Some Feature Requests
Hi, I've been trolling around here for a little bit now, and I've come up with a few feature requests that I find very useful on the board where I usually hang out. I find the conversation here to be a little more appealing at times, and therefore it would be great to have these features installed if possible to help the flow along.
Something I miss here is Avatars. They really help one identify the poster a lot faster than naming conventions.
I also am wondering about auto-subscriptions to threads you've started or replied to. I find it difficult to come here and wonder who's replied to what without hunting through the fora again. Something attached to the user's home would be great--I have found this feature hard to live without.
The only other thing is the color scheme... I enjoy AI, however, as most people SCAN pages rather than read them, the separation of ideas is difficult to see when the color scheme doesn't really "pop". I'm not talking about outrageous design, rather an alternating color scheme in thread view so I can easily differenciate one post from the next at a glance.
Thanks for listening.
Something I miss here is Avatars. They really help one identify the poster a lot faster than naming conventions.
I also am wondering about auto-subscriptions to threads you've started or replied to. I find it difficult to come here and wonder who's replied to what without hunting through the fora again. Something attached to the user's home would be great--I have found this feature hard to live without.
The only other thing is the color scheme... I enjoy AI, however, as most people SCAN pages rather than read them, the separation of ideas is difficult to see when the color scheme doesn't really "pop". I'm not talking about outrageous design, rather an alternating color scheme in thread view so I can easily differenciate one post from the next at a glance.
Thanks for listening.
Comments
First, it's easy on the eyes. There are too many people out there that want to use huge, tacky, flashing images as avatars and signatures. We don't like that. I've seen from other forums where offensive or provocative images cause a great stir of trouble among the members. This is a situation we'd rather just avoid completely. Actually, AppleInsider used to allow signature images long ago, but that option was removed because a number of members were abusing it.
Second, avatars will greatly slow the load times of all forum pages. The default number of posts per page on AppleInsider is 40. The load time and bandwidth needed to pull 40 images from as many as 40 different servers, some of which may stall because of 404s or other errors, is far more than we like. Although its usage is growing in some urban areas, broadband is not available nor utilized by the majority of web users. Some of our own forum admins and mods have to use modems. The extra time needed to load every single page is simply not worth it now.
Thread subscription is a feature that is not available with the UBB software we are currently using. Over the past few months, we have been working on rewriting and custom-tailoring a special install of vBulletin to import the forums into. When we make that switch, there will be some excellent new faculties available for thread and forum subscription.
As for the colors, you'll get used to 'em. There's plenty of difference between the alternating light and dark grey backgrounds to differentiate posts. If you ask around, I think you'll find many people will tell you that our simple, low-contrast is very easy on the eyes and good for reading several pages in long sittings. In fact, when we mentioned that we were working on a new style and templates for vBulletin, we immediately received a number of letters requesting to please keep the current color scheme because it was "nearly perfect", some saying that it is the best forum color scheme they'd seen. Needless to say, the colors won't be changing any time soon.
[ 11-30-2002: Message edited by: Brad ]</p>
the COLORS ARE MY LOVE!
What i need, however, is my smokey guy in the new forums... other wise...there will not be a happy forum <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
And the color scheme is perfect...I remember once when Jonathan changed the graphite (the darker grey with a *hint* of aqua blue) color to just a slightly darker grey, inline (sort of) with Apple's current hardware offerings.
Needless to say, quite a few of us started screaming, especially the older members (no offense.
<strong>First, it's easy on the eyes. There are too many people out there that want to use huge, tacky, flashing images as avatars and signatures. We don't like that. I've seen from other forums where offensive or provocative images cause a great stir of trouble among the members. This is a situation we'd rather just avoid completely. Actually, AppleInsider used to allow signature images long ago, but that option was removed because a number of members were abusing it.
Second, avatars will greatly slow the load times of all forum pages. The default number of posts per page on AppleInsider is 40. The load time and bandwidth needed to pull 40 images from as many as 40 different servers, some of which may stall because of 404s or other errors, is far more than we like. Although its usage is growing in some urban areas, broadband is not available nor utilized by the majority of web users. Some of our own forum admins and mods have to use modems. The extra time needed to load every single page is simply not worth it now.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hi, thanks for getting back to my post. As this is your forum, you have the last say, but I don't agree with you that avatars are "evil."
Anything is possible. If one doesn't like avatars, one could always disable them in the control panel. If people are linking them to remote sites, then remote linking could be disabled. An avatar of 50x50 pix is a nice thing sometimes. Could you imagine a Macintosh desktop without icons?
As far as speed is concerned, the user could be allowed to change the default setting of posts per view in the control panel. Forty seems a bit much for my tastes anyway.
:cool:
I really think you have absolutely no chance at all of convincing the powers that be to allow user avatars. Might as well quit now.
<strong>If one doesn't like avatars, one could always disable them in the control panel.</strong><hr></blockquote>Except that there is no such toggle on UBB...
But the software has to be able to do that. I don't know that vb does. I certainly know that UBB does not.
I don't think we'll be seeing this feature even in vb. It just isn't our 'stye' I guess
(And Brad, give me a new title again! This one is so 72 hours ago!)
Kind regards,
MacLuv
<strong>
As for the colors, you'll get used to 'em.</strong><hr></blockquote>
FYI-- I could also "get used to" having pineapples shoved up my arse, but that doesn't mean I'd like it!
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
<strong>Okay, that's fine enough. If you don't understand my icon analogy, then don't worry about it. If the software doesn't support the features I'm asking for, don't worry about it. I just thought it might be nice to provide a few options for people who spend time in your forum.
Kind regards,
MacLuv
Your icon analogy sucks, as I pointed out, the forums display different information. The Finder is all about browsing folders that contain objects, sometimes other folders. Since they are objects, text is one identifier, but icons also work as a good identifier, since they represent the object better.
In a forum, you look at large blocks of text, rather than objects. Other information should be unobtrusive, which avatars are not. I would like to point out that with (most) text documents, they are not identified by giant blinking things, rather, they are given titles.
I understand that Avatars help you associate a post with a member's name, however, I can read the member's name faster than I can associate a picture with their name.
<strong>
Your icon analogy sucks, as I pointed out, the forums display different information. The Finder is all about browsing folders that contain objects, sometimes other folders. Since they are objects, text is one identifier, but icons also work as a good identifier, since they represent the object better.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I didn't even really offer that much of an analogy. I said "what would the mac be without icons."
"Since they represent the object better."
Well, considering you have a way with words, it seems that I have no choice but to deem you the expert of all things great and small, especially when it comes to communication. Forgive me oh great master.
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
BTW, I thought I was just making some friendly suggestions. If you guys want to start flaming me for it, then I'll take my business elsewhere. I don't really care for the abuse.
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
<strong>
I didn't even really offer that much of an analogy. I said "what would the mac be without icons."
"Since they represent the object better."
Well, considering you have a way with words, it seems that I have no choice but to deem you the expert of all things great and small, especially when it comes to communication. Forgive me oh great master.
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
BTW, I thought I was just making some friendly suggestions. If you guys want to start flaming me for it, then I'll take my business elsewhere. I don't really care for the abuse.
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
You may not have said it exactly, but it was certainly implied. A desktop with icons and a forum/thread with icons are two very different things.
As for the flaming, I was really just posting my opinion of the inclusion of Avatars, not attacking you.
Why, I think you are a fine person with a respectable personality.
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