I would like to find out if it is possible to have the R7 functionality of opening your bookmarks as a workspace option instead of the list. I have many clients so I have a large amount of bookmarks and the lists are not as easy to use. Especially when you have a lot of nested folders. The workspace page is just easier to navigate and find your databases.
Thank you.
Subject: the workspace is back
In 8.x, the ability to open the “gridded” bookmarks has been replaced by the new and improved Workspace. Click the Open menu and open the Applications folder. The workspace can be found there. If you turn OFF the “Textured Workspace” selection in User Preferences, you will see a much improved workspace look and feel.
Subject: Not the old school workspace
In R7 you have the ability when you click on the links that you drag and drop to the left side bookmarks bar to either open as the list or as a workspace page. This way you can have unlimited workspace pages that work like folders. I find this functionality very powerful especially when you have a lot of different folders for different clients.
The Open List in R8 is just not as easy to use. Even when you dock the open list the pop-out menus are not as easy to use when you have multiple folders within folders. I always hate web sites that have pop-out menus because you need to make sure your mouse does not move off of the menu otherwise you lose focus to the menu. Also, it is much harder to find a database bookmark when you have hundreds of bookmarks.
It would be really nice to have the R7 functionality added to R8 to allow the bookmarks from the Open List to open a workspace page instead of the open lists.
Thank you
Subject: terminology
The current workspace is the “old school” Workspace, which was around since Rel. 2. The “workspace” that you are talking about is called “gridded bookmarks” (which I mentioned in my first response). It was an attempt to allow those of us who loved the old Workspace to use the bookmark paradigm (which began in R5) in a more visual way.
And you are right - this gridded bookmark display that resembled the Workspace is no longer available.
I just wanted to clarify this, to avoid confusion.
Subject: gridded bookmarks
Debbie,
Thank you for clarifying. It is a shame that IBM removed that functionality. It was a great way to organize your work using the new “gridded bookmarks”.
I looked at the workspace and turned off the textured workspace and it does not even come close to the functionality in R7.
With the gridded bookmarks I had folders within folders that went atleast 5 levels deep. That is a much better way of organizing bookmarks.
Thank you again for your input.
Jeff
Subject: Removing the gridded bookmarks functionality was a very bad idea
I fully agree that removing the gridded bookmarks functionality makes handling a lot of bookmarks very hard. Especially when handling applications that exist of multiple databases (as most do, because we have template/database and DEV/TEST/PROD environment) the workspace look made it easy to e.g. refresh the design of multiple related databases.In fact it is one of the reasons I consider downgrading to 8.0.
Subject: Our users won’t be happy
Gridded bookmarks have become the norm here (about 900+ users). If this feature must be pulled then please make the workspace more manageable. In previous releases I’ve deleted the desktop_.ndk file and the client would attempt to rebuild it and to mimic the bookmark structure. I don’t believe it handled multi-level marks but the single-level rebuild wasn’t too bad. Just please don’t leave it as it is now. It could be a show stopper here because it’s the first thing a user sees after the upgrade. No familiarity + no comfort = resistence.
Subject: I’m with you…
I have used Notes since 2.x. he number one thing that all of the customrs liked was the old wokspace. the icon view. That made the program less intimidating and understadable. You guys hae been trying to kill it for years. Cut the crap. Leave it alone. I personally hate Notres without that view the other was of making a home page is useless crap that does not work for me or any people I talk to. Quit qriting thigs for geeks. There are othe rpeople out there.
Subject: Agree - Workspace Rocks…
…when compared to anything else I’ve seen!It has it’s faults, but they are trivial (normally) compared to having to navigate a bookmarks mess.
I have a Workspace of 600mb with all tabs active (and thanks IBM/Lotus, for increasing the space taken by blank edges on the tabs, instead of keeping it available to MY titles!). It’s relatively easy to navigate with two clicks to any database (sorry…application). With bookmarks, I’m into deep folders within folders within folders plus scrolling to see all and then you just slip off the active item and…start again.
Yes, I have a lot of databases to launch.
No I don’t launch all regularly, but when I want it, it’s there…well, mostly.
The problem I have with recent workspace designs is that even now on 8.5.2, the stacked icons get themselves mixed up. Click the stacker and you see the replica’s plus sometimes an item that is not the same database!
Haven’t found a way to fix that at all yet, so having to live with it. Even deleting the bookmarks to a Db, deleting the workspace icon/replica’s and compacting workspace fails me.
Still better than Bookmarks though.
BTW I always thought a bookmark was a marker you put in a book, so you could regain access to a desirable place. However, if you try to use too many in a book, their benefit diminishes. You can use colour to help (but not in Notes), but the more you add, the less help you get.
Subject: iPhone mimics Workspace
If you think about it, look at an iPhone and it sort of looks like the good’ol, trusty, tried & true, Notes Workspace. Ray Ozzie was really ahead of his time.