Help with new FR design

justshe

[justshe]

I would appreciate some assistance in setting up my 'topics'.

Questions: Do the articles posted in the 'center' section reflect ONLY those topics I am subscribed to?

Does my topics sidebar "limit" the articles that I get to see?

Any assistance you can give me would be appreciated. This entire new 'topics' issue is most confusing. THANKS!

[xm177e2]

The articles in the middle are all articles in whatever forum you're in (general interest, vetscor, news/activism...)

If you don't subscribe to any topics, I think it will automatically subscribe you to about five or six. Just click on "topics," then pick a topic and click on it. Then click on "subscribe," and you're set.

[RonDog]

Questions: Do the articles posted in the 'center' section reflect ONLY those topics I am subscribed to?

Does my topics sidebar "limit" the articles that I get to see?

No, I think, to BOTH questions.
Your choice of topics to which you subscribe only effects what appears in your right-hand sidebar.

The Latest Posts that appear in the main part of the page are always the same, REGARDLESS of what topics that you subscribe to. There ARE, however, two basic groups of threads, and it DOES make a difference into which "river" of threads that you have chosen to wade...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/browse - News/Activism
and
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/browse - General Interest

If you are browsing in "General Interest," you will NOT see threads that were posted in "News/Activism," REGARDLESS of what topics that you subscribe to.

(The only EXCEPTION to this general rule is that when you are looking for threads posted TO YOU in the My Comments section, you can see threads from both "General Interest" and "News/Activism.")

I hope that this helps. (Of course, it could all change TOMORROW.)
:0

[justshe]

Well.........xm.......between you and RonDog (see next reponse) .....we seem to have a difference of opionion. RonDog sent his reply to Jim Robinson too...so perhaps we will get a clear answer to my question. Thanks!

[xm177e2]

Actually, RonDog and I are saying the same thing, I think...

[justshe]

Thanks, RonDog, and thank you for sending your reply to Jim Robinson too! There seems to be a difference of opinion re: my question.

[justshe]

Correction: John Robinson...not Jim.

[RonDog]

xm177e2 is correct.

There are actually FIVE independent "rivers" of threads (or FORUMS, as they are called) - NOT just the two that I posted:

My Forums

http://beta.freerepublic.com/focus/campaign2002/browse - Campaign 2002

http://beta.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/browse - General Interest

http://beta.freerepublic.com/focus/news/browse - News/Activism

http://beta.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/browse - Religion

http://beta.freerepublic.com/focus/vetscor/browse - VetsCoR

When you are browsing in ONE forum, you cannot see any of the threads posted in any of the OTHER forums - regardless of which TOPICS that you have subscribed to. (I just have not spent much time outside of "News/Activism" or "General Interest.")

Your choice of which TOPICS to subscribe - only effects which threads are displayed on your right-hand sidebar. (For now.)

[RonDog]

Ooops. I have (obviously) been lurking in the BETA version. ;)

The links posted above ALSO work in NORMAL Free Republic, if you substitute "www" for "beta" in the urls posted above.

[justshe]

Oh arghhhhh, guys.

Perhaps YOU two know what you're talking about.......but let's get a bit more basic. For example: if I subscribe to Breaking News, and Current events, will I see, in the CENTER section, posts from General Interest? Or from Campaign 2000? Humor me, please. I really don't know WHICH topics to 'activate' (and yes, I DO know how to activate different topics), in order to maximize the articles posted in the CENTER 'articles' section. I don't want to limit the CENTER section. Does that make sense? Do I need to activate ALL topics to MAXIMIZE the articles/column threads, posted in the center section?

Thanks for your patience.

[RonDog]

Sorry. I will try again.
The threads which appear in the CENTER section of your page have NO CONNECTION with what is in your SIDEBAR.

It may help to think of it like this:

The CENTER of the screen is like your TV, and
The SIDEBAR is like your "TV Guide" magazine.

The FORUMS are like TV channels. You pick a forum in which to browse, and the threads that drift by in the center of your screen are like TV programs that are broadcast on that channel. Just as when you are watching ABC, you cannot see programs on CNN - unless you switch the channel - the same is true when you are browsing FORUMS. When you are browsing threads in "News/Activism," you cannot see threads in "General Interest" unless you change channels.

The TOPICS (in the sidebar) are like "coming events" in your own personalized copy of the "TV Guide" magazine, where YOU get to pick which of YOUR "favorite TV programs" that they print in YOUR copy. If you subscribe to a TOPIC, it will be printed in YOUR copy of the "TV Guide." And, you can look at what's in the TV Guide (on the sidebar) without changing the channel (in the center.)

Or something like that. ;^)