Request for comments (and return of the Forge R2)

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I noticed yesterday that a new version of the forum software we use here was out. So, I downloaded the forum database, loaded it up at home, and tried out this new forums bizness.

Wow.

It's improved by huge leaps from this version. Not only is it prettier (web designers like the pretty), but it offers features like private forums for playtesting, easier reading and sorting of private messages, the ability to stay permanently logged in, e-mailing from the site, and other stuff I can't remember.

Anyway, I'm asking you to go check it out. It's at:

http://clinton.d2g.com/phpBB2/">http://clinton.d2g.com/phpBB2

Play around, and even post a little (only test posts - they won't make it back here.) Let me know what you think. Barring any strong reservations, I'm planning on upgrading this weekend.

[Zak Arntson]

Wow.  That rules.  I have NO objections to making the move.

[joshua neff]

Clinton--

That looks nice. Really nice. Really, really nice. I love it. I particularly like the way the profiles look. Wow.

[Mike Holmes]

I agree with everyone. What's the downside? Why wouldn't you switch over?

Mike

[Ian O'Rourke]

Do it. Do it now. You know you want to :smile:

[Paul Czege]

Looks okay. I will say that I'm not a big fan of the "smaller font equals improved design" school of design. Sure it creates a pleasing aesthetic, more white-space, but it's a lot more stress on the eyes when you're reading. And the font size doesn't appear to be adjustable from the menu in Internet Explorer. I like the font size of the existing site much better than the non-adjustable dinky font of the new version.

And the table that makes up the forum view is too wide for an 800 x 600 display.

My personal preference is for buttons and informative icons that blend more into the background of the site, making the text of the conversations more prominent in contrast. The icons and buttons seem just too eye catching. Perhaps this is also related to the size of the font. Maybe not. Maybe I'd get used to it.

The interface for creating a new post is nice. But having lost too many posts to hangups after I'd already pressed "submit," or to accidental paste operations that overwrite the entire input window, I've gotten in the habit of writing my posts in Notepad, external to the site. So I personally wouldn't get much use from the new formatting buttons. But I can see how others would find them useful.

The absolute most useful stuff from my perspective are the great improvements in functionality for user management of private messages: the ability to mark and delete, the first sentence preview in the message list, the breaking of the message list across multiple pages.

Agree, disagree?

Paul

[Clinton R. Nixon]

On 2002-01-04 10:39, Paul Czege wrote:
Looks okay. I will say that I'm not a big fan of the "smaller font equals improved design" school of design.

Agreed. I didn't realize it would look smaller in Internet Explorer. (I'm using Mozilla, and the font seems about the same - just a bit smaller, plus I can adjust it in Mozilla.) I'll look at it in IE before I make any changes. I can probably increase the font size, I think.

My personal preference is for buttons and informative icons that blend more into the background of the site, making the text of the conversations more prominent in contrast. The icons and buttons seem just too eye catching.

This is true. The forum comes with a theme all in blues, and I've been editing it piece by piece to match the Forge. The forum/new-posts-in-forum buttons are still bluish, solely because changing colors in graphics is harder. They'd be changed to fit in a bit better.

The absolute most useful stuff from my perspective are the great improvements in functionality for user management of private messages: the ability to mark and delete, the first sentence preview in the message list, the breaking of the message list across multiple pages.

Yep. The other thing I really like is the automatic topic review bit when you're posting a reply. It's good for being able to look at what you're replying to. From an admin standpoint, there's a lot of good stuff there too.

And lastly - it has an intuitive way to delete messages, which means I don't have to see eighteen posts asking how to anymore.

[Paul Czege]

Hey Clinton,

One more thing about private messages. It seems more intuitive to me for the columns in the private message list to be differently arranged, with the name of the user who sent the message to the left of the subject of the message.

Paul

[Ian O'Rourke]

Paul,

You're right about the screen width, it just fits on my 1024 screen. As for the small text, yeah, it's a minor issue, but I can't help but think it's a good thing to get rid of the 'reading for the blind' quality of the discussion forum?

Unless you're blind, of course :smile:

I write my posts in Word first, unless I'm at work, then they go straight on to the web as hastily written garbage.

Clinton - the font size is fine in IE? It's not as big as the current site but its normal web size.

_________________
Ian O'Rourke
http://www.fandomlife.net">www.fandomlife.net
The e-zine of SciFi media and Fandom Culture.

[ This Message was edited by: Ian O'Rourke on 2002-01-04 12:05 ]

[Mike Holmes]

Yeah, Ian's right about the text size. Paul's just not happy unless he has something to complain about.  :wink:

Mike

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I figured out the screen width problem - it's because of the graphic at the top being so large. If I remove the graphic, the entire page fits no matter what your screen size.

I wonder if I should remove the graphic altogether.

[Joe Murphy (Broin)]

On 2002-01-04 12:39, Clinton R Nixon wrote:
I figured out the screen width problem - it's because of the graphic at the top being so large. If I remove the graphic, the entire page fits no matter what your screen size.

I wonder if I should remove the graphic altogether.

Yes please, I usually use a laptop for The Forge. With an 800x600 screen. :smile:

Joe, picky.

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Well, everyone seems to like the new forums, so I'm going to install them over the next few hours. Until they're up, nothing posted here will stay, so cease until notified, please.

I would have liked to hear from my boy Ron Edwards, but can't reach him by phone. Hmm. I think I'll go ahead with the upgrade.

Wish me luck!