Fast Reply Dumb Question

[Dave in Phoenix]

OK I give up. I've looked at all the Sticky notes, I read the FAQ, for the site, I've read the new folks info sticky and I've done a search under Fast Reply which has a nice thread thanking Fred for the option but it excludes any note explaining what it is!

I have sent a couple without realizing what it was but doesn't get posted. So I am guessing I sent a PM to the last person in the thread?

Being quite familar with zillions of message boards, if I can't get it right... would think a sticky or something about it in the FAQ would help or folks may be sending lots of PM's like I must be insteasd of posting to the board. Or maybe I just am blind and didn't find the obvious place telling me what it is.

A confused foreigner down here in the U.S.

 

[zog]

Fast Reply

Hey Dave,

It's not a big deal....

Just type your message in the space provided and then click on the "Send" button below what you typed. You can also fill in the "Subject" field to the left of the "Send" button if you wish.

There are a couple of minuses to using the "Fast Reply"

First of all, you don't get the "Preview" option so you have to watch the typos a little closer.

Secondly, posting by this method will not subscribe you to the thread. So unless you've previously posted the "old fashioned way" the thread won't show-up in your control panel.

On the other hand, it's a quick and (allegedly) easy way to make a quick response.

Does any of this help?

Zog.

 

[Dave in Phoenix]

Thats what I first thought....Thanks

Testing in the Fast Reply Box...

Yes Zog that is what at first I thought intuitively that it did. But I "Send" ed... 2 message that way a few hours ago and it never showed up in the thread.

It is a good idea and your explanation excellent... just didn't understand why it didn't post...

Now hitting the Send button to see if this posts!

 

[Dave in Phoenix]

OK worked that time.... perhaps I hit the post reply button in far right corner instead of Send.. but thought for sure I hit Send and got the acknowledabment screen when tried to do before. Oh well..works now and thanks again. Dave

 

[zog]

Is this thing on???

So? Did it post?




Zog.

 

[Malibook]

Good question Dave

I also don't have a clue why so many people think fast reply is so good.
Good for what?
Saving a single click of the mouse?
Post reply, send reply, is 2 clicks on the mouse.
With fast reply you hit the send button, 1 click on the mouse.
I assume there is more to this than merely saving us 1 click on the mouse, but I have no idea what the pluses may be.

 

[zog]

Could be...

I think it's easier on the server. There's obviously less back-end processing with the "Fast Reply" option. In addition to not subscribing you to the thread, it also doesn't parse your text for vB code or add your signature line. There are probably other things it also does not do.

It probably helps cut-back on traffic during busy times and provides a bit better performance.

Zog.

 

[papasmerf]

Dave you think you are confused?????
WTF is your point?

 

[Fred Zed]

Re: Could be...

I think it's easier on the server. There's obviously less back-end processing with the "Fast Reply" option. In addition to not subscribing you to the thread, it also doesn't parse your text for vB code or add your signature line. There are probably other things it also does not do.

It probably helps cut-back on traffic during busy times and provides a bit better performance.

Zog.

That's correct Zog. The Fast Reply is supposed to cut down on the number of requests
being made to server as you are requesting (-1) page each time you use it compared to the old method. Some tech guys don't think it saves bandwidth but we'll have to wait and see when all the numbers are in.

 

[Malibook]

So now I see why the server likes this feature, and the administrators hope to possibly save some bandwidth, but I still have no idea why so many members find it so great.

Is it really just because it saves them 1 click of the mouse?

 

[zog]

It's the nice thing to do!

Maybe some of us like to use it because it helps make TERB more reponsive and accessible for everyone...or don't you believe in sharing?

If the Server is less busy, it benifits us all.

Zog.

 

[Malibook]

So you think that the positive responses were because the server is now noticeably more responsive?

If this is the case, why was this simple point not made clear earlier?

As for sharing TERB system resources, you have over 16 times more posts per day than me.

 

[ToronToto]

Just checking fast reply

 

[ToronToto]

Bandwidth

Fred Zed >> ...as you are requesting (-1) page each time you use it compared to the old method. Some tech guys don't think it saves bandwidth but we'll have to wait and see when all the numbers are in.

I don't think you'll be saving much bandwidth since:

1) Old Quote/Reply shows the last page (9 posts) in Topic Review (Newest First) section with very little formatting.

2) Submit Reply stores the post. Then returns user to the post they just submitted. This is usually the last post on the last page, but not necessarily true. Since a postid and post time is pregenerated, it could return the user to page (i) of .

Fast reply only does (2) without the pregenerated postid, but still returns user to their post.

So, you are not saving much bandwidth on replies. More importantly, replies account for less than 2 or 3 % of your views.

 

[Fred Zed]

ToronToto : you are probably right. As I said, there is no agreement re: bandwidth savings. Infact, someone emailed me with some complicated
analysis in which he tried to prove that having this feature actually increases bandwidth use. Regardless, I don't know whether I am just imagining things, but the board seems to respond faster with this feature installed. To me that indicates that the server is taking less time to process requests.