Got a problem with the forum? If you want anyone who can fix it to know about it, reply here, not here.
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Yes, I have multitudinous problems with the forum. It’s not the fact that someone like Clint “wants his own” … topic, conversation, thread, whatever YOU want to call it. It’s HOW that thread reaches US; those that are interested. I think that’s where we’re not having a meeting of the minds. The members interested in the same old topics we were always interested in can no longer find those subjects and don’t know where to go to get back on track. I probably didn’t explain that in a way you or anyone can understand. But that’s the way I see the problem.
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Can you give me an example? Are there some words that I can search for?
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Since a site map is effectively a table of contents, maybe those who do understand mineral rights issues can help you organize the information to become more intuitive.
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The problem, as I understand it is that a whole bunch of stuff applies only to the county that it’s in. As a side effect, the old software encouraged people to participate mostly in their own county.
So a conversation like this one about how much water is needed to drill a well (if you read around that post you’ll see a handful of messages about the issue) is in the midst of over 5000 posts about a whole bunch of things: Logan County, OK - Oil & Gas Discussion archives
A new user likely won’t know that in the midst of those 5000 messages in Logan county is a real gem about how water intensive drilling is. And even if they did a search, they’d likely ignore it since they only care about Texas.
The old forum was a water cooler where you’d come up and ask your question and listen for a while and probably someone would answer. The new software is really designed to encourage discussion about a particular topic so that it’s easier to jump in and find what you need,.
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Except that the water cooler format made it easier to find what you’re looking for. I’ve been following this site for years without ever commenting and gained lots of vital information without any tutorials or even advice on how to navigate. I’ve all but given up since the makeover. It’s nearly useless to me now. Sorry, just being honest.
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I know I’m being an annoying nag but I just have to keep emphasizing that this is not a normal group. We’re not chattering about some online game or favorite movie or personal health issues. For that reason, many/most of us are never going to earn our various badges and reach your various levels. There are experts who post often and in many categories. Then there is the great mass of us who need a few questions answered and then spend the rest of our time learning at the feet of the experts by reading. We are not equipped to answer many questions or start a lot of topics. We can’t post often or in many threads because we don’t have a lot to offer.
I guess that means that we will never be able to post two posts in a row, even if we really need to add info we forgot to put in the first post. I don’t know what level you need to be to post two in a row but we will never get there. Apparently even some of the experts may never get there if they are not into cute emojis, lots of private messaging, linking, etc. If they just want to act like business people and get the job done without frills, they, too, will remain at a low level. I cannot emphasize enough how unhelpful and off-putting all this is.
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Linton, I belong to quite a number of groups concerning all sorts of things. All those groups are for pleasure and everyone can post because everyone has an opinion that is just as valuable as everyone else’s., (IOW, just what you paid for it. 
) None of those groups - zero - have a site as complicated and annoying as this one. I’ve never seen anything like this. And this is the most valuable site I’m on, the only site where what you get is infinitely more valuable than what you paid for it!
As an aside - I used an emoji. Do I get a gold star for that? 
Whoops, two emojis, two gold stars…
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Liz, I know exactly what you mean. When I joined the forum, I’m going to say six-seven years ago, I knew absolutely nothing about mineral rights. I have learned so much. If it weren’t for Clint, Lawrence, Wade, TennisDaze, an a huge host of others who have so generally given of their time and expertise, I’d still be trying to figure out what a Most Favored Nations clause is, or the difference between a NMA and a NRA. Being a member of this site has saved me and made me literally thousands and thousands of dollars. So, yep, you’re right, it is a very valuable resource… Uh, or it used to be.
I won’t hold my breath for any gold stars, I’ll probably get whacked on the hand with a ruler instead.
Linton
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Don’t know if they count, but there’s three gold stars for you!
I think we’re still part of Linton’s Low Level Club though.
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I joined this site maybe about the same time as you, 2011. Unfortunately, my original account seemed to be lost early on in this reorganization. So I created a new one, very similar in name. Just today I discovered my old account was still there after all and could now be activated. Unfortunately, even though I’ve been here seven or more years on that account, it has even fewer badges - and is thus at a lower level - than the new one.
And this, of course, is irresistible: Badges, badges, we don’t need no stinkin’ badges!
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It doesn’t mean that, as we can change some of those settings, but if you need to add something to the post, you can edit it to add what you’d left out.
The only “silly” thing required to get to a TL 2 is to “like” a single post.
We’re working on that, and I’m not entirely clear just what messages you’re seeing.
We agree that this is a huge problem that we’re working on a solution for. It’s a tough trade-off between making it easy to see everything vs making it easy not to see everything.
Please try not to take offense at a misguided computer program giving bad advice!
Sorry, @Linton_Tomlin! You’re a trusted member already. 
No, Sorry, @Liz.M, you’re a Trust Level 2 user too.
You can’t give gold stars, but you could give a 
. Some communities use a different symbol and a . Maybe we can find an oil well emoji, here’s an oil drum: 
What I hate is that the site is so slow. I need to get back to making that move happen. . .
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You can see on your profile that you’re a “basic user”, not a “Member”. If I remember correctly, it’s because you’ve never “liked” a post. But I bet you just got an emoji badge! (I agree that many of the badges seem silly, but for you power users, figuring out a few of them will probably help out out.)
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Wow! I’ve been on this forum since March 2016…and I’m just NOW a ‘Member’!!!
Where’s my Like button to send a Like or a Heart?? This deserves one, I think.
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Yes, but adding something to a post later is sort of like lowering the price of your house after it’s been on the market for several months. The people most interested in it have already seen it and may not come back.
A second post is much more effective.
On which level do you have to be in order to post twice back to back?
An oil well emoji would be really cool but the barrel would stand in nicely for the moment!
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Dear Admins,
I basically have no idea how to use this new forum. I have read so many informative posts and have had so many excellent responses to the 2 posts I made on the old forum.
I have learned so much from the old forum and believe me I am a complete novice at this oil business. I thank those who post often and give of their information freely and solely to benefit those like me.
Sandy
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I am rather taken aback by the level of carping on this topic. The site may not be as easy to use, but the previous host shut down the old system and it had to migrate. There is no way to resurrect the dead host and get the original site. Whether you are new or old, take some hours tot click through all the buttons and test things out. The old topics are still available, for example go into the state list, pick Reeves and keep moving down through topics dating back for years. A lot that information is very dated, so beware. Or make an offer to financially support this website and help pay the administrator. I have no idea what level I am and nor do I really care. I try to give people sufficient information so that they can move around the RRC website to gather permit, production, completion information on their own. To go to the TX Comptoller CONG website and find the publicly reported sales volumes and revenues for each well. To find available on-line deed records. Use the GIS viewer on RRC or GLO websites to locate their minerals and adjacent wells or see if there are new wells permitted which go through their land. How to create physical files for deeds, leases, well records, etc to be able to hand to the next owner. To look for blogs and case law that will help them understand their legal position. Oil and gas and surface management is a business and it takes a lot of time and effort to track activity and production. I remember being new and learning a lot at the NARO conventions and seminars. There were no websites and places to ask questions in those days. So if you are new or inexperienced, this is a great place to get some help and direction. For those of us who have been around, we can trade information and warnings and get an understanding of the new issues. We can all adjust to the idiosyncracies of the site. There is apparently going to be a migration to a new host or reworking of this site. But do not expect it to be perfect. Write out a detailed question with lots of information in Word and then copy and paste to start your question. It will help you get a good answer.
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I’m with you, Linton… I to have learned so much and had so many wonderful people answer questions that were important to me.
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That was so good, Liz… wish I knew how to send you some gold stars too.
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Pfaffman, I appreciate all the help you are giving to us… I know it is difficult, trying to help us learn the new system. I thank you.
pfaffman MRF Admin
August 25
Liz.M: I guess that means that we will never be able to post two posts in a row, even if we really need to add info we forgot to put in the first post.
It doesn’t mean that, as we can change some of those settings, but if you need to add something to the post, you can edit it to add what you’d left out.
The only “silly” thing required to get to a TL 2 is to “like” a single post.
Linton_Tomlin: After having been a member for several years, it’s like a slap in the face trying to jump through all these hoops just for the privilege of trying to post a question on this site.
We’re working on that, and I’m not entirely clear just what messages you’re seeing.
Louise_Welch1: Me too. But when I go to that area to eliminate sites I don’t want, I have over 700 to delete.
We agree that this is a huge problem that we’re working on a solution for. It’s a tough trade-off between making it easy to see everything vs making it easy not to see everything.
Please try not to take offense at a misguided computer program giving bad advice!
Sorry, @Linton_Tomlin! You’re a trusted member already. 
I think we’re still part of Linton’s Low Level Club though.
No, Sorry, @Liz.M, you’re a Trust Level 2 user too.
You can’t give gold stars, but you could give a 
. Some communities use a different symbol and a . Maybe we can find an oil well emoji, here’s an oil drum: 
What I hate is that the site is so slow. I need to get back to making that move happen. . .
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