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Non Grata

Non Grata
jasonbarron said:
Well, I've seen that a number of threads have already been started and then redirected since the forum revision, all to disparate sub forums. I don't see how anybody really likes the idea of sorting through the entire forum directory just to keep track of a single thread they commented in or were following.
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Phazon Xenomorph said:
Pretty much this, I mean call me lazy but I cannot be bothered to check every sub forum just to get into conversations with the community. Hell the Canonn thread that was a sticky post isn't even accessible from Dangerous Discussion, you have to go over to the Aliens subforum to read it and that's just too much effort... and my browser even with folders already has WAY too many bookmarks.
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I've always just used "New Posts" and "Subscribed Threads" - never had any need to know or care about the forum structure, apart from when posting a new thread.*


*Hierarchical forums like this feel 15 years out of date - whatever forum software you move to FD, please make it tag-based (like StackExchange or something).

Cmdr Straker said:
My eyes, as I look at my phone, thank you. Trying to deal with a forum that doesn’t have a dedicated mobile layout was actually painful...this is so much better.
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The mobile theme looks the same as always to me.**

**Again FD, it's 2017 - why is there a separate mobile theme?
 

Zeeman

Zeeman
One thing - Hardware and Technical should not be in Off Topic, no one ever finds it there... Heck, click the wrong forum link and you won't even see it. Besides, the hardware used for ED is hardly off topic... :)

Z...
 

kofeyh

kofeyh
Ultimately, vBulletin is just showing it's age. They always seem to end up in some crazy hierarchical structure. Hopefully the replacement will be well considered; vBulletin has it's flaws, but it does handle threaded discussion pretty well. There are some real shockers out there as alternatives; it's possible to end up with something far worse.
 

rootsrat

Volunteer Moderator
rootsrat
As expected, some like the changes, some don't :)

I personally prefer categorised forums, it helps to keep the right threads in the right place and if someone needs info they know exactly where to go.

It's really a matter of personal preference.
 

rootsrat

Volunteer Moderator
rootsrat
Gunnet said:
Indeed. If there was ever a time for other devs to not copy Valve, this is it.
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Steam discussion engine is terrible... I use MyBB for my forums and it's quite ok for a free engine and 500 users. I have couple of devs that write custom plugins for us as and when and that helps a lot must say.
 

Non Grata

Non Grata
rootsrat said:
As expected, some like the changes, some don't :)

I personally prefer categorised forums, it helps to keep the right threads in the right place and if someone needs info they know exactly where to go.

It's really a matter of personal preference.
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But there is inevitably a huge amount of cross-over - e.g. if I want to engineer my ship for exploration, should I post in Ships, Engineers, or Exploration? Tags solve this at a stroke, and from memory some clever systems even suggest tags to the thread starter based on the content of their post.
 

Maxmilian Czhilli

Maxmilian Czhilli
Phazon Xenomorph said:
Pretty much this, I mean call me lazy but I cannot be bothered to check every sub forum just to get into conversations with the community. Hell the Canonn thread that was a sticky post isn't even accessible from Dangerous Discussion, you have to go over to the Aliens subforum to read it and that's just too much effort... and my browser even with folders already has WAY too many bookmarks.
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Near the top of every page is a drop down called Quick Links. Use Ctrl F if you have problems finding it. From the drop down select Subscribed Threads. By default you are subscribed to every thread you have commented on. They are ordered by most recent and highlighted for changes just like a normal forum view.

You can subscribe to a thread without commenting by using the Thread Tools drop down at the top of each thread page. You can delete subscriptions my going to settings (top left of every page) and selecting subscriptions on the left hand side menu.

This feature has been available for as long as I can remember. The utility of this function is great and the effort minimal. If you can fly a spaceship in ED then you can use forum tools. Asking permission to dock is more complex.
 

kofeyh

kofeyh
I don't use subscribed threads because why should I have to have the thing track every forum post I comment in, just so I can find it again? You end up with hundreds of subscribed threads, if you are even remotely active, and it's almost impossible to know what the discussion was, without checking each one. When that's across eleventy many subsections, it's just..

Anyhoo, long live the new layout, may we bask in it's glory, or something.
 

Aashenfox

Aashenfox
Maxmilian Czhilli said:
Personally, I was sick of all the PVP vids and gank threads. Now I never have to see them unless I really want to watch people getting salty about internet spaceships. Might suck for the attention seekers, but they still have reddit to salve their need.

How much effort is a couple of clicks?

It may take some more time than others to adjust, but people do change their behaviour. We'll have lots of moved threads to start with, but it will drop off as people get used to the new structure.

I suggest using subscriptions to track threads you are interested in.
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Unfortunately, all the really useful stuff goes that way too now. This is not a good thing and they will be undoing it soon I feel, it's going to kill these forums.

I moderated RCUniverse.com for 12 years, had a team of mods that I had picked and trained. At its peak that site had half a million active members. One day they did this, compartmentalised the site. IMMEDIATELY, half the membership went to RCtech (where I wrote professional product reviews AND moderate, lol). RCU never recovered. They eventually merged the sub forums that got no activity, but it was too late. Some of us were resistant to moving threads to other areas that we felt had genuine wider appeal despite also matching a sub forum, but the forum manager insisted. For a time. All the discussions went from 20 page threads to 2 and dead in a matter of weeks.

If that doesn't happen here now, I'll eat my hat.
 
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Aashenfox

Aashenfox
Max Factor said:
How do you figure that one out?
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I think he's being facetious, but this obvious attempt to move contentious subjects to obscure areas of the site, does smell funny, don't you think?

taotoo said:
But there is inevitably a huge amount of cross-over - e.g. if I want to engineer my ship for exploration, should I post in Ships, Engineers, or Exploration? Tags solve this at a stroke, and from memory some clever systems even suggest tags to the thread starter based on the content of their post.
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This.
 

-VR- Max Factor

-VR- Max Factor
Aashenfox said:
I think he's being facetious, but this obvious attempt to move contentious subjects to obscure areas of the site, does smell funny, don't you think?



This.
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Well I don't see anything hidden away. Makes a bit more sense to me. While there is some crossover in subjects, I suppose you post in the one that you think is most relevant.
 

lokvette

lokvette
Looks the same to me allbeit with some new sub sections, PVP slapped the ignore section on that, but I use the new posts otpion and dont subscribed to anything, I do wish that came as unticked as default rather than clicked. But if this is for the better of whatever its the better for then jolly good.
 

Taimaru

Taimaru
I like the new changes to the forums, well done Brett!

Now I will be able to easily read the interesting threads about the actual game instead of having to trawl through all the toxic/salty ones first.

Great job! [up]
 

Non Grata

Non Grata
lokvette said:
but I use the new posts otpion and dont subscribed to anything, I do wish that came as unticked as default rather than clicked.
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If I understand correctly, have you tried:

Settings > general settings > Messaging & Notification > Default Thread Subscription Mode: > do not subscribe.
 

HailVectron

HailVectron
I only look at the forum via the 'New Posts' button, to get everything updated since I last visited - everything looks the same to me, right? It's organisational changes to the forums and groups only?
 

Friedenreich Xante

Friedenreich Xante
Taimaru said:
I like the new changes to the forums, well done Brett!

Now I will be able to easily read the interesting threads about the actual game instead of having to trawl through all the toxic/salty ones first.

Great job! [up]
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I haven't found the dedicated salt mine section yet. It used to be here, where this thread was posted. Mind showing me the way?
 
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