MacRumors Forum Upgrade and Redesign

[Doctor Q]

I've been looking at the Display Mode choices: Linear, Hybrid, and Threaded. My observations:

In Linear mode, you see all posts to the thread, each with its post # within the thread.

In Theaded mode, you see the reply-structure (as a tree) for the thread, followed by one post. You can click a post in the tree to see that post below. Again, the post # within the thread is shown.

In Hybrid mode, you see the tree plus a number of posts below. When you click a post in the tree, the post display changes to cover only that post and its descendants. In this case, the post #s shown are within the subset, not within the whole thread. This might be misleading if you try to find the same post in the other modes.

As you switch from one mode to another, it remembers which post(s) you selected.

One last thing: In Threaded mode, there is no post reply button at the bottom, only at the top. In Linear and Hybrid mode, you get post reply buttons at the top and bottom of the display.

 

[Squire]

This is so much better than the old design if you ask me. - Very nice work.

I think it is much more functional.

Ditto. I was going to ask how you quote but I see that it does it automatically. I was also going to suggest putting the FAQ section at the top or something but I see it's already there. Good job.

Squire

P.S. Sorry about emailing you regarding my login problems, Arn.

 

[Rower_CPU]

rdowns-
arn has to fix the permissions on the Private forum. We had non-demis sneaking in when the new forum first fired up.

Once that's all fixed, we'll have access to those forums again.

 

[WM.]

You know you can easily change the display text size in Safari by hitting the Apple and + or - keys.

Yes, I'm aware of that. Unfortunately, changing the size like that only affects one tab. I don't want to have to hit cmd-"-" every time I create a new tab or window. That would be very Microsoftian.

The other problem is that using cmd-"-" makes all the text smaller, including the buttons and menus! (I'm sure that's a feature, not a bug.) So now all the post-editing controls are mini instead of small, which sucks. I'd rather have a site-wide preference where I could set post text to be 12 point or whatever, and (ideally) usernames to be the same size but bold, while not making already-small sig text any smaller, etc. I have Safari set to "never use font sizes smaller than" 9 pt, and I think using cmd-"-" will override that, so now a lot of the text is smaller than I'd like.

I think this is all an evil arn conspiracy to get me to pony up the $20/yr for Contributorship so my bitching will carry more weight.

WM

 

[Blaaze]

looks great arn

 

[Photorun]

As also, great job Arn. Thanks for the hard work and making one of the best news and rumors sites better and better all the time!

 

[trog]

It looks beautiful

Your site and your forums just keep getting better and better.

Hmmm... how many posts do I have, can I make an avatar.... doh!

 

[Wonder Boy]

I meant different as meaning better, that's all. The Mac Rumors forums looked very, very different from every other forum I've been too.

ok, i get ya.

 

[benixau]

Forum upgrade

Lickable

 

[CTerry]

vB3?

Personally as a forum administrator myself, I prefer IPB (tis even developed on a Mac , the developer has to use Virtual PC to make sure his updates work on Windows machines ) to vB 3, but then I prefer vB 2 to vB 3 which I find a bit bloated. But then its all about personal preference.

Nice forum skin though, quite impressive. Ive been a bit of a lurker for a while now, not a bad skin at all.

 

[rjrufo]

rjrufo, iChatAV is an AIM client by reason of the partnership between Apple and AOL.

Some of the AOL / iChatAV confusion comes from the appearance of the AIM icon itself, which is the point I was trying to make in Post #41, asking arn to use the iChatAV icon instead.

I know that iChat is an AIM client, but for some reason, when I click on the AIM icon, I can't send an IM.

First, when I click on the icon, a pop up window appears with the following message:

AIM

Send Message Via AIM to rjrufo (rjrufo)

Add rjrufo to your contact list

Send rjrufo a message

Please note that these functions require that you actually have the AOL Instant Messenger application installed on your computer.

I don't have, and will not install the AOL Instant Messenger application. I use iChat exclusively (not iChatAV... yet).
Then, if I click on one of the links, I get the following message:

Can't go to address
Cannot go to “aim:addbuddy?screenname=rjrufo”, because Mac OS X doesn’t recognize addresses starting with “aim:”.

or

Can't go to address
Cannot go to “aim:goim?screenname=rjrufo&message=Hi.+Are+you+there?”, because Mac OS X doesn’t recognize addresses starting with “aim:”.

 

[TrenchMouth]

wow looks and works great, i wish all the forums that i posted in worked as well as this one now. sure the smilies arent all that great, but i can deal with that. everything else feels much better. good job.

 

[MacRAND]

Add AIM to your Applications Folder, just use iChatAV all the time

Sure, it would be nice if arn could figure out a way for us to use iChatAV instead.

However, he may be unable to do so.

When I tried to send myself an Instant Message from my iBook by clicking on the link "Send Message Via AIM"
AOL's AIM software automatically opened from my applications folder (Not iChatAV), and that program provided an Instant Message text box. Not sure if iChatAV is designed to do exactly this yet. I'm not sure that it's the regular Text Box or not, because I only use iChatAV all the time.So my advice if you want to use Instant Messaging through MacRumors and their servers, download AIM at: [B]http://www.aim.com/download.adp?aolp=[/B]
I also have to have MSN Messenger active for several of my clients who do not have or do not want to use AIM or iChatAV.

But absolutely the coolest new hyperlink / AppleScript capability that arn has provided for us in his newest design is the [/B]
which at least sets the person up in your AIM Buddy List, and then
all you have to do is Copy/Paste that person's AIM Name to your Apple Address Book along with their MacRumors' handle and real name if you know it, then ADD the macperson to your iChatAV Buddy List.
Oh, I feel an AppleScript in the making - someone out there please use your skills and talent to do this for us (I can't, not me...)

rjrufo, If you want to take advantage of this wonderful capability, download AIM...then use iChatAV all the rest of the time. It's called a temporary work around, until arn figures out how to incorporate iChatAV into the website for us. Remember, AIM is not like loading AOL, that's where I draw the line!

rjrufo, just put you on my iChatAV Buddy List, hope to see / hear you online.

 

[Macmaniac]

One idea

I have seen this used on other v.bulletin sites, they have a reputation meter that allows people to leave positive and negative feedback on each other, so for help forums will be enhanced by knowing you are getting advice from a trusted person.

 

[Frisco]

The new look is much easier on the eyes. Before my eyes strained when I read a lot--this is much brighter and no strain on my eyes.

Great Work!

 

[TimDaddy]

Fresh and clean! I like the new look. Keep up the good work.

 

[Awimoway]

Very nice work. The improvements will be appreciated. Inevitably, there are few things I miss, of course:

• I miss the OS X look, although I admit that it wasn't perfect
• I, too, hope we can the post count display
• I agree that the graphics look too Windows XP-ish and look forward to the improved work on them

 

[Wardofsky]

A very nice upgrade, I'll use it more now :0
It's like gettin an OS upgrade

 

[blueBomber]

Art Deco Forums

I kinda like the monochromatic look, reminds me of my first mac

 

[Krizoitz]

Colors

I have to agree with other posters about the colors. I find that the page is too white and the date bar, and the poster info box are too similar to the white background. I think darker more contrasting colors would be better, its one of the reasons I stuck with the default appearance over the OS X one. If possible it might be helpful to allow the user to specify those color changes.

Also I miss the yellower smilies. I actually really like the iChat style smilies, these ones seem so, um, System 7.

 

[WM.]

Well, evidently nobody cares about my complaints , but I'll continue to bring it up if things stay as they are....Not to plug other sites or anything, but after taking a peek around the rest of the Mac Web I think I like AppleInsider's take on vBulletin pretty well (though I don't know what version they're using). With a lighter gray for the background I don't think that would be half bad. I also like that the sigs are an unobtrusive color and in a smaller font--after the first few times I really don't need to see someone's sig over and over again (speaking of which...I should probably change mine!). N.B. I don't post on AI, and I don't read it nearly as much as this site.

I also post on a (non-Mac) site that uses Little Hamsters in a Cage. I like the form and function of that one too. But I doubt it's very easy to switch forum software, so I wouldn't ask arn to do that.

BTW, this might not be such a big deal if OmniWeb had horizontal tabs and a newer version of WebCore--I'd take advantage of its site-specific preferences to make the text the "right" size (OW probably doesn't use mini controls either). But on a community-oriented site, I shouldn't have to rely on a for-pay browser to make it usable on my Mac--which I don't think is that unreasonable. Things were just fine with me under version 2, text-wise.

Always rocking the boat...
WM

edit: Okay, the sig is gray and smaller now...

 

[WM.]

Gosh, Krizoitz, I didn't realize how much we had in common! I look to be about ten posts and eight days of membership ahead of you, and my birthday's off by a few months, but otherwise: occupation, location, time of most recent post, and, like I said, post count and date of registration...



WM

 

[iBrodie]

Looks Great

Just wanted to say it looks great

I have been Lurking on MR for a year now and I finaly thought I would come join the fun.

 

[iChan]

feels like i will never get to 500 posts

 

[MacRAND]

Never make it to 500!

feels like i will never get to 500 posts

Ha, Ha. You're post 99 and I'm post 100.
500, here WE come. Pull again for the JACKPOT!