The BWW Tech Support Thread

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 2:03pm

Nice job on the new look for the boards!

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 2:29pm

I had reported recently my difficulties in trying to post a new profile picture.  Nothing I uploaded would "take".  But just now I tried again, and immediately the new picture was posted.  That alone will give BWW my A+ for the new "stuff".

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 3:02pm

I definitely like the new look! But Mods/Rob, I still have quite a few issues and I’m wondering if these are known issues or a glitch with my account? Note* I almost exclusively use the IOS app on my iPhone and iPad.

 

1. I can’t click on a link someone posts to a thread if the article being linked is from BWW. I have to copy/paste the URL into a web browser to read what’s been posted.  If someone add’s a title to the URL then I have no way to know what the URL is to even do that. It only happens with BWW links, I can click on a link from another source.  I remember this was an issue with ALL links in the past that’s been fixed, but I still have this issue with links from this site. 
    
2. Whenever I post a message it removes all line spacing between paragraphs if I hit “post message”.  I have to hit “preview” and then reformat my post so it doesn’t show up as one very long paragraph.  And even then I have to have multiple spaces between paragraphs for that to even work.  
    
3. This is the most frustrating… I have no problems with ads, but I can’t watch ANY videos that was created by BroadwayWorld because it literally stops the video to show a new ad every 5-10 seconds.  With one BWW video I had 4-5 ads interrupt a video in the first 30-40 seconds that I had to give up because it was unbearable to watch.  This again only  happens with videos created by this site and not videos from another source. 

 

Does anyone else have these issues I’ve experienced for as long as I can remember?  (The incessant ads making videos unwatchable is a fairly new issue for me). 

[Moderator]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 3:16pm

Hi FosseTharp

For these types of issues it's best to use our contact form to submit a bug report directly to the developers.

I can confirm re #1 and #2 there, our developers are working on recreating the issue on their end and hopefully rolling out a fix shortly. Thanks for flagging that issue with links and the iOS app.

In terms of the video issue #3 - please email our support team at [e-mail] directly there, as they can take more information and work to roll out a fix - it should not be doing that and is not the intended user experience.

Thanks for taking the time to flag these to us.

Edit: Both these issues should be fixed.

Updated On: 11/5/21 at 03:16 PM

[Jakeevan942]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 6:17pm

I cannot get the Broadway Board to load any content since the system updated this morning-thoughts?

[Jakeevan942]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 7:15pm

Hi, I think I figured out the coding issue-When you click the Chat tab at the top, and then broadway, it is directing to broadwayworld.com/board

The new board is living at broadwayworld.com/board/index.php

One of these needs to be updated for everything to link properly.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 7:24pm

The new layout sucks. I get that it's more organized up top but when you scroll it's the same message board, making it just more annoying to get to. Also, the like/dislike button is just a popularity contest with people whose opinions people don't agree with can disappear (all you have to do is simply report it and it will disappear, even if it breaks no rules?)  but you can still "see them" if you really want to. My post from last night around CE broke NO rules yet it was deleted this morning because someone didn't like it. See the problem with your new system? Horrible update to the website. You could have just change some colors, fonts with less ads. This blows and yes, of course you will delete it super quick. Lolz. 

Weird. Petty. High school. 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 9:05pm

Just seeing the new board now. Am I stupid, or is there no general off topic place anymore? That is kind of disappointing because some of the fun stuff came from there.

 

Nevermind, I figured it out. 

Updated On: 11/5/21 at 09:05 PM

[macbeth]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 9:15pm

I really love the updates and the spacing especially is helping on my aging eyes. I also find the search easier to use, and like being able to browse what shows are being talked about that's a little easier than guessing thread titles or acronyms. The app fixes were long overdue also. 

To my reading, it would require a number of complaints before something is marked as moderated. I haven't seen any of those yet. Thanks to everyone who worked on it! We appreciate it. 

[babyface]

Posted: 11/5/21 at 9:33pm

I'm much more a lurker than a poster, but I am also chiming in to say thanks for these overdue updates. I like being able to see more on shows without searching and seeing what shows are being talked about is useful for my nightly scans. 

It's definitely easier on the eyes and feels snappier too. I am also posting this from my phone which I've had trouble with for a while. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 6:46pm

...Was this supposed to be a positive change? Let's go over a couple things. 

1) You've managed to make the Main Board page even more cluttered. To get to what was seen as the 'General' Board for all Broadway/NYC theatre you now have to scroll down about 3 total screen lengths (Even longer on mobile devices) before you get to it and now it no longer is actually just Broadway/NYC it's all theatre from everywhere? Which is honestly not the biggest complaint because there was always usually some West End spill over.

2) All of these sub-boards are a mess of which 85% of them will not get used at all. 10% will have a few posts in them and 5% will be regularly used. And still they take up so much space. I commend that you've introduced these categories/tags for shows and other various topics but those are usually used to make searching easier but when I go to the search function, you can't be search by any of them. 

3) The ads still turn this place into a slug and this site is still continually the only website that ****s up my browser when visiting because of them. 

4) Why is the DM notification still so tiny and so far away from the board relatively? And when you go into the DMs why can you not click on anybody's profile? Why are their profile pictures not shown in the DM given that's often how users are identified?

5) And since I'm bitching already, what the hell is that app? It's literally just a portal to the website that is not optimized for mobile. Nor has the app been updated in FIVE years for Android (even more is that when I just downloaded it to check it out you're greeted with the message that the app was built for an older version of Android and may not work properly... every time you open it.) and almost THREE years for iOS. 

6) Nobody wants a looping video feed on every page featuring 15 year old episodes of Broadway Beat when they're going to be spending 30-60 second on each time they load a page. 

If you want this website to be taken seriously you need a drastic overhaul and quit acting like its 2008. 

[Rob]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 7:14pm

Thank you for the feedback, and for 2 very good ideas. We've added in a 'Jump Down' option for those looking to click past the topic view, and I've asked our devs to added a prominent PM alert. (I'm also annoyed we hadn't thought of it ourselves). 

You're correct that neither app has received much love in recent times, as the ecosystem moved more to the mobile web which is where we've devoted the majority of our resources. 

And re: that ad behavior - if you can send any screenshots and information on your browser (which/version), to us via [e-mail] - we'll pass that on to the ad partners who handle such things. 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 7:47pm

Not long before the BWW makeover, and still now, I've noticed weirdness in some of the threads.  There are often large spaces (white space) between the ending of one person's post and the beginning of the next post.  This thread is itself an example.  Is it me or is it BWW?  Thank you.

UPDATE:  I have AdBloc on this (and all sites).  After posting the above, I deactivated AdBloc for this site.  I see now that those white spaces are where ads appear.  You guys have a BUNCH of ads here!  I count SIX just in this thread between posts.  Three of those are of the same ad.....suggesting I am FAT.

Updated On: 11/6/21 at 07:47 PM

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 7:54pm

Is there a way to make the “sections” ughhh section collapsible?
It’d also be great to be able to get to the rich text editor without having to make a post then go back and edit it.
Also on mobile, when replying everyone’s profile image is overlapping into the text area.

[Rob]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 8:08pm

Alexander Lamar said: "Is there a way to make the “sections” ughhh section collapsible?
It’d also be great to be able to get to the rich text editor without having to make a post then go back and edit it.
Also on mobile, when replying everyone’s profile image is overlapping into the text area."

You should be able to skip past the sections by clicking 'jump down' and the rich text editor should now be on mobile as well... If I'm wrong on either one of those, and for the 3rd issue - plz send us a screenshot, and device / browser info and we'll figure it out. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 8:16pm

Highland Guy said: "UPDATE:I have AdBloc on this (and all sites). After posting the above, I deactivated AdBloc for this site. I see now that those white spaces are where ads appear. You guys have a BUNCH of ads here! I count SIX just in this thread between posts. Three of those are of the same ad.....suggesting I am FAT."

And that's the problem. On Chrome there are just so many ads on it that I'm getting a "Site is unresponsive" message 8/10 times I come here. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 8:31pm

Rob said: "Alexander Lamar said: "Is there a way to make the “sections” ughhh section collapsible?
It’d also be great to be able to get to the rich text editor without having to make a post then go back and edit it.
Also on mobile, when replying everyone’s profile image is overlapping into the text area."

You should be able to skip past the sections by clicking 'jump down' and the rich text editor should now be on mobile as well... If I'm wrong on either one of those, and for the 3rd issue - plz send us a screenshot, and device / browser info and we'll figure it out."

Thanks for pointing out the “Jump Down”!

still not seeing the rich text editor so I’ll submit a screenshot that shows both of those things. 

[Rob]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 8:41pm

Actually re: the Rich Text Editor - this might have been a bug that wasn't fully fixed, and should be now. If not, email please! 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 11/6/21 at 9:42pm

TheatreFan4 said: "Highland Guy said: "UPDATE:I have AdBloc on this (and all sites). After posting the above, I deactivated AdBloc for this site. I see now that those white spaces are where ads appear. You guys have a BUNCH of ads here! I count SIX just in this thread between posts. Three of those are of the same ad.....suggesting I am FAT."

And that's the problem. On Chrome there are just so many ads on it that I'm getting a "Site is unresponsive" message 8/10 times I come here."

Same.  I was beginning to think something was wrong with my computer.

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 11/7/21 at 6:55am

This:

3) The ads still turn this place into a slug and this site is still continually the only website that ****s up my browser when visiting because of them. 

That, and ads will display on the MIDDLE of someone’s content or thread title, separating one from the other by half the length of my mobile device. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 11/7/21 at 9:35am

How do you reproduce/embed a tweet?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/8/21 at 7:37am

How do we get to the Off Topic Board (or any other board).  The button that says PICK A BOARD isn't active.

 

Also - PLEASE GET THE ADS OUT OF PEOPLE'S POSTS!!!!! It was bad enough to have to scroll by them, but this is 10x worse.

[adotburr]

Posted: 11/8/21 at 7:51am

dramamama611 said: "How do we get to the Off Topic Board (or any other board). The button that says PICK A BOARD isn't active.



Also - PLEASE GET THE ADS OUT OF PEOPLE'S POSTS!!!!! It was bad enough to have to scroll by them, but this is 10x worse."

Pick a board works for me. Maybe slow roll out and isn’t live for everyone yet?

And yes to the ads out of the posts. That is annoying.

Otherwise, I’m enjoying the new update and look!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/8/21 at 8:39am

The ads have always overwhelmed this site. But they have gotten worse and more populous in the past few months. One plus with this update is that I'm not getting any pop-up videos, so maybe that's a start.

[Rob]

Posted: 11/8/21 at 8:52am

Good morning! Amongst other fixes rolled out (late Friday) was an update to stop an AI system from an ad partner that was going 'awry'... If you're seeing ads inside of people's posts, that should not be happening. Any links and screenshots that you can send over to us ([e-mail]) would help for us to pass along. 

Ditto if closing the video unit doesn't keep it closed for the duration of your session. 

Thank you, and happy Monday (I hope) to all.