A Plea to Admin and the Tech Guys at HU

[jeanjeannie50]

Good Morning all you wonderful HU staff who make this helpful site such a success.

Here's my plea to you:

It's so frustrating when we take the time to answer a post in a deep and understanding way, then before we can submit it we accidentally leave the screen and lose the lot! Scream! (Those who have suffered the same please scream with me)!

Please could this system possibly be designed so that if we inadvertently leave what we've written on HU, but not submitted, that it stays there for say 5 minutes until we get back?

I'm full of hope for a positive reply from you.

Many thanks

Jean

[Vanna-C]

Another site that I follow (Zoe Harcombe) saves your comments as a draft, until you either post or delete it. Very useful!

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Vanna-C]

Yes, that's exactly what I'd like to see here. It sounds like it could be done then!

[pottypete1]

Yes this has happened to me too and you can never write the reply in the same way twice.

Pete

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to pottypete1]

No, the feeling of care and compassion tends to desert you a little the second time.

[pottypete1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

If you are using a computer and you anticipate that your reply might be complex and long an option is to write and edit in MS Word and then copy and paste into HU.

Pete

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to pottypete1]

Yep, I know that - but do I remember to do it!!! No! I guess when we start responding to a post we have no idea that it may turn out to be a long one. I sometimes copy what I'm writing as I go along, which does lessen the amount of times I lose text, but it still happens - as it did this morning! Grrr.

Jean

[pottypete1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I totally agree with you it is very annoying and frustrating. You are right it is impossible to know if your reply is going to be complex or not until you start typing.

Grrrr

Pete

[seasider18 in reply to pottypete1]

That's what I tend to do as often when writing I want to check a source. It happens with some other sites as well.

[Hidden in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Yes something gets lost the second time round.- and it's never quite the same is it..Carol.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Hidden]

No, also because we get cross for losing it, we're not in a kind frame of mind.

Jean

[Hidden in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I would not know about that - being of calm disposition....😊

[CDreamer]

Scream, scream, scream - but doing it here is not going to get a response.

Go directly to the HU development site. Are you using phone or pad? Browser or app? There is a forum called App talk which can be helpful, otherwise the help centre comments.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to CDreamer]

I was hoping that Admin would know the correct person to pass this info on to. Will email them direct later.

[Hidden]

Aaaargh!!!!!

[Hidden]

Yep, Jean ... it's happened to me often. And I take your point about when you start a reply it often stretches into something longer than you thought. I agree with potty Pete, and that's what I've disciplined myself to do. The suggestion about saving it as a draft is the ideal

John

[Finvola]

Scream from me too, jean. It always seems to happen with replies that have taken a lot of time and typing - never to the shorter factual replies.

[Hidden]

Couldn’t agree more. Sometimes I write a reply in notes or word so that I can modify it before cutting and pasting into a reply but it’s a bit of a faff!

[CaroleF]

Another one joining in with the silent scream (think Munch pic.)! Not sure if you've messaged Admin (Rachel) about this yet? Maybe she can take it up with the HU people on our behalf; I don't think it's something that AFA can do on their own as I don't think they are directly involved with the techie side of things here.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to CaroleF]

Yes, have sent Admin an email too.

Jean

[doodle68]

Hi Jean I would guess the site software doesn't allow for this or the facility would already be available.

[momist]

Whilst I too would love for HU to implement some kind of periodic draft scheme, I expect that it is a commercial decision to use one particular software product over another. They don't write their own.

However, those of us on a computer who use Firefox as their web browser to access the forum can load one of the Add-Ons called TextAreaCache. This records what you type as you go along, and saves it in a clipboard like store, ready to be re-used if you ever lose where you are up to. I've been using it for years, and needing it more and more as I get older.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to momist]

That sounds really good, I've used Firefox in the past but don't now as I use the one provided by my antivirus provider. Interesting though, thank you.

Jean

[kbog]

I’ll pipe up just briefly to say that women are Tech “Guys” too!

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to kbog]

Of course they are! These days the word 'Guys' encompasses all sexes.

[kbog in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Though it is becoming less acceptable (at least in the U.S.) to do so, I’ve always used “you guys” to include whomever I am directly addressing in conversation, regardless of gender... so I am right there with you on that point to a certain extent. That said, I feel as if “Tech Guy” is a less inclusive term, perhaps because it evokes a bit of a stereotype in people’s minds. I acknowledge that others may have a different view, and that a few decades as a female software engineer in a male-dominated field doesn’t exactly make me non-biased.

I’m sorry you lost your composed draft(s)! I hope some kind of solution wil present itself.

[pottypete1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Sadly ☹️

[Polski]

I use this on my computer, and I'm sure that I've received a message asking if I really want to leave the page because I will lose what I've written if I do . . .

[Qualipop]

If I may make a suggestion, do what I do. Write your reply in Word. You can have a Word window open next to the website window. Then, when you've finished, just select all and copy and paste it into the website. That was you will never lose the record of what you wrote and you can edit and spellcheck to your heart's content.

[Hidden]

Hello, Sorry it has taken a few days for me to get back to you on this. I have asked my fellow admins about this on one of our admin boards, and will let you know if it is possible.

As you all know, here at AF Association, we do not work for Health Unlocked, nor do we have control over how the board works. However, we want everyone to be as happy and stress free as possible, so I will do my best to get a reply and let you know.

With best wishes

Rachel

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Rachel.