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Forum suggestions: layout, features, settings etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 12:18 pm
by Qyzbud
If you have suggestions for how I can improve the DKC Atlas Forums, please post here.

Please note:
I already have a list of ideas, including...
  • Avatar gallery
  • DKC related buttons/smilies/icons
  • Make the forum look more like the site
  • 'Quick reply' and 'Quick edit' functions
  • More that I can't currently think of...

Any further suggestions will be appreciated.
-Qyz

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 1:54 pm
by Jomingo
I only have three ideas.
1) More DKC-ish color scheme.
2) Being able to edit posts.
3) In the DKC/DKC2/DKC3 sections there is a glitch discussion and a Ports discussion, but I don't know where to put topics that are not about glitches or ports. We need General discussions for each.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 2:15 pm
by BlueTronic
Jomingo wrote:2) Being able to edit posts.
3) In the DKC/DKC2/DKC3 sections there is a glitch discussion and a Ports discussion, but I don't know where to put topics that are not about glitches or ports. We need General discussions for each.

You can already edit posts. The edit button is to the left of the delete button.

Those are just sub-forums. You can make a topic not under any sub-forums by clicking on "Start New Topic" here:
viewforum.php?f=2

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 2:20 pm
by Jomingo
Yeah, I just noticed that they are underneath the subforums, but I swear I never saw those edit buttons before now. Hmmm... I just need to pay better attention.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 2:29 pm
by BlueTronic
Jomingo wrote:Yeah, I just noticed that they are underneath the subforums, but I swear I never saw those edit buttons before now. Hmmm... I just need to pay better attention.

Well, the delete button on my post above yours isn't showing up...

...oooooo-eeeeee-oooooo :?

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 2:42 pm
by Jomingo
I don't have a delete button on any or mine.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 16th, 2008, 2:53 pm
by Qyzbud
Jomingo, thanks for pointing out those things. It's no good having a feature if people can't find it. I'm always looking into ways to make things more user-friendly around here, so thanks for letting me know. Any more thoughts on these matters are appreciated.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 17th, 2008, 9:24 am
by Jomingo
I have a question, and forgive me if this is something obvious that I'm just not getting, but what is the purpose of the Banana Reicipes discussion? Is it meant literally, or is it something I just don't understand?

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 17th, 2008, 10:23 am
by cfh
Just post a food recipe that has bananas as an ingredient. :|

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 17th, 2008, 1:37 pm
by Jomingo
Are you serious? That has got to be the most useless discussion ever.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 17th, 2008, 2:05 pm
by cfh
Unless you have a craving for banana-related food.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 17th, 2008, 2:50 pm
by Qyzbud
...and you know you do. Admit it.

Yeah, that's somewhat a joke. Gives the forum a bit more character... besides, I like bananas. Recipes are very welcome. ;)

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 17th, 2008, 3:01 pm
by cfh
Those balloon-shaped smilies are really starting to bug me, they just don't... look right. :o :?

We should get DK-related ones. Fast.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 18th, 2008, 10:41 am
by Tiptup Jr.
A DKC-related avatar gallery is the only thing I think this forum needs, really.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 18th, 2008, 12:32 pm
by Qyzbud
Alrighty, I'll work on those today.

I will try to prepare a small showcase of potential avatar designs, and maybe a few Kong-flavoured smilies.

Hopefully it will only take a couple of hours, we'll see.

Perhaps, we could vote for any current smilies that people would like to keep? I'm actually quite fond of a few of them, but if I was able to make better ones with a similar expression, and of course a more DK style, that would be great.

These I like: :D :) ;) :roll:

The rest I can happily do without.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 18th, 2008, 2:13 pm
by BlueTronic
Ideas:

1. Add a few more text fields for profiles.
2. Show what each user is veiwing in their profile.
3. Get a few more post options (Text bacground color, strikethrough, background color.)
4. Gamewinners has something where any font on your computer is useable on posts. I wonder if that's possible here.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 18th, 2008, 7:46 pm
by Qyzbud
Alright, as I said I would, I've worked on creating a selection of avatars, and have put one score of them into the Avatar Gallery. Access them by visiting the Profile > Edit avatar > Display gallery links in your User Control Panel.

Here are handful of them for you to preview:

Image Image Image Image Image Image Image

I'm focussing on a 96 x 72 size for them so far.

What do you think of the size and style?

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 18th, 2008, 7:50 pm
by Kowbrainz
Certainly makes the site look a lot neater when everyone has the same styled avatars. Some may say it's restricting peoples' creativity or something like that, but I think the whole conformed look makes the site look a whole lot tidier and stylish. :)

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 19th, 2008, 8:31 am
by Jomingo
Are we required to use avatars in the Gallery? Because I just got this DK in Brawl picture off google images, and I'm lovin' it. I tried to do 96 by 72, but it looked really squashed. Right now it's 90x90, I hope that's ok. And as for those avatars, I like them, though I usually think it's easier to identify a person when they only have one character in there avatar, but there still cool. And about DK related smilies, I couldn't care less. Obviously you have more important things to do than to worry about smilies.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 19th, 2008, 10:16 am
by cfh
I like the current rolleyes smiley as well.

Nice avatars. I think the limit for custom avatars should be 100x100. That's normally what it is, and I think it's a good size.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 19th, 2008, 9:29 pm
by Kowbrainz
Jomingo wrote:Are we required to use avatars in the Gallery? Because I just got this DK in Brawl picture off google images, and I'm lovin' it. I tried to do 96 by 72, but it looked really squashed. Right now it's 90x90, I hope that's ok. And as for those avatars, I like them, though I usually think it's easier to identify a person when they only have one character in there avatar, but there still cool. And about DK related smilies, I couldn't care less. Obviously you have more important things to do than to worry about smilies.



Using hotlinked images isn't too good... :/

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 12:23 am
by Qyzbud
I have just added a 'spoiler' tag for those of you who want to use such a technique in discussions.

Spoiler!
Please let me know what you think, and if it could be improved.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 1:45 am
by cfh
Nice, it's better than highlighting, this way you won't reveal it by mistake!

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 8:03 am
by Jomingo
Yeah, it's way better than highlighting. Of course, highlighting wouldn't really work on this site anyway, seeing as the background is different sometimes.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 1:45 pm
by cfh
Something that has been really bugging me about the forum is that external links use the same window, instead of openning in a new one. I always end up closing the tab I was browsing the forum with.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 1:56 pm
by BlueTronic
Some people have all the luck. That happens to me when I'm posting, and I lose my whole post. :x

EDIT: 26th post boogie.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 2:03 pm
by cfh
That's getting kind of old now.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 20th, 2008, 2:18 pm
by Qyzbud
cfh wrote:Something that has been really bugging me about the forum is that external links use the same window, instead of openning in a new one. I always end up closing the tab I was browsing the forum with.

Ahh... I'll see what I can do about that one. I usually specify 'open in new tab' for every link I click on... ever... so I never noticed the behaviour you mentioned. That sounds like a necessary change, thanks for pointing it out.

Does anyone else have that problem the way Kong-Fu just described? That sounds very frustrating indeed.

Oh, and any top-of-page dancing is strictly forbidden. Here it's known as the '26th post boogie'. ;)

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 21st, 2008, 8:39 am
by Jomingo
I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but everyother time I post it makes me log-in again. It usually happens when I refresh or press the back button. I always click the box that says keep me logged on automatically after each visit, but it still doesn't help. Most of the time I won't even notice it until I click to post reply, and then it says I need to be logged in. And then when I log in, it takes me back to the board index instead of the topic I was in. It gets annoying, because I log on at least 4 or 5 times a day. On the DKU, I have logged on once, and it always remembers me so I don't have to log on again.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 21st, 2008, 1:45 pm
by Qyzbud
I'm really curious if others have this problem... It always stays logged in for me, but I don't really use 'back' or 'refresh'. I don't think you have to use them, there should always be links available to help you achieve the same result. That said, I'd like to fix this if possible. Thanks for letting me know.

Does anyone else have sign-in problems?

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 22nd, 2008, 8:11 am
by Jomingo
Well, most of the time I'm looking at the "active topics" to see what topics have been posted in recently. There is a link to the index, but then I have then go back to active topics. It's easier just to click the back button a few times.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 22nd, 2008, 12:13 pm
by Qyzbud
I tend to open all active topics in new tabs, then just flick between them - no back button required.

Perhaps an 'Active Topics' button on each and every page would be handy... You think so?

I'll add one, and we'll see. :D

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 23rd, 2008, 7:39 am
by Jomingo
Thanks! It's gonna take some getting used to, but it is much appreciated.

And I just notice the new Fanwork discussion. That'll come in handy since I'm doing stuff like that all the time.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 23rd, 2008, 12:35 pm
by Qyzbud
That's great. I want to encourage people to create DKC-based masterpieces, and have a good, centralised place to discuss them. You're most welcome to start new topics for any projects you want to share.

Link: DKC Projects/Fanworks

I've started a couple of general topics, but feel free to start more specific ones for your own projects.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 23rd, 2008, 1:13 pm
by BlueTronic
Qyzbud wrote:Does anyone else have sign-in problems?

I am. it signs me out at random times.

It's pretty much useful for anything, especially 3D modeling. It's not a professional image editor, but it's still reliable.

This time, in the middle of submitting a post! :evil:

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 24th, 2008, 12:18 pm
by Jomingo
Yeah, that happened to me the first day I posted. If you check the guest book I think I posted as a guest a couple of times by mistake. And I've seen several people post as a guest and then post again saying "Oops, I didn't know I was logged out", it seems to be a problem for a bunch of us.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 24th, 2008, 12:49 pm
by cfh
Strange, that never happens to me.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 2:43 am
by Guest
Hi, this is Jomingo. I'm posting this as a guest because this forum won't let me login. Everytime I login and then try to reply to something it logs me out. What do I do? It won't let me post anything!

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 2:50 am
by Jomingo
Well, I finally fixed it. I just closed the window and then went back to the site after a few minutes. That was wierd.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 3:06 am
by cfh
I don't understand why that doesn't happen to me.

And Qyzbud, you still haven't changed the links to open in a new tab! :cry:

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 3:09 am
by Jomingo
Just chill, he has plenty of things on his plate right now, I'm sure he'll get to that eventually but he is only one person.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 5:36 am
by BlueTronic
Jomingo wrote:...he has plenty of things on his plate...

Qyzbud: You gonna eat that? :?

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 7:22 am
by Jomingo
I just realised we can't make polls. Somebody ought to do something 'bout that.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 8:03 am
by BlueTronic
...Somebody ought to do something 'bout that.

I think we should poll on that. ;)

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 9:18 am
by cfh
Also, what about those DK smilies?

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 9:23 am
by BlueTronic
*presses play on tape recorder*:
"Just chill, he has plenty of things on his plate right now, I'm sure he'll get to that eventually but he is only one person."

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 9:44 am
by cfh
Well, maybe other people could make them. :roll:

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 11:04 am
by Jomingo
I think that the Smilies thing is a very unimportant feature that is not a major priority at the moment. He's already said that they will be done eventually so:
*Just chill, he has plenty of things on his plate right now, I'm sure he'll get to that eventually but he's only one person.* :D

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 11:14 am
by cfh
Yeah, well, I can make some smilies when I get the chance.

Re: Suggestions for DKC Atlas Forum: layout, features, etc.

PostPosted: February 25th, 2008, 11:42 am
by Qyzbud
Anyone who has the time and inclination, feel free to suggest or post any designs for forum buttons, smilies, icons and other graphics in this new thread!

I will disable guest posting, enable polls, make links open in new tabs, investigate the auto sign-out problems, allow more URLs per post and make the avatar file size limit a bit more generous... So long as you guys just chill, as I have plenty of things on my plate right now. I will get to all that eventually... but I'm only one person!

Thank you, come again!