New forum software

[MartyNeilan]

OUCH!
I am partially colorblind and have to really strain to read the new board. The old colorscheme was much more friendly to me. Is there any easy way to change the background, text, etc?
P.S. I still miss the OLD tubenet

[trseaman]

I first joined this board when Sean had just changed from the original format to the one he's just replaced. There was a lot of controversy then, a lot of nay-sayers and some people got mad and quit. The board continued to grow. It will continue to grow even with this change, a lot of people will get mad and a few will quit. My advice is to get used to change. It's still a good set-up and Sean will tweak it as needed. It will get better and you will become more familiar with it, then everything will be OK. This board is still a very valuable resource for boogerheads like me.

Exactly!

Sean, you might try changing over to the SubSilverII format and see if folks like it better...

Tim

[J.c. Sherman]

Yuck...

I always wonder why software makers feel they have to justify their new versions with "new looks" and whatnot when they have a popular format. Look at the huge failure of Windows Vista - "new" is not necessarily better.

Personally, I don't like the naveigation, the narrower text field, the chopped photos, the brighter, blinding background... blah blah.... I'm a complainer, no doubt.

"The old is good, not just because it's past; nor is the new supreme because we live with it" - Hindemith.

J.c.S.

[WoodSheddin]

Sean, you might try changing over to the SubSilverII format and see if folks like it better...

Tim

I did my changes in the prosilver template. I could also replicate them in subsilver, but it would be a pain to maintain 2 separate themes.

Honestly the colors are VERY VERY close between the two. It is mostly layout differences. Layout and to a lesser extent color can be adapted to over time by the end users. That is why I am going to wait long enough for people to adapt before coming to a REAL consensus.

BTW, I upped the font size from 10pt to 12pt default. Why they made 10pt the default I have no idea.

[Tom Holtz]

Having found the little [vA^] icon in the top right, I was disappointed to find that it's just a toggle between three font sizes, and the current font sizes aren't all that different from one another. I'm fine with what's available, but I can understand how some of our viewing audience may have trouble without a larger font available. (I help my mom figure out her computer.) Can the style sheet be tweaked to have one much larger font available from that toggle?

I had first gone to the User Control Panel and clicked the Board Preferences tab looking for a way to boost the font size. Is there an additional preference for font size that could be enabled without having to load a bunch of new themes/skins for the board? I know zippy about phpbb3 or whatever this is. All I know is that other than it's initial appearance, it's pretty much the same as the previous software. Good to go.

Wow! After hitting Submit, the software alerted me that new posts had been made since I started typing, and let me scope those out before posting my reply. I love that.

[ThomasDodd]

As far as the look issue, how about some other themes?

There looks to be a few styles/themes available for V3 already
http://swanky.byethost13.com/
http://demo.phpbb3styles.net/index.php? ... 354f361651
http://www.stsoftware.biz/phpbb3/index. ... e=acidtech

Or an updated version of Aphrodite like Wayne has on his board?
http://www.freestylexl.com/demo/index.p ... =aphrodite

Maybe even a custom TubeNet theme?

[WoodSheddin]

Having found the little [vA^] icon in the top right, I was disappointed to find that it's just a toggle between three font sizes, and the current font sizes aren't all that different from one another.

Tom,

Give it a try now. I upped the font sizes. Default is now 12pt and the others are 14pt and 16pt.

[JCalkin]

I like the little orange button next to the topic name that jumps you right to the earliest post you haven't read. That's quite useful.

I liked in the previous version that when you clicked a link, it opened a new tab/window in my browser. That way if someone posted a link to a video or tune, it would not replace what I was reading on TubeNet and I could continue reading while the tune/vid/whatever was playing in the background.

Can we default all clicked links to a new tab/window in this version?

I like the new version overall... thanks for your continued hard work on this site, Sean!

[WoodSheddin]

Can we default all clicked links to a new tab/window in this version?

Good point. Let me look into that.

[sloan]

might not be a bug, maybe just a size problem but some of the posted pics aren't fully showing up in posts such as:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27280

cheers!

the images have completely disappeared from the For Sale thread for the Holton Collegiate. I now see HTML instead of images.

[Rick F]

might not be a bug, maybe just a size problem but some of the posted pics aren't fully showing up in posts such as:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27280

cheers!

The images have completely disappeared from the For Sale thread for the Holton Collegiate. I now see HTML instead of images.

I see the pics of the horn below the ad. They are pretty big and maybe that's why they're below the text.

[tubasinfonian]

Sean, thanks for upping the font sizes. This is an immediate improvement from any problems I was having with the site, and probably for many others as well!

[ThomasDodd]

Can we default all clicked links to a new tab/window in this version?

Good point. Let me look into that.

I prefer not. If the default is a new tab/window they is no way to override that.

But if the default is the same tab/window the browser can ope those links in a new tab/window based on the user's preferences.

Example, I have Firefox (an IE7) both set to open in a new tab if I click a link with the middle button. I could change that behavior to be a new window instead. I can right click a link and choose new tab or new window anytime I don't want my "default". Left click defaults to current window, but I believe it can be changed as well.

If the forum is set to override that it is quite annoying (I know a forum that does that).

[Yosef: Tubist]

It seems like the problem with those pictures mentioned in the For Sale Section might be the same thing that was wrong with my signature, I used HTML originally to make the text bold and Italicized. And over to the right(when posting), it no longer says HTML is ON.. It would seem that HTML has been disabled with the integration to the new software...




I like this smiley too and it's been around for a while, but i didn't know how to use it before, I'm glad that it is in the smiley section

[WoodSheddin]

It seems like the problem with those pictures mentioned in the For Sale Section might be the same thing that was wrong with my signature, I used HTML originally to make the text bold and Italicized. And over to the right(when posting), it no longer says HTML is ON.. It would seem that HTML has been disabled with the integration to the new software...

Good catch. That is exactly what happened. HTML no longer works here. Gotta use the BBCODE equivalent.
faq.php#f31

[WoodSheddin]

Looks fine to me, just like every other board I'm on.

One question: Where's your pm inbox? I can't find it.

Here ya go.

[Alex F]

I'm having some readability problems but, mainly contrast related, this may just be a matter of getting familiar with the new format. My suggestion at this stage is that a separator line be placed between posts in each thread. Some posters have a habit of leaving lots of blank space in their posts (Bob1062 comes to mind) and posts with several quotes, photos, cartoons, etc. can make it hard to see where one post ends and the next begins, even with the bold post headings.

[iiipopes]

Likewise. There are readability problems due to insufficient contrast between the light blue and the white as opposed to the various greys of the other.

This software does not handle quotes and attachments nearly as well as the prior software. For example, (since it is a place quotes are frequently used to keep the flow going) the limerick thread is very loose and hard to read as opposed to the tight handling of the posts on the former software.

[GC]

I think that there are four things that bother me about the appearance. First, the board only goes across part of the visible window because of the space left for ads on the right side. When I used Adblock to remove the ad, the board went all the way across the page. I allowed the ads back in, though; this is one of the few sites where I actually like the advertisements.

Second, the font that you're using has a lot of whitespace between the lines, and it makes each post take up a lot of vertical space.

Third, I wish there was a bit more contrast between the two colors used to separate each post. Just plain white would probably work better than the light gray.

Fourth, the little area on the right where user information and personal pics go is pretty large. If it was a little smaller, it would leave a touch more horizontal room for the post.

Thanks for your work on this and for maintaining the board all these years. This is a unique resource, and those of us who are here regularly really appreciate it.

[bobcatpilot]

I prefer the user icons on the left side of the screen. I'm being picky, but it's my .02