[Tola18]

My computer went broke, so I did buyed another one (old and used, but still some improvement over my old one).

Of course, as soon my antivirus and firewall was OK, I sough up BBO.

Bridgebase.com wants me to install the Flash-player. OK, done.

After it Im soon in.

A nigthmare! A byzantine maze! I fled SWAN because it was surely wonderful and so on with all technological gimmicks, but waay to complicated to be usable. Especielly as there was the intuitive, easy BBO.

After a while I asked a couple of friends, if their BBO is totally new or if it is only with me.
It seems I found some sort of backdoor into this byzantine flash-version. They had the old, reliable, easy to use, intuitive BBO. Their only problem was they wanted me to join and play.

So, good folks.
How do I do to find the normal BBO?

I must install the basic program first.

Not on bridgebase.com.... they had the flash as only option.




(ps. now I see. Under Problems? there IS an alternative, ie the old way).
Still, I do pity they new members. BBO will lose thousands of folks who wants something rather basic than fancy with whistles).

[uday]

Our home page is http://www.bridgebase.com

There are 3 relevant links on this page

1. Click here to play or watch bridge
2. Problems? Click here
3. Looking for our downloadable Windows program? Click here

For the newer version that runs in the browser, select 1.
For the original BBO, the one you download to your Windows desktop, select 3

Maybe I need to simplify the home page to make it more obvious how to find (3)


U

[Tola18]

Yeah... I suppose I felt stressed with that "new" computer as I didnt saw that third alternative.

I do feel a little silly, yes.

Yet I DID went wrong, so I must presume others will also go wrong.


Write a liiittle extra comments:

1. Our new, flash-based version
2. problems.
3. Our usual version - some feels it is more user-friendly

or something like that. You will surely manage!





(btw, I have also the "old view" always turned on, same reason - I see what I get).

[Tola18]

Tola18, on Aug 7 2008, 01:20 PM, said:

Yeah...  I suppose I felt stressed with that "new" computer as I didnt saw that third alternative.

Yes, I think I understand now what happened.

1 and 2 begins with clicking.

3 is a long sentence, the word clicking is last.
"3. Looking for our downloadable Windows program? Click here"

Being a little stressed you tend not to see it is a real alternative, especielly as the Problems are as nr 2.
Reading newspapers Im trained not to look at the ads. I dont even see them.

Take away the words "Looking for".
Swicht also nr 2 and 3.
And perhaps write: Our flash version on 1.


..............................

Like that:

1. Click here to play or watch bridge - our new flash-version

2. Our downloadable Windows program? Some feels this most intuitive. Click her

3. Problems? Click here.



That should do the trick, I think.

[geller]

Why not

1. New BBO Flash version (click here)

2. Classic BBO Version (Download client) (click here)

3. Report problems (click here)


Like "new Coke" and "classic Coke". (I hope the BBO flash version won't end up like "new Coke" :-) )

-Bob

[barmar]

I think Fred is trying to make the new Flash version the normal version. BBOWin is still available, but he's de-emphasizing it. No new work is being done on it, so they'd prefer that new members not use it.

[Tola18]

barmar, on Aug 12 2008, 11:40 PM, said:

I think Fred is trying to make the new Flash version the normal version. BBOWin is still available, but he's de-emphasizing it. No new work is being done on it, so they'd prefer that new members not use it.

Pity. In this case, I can still recommend BBO as a excellent place, but I cant recommend BBO as an easy, intuitive place. Only to get in, and soon you will be absorbed.


But I presume part of the work will be to make flash-bbo more user friendly and intuitive.


By the way. I was in in the Flash BBO a couple of times
Some things I understand, some not.

Where can I start a table??

[Gerardo]

BBOFlash is still not as featureful as BBOWin. It will be, over time.

It does some things in a different way.

However, I don't think it would be for a newbie more difficult than BBOWin (for the features available in it).

BTW, to start a table go to list the tables, there is a Start table button in the top left in that window.

[Tola18]

Gerardo, on Aug 13 2008, 01:17 AM, said:

BTW, to start a table go to list the tables, there is a Start table button in the top left in that window.

when I open Show the tables, there are only a few. When I start a table, it seems Im in the Relaxed club. Which surely explains why I see only a few tables...

thus, I do come into the relaxed club, but into the BBO as such - hardly...
I dont see any list where I can see which club or tourney there is and I can choose.

Im stuck.



It IS schrecklish!




(the title is a phrase I still remember from my high-school german class, 35 years ago, it means:
"But this is terrible!", schrecklish is terrible, horryfying. compare with the film-figure Shrek, it is the same root)