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I'm having difficulties figuring out how to use the forum software. I've been using forums since the 1990s, and haven't ever seen another forum where so many features are missing, 'hidden' or otherwise difficult to access.

For example, in a recently-locked thread, I just now attempted to report a post which was rife with vicious personal attacks against another user, but I was unable to find a Report button anywhere. I manually copied the post ID and attempted to PM the moderator who closed the thread (who, in his post, had suggested people contact him), but I was notified by the forum software that his privacy settings disallow PM.

I then went to look for a relevant section of the forum, maybe something like "This section of the forum is for discussing problems with the forum itself," to report the lack of ability to report (ha). But I couldn't find any such forum. There doesn't seem to be any forums that aren't specifically for a specific game, and no subforums for such issues within any of the specific-game forums I've seen here.

So, this post is (in part) reporting the inability to report the inability to report, which is amusingly meta, but is also indicative that I'm feeling more than a little frustrated by how unwieldy this forum is (compared to the other forums I've used).

I also can't find an advanced search forum, where I can specify which forums my searches are being made, or exclude forums from my searches.

I accidentally clicked "rate this post" on a random post, and can't figure out how to undo this action. GOG's FAQ says to click the red button beside the green button, but there is no red button.

This forum software is driving me mad! Help?
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sg3: I'm having difficulties figuring out how to use the forum software. I've been using forums since the 1990s, and haven't ever seen another forum where so many features are missing, 'hidden' or otherwise difficult to access.

For example, in a recently-locked thread, I just now attempted to report a post which was rife with vicious personal attacks against another user, but I was unable to find a Report button anywhere. I manually copied the post ID and attempted to PM the moderator who closed the thread (who, in his post, had suggested people contact him), but I was notified by the forum software that his privacy settings disallow PM.

I then went to look for a relevant section of the forum, maybe something like "This section of the forum is for discussing problems with the forum itself," to report the lack of ability to report (ha). But I couldn't find any such forum. There doesn't seem to be any forums that aren't specifically for a specific game, and no subforums for such issues within any of the specific-game forums I've seen here.

So, this post is (in part) reporting the inability to report the inability to report, which is amusingly meta, but is also indicative that I'm feeling more than a little frustrated by how unwieldy this forum is (compared to the other forums I've used).

I also can't find an advanced search forum, where I can specify which forums my searches are being made, or exclude forums from my searches.

I accidentally clicked "rate this post" on a random post, and can't figure out how to undo this action. GOG's FAQ says to click the red button beside the green button, but there is no red button.

This forum software is driving me mad! Help?
Hello, just came back on myself after awhile.

Once a thread is 'locked', it seems that it is dead, and can no longer be interacted with..

As for game threads, they used to exist (probably still do), but I think they used to be accessed through the game page.

In any event, have fun, and click on things to look; hurts nothing.
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sg3: For example, in a recently-locked thread, I just now attempted to report a post which was rife with vicious personal attacks against another user, but I was unable to find a Report button anywhere. I manually copied the post ID and attempted to PM the moderator who closed the thread (who, in his post, had suggested people contact him), but I was notified by the forum software that his privacy settings disallow PM.
No actually, it's your settings that disallow PMs.
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sg3: I then went to look for a relevant section of the forum, maybe something like "This section of the forum is for discussing problems with the forum itself," to report the lack of ability to report (ha). But I couldn't find any such forum. There doesn't seem to be any forums that aren't specifically for a specific game, and no subforums for such issues within any of the specific-game forums I've seen here.

So, this post is (in part) reporting the inability to report the inability to report, which is amusingly meta, but is also indicative that I'm feeling more than a little frustrated by how unwieldy this forum is (compared to the other forums I've used).

I also can't find an advanced search forum, where I can specify which forums my searches are being made, or exclude forums from my searches.

I accidentally clicked "rate this post" on a random post, and can't figure out how to undo this action. GOG's FAQ says to click the red button beside the green button, but there is no red button.
This forum software is driving me mad! Help?
1) Yeah, the only subforums are for GOG Galaxy, multilinguals, and the plethora of mostly deserted game subforums. There's no forum/thread for forum problems because most of the problems with the forum are baked into the subpar software they engineered. These problems have existed as long as this forum has been implemented as part of GOG.com.

2) Join the club. The forum has a bug where notifications get stuck on, and yet trying to clear them or find the post in question doesn't work because it times out the database.

3) The basic search gets bogged down on spaces. There's no advanced search. Heck, I have to install a script for an inline editor with a preview.

4) That FAQ is out of date. There's no way to unrate a post, positive or (formerly) negative, which is idiotic.

5) shrug. Let me put it this way. There's a formerly famous forum that's still running VBulletin 2. (Current version 5.7.0, for reference.) It still has more features and sanity built into it than this forum. Users can be probated, soft banned, permabanned, have avatars worth a dang size, and more.
Post edited October 15, 2022 by Darvond
You're stressing too much over the issue. I have the same problem with notifications as well. Just let it be.
The forum software was already barebones when the site launched 15 years ago, and it hasn't changed.
I'd recommend not even trying to use it.
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sg3: snip
You're 10 years around and now struggle with the forum software for the first time? o.O

Whatever: I recently created a thread that may answer some of your questions: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/i_wish_for_a_more_direct_way_to_contact_the_forum_mods

In general:
The "red button" you are referring to was the "minus button" (the counterpart to the "plus" button, you can still access).
That button is gone.
When it was still around, you could click the "minus button" to
(1) hide comments, and (if you thought a comment warranted it)
(2) report that comment, by clicking on a "report" button, that only got revealed, once you clicked the "minus button".

Allegedly, clicking that "report button" didn't do anything, though (so I've been told lately).

So, if you now stumble over a comment that you think warrants to be reported, you'll have to PM a forum mod (the ones responsible are listed here: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/forum_regulations/post1).

Most importantly: if you have never contacted a forum mod before, your PM settings need to be changed.

Also: since you say that particular thread was locked already (the boycott thread, I assume?): nothing will be changed anymore in that.
Over time it will simply sink to the bottom of the forum timeline, where nobody bothers anymore about it.

Edit: some typo
Post edited October 15, 2022 by BreOl72
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sg3: For example, in a recently-locked thread, I just now attempted to report a post which was rife with vicious personal attacks against another user, but I was unable to find a Report button anywhere. I manually copied the post ID and attempted to PM the moderator who closed the thread (who, in his post, had suggested people contact him), but I was notified by the forum software that his privacy settings disallow PM.
AFAIK all the active mods/Community Team members have their PMs open, including me. It seems yours are locked though, that's why you couldn't send the message. You can change that through privacy settings.
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Darvond: 5) shrug. Let me put it this way. There's a formerly famous forum that's still running VBulletin 2. (Current version 5.7.0, for reference.) It still has more features and sanity built into it than this forum. Users can be probated, soft banned, permabanned, have avatars worth a dang size, and more.
Off topic, this is why the GOG forum looks so old to me when I came here for the first time last year XD
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Takashi_Hafuza: Off topic, this is why the GOG forum looks so old to me when I came here for the first time last year XD
Could you elaborate a little?