Forum Updates Log

[Joel]

Hello!

This thread here will keep track of any minor updates or features we change/update/remove on the forum so you can keep in the know with whats going on.

You're welcome to comment here and give feedback or ask questions about any new features or changes.

Friday 27th August - NEW

• Removed shoutbox due to a reported security incident on another forum using the shoutbox, and the modification no longer being maintained, thus phpBB issuing a "do not use and remove" recommendation for the mod. We'll look into replacing it with another similar function if available.

Tuesday 3rd August 2010

• We've updated our Facebook integration behind the scenes
• New Facebook 'Like' options on public threads at the bottom of each thread
• Began tidy up of forum graphics to transition into line with the new look TowersTimes.

Thursday 5th August 2010

• Reordered the post edit/quote/rep buttons
• Removed old site menu and old forum menu
• Added new menu code using base code from new site
• Added new "profile card" to replace clunky old menu. This "card" will be seen across the whole of the new site, and not just forums.
• Refined template code again, removing bulk not needed, removed old Javascript frameworks and code snippets not used
• Retired the old scrolling news ticker at the bottom of the page again as it used old JavaScript framework and was resource consuming

That's about all the changes. I guess the scariest one for people is losing the familiar forum menu, however all the important links are still available, albeit it in different locations.

You'll find:

- Chat - on the main site menu for now
- Inbox - under your name on your profile card, along with new message count
- Profile - under your name again, or click your name or avatar
- Logout - under your name again
- Search - there's a new big search button on the end of the main menu, under profile card
- FAQ - pointless page that's never looked at, so removed
- RSS Feeds - temporarily retired due to lack of use and out of date code. Will look to reinstating in near future in a new location

The team can find their CP links also underneath the main links on their profile cards.

We are still testing everything out as much as possible, so if you notice any oddities please report them to us in this thread.

Thanks guys!

Joel

[Leighton123]

Personally, I dislike the new layout..Everything looks a little bit cluttered and bulky...Is there anyway to save the old forum layout as a theme so we can switch back and forth should we want to?

[James]

I'm liking the new Facebook 'like' option. The new graphics are looking great too.

[Islander]

Are there more forum changes to come? The new icons don't really seem to match with the rest of the old style, IMO.

Though thanks as always for all your hard work - much appreciated

[DiogoJ42]

Nice new graphics so far, Joel. Nice big, easy-to-click-on-an-iPrat rep buttons get my vote.

But seriously, what perpose does this "like" gizmo serve? Is that for giving a rep to the thread, not the user?

[Islander]

[quote=""DiogoJ42""]But seriously, what perpose does this "like" gizmo serve? Is that for giving a rep to the thread, not the user? [/quote]
It's a Facebook thing - you 'like' the thread, and it will appear on your FB wall for all your friends to see. Sam makes some interesting points about it here...

[DiogoJ42]

Just seen that. *dislikes this*

[oldgitBEN]

but i dont want my friends in the real world to know how geeky i am and go on ttf.

I do not like the like,
well i dont like the like that is the like for the thread on the facebook like, i like the like where you like the member like not the thread like not the facebook like the person like.
All clear?

[Benedique]

I like it 8). Thanks for the hard work Joelyyy & team

[Big Dave]

The new buttons may seem bulky and stuff now, but bear in mind that this is just the beginning of a series of changes. Im sure it will look better when finished.

[Joel]

[quote=""Islander""]Are there more forum changes to come? The new icons don't really seem to match with the rest of the old style, IMO.

Though thanks as always for all your hard work - much appreciated [/quote]

Yeah, I appreciate it's a bit of a mish mash between old and new, but hopefully with the shock of the change over it will become the norm for most people again.

It's still my intention to overhaul the look of the forum, particularly as we have a shiney new site design, so they both match each other. However big changes always go down badly, so as I've said for a while we'll break the changes down into more manageable chunks for people to accustom to.

So, in short, yes theres more changes to come. And to the delight and dismay of some, phpBB has just approved an RFC to remove the subsilver2 support, hooks and design in the next phpBB release, and (un?)fortunately this template you see is a subsilver2 variant.

So i have little choice now but to try and remove it, or never upgrade phpBB again lol

[DiogoJ42]

[quote=""Joel""] phpBB has just approved an RFC to remove the subsilver2 support, hooks and design in the next phpBB release, and (un?)fortunately this template you see is a subsilver2 variant. [/quote] :-k

I'm sure whatever you just said is very important. But all I saw was [quote=""Joel""]00101100101110100001011011100101011100010100001010110010011010
10110111101001000111001001100010010001100010100011001001001010
00101010000100111110011010101010000010101000001010101001000011
11001000101101010101111000001010101010000101010001010100001110
10011000011101000101010000001010010101111010001010100001010100
00101001010100100101010000010101010010000010101000110100000101
01010101010100000001010101010000000000000101101010100001010101[/quote]

[haydn!]

I like the new buttons, the only thing I'd change is the order of the "plus, minus, quote and report" buttons at the foot of each post. The quote in the middle seems a little disjointed. Maybe start with quote, then the other three icons, or change the plus, minus and report icons to buttons that match quote... but still in their respective colours?

Other than that little thing, the other buttons are great!

[Joel]

[quote=""haydn!""]I like the new buttons, the only thing I'd change is the order of the "plus, minus, quote and report" buttons at the foot of each post. The quote in the middle seems a little disjointed. Maybe start with quote, then the other three icons, or change the plus, minus and report icons to buttons that match quote... but still in their respective colours?

Other than that little thing, the other buttons are great![/quote]

Hi haydn,

Thanks for the feedback. That's quite a good point you raise actually, and I shall review them tonight and reorder them, hopefully not confusing too many people!

The team see more buttons than the standard ones you see, so it doesn't quite look as bad from our view. Just need to make sure the team don't get buttons confused when I move them, could be interesting otherwise lol.

(Our view - [url=http://twitpic.com/2ba3ch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://twitpic.com/2ba3ch[/url] )

Thanks again, I'll get that one fixed!

[Sam]

Just to add to Haydn's point slightly.

While you rearrange them I think you should put a gap of a few centimetres between quote/plus/minus and report, so it's harder to accidentally click report.

[[Archive]]

Just to say I really like the new designs and I am sure it will all look great when the new site is launched. :yes:

I have noticed that a few features are not available and the index page has been reverted. So have they been called back just to have little changes made to them? I know it was mentioned here that the buttons below each post were slightly off.

As for the index logos... Gold orb previously meant new posts, but now white means new posts. And white orb meant no new posts, and now faded out logo means no new posts. It does take some getting used to. Have they been recalled to be refined or something? That would be nice.

[Johno]

How can you tell when you've already read all the threads in a board?

It used to change colour?

[DiogoJ42]

If there is are new posts you should see a small orange icon next to the topic title. If you click it, you go straight to the first post you haven't read.

[Joel]

[quote=""Johno""]How can you tell when you've already read all the threads in a board?

It used to change colour?[/quote]

It still does, as per the key at the bottom of the forum index:

= New Posts
= No New Posts

[Khanage]

I like it Joel. People will always moan about change but after a while they'll forget what the old one looked like. Anyone actually remember what old Facebook looked like? There was loads of hoo har about that changing but I sure as hell can't remember what it looked like!

I am looking forward to the new Towers Times being unleashed. I was impressed with the beta last year