a couple of the other train related fora out there. Two, this is a hobby for Bob, not a primary source of income. Yes there are things I would love to see Bob improve here, and he does fix the worst of the broken things as quickly as he can.

As for finding recent threads…Forums>Forum Heading>Subheading>…scan forum threads. I learn a lot that way, especially if I have been offline for a few days. As for PMs, on the top of the home page there is a MESSAGES button that will light up red when you log in. How hard is that? To send a message, click on a users name in the thread, it will open another page, then click ‘Send Message’. It took me a while to figure things out, and there are functions here I still don’t know how to use…mostly because I have no need of them. I guess my lack on ‘needing to be connected’ all the time has something to do with that.

And in case no one has noticed, neither site has a ‘How To’ guide to using the site…and if they do, I have never found one on either site. There are many things that handle differently on the two sited. I gave up attempting to post pics on MLS…I am a user, not a programmer, and to post there you have to use HTML coding. Bob’s side is far easier to post pics.

If you have specific questions on how to do a specific function, ask a specific question and if it can be done, someone will answer with instructions, if not, the will tell you so and what may be close to what you want.

Bob C.

#6

Bob C.,

Thanks very much for your insights. and the time it took for you to relate them. I appreciate you as a major contributor here, and respect your thoughts.

However, for a “build thread,” lasting a year or two, but perhaps with lapses in activity, what would you suggest?

Best regards,

Cliff

#7

Bob “IA3R#7” Cope said:

I don’t post at LSC but occasionally is the lack of support from the staff running the place. When I first joined LSC it was a great place, Shad was an involved host. Then he ran into some unfortunate luck, time got away from him and ultimately he sold the site. The new owner appear to be solely interested in advertising clicks and not much else. Combined with the primary focus there seems to be Live Steam,

Bob did you mean MLS instead of LSC in this comment? Because what you describe does not sound like this site. Mainly the live steam comment, i am confused.

#8

Absolutely Devon…good catch.

#9

Cliff Jennings said:

Bob C.,

Thanks very much for your insights. and the time it took for you to relate them. I appreciate you as a major contributor here, and respect your thoughts.

However, for a “build thread,” lasting a year or two, but perhaps with lapses in activity, what would you suggest?

Best regards,

Cliff

This is the best question and my area of frustration here. When threads go dead, especially the ones I have started that have a piece of information I want it is difficult to find them. Using the search engine works and this minor inconvenience for me is nothing compared to the high volume of activity, support, and help I receive here compared to MLS. I am a member there but almost never go there anymore. Much more activity here for the aspects of the hobby I enjoy. If Bob could put a thing that tracks topics I have started in the my profile area that would be awesome but if he doesn’t no sweat of my back.

#10

Cliff,

Here is a thread I started some time ago and haven’t posted to in 2 years. Took me about 90 seconds to find it. All I did was to go to the specific section (in this case Modeling), and search part of the thread title ( … 6000 series…).

http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/17324/d-rgw-6000-series-flat-car

I will complete these…some day…

Bob C.

#11

Thanks Devon for helping Bob C. clarify that point re. LSC/MLS.

And thanks Bob C. for illustrating the issue of trying to conduct a build thread. I was hoping that I was missing a key something, but I guess not.

#12

Cliff Jennings said:

However, for a “build thread,” lasting a year or two, but perhaps with lapses in activity, what would you suggest?

when i start a thread, instantly after the first post i save it to my favorites.

so, beside the link to LSC itself, i got a link to every thread i started. just in case, that i want to read my own B$. again.

and, yes, i would be very happy, if we had a “go to first unread” button - but i can manage with the “last reply” button as well.

in the end, it is not the software, what makes us frequent some places more than others, but the content.

#13

Articles … 5 spots to the right in the header bar, > open Construction Log

Try that …

John

#14

Cliff Jennings said:

Bob C.,

Thanks very much for your insights. and the time it took for you to relate them. I appreciate you as a major contributor here, and respect your thoughts.

However, for a “build thread,” lasting a year or two, but perhaps with lapses in activity, what would you suggest?

Best regards,

Cliff

Well, I’ve got one going for 8 years…does that count? http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/6204/search/view/page/1

#15

Cliff,

An easy peasy way to keep track of your old thread would be with a browser bookmark/favorite (depending what your browser calls it). Just bookmark the URL to the thread like this thread… http://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/25372/mls-vs-lsc.

I find the software here better for me than over on MLS, as I am a member there too, but spend most of my time here. I like the folks here. Bob McCown does a great job with this site.

#16

What’s MLS?

#17

It’s a rooster bashing website. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#18

Joe Zullo said:

It’s a rooster bashing website. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

There are Roosters on MLS ?

If so how does MLS pertain to bashing Roosters …MLS abbreviates what pertaining to Roosters?

#19

MLS=Multiple Listing Service. They also sell chicken coops. Do you know why a chicken coop has two doors?

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If it had four doors it would be a chicken SEDAN!

#20

Cliff

As you well know I am on both sites. On MLS I usually hit the active topics daily, that shows me pretty well all the postings that day.

Here double click home and that gives the active topics, if you visit everyday, the current postings are there, if you miss a couple days you may miss a few replies. If you store your pics in MLS. you can use them to post here too.

For me it is real easy to post pics on both sites.

Actually easier here after they are in the storage file there, MLS.

Dennis