New Forum software thread. . .

Specific suggestions/complaints/moans whatever:

Facebook connect/platform apps -
Many BF people don't use FB, others like me absolutely despise FB platform apps and website integration. I would suggest disabling platform apps all together:
http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/main/options_facebook

Stickies -
It's just plain too hard to see where the stickies end and the posts begin. I would suggest a bold font and a different, darker background color for the sticky posts. A separator of some sort would be even more awesomer.

Started by -
The started by + started date is the first thing your eye goes to now instead of the last replied date/time. I don't know if anyone else cares about this, but I look at thread times sometimes to see if it's been updated since I last visited and it is now confusing because I naturally want to read the started by information instead of the last replied info.

Large print -
The large print version is -great- for browsing the forums and thread headings, it's too big for thread reading. The vbulletin standard seems to be just fine for thread body, but it's absolutely freaking painful for viewing a list of threads or the list of subforums. In contrast, the large format does a lot for viewing the thread and subforum lists, but makes the actual threads clumsy.

Subforum list -
The page that lists the subforum categories:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forum.php
Is hard to read because there is not enough separation between each subforum title. Borders, dividers or just more space between the lines would help with this.

Usernames -
Just too small in threads.

Quick reply box -
The default box is too small. It's nice that it can be expanded by hand, but a slightly larger default would be great.

General suggestion -
If you have to do another major software rev I would suggest rolling out a beta version for testing and feedback. This is a two (actually three) birds with one stone approach:
1. Users can give feedback like this before software goes live.
2. At least some subset of the user community (and your mods) will be familiar with the new software, allowing them to assist other users in transitioning.
3. You are able to test the new software and work out installation problems and site bugs before they impact the user community (less down time, fewer problems complaints with ads/search/style etc).

I'd actually further suggest rolling back to the old software and putting this in beta for a few weeks/months to give users time to switch and give you time to fix the problems without complaints.

Just my thoughts.
 
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I'd like to say it's much easier to see the differentiation between stickies and new posts in the large print version.
 
The pages seem to load quite a bit slower under the new software than the old one. Granted I have an old computer but I do have 6mb broadband internet service. I an using IE7 and Windows XP.

1. Is this new forum software a much larger download than the old forum software?

2. Is there a way to disable the Facebook link at the top that seems to be slowing my forum page download. I looked though all the setting pages and did not see any way to disable that link.

Any ideas or advice appreciated.

And THANK YOU Spark for your hard work
 
I would like to see all the FB stuff gone.
I have a FB account but rarely log in.Not a very secure site either,had someone from Washington state try to log in to my FB account a couple days ago.Had to get my account unlocked and change my password.I was going to close the account but I have a couple family members that I only have contact with through FB.
 
alex said:
The pages seem to load quite a bit slower under the new software than the old one. Granted I have an old computer but I do have 6mb broadband internet service. I an using IE7 and Windows XP.

1. Is this new forum software a much larger download than the old forum software?

2. Is there a way to disable the Facebook link at the top that seems to be slowing my forum page download. I looked though all the setting pages and did not see any way to disable that link.

Any ideas or advice appreciated.

And THANK YOU Spark for your hard work
Click to expand...
My advice would be use a decent browser.
I deleted the facebook links with adblock plus on Firefox.
I haven't noticed slower loading, but I do not use IE.
 
I am using Firefox 4 but have no option to block them.
 
Guyon said:
In Large Print, it looks like a move in the right direction to me.
Still though, things pile up on the right side of that column because of (a) the big font size, (b) the "Started by" text in every listing, (c) long usernames.
I don't suppose there's any way to stack some of that info or get rid of the Started by blurb? I admit I know nothing about what you can control in vBulletin.
BTW, I looked in Default view too, and everything is still left justified.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's because Default view hasn't been edited because it's the Default view. I can stack it, probably, but right now I've got other priorities like getting thread display options working. It'll have to wait for now.

Dobokob777 said:
Sadly this does look like facebook. So much for familarity being a good thing. The colors are hidious, the layout is flat, and looks like every other forum, links were broken due to changes in the design. The SQL may be better for the design of the database, but this new interface gives me a headache also. Just another reason not to renew when the time comes.
Click to expand...
This isn't constructive criticism, just fyi. I'm working very hard to fix what I can. The broken links are a priority for us. Colors are secondary. SQL and the interface are two entirely different issues.

If you don't want to renew, whatever, but until then be patient.

Guyon said:
Spark, more food for thought. Like I said, I don't know how much control you have over where things can sit, but I played around a little more.
To me, the layout in the modified (Photoshopped) area below looks like a nice compromise of keeping the info and making the subforum view readable and clean.
Might require that you have an entirely new column for Started by and start date though...

screenshotcopy.jpg
Click to expand...
I'll see what I can do. That's going to require some template editing a bit more complex than right justifying a section because the various elements & vbphrases need to be massaged since they have to be moved from section to section.

Guyon said:
To add... I just logged in through http://www.bladeforums.com instead of my usual back channels.
The forum view there looks great and does a lot of what I'm arguing for above.
Could the individual subforums eventually look like this?

mainpage.jpg
Click to expand...
That's the vbAdvanced interface which makes up the site home page. Notice the different format when it handles the page numbers and such.

Modoc ED said:
"Next to the "Quick Navigation" bar at the bottom of the page there is now a button that says "Top". Can we get that changed to "Go" like it used to be so that it takes you back to the sub-forum front page listed in the bar? It is especially useful after posting a thread."
Click to expand...
Look above the quick reply box. There's breadcrumb listings there.

Forum > Service & Support >Tech Support, General Q&A, Site Feedback & More > (Thread title)

Click on any of those sections to go to that area
 
For those of you disliking the brightness, what do you think now?
 
Yellow for post headings and quotes and light blue for the basic background look good. Still plenty of contrast with the lettering.
 
alex said:
The pages seem to load quite a bit slower under the new software than the old one. Granted I have an old computer but I do have 6mb broadband internet service. I an using IE7 and Windows XP.

!......

2. Is there a way to disable the Facebook link at the top that seems to be slowing my forum page download. I looked though all the setting pages and did not see any way to disable that link.

Any ideas or advice appreciated.

And THANK YOU Spark for your hard work
Click to expand...

Try using Inprivate Filtering with IE.
Just go to Inprivate Filtering Setting, select Choose Content to Block or Allow, highlight the Facebook selection (there are two, but you can only select one at a time).
Once you've selected Facebook click the BLOCK button, do this for the other Facebook selection, and then hit OK.
One thing to remember though, every time you log online you are going to have to turn on Inprivate Filtering.
Unless I missed the constant on button somewhere, that's the only issue I've had with it thus far.
Hope this helps.
Mike
 
Hey, the brightness is a good thing for a 67-year old fat man, I don't have to squint in order to read the text against some God-awful colored background.

It's coming along fine Spark.
 
I don't use IE either, but I don't think anyone should have to switch their browser to use this or any other forum :/

I do think the new coloring is easier on the eyes.

I didn't see it earlier in the thread, but I do agree that the "vbAdvanced" look is way better to easily sort out the threads. Does vBulletin not have that style for the regular forum?
 
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Rat Finkenstein said:
I think something might be wrong with your monitor. What are you using?
Click to expand...

It probably is my monitor, rat.
It's a KDS usa -K717.
I've tried recalibration and all and it's still a POS.
It's funny though, i didnt have to do this on the "old BFc"
 
It is looking good on mine.Background is not as bright white as it was,blue colors are still ugly,just too many blues going on.
 
I'm running NoSquint on Firefox in one of the grey background settings and readability/ease on the eyes is much improved. I recommend it. I've got dark grey for unvisited links and gray/green for visited links. I still prefer the navigation of the old version, such as the way subforums were organized more vertically under headings rather than grouped horizontally.
 
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