Has the website been cross browser tested ?

Because under my firefox install (version 1.5.0.7) columns either side are either slightly scrunched up, or some of the wording is covered by the column to the right.

Come on UKTVFOOD, if so many other website designers can manage this, why can't you?

Also, I've dug round the forums/message boards, and can't find what is and isn't allowed, inasfaras facilities to enhance posting. Like can I use BB Code (bulletin board code) or limited HTML ? so as to be able to quote, add links, bold/highlighted text, quote or reply to a specific post, etc etc like all other forums/bulletin/message boards ?

I found the "T's & C's" ok, but they just seem to be something written by some legal type who has little or no idea about this kind of online facility

regards

I know exactly what you are complaining about. I run a Macintosh OS9.2 with Internet Explorer 5.1 (the only available Mac browser for my system - there isn't an upgrade to OS 10 and I cn't afford to buy a new computer everytime Steve Jobs ups the game - but be that as it may) When I load UKTV Food I get text overlying other stuff which makes certain parts totally unintelligible. Your complaint tells me that this problem isn't limited to Macintosh users but down to website construction. The Open University has a splendid e-forum that allows conferencing etc. Why should there be such a lack of professionalism - don't they get salaries for a professional job of work at UKTV or should we be grateful for the frustration?

I know exactly what you are complaining about. I run a Macintosh OS9.2 with Internet Explorer 5.1 (the only available Mac browser for my system - there isn't an upgrade to OS 10 and I cn't afford to buy a new computer everytime Steve Jobs ups the game - but be that as it may) When I load UKTV Food I get text overlying other stuff which makes certain parts totally unintelligible. Your complaint tells me that this problem isn't limited to Macintosh users but down to website construction. The Open University has a splendid e-forum that allows conferencing etc. Why should there be such a lack of professionalism - don't they get a salary at UKTV or do they work for free?

Market Kitchen message board. Can someone explain to me that whenever I get an email telling me about new posts and when I go to the relevant page of latest posts there is only one message. On this site for instance the newest post is the one I posted on Sun 29th April (see above) three days ago. Can you not instal a 'reply to this message' link button? Other web sites do. When I get emails of multiple message follow-ups am I expected to troll through all previous pages in order to identify the particular thread? Just a thought.

Tell ya what Billy2blues, I haven't looked at the Market Kitchen forums, but I'm definitely getting the impression that the whole message board facility is an after thought.

Designed either by "someone in IT" who might know about systems/engineering, but not a great deal about running sites like this i.e. basically a portal

or

A "gifted amateur in the office" with a good splash of corporate anal retentiveness.

Either way, they need lots of lessons - cross browser trouble shooting, usability, layout, etc etc etc.

Ok, what the hell, a complete "makeover" - maybe they could do it as an interactive programme ?

Either way, it's not a pleasant site to visit. Lots of hard work!

Oh and from what I've seen of the Market Kitchen programme, they could do with re-visiting the "casting department".

I like Matthew Fort, I used to read his articles in the Grauniad when I still had time to read it, but his "presenting" skills, are taking a lot of getting used to.

As for TPB! well a bit more able, but still in need of considerable amounts of polish.

Though in fairness, comparing either to the very amusing Jenny B is the chalk/cheese analogy.

In truth, I'm quite disappointed with it all i.e. the prog, this website, the forums, etc etc

My "end of term report" for it, is C- with the ubiquitous "could do better" comment.

regards

the uselessgit!

Something very strange about the message boards tonight. You click on the headline for the latest post on your chosen topic but when it takes you to that topic the post has disappeared. There are posts you can get to by clicking on someone's name that don't seem to be there if you go by another route. And whole message boards seem to have changed. What's going on? Perhaps an audit of the MK avalanche?

Also I agree with an earlier point. I'm getting shedloads of emails taking me to old posts.

There needs to be a clear mechanism for UKTV response. The one way traffic on MK reactions needs to be answered in some way, at least acknowledged.

conch, this is just what happens when the message board is 'out of hours', this is sometimes why people think thier posts have been deleted, but they often reappear the next morning. silly, i know, buts thats uktvfood for u!

@ cheese obsessive

Which IMO shows "lack of trust".

Whats the worst case scenario ? someone posts something that breaches the T's & C's - but as they don't trust anyone enough to moderate, they are stuck with whatever setup they put in place and it might be 10 hours before it can be "moderated".

They aren't the only ones like that, except the other forum sites I go to sometimes still use volunteer/appointed moderators - so posts can be accepted 24/7.

This doesn't seem to be a problem elsewhere - lets face it, UKTVFOOD isn't the kind of place that will attract malcontents!

Thanks cheese obsessive, now I get it. Does seem bizarre that you can see a bit of a recent post on the summary page. Really is time to get these boards sorted. UKTV post yesterday about finally closing the GFL board proves someone is taking note of all that's being said but still no response since Amanda Smith's squeaky clean PR statement.

i agree with u conch and uselessgit, it is very strange. the uktvfood site used to function quite well, and although you couldnt read any posts written from 10 pm till 9 am, it would still show those posted from that day, now all the ones from that entire day disapear overnight, it seemed to happen after the renovation of the website.

Could it be possible to change the system so these boards worked like the BBC Food boards? That is, that you could see that day's posts from the 'open hours' after hours and that stuff was queued for posting as you went along rather than posted, taken down, then reposted. It's really annoying to have the whole day's posts go every night. Sometimes when I'm working I don't get to see the boards until after hours and it makes a nonsense of them.

Can you look at changing this UKTV? We never seem to get any response on these threads.

I hate the way it closes down at 10pm too

Plain useless that what i call the design of this site, the worst forum i have come across. Try to search the forum is impossible. And trying to veiw a users saved recipes also impossible. UKTV get it sorted