Is it just me, or has "hometalk" changed......

LandlightS
by LandlightS
When I was introduced to and began posting on this site, it was a DIYer, contractor and designer conversation board. It now seems, with all due respect, to have turned into a "hobby-craft' discussion board. I can't recall the last time a contractor offered a suggestion to a DIYer technical question. I discussed this a few other members of "hometalk" and they do agree with me.
Sorry if I offended anyone, but I gave up on Decoupouge over 30 years ago.Just had to vent and voice my feelings.
Stay well
Gary
  28 answers
  • Hang in there Gary, I understand that they are working on a way to change up the screen as we see it to filter out what were not interested in. Bob
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Nov 02, 2012
    I too have seen a "shift" in the content. Some other posters even compared it to Pinterest. One of the more recent changes have the homepage headers changed to have a "questions" section. This can be further sorted by unanswered and open categories. To me I have have seen way more posts on front porch decorations with pumpkins and wreathes...I shudder to think what is going to come when the first christmas trees arrive....LOL
  • Oh,no, now you started it Kevin! Funny you said that, our local corner store just had a truck of trees delivered today!
  • Becky P Becky P on Nov 02, 2012
    I like the variety of the questions and the posts. Glad they started a new heading. Now if they can just make the "recent" default over "popular"!
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Nov 02, 2012
    My local HD had all types of christmas stuff displayed BEFORE Halloween...that is just wrong in my book...to me None of that should hit the selves before Nov 1...a month and a half is plenty of time. I'm not much a "consumer" when it come to stuff...mostly food and building supplies for client projects...with some reloading supplies thrown in for fun now and then.
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Nov 02, 2012
    Agree Gary.. this has been heavily debated with the Supers, most professionals struggle with the bloggers, not for their contribution, but the volume of it. I too miss the ole Hometalk... it was more about the Home and less about crafts and decorating ideas.
  • Silly me, and I thought coffee filters were for, um, er... filtering coffee. ;)
  • Actually, It would be great if they were to spin off the decorating posts into a separate category. Either with an additional tab or even a sister website... Homedecortalk.com They could cross-pollinate by posting the "best of Hometalk" over there and the "best of the Homedecortalk" over here.
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Nov 02, 2012
    Only been a member for the past couple of months. Love the site with the diversity of posts. But I must say that I really appreciate the comments from the contractors. Have learned a lot from their posts.
  • Becky P Becky P on Nov 03, 2012
    my only other problem would be.....if I didn't have to log in every time.
  • Fine Homebuilding, Fine Gardening, Threads, Fine Cooking and Fine Woodworking, etc. have one log in that serves all their various discussion boards so people can pop in and out of different forums. It would be interesting if a news feed about posts on the other related forums showed up on the right nav. pane... like the feed on FB.
  • Miriam Illions Miriam Illions on Nov 03, 2012
    Hey everyone, thanks for all your feedback! It's true, there are a wide variety of interests here, and we're working on optimizing your feeds, so you can only see the things you are intested in, while still having the ability to navigate to other topics, should you choose to. For now, pros, if you use the questions tab, you will only see questions --there are still plenty! I hope you all know how apreciated you are around these parts! :) http://www.hometalk.com/?types[0]=question&sort=new
  • Miriam Illions Miriam Illions on Nov 03, 2012
    @ Have you tried checking 'remember me' when you sign in? You shouldn't have to log in every time you come to the site.
  • Jessica A Jessica A on Nov 03, 2012
    yes, I too just joined a few months ago. i had no idea this was originally more of a contractor's advice column. However, I will say that I turn to this site for all my needs because it has such a wide realm of knowledge and creativity. Sometimes I need both to make my project decisions. Thank you for contributing and making this site awesome.
  • Becky P Becky P on Nov 03, 2012
    @Miriam, yes that is clicked. It depends on which computer I use whether it pops right up or if I have to sign in. My laptop seems to do it best.
  • I agree KMS, and that is why I have not been hometalkiing for a while. I love the feedback and especially answering questions and helping. However, it can become too difficult at time to sift through everything to see where I can be helpful. Miriam, thanks for being on top of everything.
  • Becky, if your cookie setting on the computer is set to delete all sites visited every time you shut down the computer, that is why it is not remembering the sign up process. This is good way to keep the computer running faster but can be a pain if you come back to the same site a lot. There is a setting that you can choose however to tell the computer not to delete the remember for pre set sites, but I have no idea on how to tell you how to do this. I know every time I run a virus scan and do a cleaning of my computer, I have to re-remember all of my past passwords. And because I use a different one for each site and place that I visit, it can be a daunting task to get signed back in on some of them.
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Nov 11, 2012
    @Miriam I - it would be great to have a home button next to the permanent ask and post buttons. That way we wouldn't have to refresh or scroll all the way to the top to get to the hometalk button.
  • Becky P Becky P on Nov 11, 2012
    @Woodbridge Environmental, I think my problem is I sign in with Facebook! I know how you feel, I hate clearing my browsing history because I like my saved passwords.
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Nov 11, 2012
    @Miriam I - I just noticed that there is a back to top button at the bottom when you are travelling down the page, don't know why I never saw this before :P
  • Miriam Illions Miriam Illions on Nov 11, 2012
    @Gail Salminen Glad you found it! :)
  • Laura D Laura D on Nov 14, 2012
    Gary, I agree and don't visit much anymore either. This issue was made a couple of months ago too, only comparing with pinterest.
  • To be blunt, there seems to be too much turning junk into other junk. Seasonal decor of limited usefulness. I like recycling and up cycling, but think things should not just be attractive, but also useful. Who has room to store a bunch of seasonal stuff for every possible occasion anyway. I think most of it lacks long lasting value and ends up in the trash. I wish more people would spend time learning how to truly craft something of heirloom quality that will be handed down to their children. True works of art but with utility too, like quilts, or hand made baskets. Too much emphasis on things that are cheap and fast... like fast food crafting. We need a slow craft movement like the slow food movement.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Nov 15, 2012
    @Brian Campbell, Basswood Artisan Carpentry I tend to agree with most of what you just posted, but have to add in a minor observation. Crafting fills a void that many people have in their lives, this void may be due to too much stress in their regular work day, or not enough challenge or the ability to express themselves. When I worked in the pharmaceutical industry I often worked 50 hour weeks and had to deal with a very rigid and structured environment. We had to write and follow detailed SOP'S (Standard operating procedures) for every single piece of equipment and process. The simple task of changing out a light bulb on a piece of test equipment required six signatures and a 2 page work order. The ability to shape a piece of lumber into what ever shape caught my fancy was huge release for me. It is near ten years later now and I can provide artistic carpentry and woodworking to my clients. For more detailed work I am still doing my Silversmithing, minor gunsmithing and my reloading. I too see a lot of frivolity here, I "stepped off" the consumer bandwagon a few years back, nearly every purchase I make now needs to have value and purpose...or be a "consumned" item. A big driver for this has to do with my following from the "tiny house movement" and my own experiences building our 200 sq ft cabin. As I look around my home I see tons of things I would never buy now with my "enlightened" sense of happiness.
  • LandlightS LandlightS on Nov 15, 2012
    Laura, and everyone else....I don't even know how to find my way around anymore. I enter lighting in the search box and I find post that are a year old. And anytime I see a leaf, pine-cone, ribbons or such in the photo's I immediately pass by. Hopefully, this post may hasten some changes. Gary
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Nov 16, 2012
    I have begun paring down some of my stuff too...but 20 years worth of crap is going to take some time...I figure we are about 8-10 years out from relocating to our NM property...hopefully that will be enough time.
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Nov 16, 2012
    @Brian Campbell, Basswood Artisan Carpentry - while I don't disagree with you, it also serves to do some themed decorations for minimal $ with stuff you have around the house. I also like some of the garden posts, but again not useful to everyone. While a craft category would be good, the posters would have to be encouraged to post in the right section, or the moderators move to the right category. I am also really appreciative of what the contractors post on home improvements, refinishing and products available. I am sure that contractors get more exposure with the increase in membership, and from sharing. Not sure what the trade off is, but I do love this site and tend to ignore the posts that I have no use for and pay special attention to the contractor posts :) Thanks for sharing and promoting discussion on this subject.
  • Spiffed-up Spaces Spiffed-up Spaces on Nov 25, 2012
    I also miss the availability to find and answer questions specific to my geographic location.