Have just visited a garden site and before joining a forum, I was invited to read the netiquette guide. Apart from useful strategies to avoid getting drawn in by "trolls" and "flamers", there was a link to internet writing guide www.intwg.com and some useful tips about using quotes in a way that will get your point across while at the same time respecting users' bandwidths. I was reminded of the latter, thankfully, when I uploaded a large picture and was given tips on how to reduce it.

All good stuff for us, I think, especially when threads get huge and unwieldy because of quoting, e.g. my computer's getting its knickers in a twist with the many pages to download from the ever-interesting Ayamonte thread.

Sue..hope you think this universal information is relevant and useful for an ex-pats forum.

Hola Arco-Iris,
Interesting link here, and good for refreshing skills. Need to read more about the "psychology", but I've taken in some new points.(See paragraph spacing.)

If the length of the Ayamonte thread is causing problems, then perhaps Sue will let us know in advance if the thread is to be cut? (Not sure if computers work better this way...) Then people could print/save any information they feel is useful to them. Saves repeating it in another thread?
Regards,
Carol

Hi Arco-Iris,

I understand your concerns and if I have contributed to them I apologise. However I don't think the Forum and your computer have the relationship that you imagine. As I understand it all the threads are stored on a central computer (server) somewhere, probably California, and you only download a page at a time so no particular thread should take up more room than any other. The maximum download would be the longest page length allowed by the central software.

Of course your own computer may be set to store some of these images in its short term memory and that may cause it to slowdown if you are like me logged on all day and dipping in and out of the various threads.

I have a Friday night clean out set up for 20.00 hrs and most of the not-needed stuff disappears for ever. About once a month I deep clean and that restores it to full speed for a while.

Regards,

John.

I agree with Arco-Iris on this, it definately takes more time to load that thread than any of the others.
I posted about the huge unneccesary quotes people were reposting and as usual got a blank on it, as I was not buying there.

Excellent link. Every applicant for membership of a forum should be made to read this (though I don't know how) before their application is accepted.

Thanks to all who responded and apologies to anyone who thinks my observations are criticisms. That is not my intention.

Hola jdr,
Awwww! Cum'on tha's nae fair!!

Maybe the post was blanked, because it was like telling someone they had either poor grammar skills, or bad breath... You know the scenario, "Who me? Can't possibly be me!" Sometimes "reply" is clicked when it should be "new reply".

I'm guilty for long posts, I admit. But, I talk too much anyway...
Carol

No, there were a lot of people who posted very relevent info that were blanked because people thought they were doom mongerers or no that possibly couldn`t happen to me, a lot have not posted since and now their info is coming true, they cant say they were not warned on a lot of the dramas now happening.