Are you new here? We used to have threads for individual topics, but alot of posters here just like to browse all the comments pertaining to an episode. It's more free-wheeling and you're not limited to discussing only one aspect of the show.

Many people like the Open Thread. But you're free to post about any subject at all.

First time here, and I have to say this is, hands down, the WORST discussion forum design of ay tv show's website I have EVER seen.

This is almost un-navigatable.

I don't know what AMC's web designer's were thinking, but they should go to a standard-style discussion board. Take a look at ABC'c or HBO's if you have a questions as to what a normal, "user-friendly" one looks like.

Yep. Terrible discussion forum design. Believe me, we've discussed it before--begged and asked AMC to do better. So far, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

At this point, I think most of us would just be happy with some basic features that other forums take for granted. Like a quote and a edit feature. Oh, for an edit feature!

@LindyK - I wish you lots of luck.

stacypeoria: I feel your pain. I have used HBO's boards for years and it's as simple as pie....and not all this strange poltergeist stuff going on (the 2nd or third posts because you can't see what you just typed....the typing of a very long comment only to have it mysteriously disappear....the inability to even make it into the Main Thread, etc.) And let's not even mention the troll/ID theft issues...."knock on wood" I have not noticed them lately!

My computer couldn't handle the new stuff they put on here this year, so consequently I'm forced to post just to update comments. If I don't do that, all I see are old threads and old posts. It really is ridiculous.
Where's the Geek Squad to figure all this out before next season??
Now, I'll hit "submit" but won't be able to read what I just wrote unless I post again...pathetic.

This site has always had all the above mentioned problems, but new this past 10 days or so is the extended time gap between hitting the "submit" button and a post actually appearing on the blog. One would hope this means some sort of moderating of comments. Perhaps. Although delayed posting was true of episode 12, the "troll" element certainly had no problem appearing. There has been very little "troll" activity this week. Maybe they are moderating????

It used to be that one risked repeating a point of another poster if one failed to refresh the page before posting so as to see the latest posts. The last couple weeks I've actually had other posters answer questions I've asked BEFORE my post with the question appeared on the blog. It is taking as long as 10 minutes for some of my posts to appear. New posters to this site, such as poor stacypeoria above tend to post several times because they believe their post simply disappeared into the ether and re-post. In fact, a double post (or triple) is almost always an indication that the poster in question is new to this site and unaware (why would they be????) of its myriad problems.

Stick around, stacy. It's a hassle, but there are quite a few insightful and intelligent people here dedicated to discussing MM at length in spite of these problems.

@Bipolar: "This site has always had all the above mentioned problems, but new this past 10 days or so is the extended time gap between hitting the "submit" button and a post actually appearing on the blog."

It's not just me? Oh good! I thought this site was hating on me personally ;-D

And yeah, we must be dedicated to this show or simply insane to keep posting under these conditions. :-)

@Thirteen: I hear ya sister!

Lindy I think what you want are pinned topics, which isn't a bad idea.

The Open Thread is great because it's a blog in it's own self. And you don't have to keep getting in and out of different topics. It's more weaving within a wholistic disussion per episode which I think is better. Plus, without an Open Thread, you'd have 500 new topics started that all just bury each other I think. I don't want the Open Thread to go, I think it's a great idea.

So the compromise is pinned topics. I think they're called pinned topics, topics that are started Ep1 each season by moderators that run throughout the whole season. And being pinned, they're always at the top of the topics list and don't get buried. The idea is to have a very small number of pinned topics, but are the topics people most tune in for. Maybe you'd have a separate one sex/relationships, then one for the setting/period details, probably one for each character and they're specific journey start to finish for that season. Under that you'd have the new Open Thread for each episode, then under that you have the indiviual topics started by users.

That way you can still talk about each episode per episode with a lot of people and input, or if that's not what you want, you can just go to the pinned topics which you don't have to hunt for because they're on top and are less numbers but more specific. Then of course the user started threads to hit topics that fall in between both of the other groups.

p.s. edit button a must

I noticed that when you currently post a new topic, by the time your post appears, someone has already added the tags. It was my hope that AMC had begun to more closely monitor the site. Now, I think it is just one explanation for the delay.

You're absolutely right, Thirteen... Many of us have begged for a redesign since Season 2. (It was changed after Season 1, causing all Maddicts to re-register.) The fact that our entreaties have been ignored shows what they (AMC) thinks of the show's fans. The site is so cumbersome, the actors don't even come here any more...

Good luck to everyone taking this on....
I'm going to be watching to see the results of your efforts.

The actors used to come here?? Darn, sorry I missed THAT! Fix the damn board, AMC! LOL

stacypeoria, I do believe "the actors" are mostly still worshipping at the throne of the Lipp sisters.

JMO

Don't know what they're missing, IMO.

Who are the Lipp sisters?

They started/run the "Basket of Kisses" Mad Men site....and boast (rightfully) a visit from Matt Weiner (reverent pause) a year or so ago, and hae pics of it on the site.

I've read before that the cast, crew, etc. connected with Mad Men loves their site and considers it "the best" Mad Men site.

Just what I've read....not that I agree with any of that.