IP.Board 3.2.0: Search/VNC Interface Improvements

[Amy T]

Why does it only go back a year what if you wanted to go back to when the site started.

[3DKiwi]

Because that would list everything. If you want to go back to the start you're better to use searcg or to browse forum by forum and go to the last topic page and start there.

3DKiwi

[Jυra]

Because that would list everything.

That would be a good thing for search.

[Amy T]

Because that would list everything. If you want to go back to the start you're better to use searcg or to browse forum by forum and go to the last topic page and start there.

3DKiwi

Listing every thing is what I want.

[3DKiwi]

It won't happen because it could overload some boards.

3DKiwi

[Jυra]

And wouldn't overload the majority of boards.

[Amy T]

What if it was made to show only posts older then a year. Like say have under the year have 2 years so it would show posts made 2 years ago but not the ones that are only 1 year old. Then you could have a three years back and so on.

[Jυra]

I don't see why it can't "cycle" through older posts.

[Amy T]

Indeed it would be nice.

[Donkerrood]

Agreed, also now when looking for posts / topics under my content, it does not list any topic older than a year, even if there are no newer topics...

[bfarber]

It's not because of resources or any other reason.

Realistically, if you go back "2 years" it's no longer "new content" is it? The screenshot you saw in the blog entry is for "view new content" (the existing "view active content" has been merged into view new content, which is why you see all of those options there). If you want to view ALL content, then you can browse the forums as normal, or perform a search to find what you want. Content from 3 years ago is not new, however, and I can't imagine why we'd show it in the VNC interface as such.

Agreed, also now when looking for posts / topics under my content, it does not list any topic older than a year, even if there are no newer topics...

There is an ACP setting to control that. Viewing a specific user's content is not the same as viewing "new" content.

If you need help changing this setting, feel free to submit a ticket or post in the tech support forum.

[Amy T]

Well it said search so I was taking it as the search only goes back a year.

[optrexnz]

loving the fact that the options for common search are clearly identifiable on the page (currently as a left hand column) This finally makes VNC a one stop shop for finding content. I've just polled my members on how they find topics and content and its currently a right mess. This will make life very easy from an admin and a member viewpoint

[Jυra]

This topic isn't about the side column.

[optrexnz]

This topic isn't about the side column.

Really? :no:
From what I see the topic is titled "IP.Board 3.2.0: Search/VNC Interface Improvements suggestion" and goes into the time period of the search results.
Over half the side column is dedicated to searching by time period, so I would argue that my comment and positive feedback to the improvements so far is very much on topic.
:wacko:

[Amy T]

I wrote the topic and it is more about the searches then the view new posts. I was under the impression that searches were reduced to those time periods that were listed along the side.

I think this has a lot to do with vnc meaning remote desktop to me so I ignored that from the blog but I copied the whole blog title. Maybe ignore is not the right word but my mind change3d vnc for search as it has a / in the title which to some means or.

[Tanax]

Well it said search so I was taking it as the search only goes back a year.

Yes, search for new content(instead of "search for new content", think of it as "list new content"). You can search for content older than a year via the regular search.

[crabpaws]

Since this topic isn't about the side column, which is extremely important to this new feature, I'm going to start a new topic about it.

[bfarber]

Just for clarification, "VNC" (when we use it, typically) is short for "View New Content". It is the equivalent to this link:

http://community.invisionpower.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=new_posts&search_app=forums

IP.Board also has a "view active content" search method, equivalent to this link:

http://community.invisionpower.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=active

In the screenshot in the blog entry, we have combined the two into one view, since they effectively do the same thing, simply with different date cutoffs.

The regular search CAN search back longer than 1 year (there is no inherent time restriction to it).

[.Nuno.]

Hello,

If I clich VNC link and as usual, read some topics, when I go back clicking VNC again, how are the topics I read early listed?

Do they just disapear or are they shown/marked as read in VNC list?

[Tanax]

Hello,

If I clich VNC link and as usual, read some topics, when I go back clicking VNC again, how are the topics I read early listed?

Do they just disapear or are they shown/marked as read in VNC list?

This is really a preference matter. For me I like it that way. VNC lists new content on the forum, not unread content(although it can do that aswell).
Check out the blog for the updated VNC and its settings.

[.Nuno.]

The biggest complains I and some admins have is about the way the results are listed.

We should have all content listed and the only difference where the unread/read icon in the left:




Most members expect this behavior since it's easier to track and you will have all content listed, even if member came back to VNC after reading some topics.

[3DKiwi]

Hello,

If I clich VNC link and as usual, read some topics, when I go back clicking VNC again, how are the topics I read early listed?

Do they just disapear or are they shown/marked as read in VNC list?

I agree. While VNC in 3.2 is an improvement the whole workflow and the way people use it hasn't changed much and in my opinion is pretty clunky.

Here's how I use VNC and I bet many others do something similar (My search option is "Show me content since my last visit):

1. Arrive at site. Click on VNC link
2. Look at page 1 results. Click on first link of a topic that interests me
3. Read topic. If I don't reply I click the browser back button
4. Repeat
5. Now if I want to reply to a topic once I've replied I want to continue browsing new content. Usually this now requires clicking on the VNC button again.
6. Now where was I up to? I can't sometimes remember. I'm back on page 1 of the results regardless of where I was up to. There's no indication at all of topics I've just been browsing and in fact they are now gone (or they are here on IPS's site). I have to find the VNC results page that I was on and carry on.

I want to see some form of highlighting of topics that I have just been viewing. I sometimes want to go back after browsing and do my replies. I do not want topics to disappear from the VNC list until I mark the board as read or if I change my search option to "Show me unread content". This disappearing of new content that I have just been looking at appears to be an issue here or at sites' using Sphinx. At my forums after I have viewed a topic from VNC that topic remains in the VNC list next time I press the VNC button. The behaviour at my site is what I would expect.

Browsing new gallery images is also a bit clunky in my opinion. After viewing the first new image why can't I click a button to view the next new image? The current workflow is to use your browser back button to get back to the VNC results for the gallery or back to the main gallery page.

3DKiwi

[.Nuno.]

I'm 100% with 3DKiwi.

I came from vB and this represents a big flaw... I can bet that the current VNC beahvor represents less posts in any forum because people are lost after reading some topics.

I hope someone from IPB will understand this, because this is very dramatic because we are impotentent to change.

If this isn't available in 3.2 I have two options: pay for this or move to something else.
It's a shame we need to beg for something like this.

[Amy T]

I agree with 3dKiwi too. One thing that my members complain about and even I see an issue with is when you click on View new posts it will show new ones how ever if you click on it again it shows nothing so it irritates people. My members what it to show new content regardless if they actually viewed it or not. Some sort of highlighting for the content you have viewed would be awesome.