Forum Changes

Why list the number of points a users has when they are all zero?  At least that is what I see...

Thanks for the feedback.  So far I've made these changes:

• Fixed the points, which were all showing zero
• Moved the message timestamp to the bottom of the text, in a consistent location
• Tightened up a little of the whitespace (there is more to do)
• Fixed the inconsistent new (*) indicators
• Notifications can be opened in new tabs
• Changed the bolding pattern on the notifications

I liked the old format much better.

I'd love clicking on a thread to take me to the first new post since I last read it. That would be especially helpful now with the page numbers for a quick jump missing both from the thread list and here on the thread page itself. For a long thread, especially if I've been away and it grows quickly, I have only the options of (unless I am missing it):

• start from the first page and click next until I get to where I was
• start from the last page from the time-stamped link on the forum list and click previous until I get there

Nick Wilder wrote:

Thanks for the feedback.  So far I've made these changes:

• Fixed the points, which were all showing zero
• Moved the message timestamp to the bottom of the text, in a consistent location
• Tightened up a little of the whitespace (there is more to do)
• Fixed the inconsistent new (*) indicators
• Notifications can be opened in new tabs
• Changed the bolding pattern on the notifications

Better but still not great, since messages vary in length - thus it really isn't all that consistent a location. It should be either just under the post title or over on the left under the poster's name. As others have said, the date of joining is far less important and shouldn't be given such prominent visual treatment. Lots of people depend on the post date/time stamp. Please understand and respect that.

Change request: move the message remaining character counter out of the compose message area to just below as it obscures what is being typed when the user reaches the lower right corner of the message compose area.

Consider moving the date stamp to where the points are.  Get rid of the points. 

Thanks Nick for being receptive to our feedback! I appreciate it even if I don't like the new layout.

Speaking for myself, the more the appearance resembles the former MP, the happier I'll be..

EDIT: Though I see pretty much everything is new. Even though I just posted, I'm told "* new since your last visit: 3 hours ago". Clearly I've been here more recently than 3 hours ago..

Also just to add, I kinda like the points. I don't care that much one way or another, but if someone's been on the site and contributing for a long time, to me that can be useful context. Not that someone who's brand new shouldn't be listened to, or that someone with a lot of points is necessarily more reliable or knowledgeable, but I think it doesn't hurt to see at a glance, without clicking someone's profile

Greg D wrote:

When somebody joined-who cares.  Those that do can dig a little deeper.

Points-still nobody cares.  Not on the forum.  The few that care can dig deeper.  

Consider removing.

And the date of the post is quite relevant.  Yet, it is at the end of the post.  It belongs at the beginning.  

^ this.

Oh, and what happened to the free gear thread?

Greg D wrote:

Points-still nobody cares.  Not on the forum.  The few that care can dig deeper.  

Consider removing.

I agree with this guy. And from the number of points he has he must know what he is talking about!

Whats with all the wasted white space? Make the site auto size to the resolution of each users display. And yes, the white needs to be toned down like others have stated.

ViperScale wrote:

The biggest problem though is probably the thread paging. You now have to open the post on the first page and than click to go to the last page. You used to have the option to open straight to the last page or the page before the last. Why was this changed I don't know but it is one of the most important features on a forum. When I am following a thread I know the last page I was on and normally go to the next to the last page to pick up where the last post is.

Now you have to open to first page, click to go to the last page, than click to go back 1 page.

+1.  I also miss the ability to go straight to the last page of the thread.  Please consider changing.

ViperScale wrote:

The biggest problem though is probably the thread paging. You now have to open the post on the first page and than click to go to the last page. You used to have the option to open straight to the last page or the page before the last. Why was this changed I don't know but it is one of the most important features on a forum. When I am following a thread I know the last page I was on and normally go to the next to the last page to pick up where the last post is.

Now you have to open to first page, click to go to the last page, than click to go back 1 page.

+1. Too many clicks required to get to the page you want.

Jim Turner wrote:

+1. Too many clicks required to get to the page you want.

Arguably, a link to "First unread post" would solve some of these problems better than pagination. BTW, that link is a feature in phpBB Forum software.

Change request:

Swap the position of Flag and Quote links. The Quote link is likely more used than the Flag link and placing that target between two other link targets makes it more difficult to hit accurately. (Look up Fitts Law).

How about the name of the person posting at the top of the post, rather than the bottom? You have to scroll down to see who is writing, then back to the top to read their post. 

Also on the main forum page, there's a date of the most recent post, but not the date the thread was started. It's nice to know generally how old a thread is, I thought someone had an accident in Eldo today but it was a thread from 2014. 

Steady progress....

Having the new (") indicator on the far right side of the page doesn't help - I'm reading the thread titles top-down on the left side and need to look far right to see the indicator. If you're keeping with the (") and not using bold, then it should be next to the thread title.