New forum software

[Rick Denney]

I'm not at all colorblind (at least that I'm aware of), and I still think it is difficult to tell the difference between the two at a glance. If I'm not mistaken the old software highlighted the whole row of the topic instead of just having a different-colored icon.

I don't have this problem at all. Red and Blue are about as opposite as it gets. Those who are red-blue colorblind might have the problem, and some of those people might be old monitors with fried phosphors, cheap laptop LCD's, or monitors connected through crappy VGA cables. Some monitors in particular don't display red well at all. If you are not colorblind, try downloading monitor calibration software and see if you can improve the accuracy of your color display.

But I also know that when I provide electronic documents to the Feds that are required to comply with Section 508 requirements for readers with disabilities, I am not allowed to use color as the only means of displaying information, unless I provide an alternative text description that also explains the display.

Rick "who would rather scroll than squint" Denney

[ThomasDodd]

I'm not at all colorblind (at least that I'm aware of), and I still think it is difficult to tell the difference between the two at a glance. If I'm not mistaken the old software highlighted the whole row of the topic instead of just having a different-colored icon.

Not that I remember. The one page that I still have open with the old interface only shows the new posts icon.
But, they were a bit clearer, and easier to differentiate.

Clipboard03.jpg

and some of those people might be old monitors with fried phosphors, cheap laptop LCD's, or monitors connected through crappy VGA cables. Some monitors in particular don't display red well at all. If you are not colorblind, try downloading monitor calibration software and see if you can improve the accuracy of your color display.

Agree, display and cabling issues could be a big part of it.
The old "white page" vs a "tan page" was easier to notice. Color or no color is easier.
(what color was that? A brown? RBG=246/191/136)


The icons are just images, but changing them is difficult later.
Since prosilver is the default theme, updates to the forum software will overwrite the changes.
Make a clone, then editing means tracking changes in the theme for bug fixes and such.
Both are a big pain for the webmaster, that's why so many forum just use the default theme.

[sloan]

... Red and Blue are about as opposite as it gets.

Rick exposes his bias as a physicist rather than a student of human color perception. Red and Blue are actually fairly close. Red-Green or Blue-Yellow are much further apart (perceptually) than Red-Blue.

But I also know that when I provide electronic documents to the Feds that are required to comply with Section 508 requirements for readers with disabilities, I am not allowed to use color as the only means of displaying information, unless I provide an alternative text description that also explains the display.

Another solution is to always have an INTENSITY contrast in addition to the chromatic difference. Perhaps the worst possible design uses colors that are all the same intensity and vary only in hue/saturation. This was the key attribute of "psychedelic" posters from the '60s.

Best, of course, is for all symbols to differ in shape, intensity, and color (in that order).

Rick "who would rather scroll than squint" Denney

I would rather have the choice - hence my call for a wider RANGE of sizes. What works on a light-weight laptop is not what works on the 40" wall-mounted display.

[WoodSheddin]

WE need some way to get rid of, or at least move the Google ad on the right hand side of the page, as it is obscurring part of many posts.

Hint: Firefox; Adblock.

Rick "google is your friend" Denney

The Google Ads are a not unsubstantial part of what pays for this website's existence. Blocking them has a direct financial effect here.

[joshwirt]

unable to search for 'B&S'. says query is too short. is there a whitelist you can add manufacturer abbreviations to?

thanks! lots of good things about the new software.

-Josh

[PWtuba]

Now that I've been using the new software for a while, I'm changing my opinion. I think the new format is easy to read, easy to use, and more efficient in some ways. I do miss the old format, but I think this will do just fine.

[Wyvern]

I use the New posts facility quite a lot and in that view you cannot see which forum a new post is in, unlike the old software.

The change may be inevitable, but so far I much prefer the old software. It seemed more user friendly and better structured.

[Rick Denney]

The Google Ads are a not unsubstantial part of what pays for this website's existence. Blocking them has a direct financial effect here.

Does blocking them prevent them from being downloaded or does it merely prevent them from being displayed?

In any case, I can't abide them for various reasons, so I'd be happy to send you a check instead.

Rick "who pays for commercial-free TV, too" Denney

[WoodSheddin]

The Google Ads are a not unsubstantial part of what pays for this website's existence. Blocking them has a direct financial effect here.

Does blocking them prevent them from being downloaded or does it merely prevent them from being displayed?

In any case, I can't abide them for various reasons, so I'd be happy to send you a check instead.

Rick "who pays for commercial-free TV, too" Denney

dont go that far

Google ads pay when people visit the sponsors. I just wouldn't want everyone blocking them out is all.

[windshieldbug]

I use the New posts facility quite a lot and in that view you cannot see which forum a new post is in, unlike the old software.

The change may be inevitable, but so far I much prefer the old software. It seemed more user friendly and better structured.

If you look just below the post name, you will see another line that says (something to the effect of) "by WoodSheddin on Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:12 am in FeedBack"

It tells you right there!

[Uncle Buck]

This is a minor issue, but maybe someone could tell me how to fix it in my personal settings.

On the old system, once I was logged in, if I visited for example the "For Sale" listings, I could see which had new posts, and decide which ones to look at.

Then, when I returned later, the threads marked as having new posts (red icons in the new system), would only include the threads that had new posts since I visited the entire "For Sale" area. So, if there was a "For Sale" thread that I hadn't looked at individually, but had no new posts since the last time I visited "For Sale", that thread would not have the "new posts" icon.

It seems that now, this feature is limited only to the threads I have actually looked at. For example, if I visit the "For Sale" area a lot, but choose never to click on Bob's thread for his two e-flat horns and a trombone, then every time I go back to "For Sale" that thread has the red "new post" icon, even though there have been no new posts since the last time I visited "For Sale."

Sorry if my description is a little discombobulated. I've been through the User Settings to try to see if I can change it on my user view preferences, but couldn't find anything. If anyone knows anything I've missed, I'd appreciate it.

And, if there's no way to fix it in my personal settings, I'll just get used to the new way. It just means I have to actually read the information (last post on XX date at XX time, etc.)

[ThomasDodd]

I actually prefer they new tracking. That way if I start looking at a sub-forum/area and get distracted/hit reload/etc I still know what I have not looked at.

You can get the behavior you want with an extra step.
After reading all the threads you are interested in, click the "Mark topics read " link at the top of the page.

MarkAllRead.jpg

That'll mark all the threads as read so net visit you'll olyt see new posts since you list hit the link.

[ThomasDodd]

Cool feature in the new SW.

Managing attachments. I've not seen it in other forum software.
(Control panel-> Overview->Manage Attachements)

manageAttachemnets.jpg

Oh, and the "Place inline" option for attachments is nice too. Again, first Sw I've seen that allows that. Others just append them at the end after the signature. To get images mixed with the text in other SW requires an external host or album/gallery add-on that still requires a separate upload.

[windshieldbug]

Cool feature in the new SW.

Managing attachments. I've not seen it in other forum software.

Oh, and the "Place inline option for attachments is nice too. Again, first SS I've seen that allows that. Other just append them at the end after the signature). To get images mixed with the text in other SW requires an external host or album/gallery add-on that still requires and separate upload.

[Uncle Buck]

After reading all the threads you are interested in, click the "Mark topics read " link at the top of the page.

Thanks!!

[ThomasDodd]

Also note:
Clicking on an image that has a vertical scroll bar, will display it without the vertical scroll.
(Like the one above)

It also widens the view port as much as it can (based on window size).

[Rick Denney]

I actually prefer they new tracking. That way if I start looking at a sub-forum/area and get distracted/hit reload/etc I still know what I have not looked at.

You can get the behavior you want with an extra step.
After reading all the threads you are interested in, click the "Mark topics read " link at the top of the page.

Yes, I also consider this a significant improvement. Before, if I logged onto Tubenet and then got distracted for a while (say, by, you know, work), it would show everything read and clicking on "unread posts" would return "No new posts since you last visit". I'm sure there were parts of threads I was following that I missed because of that.

The new software remembers forever what I have not read, and gives me the option of when to mark everything read. That is a big improvement.

Rick "finding no annoyances after a week" Denney

[Uncle Buck]

Might be interesting to post a new poll - I bet by now some people who originally answered "no" to the poll would change their vote.

[Wyvern]

Might be interesting to post a new poll - I bet by now some people who originally answered "no" to the poll would change their vote.

I admit there are some nice features, but the fact that it will not display on my Palmtop means I would still vote a big NO.

Incidentally one of my friends using an old Mac, cannot post to the new forum. I wonder how many other TubeNeters with older software are in that situation?

Jonathan "who is no Luddite"

[gwwilk]

Might be interesting to post a new poll - I bet by now some people who originally answered "no" to the poll would change their vote.

As Sean pointed out to me way earlier in this thread, anyone can change their vote whenever they want with the new forum software. Just do it! No new poll is required as these polls are maintained and updated in real time by the software. They're not static/fixed but fluid/real-time-modifiable now. This is a really cool feature and it might even cause some to change their vote