Day 5: Software reporting

I'm back to try again with Janux today. Here is a screenshot that shows what happens when I try to view a video and transcript; the video play button is off my screen to the left, and no matter how much I widen the browser window, there is nothing I can do. There is no way to get the video viewer on the screen completely. This is Chrome on a Mac. I have a very wide monitor, so that is not the problem - but I have all this black blank space on the right, and the video player is scrolled just enough off the left that I cannot click play (click on image below to see larger view).

So, I'll go try in Safari. Well, that doesn't work - the little green man just dances and dances and dances, but the site will not load.

Firefox is my last option, so I will go back to that. Okay, it looks like Firefox is the browser to use. Admittedly, I never use Firefox for anything anymore, but if that is the browser Janux is optimized for (???), then I guess that is what I will use. Mission One accomplished: I was able to watch the Flat Earth video and take notes. And no, I did not take notes inside Janux. The thought did not even cross my mind. Not only do I not trust the software, I have no clue why they would be useful to me or anyone else trapped inside Janux when I can just take notes with a real blogging tool, searchable, linkable, findable, and EASY TO USE. Like Blogger.

I'll add updates to this post if/when I run into problems. I guess it's better to say "when" since this software experience is consistently unacceptable. If it were not for my OVERWHELMING interest in Kerry's course, I would not bother with this since it is clearly not ready for prime time yet. And honestly, if this is only going to work in Firefox on the Mac, they should tell people that, but I haven't seen anything about browser recommendations anywhere, and given how confusing the navigation is, I'm not even sure where I would go to look.

Update: Problems with Screen Width also in Firefox

So, even in Firefox I am having real problems with screen width. I went to the Introductions Forum area because I had not done an introduction yet. Yet I have to view that window at over 1000 pixels in order to participate - and that is way way way too wide a screen in which to comfortably read or write. Yet when I narrow the width of the window to something more comfortable, like say 600 or even 750 pixels, it scrolls off the screen. The minimum width is apparently 1050 pixels, even in Firefox:

For software that claims to be social, it is apparently doing everything it can to make me not want to participate here... even though I am one of the most eagerly social online people you will find at OU. Sigh.

Update: I went to meet people at the Introductions forum now that I am feeling confident Firefox is the browser I need to use. Very excited to see a former student there, so I wrote her a long comment (which I was smart enough to save in a text file, knowing the problems with this software) and then the little green man danced and danced and danced for a very long time, and in the end I got this error message:

So, once again, I leave in defeat. I do not understand how this software could have been tested in the fall and still be failing to meet even the most basic level of usability. I did save the comment in a text file (thank goodness), but I have no patience left to try to leave the comment using other browsers. I'll try again tomorrow I guess.

Kerry, if you are reading this, I don't know what to do. I agree with you that the social aspects of this class are the most important thing, but I cannot figure out how to participate with this software. I've saved the comment for Casey Jo when I feel brave enough to try again. Do I have to use a separate browser for everything: Firefox for watching video with transcript, Chrome for leaving comments (but even then I had the bouncing and disappearing reply box)...?

HELP!!!!!