First - as always, great thanks to Stefan for all he does and hosting this great site.
As to the new website design:
Mostly for the better. But here's what could be done further IMO:
Frontpage (home page/start page)
1. Implement a recent topics layout like before. (And like in the rest of the forum still is). Like the attached picture. You know - Subject, Started by, Replies, Views, Last post. And increase the number of topics shown by like 3x. This forum is all about eyeballs.... the more is seen the more interest is generated and the more dynamic the discussion (and the more page views $$ ;) ) The activity on a topic quickly drops when it's no longer on the recent topics frontpage.
Yes, you can track unread topics in the user menu, but this requires too much maintenance IMO.
This is the biggest bummer on the new site design for me. And it seems the overall page views, visits, interest etc. has dropped off since the new design. I know MY interest, visits etc. has dropped off massively due to the added difficulty staying abreast of recent activity with the current front page.
2. get rid of the large (annoying) overunity banner.
Other:
1. Reinstate extended formatting - underline, italics, strikeout etc
2. Reinstate avatars
Mostly the new site design is ok and it seems to run alot smoother.
But, the current frontpage layout is a HUGE bummer!
(and oh - my session timed-out while posting this - so I had to resubmit :( )
Anyone else with comments/suggestions on the new design?
I hate it, it's gareish and unsettling to the eye. It also takes much longer to load.
An option for the old style would be much apreciated.
blue design is better
Nice to see an additional 'recent topics' section added... even if it is only as what appears to be a 'work around' by adding it to the (scrunched) left column.
Thanks for adding it... but I still miss the old format!!
And OH BOY is that freeenergytv youtube on the front page annoying!@!
Talk about bandwidth/space waste.
And the bouncing pictures just below it.
I vote: Get rid of those two things (at least the vid!) and implement and 'old way' kind of expanded recent topics on the front page.
And of course, thanks for all you do Stefan!
Well, still wishing for a better forum design - more like the old software....
Stefan, have you ever looked at vBulletin?
http://www.vbulletin.com/
Awesome forum software for a good price.
Here is an example of a thriving forum using vBulletin:
http://forum.cockos.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20
The old forum design/software was great, the new forum is .......... less so, and with vBulletin might be truly awesome!
Please?!? ;D
(and that freeenergytv youtube on the front page reloading over and over has me wanting to smash my computer into little pieces :o )
whos idea was it to put those stupid vids?
How about a toggle for the music/sounds on the site only?
Nice sounds but some prefer quiet while reading.
That Said
Thank you Stephen you have done a really good thing here, Thank you.
Be Well
Tinker
Well,
I hear you.
I will now disable the video on the frontpage
and might also disable the flash banner,
as probably everyone has seen it and it is
annoying to always load it for the start page
and slow down the loading time...
Okay, new Guests will not see it, but anyway...
over here the contents counts more than slick banners... I guess,
do you agree ?
In a few days, I will also update the forum with the
new forum software version, when my
used MODs are also updated to SMF 2.0RC2
Regards, Stefan.
What they don't see they won't miss.
Most of your Clientele are most intrested in
"Where's The Beef"
You are the Chef!
Thanks
Be Well
Tinker
Quote from: capthook on October 30, 2009, 03:34:15 AMAnd OH BOY is that freeenergytv youtube on the front page annoying!@!
Talk about bandwidth/space waste.
And the bouncing pictures just below it.
It is much, much worse than that, lemme tell ya....
hoorah! consign the vids to the deepest hells
Now that we save bandwidth from removing the video, perhaps we can afford avatars?
Can we also get back the recent posts section,two days of actual posting,
the homepage only shows the most recent post.
cat
Stefan -
Thanks so much!
The overunity.com experience has just been upped by 200%.
You are a SCHOLAR and a saint!
_ _ _
Quote from: powercat on November 11, 2009, 12:01:26 PM
Can we also get back the recent posts section,two days of actual posting,
the homepage only shows the most recent post.
cat
Hopefully the software update will allow a better frontpage module to allow this?
CH
Can we also get back the recent posts section. :-\
Wings
Quote from: kmarinas86 on November 10, 2009, 09:12:39 PM
Now that we save bandwidth from removing the video, perhaps we can afford avatars?
Quote from: powercat on November 11, 2009, 12:01:26 PM
Can we also get back the recent posts section,two days of actual posting,
the homepage only shows the most recent post.
cat
Quote from: wings on November 11, 2009, 04:09:24 PM
Can we also get back the recent posts section. :-\
Wings
Quote from: capthook on November 11, 2009, 01:07:56 PM
Hopefully the software update will allow a better frontpage module
The front page Recent Topics should be expanded by 4x IMO.....
Hint, nudge...
The youtube vids on the frontpage are ok so long as they DON'T load automatically please (like the current 1st one does)
Should we just give up on ever getting the frontpage recent posts/updates expanded?? :P
Quote from: capthook on April 26, 2010, 02:01:41 AM
The youtube vids on the frontpage are ok so long as they DON'T load automatically please (like the current 1st one does)
Should we just give up on ever getting the frontpage recent posts/updates expanded?? :P
I agree with this fully. There needs to be those options applied to the link to
not start the video automatically. It creates unusual audio when I am trying to
read the site. Even when I stop the video manually, the data for it continues
to load! ...talk about a waste of net bandwidth. People don't continue to
watch the same video over an over again, so systemically it should not start.
and;
Also this embarrasses Youtube (or it should). How come I have to sit waiting
for many uncomfortable minutes to get older youtube videos to start on the
youtube.com site, and yet they can service high speed front pages like this???
...It is bogus.
:S:MarkSCoffman
Quote from: mscoffman on April 26, 2010, 10:28:05 AM
I agree with this fully. There needs to be those options applied to the link to
not start the video automatically. It creates unusual audio when I am trying to
read the site. Even when I stop the video manually, the data for it continues
to load! ...talk about a waste of net bandwidth. People don't continue to
watch the same video over an over again, so systemically it should not start.
and;
Also this embarrasses Youtube (or it should). How come I have to sit waiting
for many uncomfortable minutes to get older youtube videos to start on the
youtube.com site, and yet they can service high speed front pages like this???
...It is bogus.
:S:MarkSCoffman
I also agree 100%.
Bill
Okay, I disabled the autostart,
so we don´t have the annoying sound always !
;)
Regards, Stefan,
Thank you Stefan.
Bill
much better Stefan.
Thank you!
Thank you Stefan,
YouTube should have long ago stopped that ridiculous habit
of continuing the feed cache even though the video was stopped.
It is just a waste of the internets bandwidth to the extreme.
Sadly, more and more pages are using YouTube as their feed,
But maybe someday they will be more responsible and stop that.
Something about pigs with wings comes to mind though...
I pitty the dialup ISP folk.
Thanks Stefan for all you do in maintaining this site. It was very good to see it back to usable again as with my browser I could barely get into the site if I started at the main .com page. I couldn't click on anything to get beyond the page with the video so I'd have to start from another page (thanks to browser history) here to get anywhere. I think having the video auto-start was the biggest problem.
Wow - 18 whole topics listed on the front page recent topics :(
I keep hoping someday this section will be expanded - what happened to the new software update that was going to improve this 6 months ago?
Remember the good-old-days when there where like 100+ recent topics on the front page?
Sure made it easy to see what was going on, what was of interest, what the popular topics are etc. etc. etc.
But I guess my request will fall on deaf ears as with only 18 recent topics listed, this post will very quickly fall into obscurity just like so many other revelent and interesting posts! >:(
Quote from: capthook on June 06, 2010, 06:26:44 PM
Wow - 18 whole topics listed on the front page recent topics :(
I keep hoping someday this section will be expanded - what happened to the new software update that was going to improve this 6 months ago?
Remember the good-old-days when there where like 100+ recent topics on the front page?
Sure made it easy to see what was going on, what was of interest, what the popular topics are etc. etc. etc.
But I guess my request will fall on deaf ears as with only 18 recent topics listed, this post will very quickly fall into obscurity just like so many other revelent and interesting posts! >:(
I understand why this is the way it is. It's expensive from the database
server's access standpoint to create the front page. If you don't have
the database resolver then things quickly get out of synchronization and
message base then "blows up".
But here is an idea: Fit a button between "Home" and "Forum" that would
be like an extended front page, containing more items in historical sequence
but have it be non-automatic so everyone is not beating the database server
down all at once. The way it is now is idiosyncratic because if someone doesn't
boost it up a message gets lost and you have to worry about someones spam
messages shoving valid posts off the front page into no man's land. A task
MIBS might enjoy doing. >:(
:S:MarkSCoffman
PLEASE EITHER DELETE THE YOUTUBE FOOTAGE ON MAIN PAGE OR ATLEAST MAKE IT NOT START PLAYING UNTIL A MEMBER CLICKS ON IT TO MAKE IT START PLAYING.
It is becoming a pain in the ass to deal with everytime I log on and or go back to the main page when surfing this site. Plus it makes it take longer to log on.
PLEASE DEAL WITH THIS ASAP.
Quote from: nightlife on October 09, 2011, 12:18:41 AM
PLEASE EITHER DELETE THE YOUTUBE FOOTAGE ON MAIN PAGE OR ATLEAST MAKE IT NOT START PLAYING UNTIL A MEMBER CLICKS ON IT TO MAKE IT START PLAYING.
It is becoming a pain in the ass to deal with everytime I log on and or go back to the main page when surfing this site. Plus it makes it take longer to log on.
PLEASE DEAL WITH THIS ASAP.
If you use firefox and the no-script add-on the video will not even show up unless you want it to. That is what I do because yes, it is a real pain.
Bill
+1 for Noscript addon, an absolute requirement for this website! :)