Please change back to the old Q&A format!

[bearmodel]

I also prefer the old format....

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I'm fine with the change overall... but would prefer on the front page the answers were listed with the questions. It was annoying having to navigate for the newest questions and answers.

Pretty much this.

 

[thenammagazine]

That's kind of the point Instead of making people wade through 15+ questions and answers just to get to the one or two that they are interested in, this way they can more easily find which they are actually interested in!

How about this - I can ask to see if it's possible to add 'previous' and 'next' links at the bottom of each Q&A, so that would cut down on one click for those who are interested in reading every single Q&A (you wouldn't have to return to the main Ask Sideshow archive page to get to the next-most-recent). All you'd have to do is start at the very first one that comes up and then hit 'previous' until you've covered all from the most recent date. Good compromise?

That still requires sifting through all the licenses to get the most recent updates. I still prefer the old way though. Having interest in most of Sideshow's licenses, it just seemed a lot easier to keep up to date with all of it the way it was. It becomes a clicking nightmare trying to stay on top of all of it vs. having it all in one big swoop where disinterest (albeit far and few between) is easily skipped over.

 

[Dusty]

Hmmm, looks like it changed since I last looked at it. The most recent questions are loaded together on the front Q&A page. That's better than it was when it first went up and forced you to click on a license. (It was like that before, right? Or am I just insane...)



Right now there are prev and next buttons when you click a question, but you're stuck in whatever license that question was about.

If I had my way, the answers would be shown under the question without clicking. If clicking must be required, then maybe have the answer show up as a div underneath the question. This would push the next question down in the list, revealing the answer. And to make it even more super-friendly and useful, the answer could include a permalink that would link to a page that just has that specific question and answer.

Did I explain that right?

Tell Chris we say:

You're just insane It's been like that since launch.

And I see what you are saying about the previous and next. Hm, wonder if that can be changed.

I also understand what you are requesting, but I'm not sure it's do-able in this system that we're using. But I'll pass it along so they can check into it!

Thanks for the feedback, everyone

 

[Dusty]

That still requires sifting through all the licenses to get the most recent updates. I still prefer the old way though. Having interest in most of Sideshow's licenses, it just seemed a lot easier to keep up to date with all of it the way it was. It becomes a clicking nightmare trying to stay on top of all of it vs. having it all in one big swoop where disinterest (albeit far and few between) is easily skipped over.

Not sure what you mean by this? When you go to the main Q&A page - https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=195 - ALL the most recent show up, not just per license... and to get back to that main page, simply click the 'Ask Sideshow' link in the directory under the title at the top of the page...

Example - click on the first question from that link - see the Ask Sideshow > Disney Q&A > 'question' navigation directory at the top? Clicking on the 'Ask Sideshow' brings to you to the master list of ALL questions, regardless of license, from most recent to oldest.

I do understand about the clicking, and I'm going to ask if there's anything that can be done about that, but ultimately, this is cleaner and more easily navigated than our former Archive.

 

[thenammagazine]

Not sure what you mean by this? When you go to the main Q&A page - https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=195 - ALL the most recent show up, not just per license... and to get back to that main page, simply click the 'Ask Sideshow' link in the directory under the title at the top of the page...

Example - click on the first question from that link - see the Ask Sideshow > Disney Q&A > 'question' navigation directory at the top? Clicking on the 'Ask Sideshow' brings to you to the master list of ALL questions, regardless of license, from most recent to oldest.

I do understand about the clicking, and I'm going to ask if there's anything that can be done about that, but ultimately, this is cleaner and more easily navigated than our former Archive.

K, I stand corrected then. Thanks Dusty. Now if you could only show the answers, it'd be perfection!

 

[Dynaheir]

I'm with the OP. I may not collect every line, but I'm interested in most of them. So I like to read as much as possible about pretty much everything. With the old format I just ran over the page and could find news very quick even for subjects I'm not interested in personally. If only to post it then on our German forum for others who collect something I don't.
You explained why you changed it and I totally understand the reasons. Sure, it will save you (and maybe others) time later (though I never looked through old Q&As), but it costs me time now. It may look more "modern" than a textfile, that is basically what the old format was. But sometimes a simple textfile is just more accessible. Well, at least that's my opinion.

No way I'm going to click myself through this in the future.

Maybe you could make it optional? You keep your new system with all the advantages, but at the bottom of the page you add a tiiiiiny little link to a new page. There you list everything in the old 'textmonster-style' for the 'no-change-faction'. One page, no links, just text.
Think about it. I would appreciate it.

 

[Dusty]

Those of you with forums onto which you have been copying and pasting... are you affiliates? Because if you are, this format will actually help you more, as you will be able to direct people to LINKS rather than copying and pasting the entire text.. which, incidentally, is frowned upon - links are best and linking is the only way to get the commission as affiliates - or, if you are a user POSTING on an affiliate site, helping them get the commission to keep the board/site up and running!

For instance, you could create a sticky thread with a direct link to the main Ask Sideshow archive in your the first post:

• Thread title: 'Ask Sideshow' Official Q&A
• Link in the first post: https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=195 (which automatically loads ALL questions, regardless of license, from most recent to oldest)
• In subsequent posts, simply update when we've added new Q&As (which will be announced on our site/newsletter)... ie: New Q&As added on March 10th, check 'em out!

Or, if you have different forums for each license (like Dave does here at the Freaks), you could create sticky threads in each of them with the pertinent info for those particular fans:

MARVEL Forum

• Thread title: Sideshow's Official MARVEL Q&A (or whatever license)
• Link in the first post: https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=197 (which automatically loads all Marvel questions, from most recent to oldest)
• In subsequent posts, simply update when we've added new Q&As (which will be announced on our site/newsletter) ... ie: New MARVEL questions answered on March 10th - check 'em out!

If you do run a board or site, this helps you narrow down the Q&As and tailor them to your content, so your audience isn't getting overwhelmed by having to read all questions, regardless of interest or not. Especially if your content deals with only one particular subject... such as only Disney, or only Aliens/Predator/AVP... etc.

But like I said, I do understand about all the clicking once you have actually landed on the archive - I will ask about the 'mouse over and show answer' suggestion

 

[Kabukiman]

Thanks for listening, Dusty!

 

[Bullseye]

Click click click.

 

[theguru1]

I do understand about the clicking, and I'm going to ask if there's anything that can be done about that, but ultimately, this is cleaner and more easily navigated than our former Archive.

Yes, it is all that Dusty and I'm fine with it, in fact it's not even the clicking that annoys me, it's just the large amount of extra time it takes to scan and read through it all. Being a database driven site, it tends to re-load each page, even if one was just there, so on ADSL it's like 10 times as long to have a scan/read over the latest Q&A (must be very painful on dial-up).

So all the new stuff is great, keep all that and if possible just add a 'summary' page that lists it all, question plus the answer, all on a single page. It can even be the same URL that changes with each new Q&A.

 

[Dusty]

Notice a change?

https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=195

Again, all of the most recent ones load at the top, so you can simply hit the 'more' at the bottom of the page to check to make sure you hit them all from the most recent date. Currently there is no way to categorize by date, but it's being looked into Thanks for your input, everyone!

 

[thenammagazine]

Notice a change?

https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=195

Again, all of the most recent ones load at the top, so you can simply hit the 'more' at the bottom of the page to check to make sure you hit them all from the most recent date. Currently there is no way to categorize by date, but it's being looked into Thanks for your input, everyone!

Dusty rocks!

 

[Dusty]

Dusty rocks!

Marc and Chris rock

 

[thenammagazine]

Marc and Chris rock

Well, while this is true, you were the one who braved the forums (which have become extremely dangerous as of late) for the input.

 

[Dynaheir]

Waaaaay better, thanks a lot!

 

[theguru1]

Yup, that's what we had in mind, based on the constructive feedback that was supplied. A win-win all round really, cheers.

 

[Lord Aykroyd]

Notice a change?

https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?cat=195

Again, all of the most recent ones load at the top, so you can simply hit the 'more' at the bottom of the page to check to make sure you hit them all from the most recent date. Currently there is no way to categorize by date, but it's being looked into Thanks for your input, everyone!

Way better!!! Thanks Dusty, the new format is now better than the old! Thanks for working out the bugs with us!

 

[FLOSI]

I want SS to email me all the Q&A directly. I deserve as much...

 

[tomandshell]

I am now happy with the new format. Easy reading!