New Forum Design (Work in Progress)

[TedTheDog]

As many of you know, we've been dicking with the layout and format of these forums over the past few weeks.
The reasoning behind it all was we wanted to add various features that would have greatly increased the server load in the original layout, and would have made them extremely messy too.

So, we needed a new layout.

Well, after much argy bargy we've come up with this.

Things to bear in mind:

• Its work in progress. ie we're not finished
• Some of you will like it, some of you will hate it
• Thats the way it always works
• See above

Go here http://newforums.barrysworld.com/


Feedback and comments here please


Ted

 

[Sir Frizz]

Community should be top

 

[xenon2000]

The layout is fine imho... although the threads are about a month out of date, whats all that about?

 

[Deebs]

Because it is a COPY of the forums not a new template on the production ones.

 

[xenon2000]

I getcha. What happens when you try and post there? Will it have time-travel effects, like posting in another dimension or what?

 

[Ch3tan]

Its wierd, dont like the yellow colouring of ( I assume) visited forums? The filled/unfilled bw smilie should be at the start of every forum to shw new posts as it is currently.

 

[Deebs]

Yellow means new posts.

This is stated at the top left of the screen under your last visit time.

 

[Ch3tan]

Heh so it does,urrm really would prefer the links to be greenw ith the smilie showing new posts.

 

[TedTheDog]

But the yellow smilie is huge compared to the text size, so we'd have to resize it... and then it will be a small yellow blob.

 

[bigbb]

tbh teddeh, me not likeh. Okeh, it's functional but asthetically i'm not sure, just personal taste. Doesn't look like a forum to meh and I like all the last post bits next to the individual forums.

I would suggest that you possibly do this current format but have it vertical in one column, in that font size, so you can have the last post things for each of the forums? I dunno, just a thought, may look over crowded and a bit long that way.

 

[Deebs]

If you want the forum last posts etc,

click on the Category header and it looks like normal again. This is only the first/front page that has changed. Its not meant to be cluttered with crap etc.

Its just a quick visual representation of our forums and where any new posts are.

 

[bigbb]

fair call DBs. Quite happy then, now you've said that i'm seeing it in a different light and it does seem to serve a very useful navigation function. Much needed when you think about the size of bw forums I guess.

Good job that man.

 

[Summo]

Yeah but your point stands. At first glance it looks like a huge, complicated mess. Not somewhere a n00b would want to stop in a join a community.

I'm missing something here. Why have all these forums when they're so obviously not going to be used?

Have one forum for flight sims, one for sports sims, one for strategy etc. Why are you doing this?

 

[bigbb]

I believe the answer would follow along the lines of, 'providing a broad based infastructure for the increasing membership of barrysworld.' As Embattle pointed out it's probably to make way for p2p provisions so the 'paying customers' have everything they want in a forum.

In my opinion your point still stands (as did mine it appears) tho Sommo.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I found the ``forum jump'' is rather useful for navigating since the layout changed, allthough that new layout looks fairly good.

 

[Nighty-]

Seems fine to me

 

[MYstIC G]

dunno about other peeps, but the front page text seems quite small to me, have to crank up the text display size in browser to read

 

[eliminator]

Couldn't you add a forum for discussions on recent reviews/previews on the bw site?

 

[old.Jas]

Are there not comments thingies on them thought? Like the news?

 

[Embattle]

There are comment bits on all news posts.

I think it looks quiet good although thats only coz the res I use allows me to see all the forums

 

[bigbb]

Originally posted by Embattle
There are comment bits on all news posts.

As I found out aye Embattle? We had some fun times on der

 

[Embattle]

 

[bigbb]

j00 wub meh weely

 

[Embattle]

I still wouldn't mind moving posts etc in the Forums

 

[bigbb]

hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

 

[Skyler]

I like it how it is now really, but then I was the same before the big redo of the main BW page. I got used to the new layout and found it to be much better than the old layout. So I assume the same will happen with this. We shall see....

 

[old.D0LLySh33p]

Nice website you got for Clan Haze Skyler. Hope you do well

Anyways, forums are good, though I think the sub sections are a bit odd - they limit the amount of attention certain forums get from the 'general' public with only forum peeps posting on them.

 

[Summo]

And restore the Far Gate forum from a backup, j00 l4m0000rz!!!¬!¬"¬!"!!!!sims

 

[bigbb]

Summo, i'm feeling negative vibes from you tonight.

*close eyes*

*hold arms in air*

Yes, it's there. Summo, have you drunk a slightly different herbal tea or someone stolen your favourite pencil? Or the more likely, and logical but less fun option, you been xmas shopping?



But he's right, get far gate forum back j00 lot.

 

[Summo]

Quiet, you!