[!] New Forum Features!!

[Resonance]

Saying that it depends on how much I'm zoomed in. If I zoom out enough (ctrl and - button 4 times) I can see both lists. I can't read sweet fa though because the text is tiny.

So it will depend on how big people like the text as well.

What about shrinking the general list to say 15??

[smeggypants]

I've already shrunk the general list, but then threads disappear of it too quickly if you make it too small. It's a difficult one to get right as the list is very handy, but it does also mean that anything not on the list tends to get forgotten, unless you deliberaetly enter a sub-forum.

I have to admit I rarely look elsewhere than the main list

[Resonance]

I've already shrunk the general list, but then threads disappear of it too quickly if you make it too small. It's a difficult one to get right as the list is very handy, but it does also mean that anything not on the list tends to get forgotten, unless you deliberaetly enter a sub-forum.

I have to admit I rarely look elsewhere than the main list

Yes, me too. Just about the only time I go into a sub-forum is if I'm starting a thread.

99% of the time I just look at the topics list and the 'view your topics' bit.

Is an expandable topics list possible? Say 15 lines visible and then a clickable + sign to expand the list?

[smeggypants]

I've already shrunk the general list, but then threads disappear of it too quickly if you make it too small. It's a difficult one to get right as the list is very handy, but it does also mean that anything not on the list tends to get forgotten, unless you deliberaetly enter a sub-forum.

I have to admit I rarely look elsewhere than the main list

Yes, me too. Just about the only time I go into a sub-forum is if I'm starting a thread.

99% of the time I just look at the topics list and the 'view your topics' bit.

Is an expandable topics list possible? Say 15 lines visible and then a clickable + sign to expand the list?

Yup you could certainly program a button click able to toggle the size of the list - I was wondering if a cookie value could be used to customise various view features and save them per user. It would annoying to have to expand a list everytime you returned to the main page

[Resonance]

Yup you could certainly program a button click able to toggle the size of the list - I was wondering if a cookie value could be used to customise various view features and save them per user. It would annoying to have to expand a list everytime you returned to the main page

Sounds like a good idea

More messing about for you though Smeggy. Would it be difficult to do?

[smeggypants]

Yup you could certainly program a button click able to toggle the size of the list - I was wondering if a cookie value could be used to customise various view features and save them per user. It would annoying to have to expand a list everytime you returned to the main page

Sounds like a good idea

More messing about for you though Smeggy. Would it be difficult to do?

I'd have to research into cookie programming. Not something I'm au fait with really, although I've briefly come across it.

The hard bit isn't the programming though it's the ergonomics. i.e designing an interface that caters for as many diverse tastes as possible and also making it intuitive. Too many options can be too complex and put people off. The trick is to make the interface simple and have the more advance features in sub-layers, but intuitively and quickly available

[Resonance]

Sounds like a bit of a headache for you.

What about narrowing the width the topic lists a bit. Putting politics list on the left hand side of the forums, general list on the right and then shifting some of the stuff presently on the left somewhere else?

You could leave the politics list about the same length as now, so the image galleries could stay. Maybe get rid of the 'who's online' bit (as we have that at the bottom) and shift the external links, politics, videos etc box somewhere else, to the top maybe??

Either that or just shift everything on the left downwards to make space for the politics list?

Not sure if it would look very pretty though. Just kicking a few ideas around.

[smeggypants]

Sounds like a bit of a headache for you.

What about narrowing the width the topic lists a bit. Putting politics list on the left hand side of the forums, general list on the right and then shifting some of the stuff presently on the left somewhere else?

You could leave the politics list about the same length as now, so the image galleries could stay. Maybe get rid of the 'who's online' bit (as we have that at the bottom) and shift the external links, politics, videos etc box somewhere else, to the top maybe??

Either that or just shift everything on the left downwards to make space for the politics list?

Not sure if it would look very pretty though. Just kicking a few ideas around.

I did think about having two columns side by side for the top topics lists. Wouldn't be hassle for peeps with 1600 wide monitors, but the forum column would look too squashed for most people.

There is a way to find out the browser size of the client ( user ), so you could tailor the view for different monitor sizes but it requires a lot of interactive code and being complex you've got the added higher probability of bugs etc.

Keep kicking ideas about

[diablo]

My monitor (17", 1280 x 768) is under the TV and about 7 to 11 feet away depending on where I'm sat, so the screen is magnified a bit so I can read it. I can only see eight of the general topics. Though if I make it fullscreen I see 12, but that would be 16 if they didn't wrap around to use two lines for long titles.

So making the listings narrower might actually reduce the number seen if more wrapped round.

Would it be possible to cut the titles to the column width to get more in. Plus have two tabs at the top of the column, which could be swapped to display either general or politics ?

I usually use the 'View active topics' screen anyway, so don't bother me.

[Lord Gumble]

I have 2 17" screens side by side in a dual monitor setup. Suits me fine!

[smeggypants]

Evenin folks.

Just wondering how everyone is getting on with the new split top topics list, 'Top General Topics' at top and 'Top Politics Topics' further down, underneath. ?

Bump for those who haven't seen it

[wotsit2]

no problems here smeggy

[smeggypants]

just added a Liveleak BBCODE

See here

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=245&p=443981#p443981

[hackenslash]

And fo course, the greatest new forum feature, hackenslash.

This looks like hubris, but we'll see.

Incidentally, the latex plugin for php will make life easier...