SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Your thoughts

https://secretlibraryleeds.net/2021/03/ ... -new-site/

Above all, I've found the leodis archive wonderful and I'm cautious about saying anything negative.

One thing that I noticed is that on a couple of entries I checked, contributors' names have now been omitted from existing comments. A problem then is that many existing comments include references by name to earlier contributors. (Sometimes just for reference, sometimes people acknowledging an acquaintance.) Those are now rendered meaningless. The reason for this may be explained in uncle mick's link. I fear I didn't complete reading the explanation before I decided to give it a go.

Whatever the reason, this aspect isn't an improvement.

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I've been back to look a bit further and I see it's now necessary to sign in to comment. Perhaps that reveals the names of earlier contributors. Years ago, I did create a leodis account but I've never used it and I've forgotten the details. I see I can use my email address to gets some help but my old email provider stopped providing a couple of years ago so my current email won't tie in with the one I originally used. Old dog, not adept at learning new tricks.

Forgot to mention on the positive side, getting to the comments on the second screen is much better than the third.

Everything I tried to access said "Sorry, unable to show images". Teething troubles I imagine. Try again tomorrow.

The search function seems a bit vague as is the advanced search, Typed Hill street for the Beeston area just as I would with the old search, as I know at least 2 pictures exist and it showed various pictures of the Altofts and anything with the word Street ,Beeston (which I used as an area not a search term) or Hill in it,every permutation except that what I wanted and no Hill street. Never had a problem with the old search engine other than that as long as it remains as fast as the old site then fair go as they say and more power to it.

Well done Leodis staff.

jma wrote: ↑

Wed 31 Mar, 2021 1:22 pm

Above all, I've found the leodis archive wonderful and I'm cautious about saying anything negative.

One thing that I noticed is that on a couple of entries I checked, contributors' names have now been omitted from existing comments. A problem then is that many existing comments include references by name to earlier contributors. (Sometimes just for reference, sometimes people acknowledging an acquaintance.) Those are now rendered meaningless. The reason for this may be explained in uncle mick's link. I fear I didn't complete reading the explanation before I decided to give it a go.

Whatever the reason, this aspect isn't an improvement.

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I've been back to look a bit further and I see it's now necessary to sign in to comment. Perhaps that reveals the names of earlier contributors. Years ago, I did create a leodis account but I've never used it and I've forgotten the details. I see I can use my email address to gets some help but my old email provider stopped providing a couple of years ago so my current email won't tie in with the one I originally used. Old dog, not adept at learning new tricks.

Forgot to mention on the positive side, getting to the comments on the second screen is much better than the third.

No account needed to comment.

You have to sign in, provide e-mail address to which they send acknowledgement, your comment which they peruse for suitability then your comment appears a few days later. Have done this several times along with corrections which they always kindly acknowledge.

If I try to add a comment it offers me two choices ie 'Sign in' which requires email and password or 'Register.'


That says

Signing in to your account

jma wrote: ↑

Wed 31 Mar, 2021 9:39 pm

If I try to add a comment it offers me two choices ie 'Sign in' which requires email and password or 'Register.'



Screenshot (8).png

That says

Signing in to your account

Then things must have changed recently as I have never had an account of any kind and had no trouble whatsoever posting comments or corrections.

HMMM JMA is indeed correct,it looks like you have to become a member now to comment or correct, I wonder why, what was wrong with the old system?

Nothing sinister about registering but why do you need an account just pass comment or offer a correction?
The old way worked well enough. I can only assume this is part and parcel of off the shelf website software and comes "as is".

Either way no worries.

The old system used to have an 'I am not a robot' feature which changed how it worked at one point.

The old system used to require and display a name, although that wasn't verified.

The old system used to require an email address, which could be displayed or not.

The old system had the option of creating an account for certain things like creating your own personal album, but not for adding comments.

I was able to live with all that and I have an account created under an old email address with a password I've forgotten, mainly because I never bothered to make any use of the account.

The new system seems to require an account to comment. My only problem, as I've tried to explain, is that I don't want to get bogged down trying to retrieve the old account or not being recognised if I register for a new one.

Beyond that, I'm guessing - and hoping - that logging on may reveal the names of contributors. There are stacks of comments - especially on long-running entries such as those where the subject is a school - where people are communicating with long-lost chums. There's one image where a playmate from some 70 years ago exchanged reminiscences with me.

I really value Leodis and the work of the people who maintain it so I don't like to appear negative, but the loss of the names of contributors seems to me to be regrettable. Had they never been there, it would not matter so much.

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PS There's another niggle in that comments now run the other way: latest at the top. If anybody has referred to a comment "above" it's now below. Not significant, but with the removal of names comments can become harder to follow.

There's someone looking for iansmithofotley on this page:

https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/123261