|
|
|
timmy
|
 |
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
|
|
|
There comes a point when a thread gets unreadable.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
blue
|
 |
Likes it here |
Registered: August 2004
Messages: 131
|
|
|
I agree. Constructive Critcism: Please consider other message board software, such as phpBB or VBulletin. There are many others, I'm sure. Why? IMHO, There's a problem making the threads hard to read and another that makes posting irritating.
1. Other message boards place replies in date-time order and do not indent them; there isn't a hierarchy. The tradeoff is between keeping replies in dated order versus near to some specific talking point, when someone entering the thread late or responding to an earlier reply ideally wants to take all current responses into account. So the current way gets things out of dated order. Also, it's annoying to have each reply indent, when it's on the same topic, not a sub-topic of the thread. Not to mention that, yes, the indenting wastes space and is less readable. -- If it's possible with the current software to require replies be posted in date-time order and in a flat, unindented, non-hierarchical manner, that would help both legibility and making sense of the flow of conversation over time.
2. When posting replies, the current software hides the topic behind the reply window. That makes it difficult to refer to what someone said when replying. If I go to another window from some other program, the reply window here is hidden, and I have to minimize the original topic window to get back to the reply window. That would be simpler if the reply and topic windows didn't hide one another. Other forum software typically places a reply text box and the thread being replied to in the same window, so it's easier to refer to the topic while writing one's reply.
3. When quoting, I know the current options. Other boards make it easier to see what is a quote and what is a reply, usually by putting quoted portions in a box, rather than just italics or '>' greater-than signs used by this forum. -- This is just a matter of changing the automatic formatting used already to enclose quotes.
4. Other forums allow a few tags to easily include simple, non-hazardous formatting or links or images, without knowing HTML. Yes, the tags are very similar to HTML, but they're common to most other forum software. They specifically disallow HTML, which is more secure and trouble-free for all concerned.
-----
Timmy or Megaman, please understand, I am *not* trying to insult the current software or its designers or you, nor the forum and its members. I am simply saying the current software may have options that can be set differently that would improve the look and the way the forum works. Or perhaps another message board system might be useful. My only intent is to offer helpful suggestions for improvement.
Thanks for listening.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
timmy
|
|
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
|
|
|
when we chose this software we chose to keep a method of operation that our users were used to. Most of the other mesagebaords are for tecnical topics. The history of this one goe sback in format to the old "insidetheweb.com" boards.
The effort to alter it is disproportionate to the effort involved.
With regard to HTML we don't either encourage or discourage it. Instead we limit it. No need to learn to use a [ instead of a < here. There is a very simple hint in the posting window about HTML, too
The grass is always greener elsewhere you know 
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
saben
|
 |
On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
|
|
|
You know my opinion on this matter. Would you possibly consider a poll on the issue to see what the majority of users would prefer? I know this is your site to do with as you wish, but perhaps if a vast majority of members would prefer a change then that might sway your opinion? I think a lot of members here now are already used to PHPBB and similar systems, you might have some former insidetheweb people that don't know it, but it really isn't difficult to learn. I would appreciate it if you made a poll on the issue, but it is your call, of course.
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
timmy
|
|
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
|
|
|
Let me see. How can I explain this in a way that people will understand.
The effort in creating this site has been huge. It is a hobby. It is not a commercial site. There is no financial benefit here to me. I provide the site and megaman provides a huge amount of work for fun. A poll on the matter would allow people to have an expectation of change when the only chnage that will happen is if the software or the infrastructiure becomes in any way unstable or unreliable.
If we actually put in a schedule of the amount of commercial money we would have spent on the site, including design, artwork, programming, editting, hosting and so many other things oyu would be shocked. The bill so far would be about €30,000 for all of this. And rising.
Of course I could just say "no".
Why?
Because it works.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
Goto Forum:
|
] 
A Place of Safety
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
Please can we learn when to start new threads? 
