3.2 suggestion - More customizable profiles.

[Smokey-Rev]

I think we should have more customizable profiles. Instead of just letting us add a background image or color, let us edit the colors of the tables and bits within the profiles themselves. Kinda like what vBulletin 3.7 and 3.8 have for their profile customization. It gives the users a little bit more variety and originality to their profiles. :)

I'd like to see profile customization expanded upon if not in 3.2 then in a future IPB version, perhaps 3.3 or 4.0 :)

[Chito]

+1 I like this idea too. :)

[Tanax]

Personally I think letting users customizing their profiles breaks the layout which not only looks ugly but also very unprofessional.
So no thanks from me.

Instead I think it's better to let users change the order of things, move stuff around, etc, on their profiles but keeping the same layout.

[rsyvarth]

If you look in my sig I have made a mod that will left you customize all of the colors on your profile. I will probably be upgrading it to 3.2 once it comes out.

[Smokey-Rev]

Ah yes, something exactly like that mod. :)

As for it breaking layout, it doesn't break the layout at all....having stuff being moved around in user profiles, will break the layout, simple color changes of the profile areas won't break the layout. :)

[Tanax]

Ah yes, something exactly like that mod. :)

As for it breaking layout, it doesn't break the layout at all....having stuff being moved around in user profiles, will break the layout, simple color changes of the profile areas won't break the layout. :)

Moving modular stuff around doesn't break the layout. Allowing users to completely customize their profiles however will. Have you seen some of the Myspace profiles?? You didn't really specify what they would be able to change hence my reply.

Color changes does break the layout. Let's say you have a board layout that's .. well like this here on IPS boards. User comes along and makes their profile completely pink with red text. Now how professional will your board seem when they watch that user's profile?? It'll look really ugly, IMO.

If you instead let your users customize their profile by moving stuff around, for instance have their avatar and that whole left-bar on the RIGHT side instead, that doesn't really BREAK the layout since it's still using the same layout except it's arranged a little differently. By letting them only move stuff between pre-defined locations makes sure they can't break the layout(opposed to Myspace that lets you edit CSS and HTML and can therefore position stuff anywhere on the page).

[CallieJo]

I vote for adding custom image backgrounds & colors to the rest of the profiles. One of my projects I moved to IPB, I already moved back to VB for this reason only. We need complete individual personality inside the profiles (a bit of hacking the header/footer, the whole page is user styled).

I'm still debating on some of the cool features of IPB over custom profiles with matching custom blogs in VB for another new project. Can't make up my mind atm.

IPB is great for a webmaster community (Nexus feature list is a perfect example)...but, lacks some features of a social community. Not just the custom profiles.

[Chito]

Color changes does break the layout. Let's say you have a board layout that's .. well like this here on IPS boards. User comes along and makes their profile completely pink with red text. Now how professional will your board seem when they watch that user's profile?? It'll look really ugly, IMO.

But isn't that the members' problem? If it's their choice to have their profile in an ugly pink color, it's their choice. It doesn't reflect how the rest of the board will look like. You're going to judge the whole boards look over a particular members' choice of colors for their profile? That doesn't make sense. You might as well restrict any form of profile customization if you're going to do that. What can be "ugly" for one member can be nice for another. If they like that color, then it's their choice because it's their profile and it doesn't effect the rest of the board at all IMO.

[Jυra]

People use to give bits of text/guides for re-skinning just the profiles. Haven't seen that in a while.

[Smokey-Rev]

But isn't that the members' problem? If it's their choice to have their profile in an ugly pink color, it's their choice. It doesn't reflect how the rest of the board will look like. You're going to judge the whole boards look over a particular members' choice of colors for their profile? That doesn't make sense. You might as well restrict any form of profile customization if you're going to do that. What can be "ugly" for one member can be nice for another. If they like that color, then it's their choice because it's their profile and it doesn't effect the rest of the board at all IMO.

My thoughts exactly! but yes having the option to move sections around would also be a nice touch :D full profile customization please! :D

[Tanax]

But isn't that the members' problem? If it's their choice to have their profile in an ugly pink color, it's their choice. It doesn't reflect how the rest of the board will look like. You're going to judge the whole boards look over a particular members' choice of colors for their profile? That doesn't make sense. You might as well restrict any form of profile customization if you're going to do that. What can be "ugly" for one member can be nice for another. If they like that color, then it's their choice because it's their profile and it doesn't effect the rest of the board at all IMO.

You might think that but unfortunately it doesn't work like that. It is the member's problem but it reflects upon the community overall.
And yes, people do judge a whole lot of things by just looking at something briefly. Humans are experts at imagination.

Personally, I have nothing against pink, nor red. But together it doesn't match very well, especially not with the rest of the colors of this board.

That's like saying that "if your members create spammy threads about viagra and penis enlargement it doesn't reflect the rest of the board, only their own topic" and that "it's the member's problem" :P

[Chito]

You might think that but unfortunately it doesn't work like that. It is the member's problem but it reflects upon the community overall.

And yes, people do judge a whole lot of things by just looking at something briefly. Humans are experts at imagination.

Personally, I have nothing against pink, nor red. But together it doesn't match very well, especially not with the rest of the colors of this board.

That's like saying that "if your members create spammy threads about viagra and penis enlargement it doesn't reflect the rest of the board, only their own topic" and that "it's the member's problem" :P

So you're saying if, for example, on these support forums, if I was to change my profiles background to an ugly shade of green unbearable to even look at, it will make everyone NOT want to purchase an IP.Board simply because they happened to come across my ugly green profile's background? In that case, IP.Board should make specific guidelines and ask us members: "You can choose any color you wish for your backgrounds, except those that are ugly to look at, because if someone happens to look at your profile, they will think that we're unprofessional and not want to purchase an IP.Board".

I know that sounds sarcastic, but I'm trying to make a point here because that's basically what you're trying to say and make me believe. Sorry, but I don't buy that. a profile color cannot be compared to your sample of an actual topic about "about viagra and penis enlargement". We're talking about a simple profile's look here and you're heading for a totally different direction with topics. But for the sake of not starting a dispute, fine, "Moving modular stuff around doesn't break the layout".

[rsyvarth]

They could make it so members can only chose from a set of pre-defined color schemes. That is one of the options I put in my app. It lets your user's customize their profiles, while ensuring that they don't get too out of hand with the coloration.

[Robi Gorgin]

Personally I think letting users customizing their profiles breaks the layout which not only looks ugly but also very unprofessional.

So no thanks from me.

Instead I think it's better to let users change the order of things, move stuff around, etc, on their profiles but keeping the same layout.

And also I think the option to "show/hide friend list in the profile" and options like this - should be in the profile customization...

[Tanax]

So you're saying if, for example, on these support forums, if I was to change my profiles background to an ugly shade of green unbearable to even look at, it will make everyone NOT want to purchase an IP.Board simply because they happened to come across my ugly green profile's background? In that case, IP.Board should make specific guidelines and ask us members: "You can choose any color you wish for your backgrounds, except those that are ugly to look at, because if someone happens to look at your profile, they will think that we're unprofessional and not want to purchase an IP.Board".

I know that sounds sarcastic, but I'm trying to make a point here because that's basically what you're trying to say and make me believe. Sorry, but I don't buy that. a profile color cannot be compared to your sample of an actual topic about "about viagra and penis enlargement". We're talking about a simple profile's look here and you're heading for a totally different direction with topics. But for the sake of not starting a dispute, fine, "Moving modular stuff around doesn't break the layout".

Well, I don't want to start a dispute either but right now we're only discussing, are we not? So no worries there.

And your example about these support forums and changing the profile color, it does have an impact. Let's say you advertise about IPB and someone asks you to link them to your profile here, would you feel comfortable with linking them a profile that is barely readable because of weird color combinations? And do you think they will find it pleasing to look at? Of course this hurts their experience of IPB, especially if they never before have seen or used IPB.

Someone else mentioned color-schemes which - in my opinion(again) - is a far better option and only allow users to choose pre-defined "themes" for their profile rather than to allow all colors.

And regarding the topic, why can't I compare it with that? That's also just a "simple topic look"?
I'm just trying to understand your.. angle in this and how you don't believe that a user-profile is any less important area than topic-view.

And also I think the option to "show/hide friend list in the profile" and options like this - should be in the profile customization...

Yes, that's a better way of allowing profile customization. Agreed.

[CallieJo]

Like many other things that you or I may or may not use in IPB, there can be an on/off switch. You can say bloat, but I can say that about features I don't use that are already in IPB.

This is yet another request for full custom profiles. Months ago (before VB put custom profiles back & XF was just starting), you had a ton of people on XF that were IPB, VB, & other forum software users that were all requesting custom profiles (like vb3.x had). I have yet to see many of them speak up here, but if you do a bit of digging over at XF you will recognize many names from here. It's just sad that only some of us speak up on the IPB boards about it. Maybe they have fear of being ridiculed.