Invision Community 4: SEO, prepare for v5 and dormant account notifications By Matt November 11, 2024
marklcfc Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 - Latest News on Board Index We have latest forum topic for each forum, we have sidebars for recent news, etc. Did anyone ever take notice of the 'latest news'? - Online/Offline Status in Posts We've gone over this. The short answer is that a forum topic isn't a chat thread. It usually makes no difference if the user is online or not to the quantity or quality of replies. - Avatar Galleries Avatars and photos were merged. Other than a handful of boards, no one used the gaudy, blocky and out-dated avatars that came pre-installed. We expect a modder will provide an enhanced way to create a photo gallery. Although I wouldn't want that myself. I want original unique photos. If you're answer to this is "Well on my forum we use avatar galleries to.." then you're no longer using an avatar but a team badge / RPG badge, etc, etc. - Remote avatars(which allowed for dynamic avatars) Security risk. No other site allows this for good reason. - Topic descriptions No one used them. You can tag topics which are searchable. - The ability to disable/enable fast reply in the Admin CP We did consider renaming it "Please make it harder for people to reply to topics" but decided just to remove the option. - You can no longer see what exactly a member is doing from viewing their profile. You have to look at the full online list which might not even be enabled on some boards... [img] [/img] Mouseover the online badge. We've made an effort to remove the in your face elements. - Post Icons These should have died years ago. We barely had support for them in 3.0/3.1. It's another old fashioned idea that doesn't belong in this decade. - Board rules link removed from the board header You either want people to read your rules, or you don't want people to read your rules. Adding a link that no one will click is just a waste of space. - Number of VNC results removed We added back pagination. Does it *really* matter if you have 313 results or 287? - User notes We are not personal management software. If you want to leave a note to yourself, use the notes in your iPhone, or send yourself an email or use pastebin or any other method thats out there. - It is no longer possible to convert categories to forums I have no real response to this other than did anyone ever decide 6 months down the line to convert a forum wrapper to an actual forum? Surely the only thing it retains is the name and permissions? - Removal of the quick emoticon panel It's there underneath the editor when you click on the smilie icon. Believe it or not but *most* people don't want 500 flashing yellow faces blinking away when they make a post. I disagreed with most apart from user notes, but I'm not going through it all again, just to say topic description used by no one? Wrong, the easy solution would be to have an on/off switch for most of the above features so we can easily turn them back on. Instead you have all these complaints as they've just been taken away.
Andrej Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 I disagreed with most but I'm not going through it all again, just to say topic description used by no one? Wrong, the easy solution would be to have an on/off switch for most of the above features so we can easily turn them back on. Instead you have all these complaints as they've just been taken away. Lets start from the end... What real advantage does topic descriptions have over tags?
Haku2 Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Lets start from the end... What real advantage does topic descriptions have over tags? Tags aren't meant for sentences.
marklcfc Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Lets start from the end... What real advantage does topic descriptions have over tags? Not a fan of tags, and they are not even enabled on here, doesn't that tell you something.. :dry:
Management Matt Posted June 14, 2011 Management Posted June 14, 2011 I disagreed with most apart from user notes, but I'm not going through it all again, just to say topic description used by no one? Wrong, the easy solution would be to have an on/off switch for most of the above features so we can easily turn them back on. Instead you have all these complaints as they've just been taken away. This screenshot is taken from your own forum. Please show me where a topic description has been used to impart any data that's moderately useful?
Haku2 Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Topic descriptions are used alot throughout GBATemp ( http://gbatemp.net/f...temp-scene-news ). And yes, it's also used outside of their news forums.
Andrej Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Tags aren't meant for sentences. Yeah, because sentences should be written in the post(s). But thats my opinion :rofl:
marklcfc Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 This screenshot is taken from your own forum. Please show me where a topic description has been used to impart any data that's moderately useful? [img] [/img] Look I personally think they offer a use, there is no good example there but you used to offer features that no other forum did - this being one. They're not crucial to every site, so an on/off switch would be handy and hardly resource intensive.
Andrej Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Look I personally think they offer a use, there is no good example there but you used to offer features that no other forum did - this being one. They're not crucial to every site, so an on/off switch would be handy and hardly resource intensive. A on/off switch could be a compromise. :)
Management Matt Posted June 14, 2011 Management Posted June 14, 2011 A simple on/off switch for topic descriptions would add: - 1 Extra Setting - 1 Extra block of XML in the settings export - 1 Extra IF/ELSE block in the forum view template (possibly with extra CSS classes) - 1 Extra IF/ELSE block in the post form template - 1 Extra IF/ELSE block in the PHP that generates the output variables - 1 Extra sanitisation check for descriptions before insertion into database. All these extra elements would need maintenance and upkeep. This adds 'bloat' and overhead to the product. If we made compromises for things that are marginal then the entire product would end up a compromise between decent strong forum software and a mish-mash of "trying to please everyone and here's the kitchen sink".
Management Matt Posted June 14, 2011 Management Posted June 14, 2011 Look I personally think they offer a use, there is no good example there but you used to offer features that no other forum did - this being one. They're not crucial to every site, so an on/off switch would be handy and hardly resource intensive. Forgive me for continuing this, but you agree that your own site doesn't use them, so why are you campaigning so hard to keep them?
.Ian Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Tags aren't meant for sentences. Surely the information could go in the topic. Tags are far more powerful and if I was given the choice would go for tags every time. In any event I believe the information is kept in the database, so a modder could easily create a hook for it.
RevengeFNF Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 In my board, i have Big big Topics. For example: Title - Fc. Porto Description - Part 1 Title - Fc. Porto Description - Part 2 This is just an example of "Description". I went now to Active Content in my board, and in 25 Topics, we have 11 Topics with a Description.
Management Matt Posted June 14, 2011 Management Posted June 14, 2011 Couldn't you just have the topic title of "Fc. Porto - Part 1"? I would imagine that people use them currently simply because they're there. If you remove them, then they'll find other ways to add that data.
.Ian Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 So why not have Title - Fc. Porto - Part 1 Title - Fc. Porto - Part 2
Andrej Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 In my board, i have Big big Topics. For example: Title - Fc. Porto Description - Part 1 Title - Fc. Porto Description - Part 2 This is just an example of "Description". I went now to Active Content in my board, and in 25 Topics, we have 11 Topics with a Description. For this, you can use the tags and prefix system. If you enable the setting, you can let members put "Part 1" in tag, and click the "Use the first tag as prefix" checkbox. or put it in the title? Problem solved?
• Jay • Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Hmm, you're human, but generally speaking cynicism is very unprofessional for someone selling a product. He's a developer, and a damned good one. The best live by their own rules, just look at House.c'mon, that's a joke If you want sterile interaction, feel free to e-mail sales@invisionpower.com They're the best too, but it's their job to be the merchants that you seem to yearn for.
RevengeFNF Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Couldn't you just have the topic title of "Fc. Porto - Part 1"? I would imagine that people use them currently simply because they're there. If you remove them, then they'll find other ways to add that data. Im just Saying that my Members use Topic Description. But i can live without it, and i think my members can live without it also. Don't worry :wink: My main concern is. What will happen to the Descriptions when i upgrade to 3.2.0? Will they get merged with the Title?
• Jay • Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 Im just Saying that my Members use Topic Description. But i can live without it, and i think my members can live without it also. Don't worry :wink: My main concern is. What will happen to the Descriptions when i upgrade to 3.2.0? Will they get merged with the Title? No, they'll still be in the database but the field simply won't exist. Just skin it back in if it's important.
Nimdock Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 My main concern is. What will happen to the Descriptions when i upgrade to 3.2.0? Will they get merged with the Title? I have a feeling they'll be left alone in the DB but otherwise invisible to the forum.
marklcfc Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011   Forgive me for continuing this, but you agree that your own site doesn't use them, so why are you campaigning so hard to keep them? My site does use them, but there wasn't a good example there. The best example of when its been used on my site, is if theres a really active thread say 50-60 pages long with lots of posts each day, then the topic description can be altered updating the latest event.. I can live without the feature I just disagreed with you saying no one used them. My main gripe is the skin - online/offline images, quick navigation, online list, post icons and all the info underneath topic titles thats replaced topic description. (that leaves so much white space between the topic title and replies/views column). And it all annoys me as the show new replies is a brilliant feature and I want it.
.Ian Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 I am off to edit out descriptions ready for the upgrade :) And to look at turning off a couple of other bits :)
-GR- Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 I think IPB 3.2 is every step in the right direction. The focus is on content now and not a confusing interface where people have a hard time figuring out how to get to where or do what they want to do. With the focus being on the content maybe more people will provide sites with good content and then some of the seo talk can finally stop. Seems to me a lot of people are stuck from the 90's where tables and 1,000 images were the way to go. I much prefer something that is clean and code has been cleaned up so pages load quicker. Kind of like the optimize my server threads that get posted, ya it is nice to optimize your server but what is the use if you are going to have 10+ mods installed and a highly image intensive site. If you have something where the focus is on content and pages load fast you will have more traffic and more returning visitors, which is what I want. My only complaint is about the links to the thread when viewing new content or in the email notifications. I feel that if you click on VNC and then click on one of the threads listed that you should automatically be taken to your first unread post. Same way with the email notifications, if you click on the link in the email, you should be taken to the first unread post rather then having to click the link at the top right of the thread to view unread. Other then that, keep up the great work guys.
Sammy Nicole Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 - Remote avatars(which allowed for dynamic avatars) Security risk. No other site allows this for good reason. Wow, so I guess posting any external image in a forum is a security risk too. Sorry Matt but I'm afraid you're speaking for yourself on this. "No other site allows this for a good reason." I can show you a lot of communities that DO allow remote avatars, including mine. Security risk? Is it a massive security risk that you had to remove it? Was any 3.1 or 2.x boards hacked because of remote avatars?
Management Matt Posted June 14, 2011 Management Posted June 14, 2011 No, but we had to go to great lengths to ensure that avatars didn't show in the admin CP or a simple XSS would have revealed the admin security key.
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