Frustrations With These Forums

[nopethx]

Please don't move away from phpBB unless you can emulate its simple usability. Somebody will probably suggest some modern JS based abomination that's just worse in every regard, but looks slightly more "modern" and may be a little bit easier to use on phones.

Try to organize the current forums better before you consider moving to a new platform. I've seen well integrated "file databases" in phpBB before, even though I can't name one from the top of my head right now. A Wiki with a low barrier to entry seems like a good idea and I've seen it integrated with phpBB as well.

[nopethx]

love2d.org has a Wiki and the logins are synced with their phpBB forum. I mention it because I'm sure I've seen TomXP42 over there in the past, unless it was another TomXP666, independent from the TomXP1312 that we get to enjoy around here.

[bit-twiddler]

I'm not a Commodore 64 user but come from the Apple II world. I suggest that you add a forum that covers and answers novice's issues and questions. Mixing the advanced and novice questions and instructions together has become a mess that's getting worse. I've spent a lot of money to build up a CX16 computer but I'm having a devil of a time trying to learn about it.

I am new to the forum, but what you have written is how I felt on the MEGA65 forum. I feel like I wasted almot $900 on a poorly documented product (plus shipping) that assumes one knows all of the Commodore foibles. I have been writing 6502 code since 1981. I started with an Atari 800, which from a system software and system documentation point of view was heads and shoulders above the C64. The thing that made me look Commander X16 was that I did not have to dig to determine which zero page addresses are available for use. On the Mega65, if one has no experience with a C64, one will crash the system until one discovers which if any zero addresses are available for use and under what operating conditions. IMHO, a 6502-based computer with no available zero page entries is darn near worthless for anything but the built-in BASIC, which does interest me after four decades of software and hardware engineering. I want to write code that runs on the bare metal. That's the beauty of 8-bit computing. One does not have to deal with protections rings like one has has to on a modern processor.

[Edmond D]

I have been writing 6502 code since 1981. I started with an Atari 800, which from a system software and system documentation point of view was heads and shoulders above the C64.

Back in the 80's as a geeky teen I looked at the Atari BASIC disassembly of the ROMS in a book. I noticed that the LET statement implementation was "sliced" into a couple of sections with JMPs. My guess at the time is that they assigned more important statements to fixed addresses with set sizes and then filled in the spare bytes between the other functions with less important/used statements.

I can't remember the name of the book, and I could be wrong, I was (and still am) a Vic-20 kid playing too much Omega Race

[ahenry3068]

I'm not a Commodore 64 user but come from the Apple II world. I suggest that you add a forum that covers and answers novice's issues and questions. Mixing the advanced and novice questions and instructions together has become a mess that's getting worse. I've spent a lot of money to build up a CX16 computer but I'm having a devil of a time trying to learn about it.

Please do something to help us novices understand, update and use this computer. I find it fun until I have to wade through this forum trying to figure something out.

Thank you,
Gerry

This forum does get less use than it should, and sometimes answers take awhile. Have hope. I came here from MS-Dos & Linux land almost 2 years ago. I was a complete Commodore newbie but I'm getting it now. I'm even writing some 6502 assembly code these days. The DISCORD for the X16 is really where most of the action is when it comes to feedback and discussion of new features. (Not advocating or putting that down one way or another, it just IS.)

I'm not one of the higher level experts but I'm happy to answer what questions I can.

[ahenry3068]

LOL, you edit your post and it just disappears until daddy comes along and allows you to speak.

No wonder the forum is dead - it's a confusing, oppressive, heavy-handed, evil dictatorship run by an obsessive control freak. A moderator is supposed to be a janitor, not a ruler.

Delete my account, Mr. Janitor. Thank you.

The post disappearance only happens until your account is approved (which is necessary to prevent bots & spam) and in the HowTo & Official threads where the answers are vetted first. Otherwise this forum is pretty open. If your account is taking awhile to get approved then try dropping the admin a dm. They get busy sometimes but they do respond to messages.

I don't like seeing people get discouraged.

Peace.

[TomXP411]

LOL, you edit your post and it just disappears until daddy comes along and allows you to speak.

No wonder the forum is dead - it's a confusing, oppressive, heavy-handed, evil dictatorship run by an obsessive control freak. A moderator is supposed to be a janitor, not a ruler.

Delete my account, Mr. Janitor. Thank you.

The post disappearance only happens until your account is approved (which is necessary to prevent bots & spam) and in the HowTo & Official threads where the answers are vetted first. Otherwise this forum is pretty open. If your account is taking awhile to get approved then try dropping the admin a dm. They get busy sometimes but they do respond to messages.

I don't like seeing people get discouraged.

Peace.

People are only moderated for a few posts, to prove they're not spammers.

The system is not perfect, but it's better than relying on AI to determine what's spam and what's not.

I routinely have to delete stuff that's questionable at best (gambling, illicit medication, porn sites) and downright dangerous at worst (advertising for hackers, obvious scams, and phishing attempts.)

I could write a fairly long essay on the topic, but I'll summarize it as: you don't see the stuff we filter out before it gets approved. So if it looks like we're being "mean" when a brand new user gets auto-moderated for their first few posts - that's a small price to pay for not dealing with endless porn, scams, and phishing attempts against the users of this forum.