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Thread: Suggestion for small change

  1. #1
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    Suggestion for small change

    Assuming it is possible with your software, I think a small change in the page layout would make scanning the New Posts page easier.

    I suspect many are like me and are more interested in some of the forums than others. For example, I always look for new messages in some forums and rarely or never view other forums. The page layout now requires this: scan down the far right of the screen for the forums, then move the eye all the way across the page to the message title on the left, then if the message looks interesting click to read.


    SMC_current_screen.jpg

    The part my old eyes finds awkward is following the entry from the far right to the far left. I think this would be streamlined if a few columns could be reordered, something like this:

    SMC_proposed_screen.jpg

    Is this possible? Does anyone agree?

    Also, is there any way to filter the New Posts screen to hide certain forums? If not, perhaps that could be a future enhancement. There are some forums I never read due to limited tine and interest, for example, Engraving.

    JKJ

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    Also, is there any way to filter the New Posts screen to hide certain forums? If not, perhaps that could be a future enhancement. There are some forums I never read due to limited tine and interest, for example, Engraving.
    I have no idea if the reordering is possible. Since every vBulletin forum I’m on has the same order, I’m guessing that is the software author’s doing and not something that can be changed by the forum owner.

    However, to the second question, you can filter the new posts. I have a link set up like this:

    ht tp://www.sawmillcreek.org/search.php?do=getnew&contenttype=vBForum_Post&excl ude=8,12,3,20,4,43,42,57,23,13,38,35,17,34,0

    If you look at the links for the various sections, they’re all like this:

    ht tp://www.sawmillcreek.org/forumdisplay.php?7-Forum-Tech-Support
    ht tp://www.sawmillcreek.org/forumdisplay.php?39-Lumber-Yard

    That number in red is what you use to exclude a forum. Just use the numbers of the forums you wish to exclude from your search (such as Engraving, as you mention) and the link will search only the forums you frequent for new posts.

    ht tp://www.sawmillcreek.org/forumdisplay.php?8-Engravers-Forum

    You can also change “exclude” to “include” and put the numbers in for the forums that you want to see, but then if Keith happens to add a forum you won’t see it. If you use “exclude” you’ll see posts from any new forums - until you decide you want to exclude it as well.

    NOTE: I put a space in the “http” so that it would show the URL as text and not as a link. As a link, it shortens them and you don’t see the full text.

    I hope this helps.
    Last edited by Thomas Bank; 08-08-2016 at 1:52 PM. Reason: Make links clear

  3. #3
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    John, there is a way, this is how I search only the forums I am interested in:

    How can I select certain new posts to look at & not look at others?

    This is my current hotlink, give it a try: (cut & paste into your browser) sawmillcreek.org/search.php?do=getnew&include=3,4,5,7,8,10,11,12,16 ,20,21,23,29,35,38,39,40,43,44,54,57,59,67,68

    I give a breakdown in post 6.
    Please help support the Creek.


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  4. #4
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    Thomas is right, we don't have the means to edit or customize forum displays.

    Several years ago our Server Admin Aaron Koehl programed a custom search that everyone here enjoyed. Every time he installed a software upgrade he had to modify is search program and in time it became way to time consuming to keep it working. vBulletin has a terrible track record of making programming changes that basically prevent any custom work on our end.

  5. #5
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    Thanks much for the answers. I'll try some things. I was in scientific/technical software design and development for almost 20 years (some of it in user interface design) so I understand the reasoning for some of the constraints programmers put on things. Maybe someone can suggest column reordering as a feature in a future version (if it looks useful).

    Regardless of the user interface, this forum is worth browsing.

    JKJ

  6. #6
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    I dislike the option but we are considering migrating to a new software platform. I know that some of our Members will not be happy about the changes but we have to move forward in order to offer new services. Running software that doesn't keep up with the times or fails to provide the necessary bells and whistles is a death sentence for an online community.

    We have purchased version 5 of vBulletin and have a test install now. It is very different than the version we are running now but it had hundreds of problems that Aaron had to resolve to get it running which is a serious concern. Should we decide to make the change Aaron is capable of managing the extraction manually but the program we are looking at supposedly has an automatic conversion from vBulletin to their program. The time we would be offline is unknown and there would be some major programing time required before the transition to get our banner advertising system and Friends of The Creek Directory working on a test install.

  7. #7
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    If it makes sense dump Vbulletin! I've been in that position before. It seems like a big deal now but you usually feel so much better once you've made the change to software that does what you want it to and that grows with you!

  8. #8
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    The left column (on mine at least) if a thread is new, or has a new post in it, it is highlighted in blue. (All new posts and ones with unread posts are highlighted.)

    Then if you click on the little arrow thingy at the left end of the title, it will take you to the first unread post. Even on a new post, this will take you to the first post, as it is yet unread.

    So a quick look down the left to find the threads you want is pretty easy. No need to search the right side at all.
    Funny, I don't remember being absent minded...

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Westfall View Post
    So a quick look down the left to find the threads you want is pretty easy. No need to search the right side at all.
    Yes, of course that navigation is easy.

    My point about scanning the far right column only concerns filtering by forum. For example, I personally have no interest in reading the Engraving messages. I do check for new posts in Turning, Shops, and others so I must (1) visually filter the forums, and (2) scan the message titles in those forums for threads of interest.

    (BTW, people with certain vision problems and some forms of dyslexia have more trouble scanning text than others.)

    So why not just click on Forums and then look only at each one of interest? Because some of interest only rarely have activity - you might check some for weeks and see no activity. Some people have less time for forums than others.

    At minimum, streamlined forum software would have a built-in way to filter the "new" list and display only messages from those forums in which a reader has an interest. Even better, it would prioritize and order the list with those forums of higher interest to a user at the top of the page. This could help if his forum browsing time is limited.

    Ideally, the customization could include ordering of the fields on a line. During my career as a software designer I constantly researched and implemented methods to optimize the user interface. I think there are ways to make finding and reading forum messages more efficient. Unfortunately, all of them require an investment.

    JKJ

  10. #10
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    [
    I]At minimum, streamlined forum software would have a built-in way to filter the "new" list and display only messages from those forums in which a reader has an interest. Even better, it would prioritize and order the list with those forums of higher interest to a user at the top of the page. This could help if his forum browsing time is limited.[/I]
    +++1 on this!

    Jim

  11. #11
    Here's what I use http://www.sawmillcreek.org/search.p...,40,4,10,12,23

    I have a bookmark on my bookmark bar and that's what's in the bookmark.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

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