Is there actually a point to "Following" someone anymore?

If I could sing, I'd sing right now.

Yeah, I really wish fixing that feature was made a priority. I just don't use the site a whole lot without it. It's not even easy to singularly check out the profile of each person I follow since the list of followed users page is busted as well (the names just link back to the page itself rather than the user profile).

The main way I interacted with people is gone and now it's just a forum post here and there on the odd occasion I find a topic worth getting into.

@cloudenvy: Awww, thanks! <3 I miss everyone -- I like seeing what everyone else is playing and talking about, etc... I hope they at least get friends activity feed going. I feel like everyone's so far away.

Also, sweet avatar and header pic. Love.

I've always thought that following somebody was like the giantbomb equivalent of leaving a love letter in that person's locker. C:

I...I only have 16 followers...

I'm worth way more than "1", this system is broken. Just like my heart! .. and my toaster oven, but that's a different matter entirely.

They're working on implementing a new feature. Next to "Follow" there'll be a "Stalk" option.

i made a thread about this a while ago and dave did come out and say that this stuff and the forums will get sorted in its own place eventually,

but getting the site stable was the priority atm.

which with the exception of the video player the sites pretty stable, so im sure they will get to it eventually.

and now i am just a bitch for never following anybody

@artemesia: Aww, don't say that.

I don't understand why they got rid of being able to go through your followed blogs. It makes no sense.

?

According to your profile you're following 12 people, which out of 17 followers, I'd say that's relatively generous :P Compare how many followers Jeff has to how many he's following in return. Now that is one Grade-A asshole right there!

@metalgearsunny: Probably just wasn't prioritized over core site features. I think they left community stuff on the backburner in the meantime.

I . . I have some followers too, guys. Please don't leave me.

I seriously miss the activity feed. It basically allowed me to know what was going on with things I might care about on the forums with out having to delve into the morass of the whole forums section.

Though since I tend to have GB open in a tab even when I'm not home, I just assumed an online notification for everyone else was just as valuable. You too are at work with your home computer on sleep mode.

I understand why community features aren't as high priority as the functionality which affects all users, but it's still a bummer. Ye 'ol GB wasn't really an amazing community nexus, but it certainly made things easier! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't know how you do it, but the first website to really tear down the wall between community, content and creators will really be on to something special.

Nope.

Honestly, I think it sucks. It was the only way people knew I posted blogs (as I don't do it regularly) or that people I follow posted a blog. Now they just kind of disappear if not stickied to the main page because a Mod thinks you're worthy of everyones time. I won't be, and I'm fine with that, but I feel like I have less of a chance of being read now. So, that sucks.

I think (think) this feature might come back and they removed it because of server strain (they removed a lot of stuff to relieve the lag caused by the stress on the site) but I don't know if that's the case. Would be nice for the community focus to come back at least a little. A large portion of it was lost in the transition. No forum topics on front page, no follow activity (which I personally miss being on the front page), no mini bio.

I'm not one to be negative, though. I'm sure in time it will be fixed/changed/adjusted. Still, it sucks.

They tried that, it was called Bitmob.com, and when was the last time you heard anyone mention Bitmob (if ever)?

Oh, looks like it shut down recently, actually. That was a nice idea in theory, but didn't work well in practice. It was a game site that had a staff that wrote and moderated the site, allowed comments and community, and allowed the most popular articles to become stories on the site (and the most prevalent popular users to become staff). It was kind of a clusterfuck though.

I remember Bitmob! Poor little thing. *pets imaginary tiny, filthy dog*

What I'm talking about needs a revolution. And revolutions need heroes. Bitmob was never going to work. Just like if you and I started the same idea and tried to fly it. You need people who matter, people like the Bomb Crew, to flip the switch (I know Bitmob wasn't unknowns, but there was no J Gerts there). Of course they're overworked already and that's not really their interest but thems my thoughts.

Yeah there was a point where you could see people you were following forum posts and blog posts on the side of the front page and it was the best.

Bumping this thread up -- am more than a little frustrated that it's been like, a month since the update and the user activity feeds and other community functions still aren't working. Not having nearly as much fun around here as usual :/

That's pretty silly. Paranoid and silly.

I don't know if it's for better or worse, them or me, or just change but I just don't feel like I'm "plugging into the Giant Bomb community" when I open that window in the morning anymore. I'm just opening a www.giantbomb.com window.

Still giving it time.

ps: I super, SUPER miss the profile pic :(

You can still have a profile pic.

You can still have a profile picture, it's just blank by default for whatever reason.

EDIT: Bugger.. Well, what he said :P

Yeah, if you follow Drew he'll follow you back. Isn't that enough?

@snail: @yummylee: Oh cool, thanks for the scoop guys :)

Now if only I could get the image selector to open more than my last 12 uploaded images...

How could anyone not be following me?

HOW?

That shouldn't be happening. I recently loaded way more than that. Try a different browser and if the issue persists look for a thread about this issue on the Bug Reporting board, and if you can't find one then create one yourself.

Yeah I get the last 16 (4x4) regardless of browser.

I'll check out the bug forums a little later.

This is exactly the problem. Before following someone meant you had a constant feed of stuff being posted by members you found to be interesting or that provided quality content. Now it's just a number.

An incredibly impressive number that I cherish more than life itself but a number none the less.

@gamer_152 said:

The site is definitely more isolated now and I don't like it

Jeff just answered a question about this issue today on his Tumblr feed, which I've posted below for posterity. No super specific timeline posted, but obviously it being his site and all, he'd rather not leave this issue hanging.

I have a weakness for lasagna. I mean come on. Its tasty.

So wait, is the activity feed thing something they're going to fix, or a permanent change? Because that's some HOT bullshit.

Do cool points function like Golf, where you want your total to be low instead of high? No? Well I'm going to pretend it does...

Except now he'll have no way of knowing you've followed him. I've had 2 new followers since the site change, and I have NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE?!!!?!!? :(

He would even respond to wall posts pretty often too. Back when wall posts were a thing.. Guy's a champ. <3

@wrighteous86 said:

Technically, it still exists in some form as part of Gamesbeat, but that site is a terrible piece of crap. It also seems like they don't promote things as much as they used to, which is sad. That site was really cool for someone who wanted to try and improve their writing; it just never went far enough in the direction I wanted, with real editors pointing out the changes that need to be made to your articles.