Forum questions and suggestions directed to Admin

AdagioM

@ShiroKuro I’ve run into the “too short post” twice already; I guess I like short answers!

ShiroKuro

Me too. ("me too" is too short btw

Axtremus

@wtg said in Forum questions and suggestions directed to Admin:

Minimum post length. @Jack-Frost discovered that the minimum number of characters for a post is 8 ...

Reduced "minimum title length" and "minimum post length" to 1 by popular request.

ShiroKuro

Thanks Ax!

wtg

So as folks test the waters here we will begin to develop a list of likes/dislikes. It's very rich functionally, but I'm still at that initial stage of getting to feel like it's a comfortable fit.

I'm seeing some things that I'd like to get your input on as you use the software. Because we have control of the software, we can make global changes to the overall style/format so that it works well for as many people as possible. And each user can select a skin. The good news is that we have a lot of choices. The bad news is that we have a lot of choices.

So far my take is that the style, the overall look of the forum, is OK but I think there are better ones. The one TNCR uses, for instance.. I think they started with the one we are using here but subsequently switched to this:

https://nodebb.the-new-coffee-room.club/category/2/general-discussion

Thoughts on the overall layout? Font sizes? Let's just start with those.

Ax increased the font size. Need to go bigger? Keep as is?

ShiroKuro

For now I think the font size is good.

I don't necessarily like the look of TNCR any better than this site's current look.... I like it how it is right now actually. Maybe others can chime in?

wtg

Yup. Like all things community, the forum appearance is a compromise! But at least one under our control.

eta: And we need the over 60 crowd to comment.

Axtremus

FYI, right now WTF-Beta uses the "Persona" theme, TNCR uses the "Harmony" theme.
Each individual user gets to choose which "skin" to use -- "skin" large deals with colors.
"Theme" is set for the entire forum -- "theme" deals with layouts.

Changing "skin" can be easily done anytime by an individual user.
Changing "theme" needs an admin to select the intended "theme" and then restart the forum software for the new theme to take effect.

ShiroKuro

Improbably should play with the skins a bit …

If just makes me think of “it takes the lotion from the basket…”

wtg

I've gone thru almost all of them. I'll like a particular one for a while but then find some screen where the contrast or colors don't work for me. And it's so bad that I can't understand how whoever designed it did it that say. Sort of like black text on a black background problem. Or text that washes out.

I'm back to the default skin, which is no skin.

Nina

I'm on my android phone and the interface is good, but I wouldn't mind a larger font.

wtg

I know, old person gripe...

The emojis are kind of small. I wonder if there's another set that has bigger emojis.

Anyone else having trouble seeing them?

AdagioM

I like the dark backgrounds like Superhero and Darkly. But quoted text on gray can be hard in the sunshine.

wtg

I'm trying Vapor right now. I'm almost exclusively on a laptop or iPad.

wtg

Well that was short-lived. I've moved on to Sandstone...

ShiroKuro

ShiroKuro

I imagine this is not an option, but I wish this forum had a “like” button so you could like posts. They have it at Piano Tell and it’s really nice.

wtg

Will check it out and get back with more info. Or maybe @Axtremus will see this and will know off the top of his head. I'd be surprised if that feature isn't available.

ShiroKuro

Here's what is looks like at Piano Tell:

wtg

Yes, I think that option to turn on that feature is pretty standard in most modern bulletin board software.

I just talked to @Axtremus and he said he will look at all the open items that have come up when he has a chance, but his schedule is quite full this week. I will try to look around, but my tech skill set is extremely limited and right now I'm mostly here to approve registration requests and to experiment with the site as a user, not an admin. I haven't been active in behind-the-scenes work since 1997. I have a lot of catching up to do and don't want to experiment and end up taking down the whole place.

But at least we know we can do a lot things if we want to!