New look for the forum

[DAllen]

BTW, for those of you looking for the old "There are xx unread posts" link, click "New Posts" in the grey nav bar.

-Kevin

AND if you are like me, you want to see the latest posts in the subscribed threads mouse over to "Quick Links" and then hit the "Subscribed Threads" in that very same tool bar at the top.

Figured you would have all the original functionality of the old forum just rearranged. Are there any new functions to this layout that users might find cool that the old one didn't have?

-Dave

 

[troj]

While I generally like the look, my only complaint is that the topics should be large-bold, not the OP. I evaluate threads by topics, and not who the OP is. So for me, it has diminished the functionality of the forum on just that one thing alone. But I have "older eyes".

Bold thread titles contain unread; unbold do not.

-Kevin

 

[rocketgeek101]

How come the "Smileys" have been changed?? I think the older ones were funnier (not to mention easier to distinguish from one another).

 

[Rocketbuilder]

How come the "Smileys" have been changed?? I think the older ones were funnier (not to mention easier to distinguish from one another).

I agree; that is my one and only quibble with the new look.
Thanks for taking the time to do this!

 

[Marc_G]

Big kudos and thanks for fixing my gripe with the "Default" icon at the top of posts. Amazing job guys!

 

[jeffgeraci]

Where to start venting?
OK, I get it, people don't generally like change, But I guess we'll get used to it.

I just logged on and viewed a thread, but there was no "reply to thread" option, only "reply with quote"
Then, I checked a PM, and after responding I could not find a link to get back to the home page! I had to click my back browser 4 times to get back.

I can handle a little change, but it seems like every online "thing" I'm registered with is "improving" its look. When you've got email accounts, facebook, work email, and everything else "changing" its look, it makes it hard for us old guys (41) to re-learn this stuff. Didn't people's parents teach them to leave well-enough alone?

That being said, I have no idea what GOOD changes have been added, so i'll just shut up now and check out the new TRF, then feel like a heel for bashing it.

 

[troj]

Navigation -- web convention is that if you click on a site's logo, it takes you to the home page. That works on TRF. Or, click on the "home" icon in the breadcrumbs.

Next to your Reply button is Reply With Quote, plus at the bottom of the thread is the big "+ Reply to Thread" button.

-Kevin

 

[Gary Byrum]

When you've got email accounts, facebook, work email, and everything else "changing" its look, it makes it hard for us old guys (41) to re-learn this stuff.

You think 41 is old? I must be ancient history to you. I'm 57 and I really have to get a handle on changes. I'm sure they knew this would blow a lot of us away but they have been very patient with us about it. Try getting Facebook or MSN.com to respond to your comments. You'll look like this guy.

 

[Gary Byrum]

OK...so I gotta RE-learn how to upload photos. BTW Mods, I tried uploading a BMP file and it didn't work.

 

[troj]

OK...so I gotta RE-learn how to upload photos. BTW Mods, I tried uploading a BMP file and it didn't work.

I'm not surprised -- not really a standard format anywhere except for Windows, and it's incredibly inefficient, as well.

-Kevin

 

[Gary Byrum]

I'm not surprised -- not really a standard format anywhere except for Windows, and it's incredibly inefficient, as well.

-Kevin

Then unless I am reading the list wrong, bmp is listed as an acceptable file. I certainly see it in the line-up.

 

[MarkII]

BTW, for those of you looking for the old "There are xx unread posts" link, click "New Posts" in the grey nav bar.

-Kevin

I used the "New Posts" item on the tool bar at the top of the page to guide all of my reading on the old version of the forum, and that function hasn't changed. Never paid any attention to "XX Unread Posts," drop-down subforum lists or thread color coding. You could have left all of that out in the update and I never would have noticed their absence. I don't even know what those symbols next to the thread titles on the main page even mean, let alone their color system. When I'm up to date on one thread, I just go back to the top of the page and hit "New Posts" again to see if anything has been added anywhere.

 

[Scotty Dog]

I cannt seem to insert a picture.
I copy and pasted the the whole URL.
I also tried copying just the part after https:// like I used to do on the OLD FORUM.
Keeps coming up "invalid file"
What gives??????????????????
Im not to crazy about the manage attachments either.
But dont ya all worry your little heads off over this...Ill get over it.

 

[troj]

I cannt seem to insert a picture.
I copy and pasted the the whole URL.

In the editor, click the "Insert Image" button, then select the "From URL" tab, and paste in the URL of the image.

For the sample image, I used "https://asset.zcache.com/assets/graphics/z3/components/header/v2/logo.png"



-Kevin

 

[jd2cylman]

Overall, not bad. The only thing that works different then the last version that I don't like is the Quick Navigation at the bottom of the page. When I'm at the end of the thread, I want the quick navigation to take me back to list of threads. It's not Quick if I have to open a menu and scroll down to get to where I want. The option is to use TOP and then click the navigation links along the top. Either way is much slower then the old way of just clicking the quick nav to get the thread list again.

I'll chime in on this one as well. I rarely used the drop down menu at the bottom to change to different subjects, I almost always used it to go back to the unread posts in the subject I was reading (ie: going back to the watering hole) with just the one click. Now if I'm in the watering hole and want to go back to the unreads, I just click the top thingy and then click the link in the top line.
I'll adjust.
Thanks for the upgrade Kev and Co.
Adrian

 

[Scotty Dog]

In the editor, click the "Insert Image" button, then select the "From URL" tab, and paste in the URL of the image.

For the sample image, I used "View attachment 82301"


-Kevin

Heres 3 URLs I copied and pasted..not working for me.
https://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4783730814943280&id=bbafd33ffd4a645dee828da3ac072041
https://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4963135900943149&id=1e3c59d59858ea2ffd509fa17fba7c36
https://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4599781682511928&id=2c2d8469e10e3a2ea3054a4398105cef

The URLS link you to the picture when I paste them in the thread,however,its not inserting the picture..still coming up "invalid file" using the "insert Image" button.

 

[Verna]

Not a fan at all. I hope (think) there is a very good reason for changing it. Hey, at least we didn't loose our post count...that's the most important part right?

Yep, same here. Not a fan, but it is free to me and you get what you pay for. I too hope there was something to gain other than change just for the sake of change. It just seems less than 21st century to me.

Still, some great people here. Maybe I will like the next version better.

Verna
www.vernarockets.com

 

[Gary Byrum]

Like I stated before, not many people are savvy with web site changes. It's one thing to give it a facial / makeover, but when the techno geeks, (and I certainly hope the mods aren't in this part of the team) get their hands on it, they like to run wild with what they think is cool and efficient. Not realizing what they are doing is way over the common users head. They call it progress, we call it confusing. I know it's a free site and a darn good one. But I really do have to question why it was designed to function in a more complicated way. Wasn't simple good enough? I'm not too happy with these changes and I'm sure the Mods are pulling their hairs out dealing with us on it. Bless their hearts. I hope it didn't cost a fortune for you to do this to us.

 

[jd2cylman]

I'll chime in on this one as well. I rarely used the drop down menu at the bottom to change to different subjects, I almost always used it to go back to the unread posts in the subject I was reading (ie: going back to the watering hole) with just the one click. Now if I'm in the watering hole and want to go back to the unreads, I just click the top thingy and then click the link in the top line.
I'll adjust.
Thanks for the upgrade Kev and Co.
Adrian

HEY!!!!!!!!!
I just found the linky thing on the lower LEFT! That does exactly what I need it to do!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

[bgmineralman61]

Very Nice

 

[Scotty Dog]

Like I stated before, not many people are savvy with web site changes. It's one thing to give it a facial / makeover, but when the techno geeks, (and I certainly hope the mods aren't in this part of the team) get their hands on it, they like to run wild with what they think is cool and efficient. Not realizing what they are doing is way over the common users head. They call it progress, we call it confusing. I know it's a free site and a darn good one. But I really do have to question why it was designed to function in a more complicated way. Wasn't simple good enough? I'm not too happy with these changes and I'm sure the Mods are pulling their hairs out dealing with us on it. Bless their hearts. I hope it didn't cost a fortune for you to do this to us.

Hey, its a scratch built forum.
We are all scratching our heads.
Now,the 64 dollar question,"Will it be stable?"

 

[Gary Byrum]

Hey, its a scratch built forum.
We are all scratching our heads.
Now,the 64 dollar question,"Will it be stable?"

I think it's got too many fins on it Scotty.

 

[LW Bercini]

Now,the 64 dollar question,"Will it be stable?"

I'm afraid some of the components are more sound than others.

 

[Gary Byrum]

I'm afraid some of the components are more sound than others.

THAT was vague. Let's hear a real opinion.

 

[troj]

Heres 3 URLs I copied and pasted..not working for me.
https://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4783730814943280&id=bbafd33ffd4a645dee828da3ac072041
https://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4963135900943149&id=1e3c59d59858ea2ffd509fa17fba7c36
https://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4599781682511928&id=2c2d8469e10e3a2ea3054a4398105cef

The URLS link you to the picture when I paste them in the thread,however,its not inserting the picture..still coming up "invalid file" using the "insert Image" button.

It's sending the right MIME type for the image, but the software may well be inspecting the URL to try to determine the type.

This way of displaying images is a bit of trickery, and it's likely confusing the software. Yes, it's a valid way to do things, but yes, it can also confuse software, depending on how it's trying to figure out what it's seeing.

-Kevin

 

[o1d_dude]

Okay, after 7 hours on I-5 I'm home in front of my computer. My first reaction is that the color scheme is quite subdued (as in lacking contrast) compared to the previous incarnation. Unfortunately, this color scheme is also highly reminiscent of the 16 bit colors of Windows 3. Anyone remember that? LOL!

Anyway, as far as the functionality goes, it all seems to be there but located in different places. No big. Improvise- Adapt - Overcome. I see AndyTheRocketeer has created a new filter script but it seems like the old one is still working. Did I miss something?

Visually impaired or aged eyes will struggle I think.

 

[kjohnson]

Filter updated for those that use it. Click the "d" in my sig below.

Seems to work on Chromium, so should work on Chrome too, and if I have the correct meta info should work in Firefox+Greasemonkey too (I vaguely recall that Chrome and Firefox had different syntax for the line that determines which URLs to apply the filter on). The IE7 pro version is not updated, and I have no way to test.

right now I need to work out why the script that nukes the mouseover on thread listings no longer works...

Thanks Andy!

kj

 

[MarkH]

Text is too soft looking. Not enough contrast. Go back and look at the TRF archive.

Readability in Forum home with thread summaries is even worse than being inside a thread.

 

[WiK]

To the people who were haveing readability issues - how does it look now?

It turns out the font colour wasn't actually black, but a dark grey. I've changed it to black now, and I'm seeing a big improvement.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[mwtoelle]

Could you change the color for an unread message back to orange? The light blue tends to blend in with the background.