RSS Forum Improvements

[pigoo3]

The Mac-Forums Staff is pleased to announce a revamped system for Mac-Forums RSS threads.

Beginning today...all RSS threads will be reviewed/vetted by the Mac-Forums Staff prior to being posted for the Mac-Forums membership's reading pleasure. The purpose of the vetting process is to ensure all RSS articles/threads contain information that's interesting & important to Mac-Forums members.

We feel it's very important these RSS articles are available for all members to see without necessarily belonging to a special "RSS Group". Then each individual Mac-Forums member can decide for themselves whether to read an RSS article or not (just like any thread posted by any Mac-Forums member).

Many times these RSS articles cover important topics such as:

* macOS or iOS releases & updates.
* New product announcements.
* Product recalls or special repair programs.
* What Apple has in store for the future.
* Important current topics like the switch to ARM processors.
* New software releases.
* New gizmos & gadgets.
* etc.

The thread postings in the RSS News & RSS Deals forum can take two forms...the "News" variety...and the "Deals" variety. "News" being information related...and "Deals" being purchase related (deals on electronic items that members might be interested in purchasing)...such as computers, tablets, phones, cables, SSD's, apps, etc...almost anything releated to the subject matter of Mac-Forums.

Since some of you may not have been subscribed to the RSS threads previously...there will be a lot of unread threads in the revamped "RSS News & RSS Deals" forum. If you want to quickly mark all older threads in the RSS News & RSS Deals forum quickly & easily...just follow the 3 easy steps in the following images:

* Navigate to the RSS News & RSS Deals forum.
* Once inside the RSS News & RSS Deals forum click on the "Mark Read" link in the uper right area of the thread list.
* Click the "Mark Forum Read" button.








Remember to please treat these RSS threads just like any other thread posted here on Mac-Forums. If you see something communicated/shared that you feel like commenting on...go for it! Agree...disagree...or add info you feel is important. It's all good!

Also in case you didn't know...our very friendly Mac-Forums bot (OneMoreThing...) is responsible for the RSS postings. "OneMoreThing" is not a spammer...is very intelligent...has been a Mac-Forums member since 2005 (15 years)...and does have feelings (be nice to OneMoreThing & say "Hello" every now & then).

Thanks very much everyone...and enjoy the revamped RSS forum!

Your Mac-Forums Staff

 

[MacInWin]

I don't want to see RSS. At all. How do we turn it off from all areas? Where is the opt out button?

 

[chscag]

Jake:

I will try to find out how to place an entire forum on the "ignore" list. As you know, you can place individuals on your personal ignore list but there does not seem to be a way to ignore a forum so that it does not appear.

 

[MacInWin]

I ended up putting One More Thing on my ignore list and now I don't see any of those RSS posts. Kind of a brute force way to do it, but I could not find anything else to try.

 

[pigoo3]

@Everyone. Remember...all RSS threads are being reviewed by the Mac-Forums Staff before being posted. The purpose of the review is to ensure each RSS Article "fits" with the discussion material/topics we normally discuss on Mac-Forums.

You may not be interested in reading every single RSS article...just like you may not be interested in reading 100% all threads posted on Mac-Forums (this is totally ok & understandable). But there will be RSS articles you will be interested in...and if "OneMoreThing..." is put on ignore...you will miss out on those "important to you" RSS articles...and any forum discussions that may be generated with an RSS article.

For example...Apple's switch to ARM processors (and anything related to this switch)...are going to be a big forum discussion topic's for the foreseeable future...and many of these discussion's may begin with an RSS article posting.

Also keep in mind...if you read some forum threads (and not others)...such as when using the "New Posts" button each time you visit. And wish to "clear" the threads/posts you didn't read...simply click on the "Mark Forum Read" button found in many area's on the site (easy).

My advice is don't lock yourself out of all RSS threads by putting "OneMoreThing..." on ignore. You're going to miss out on some good stuff!

Thanks,

- Nick

 

[IWT]

@Jake.

I did what Nick suggests. I marked the OneMoreThing "Mark Forum Read". Not been bothered since; but I can still access it or glance at them as required under Forums > RSS News & RSS Deals. (Which is where you can also Mark Forum Read).

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

@Jake.

I did what Nick suggests. I marked the OneMoreThing "Mark Forum Read". Not been bothered since; but I can still access it or glance at them as required under Forums > RSS News & RSS Deals. (Which is where you can also Mark Forum Read).

Ian

But every time OMT posts a new thread (RSS post) the forum gets marked as unread and the RSS post shows up in "New Posts." This morning there were at least 20 of them spamming New Posts. Once I put OMT on Ignore, they went away.

OMT stays on my Ignore list. I don't come here for RSS feeds. Never read one, never saw one I was interested in.

 

[pigoo3]

This morning there were at least 20 of them spamming New Posts.

This is probably true if you had not visited Mac-Forums since this thread was posted approximately 18 hours ago.

As mentioned in post #1 of this thread...for those members who have not been viewing RSS threads previously...you will see a bunch of older RSS threads show up in the "New Posts" area. The suggested solution was to click on the "Mark Forum(s) Read" button...and all of the older RSS threads will be marked as read.

Since this thread was posted (18 hours ago)...and since the new revamped RSS article system has been put in place...no more than 2-3 RSS articles have been posted...and all of these are "On-Topic" for Mac-Forums.

Some of us read newspapers...magazines...and other periodicals (both digital & hard-copy)...and I'm willing to bet most of us don't read every article or every word in each of these periodicals. The RSS threads/articles are exactly the same. Some RSS articles may be more interesting than others.

You read what you like...and don't read what you don't like.

- Nick

 

[ferrarr]

I ended up putting One More Thing on my ignore list and now I don't see any of those RSS posts. Kind of a brute force way to do it, but I could not find anything else to try.

How did you get the RSS on to your ignore list?

Edit: Never mind, I found it.

 

[MacInWin]

I was out when you posted, Bob. Glad you sorted it out.

 

[chscag]

@Jake:

When I replied to you last night I was going to suggest the very solution you came up with, however, I was not sure that OMT could be ignored. Under the old software OMT was in the Moderator group and that group can not be ignored. Nick moved OMT out of that group which is why it now works.

Anyway, we're glad that you found a solution you're satisfied with.

Charlie

 

[MacInWin]

Thanks, Charlie. I know some folks love RSS feeds, but I'm not one of them. As long as we offer options to not have to see them, I don't have a problem with the site having the RSS feed forum. It's just that with OMT unblocked, the New Posts fills up with RSS stuff. I know Nick says it can't happen, but this morning there were two screens full of RSS feed threads. Don't know how that happened, but it did. Now that OMT is blocked, zero posts from it showing in my feeds. Sweet.