Centralized List of Ideas and Suggestions for The Forums
Just to Help Centralize Things
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 by DrJBHL | Discussion: Community
Many WC'ers have advanced ideas for The Forums and problems encountered using them. They're spread out all over the place. That's the reason I'm making this Post: To centralize things to make the job of others who want to make WC the best it can be easier.
Everyone is welcome. Have fun. I'll do my best to sift through it all and post it up here to try and save evryone's time (Zubaz's suggestion)
A. Make last post read work.. for everyone
B. 1. Return to top of page at bottom of each page.
2. Clicking on Recent forum Activity take you to latest post not first page.
3. Expanded smiley list.
4, Separate section for Political discussions, Humor (including shopping shots) and personals.
5. General section would be for general Stardock and WC realated conversations.
6. Recent posts list either expanded to 20 listings, or separated into help related and non-help related subjects.
7. Better search function.
C. 1. Polls.. everyone could create polls.
2. Introduction of negative karma.
3. Increased Firefox compatibility.
4. Lower/shorter render times.
5. Bann on using adult words
6. Animated Gif avatars less than 100 kb
7. Integration between WC main site and forums.....(sign on)
D. actually having the built-in browser spell checkers function in these post boxes.
E. I think rather than trying to implement more ideas for the forums...like birthdays etc...as done previously....best to try and get what we already have working.....or back to working....again.
F. 1. Fix the "insert link" function. It currently works backwards. It should work as follows: Click the insert link, put in the url, it puts in the appropriate code with the url doubled as the name, which is highlighted so you can name it whatever you wish. (any problems with this suggestion please ask bebi bulma for a better/fuller explanation).
2. actually having the built-in browser spell checkers function in these post boxes.
G, 1.subscription emails for watch list) and other features that are totally broken/nonfunctioning (guestbook comment deletion, the photo albums) that those should be fixed before anything else gets added.
2. make the smilies style='vertical-align:middle' like they were before.
3. fix the Quote mechanism: attribution should work even for limited portions of posts/replies.
H. Please make the comment book 'remove comment' function work again.
I. I would like to see a timer perhaps. You have 2 minutes to edit your post . .and then it's locked.
J. There are times when you need to edit something after 2-5 min.
K. 1. uploading images directly into the post as opposed to calling on an external site to relay the image back. this would be especially helpful in the help sections of the forums .
2. [do something with the wiki to make it effective, it seems pretty barren on information/help.]
L. 1. Faster refresh rate for the forum pages to prevent mistimed replies.
2. Fixing the "double post" problem.
M. 1. No changes to karma. Should remain positive incentive.
2. Mod edit objectionable picture content.
N. No animated avatars. Forums not a video store.
O. 1. Several ideas for time limit to "edit" function: Range from 2-10 minutes from time of post.
2. the time limit should be fairly long until they get around to putting a spell checker in the editor.
3. Edit would only add new comment in the same box and require printed 'reason for edit' above the newer post and notfication in the thread that a post was changed.
4. Karma should not be anonymous. Karma has become pointless.
5. Karma is ok, it's meant to be taken lightly, and there's no need to kill the fun
6. Karma is nothing but a novelty. It's FUN trying to get that karma up. Add negative Karma and the fun is gone, and with that it'll be entirely useless.
7. Karma: It's kind of relative and for me it has had a positive effect.
P. 1. Edit function should last a few minutes. Original post/reply should remain along with it.
2. Freezing the post after a short time, if someone wants to correct or change a thought, let them post another.
3. Re the editing of comments....I'm totally against it. Posts [and threads] being altered for whatever 'agenda' is not acceptable. Whatever is decided, the number one demand is accountability....the thread comment must be tagged with 'edited by....' publicly .... and ideally if that's the case the edit text should be linked [hidden] but visible for review by the Admins. I've always thought the height of bad manners was/is to edit a thread topic, etc AFTER several/many people have taken the time/effort to respond/comment.
Q. 1. The forums shouldn't parse any html whatsoever from the post box.
2. Unless you are a member of a specific user class, your html isn't parsed, period.
3. User posted html just wrecks havoc on the forums and should be completely ignored from parsing. It should all be plain text (with the exception of the bbcode buttons in the editor). There just doesn't seem to be any checking for open tags, which causes all the problems.
4. I think 2-3 mins for the post locking. negative Karma is a bad idea.
5. Several of the classic smilies do not match when posted...would be nice to have them tidied up...the sad goes to angry and the Yum goes to the big smile.
6. Cross posting errors if two windows are open.
R. {1. Inaccurate time/date stamping keeping comments at the top of notes on Personal sites}
S. Fix the need for double sign in @ WC Home page then again @ Forums.
T. Subscribers still see ads.
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Reply #22 Thursday, January 22, 2009 3:06 AM
6. Animated Gif avatars
Once again....not a chance in hell. This has been discussed before and it won't happen. They are beyond irritating; nothing but a pure distraction to have a bunch of epileptic seizure inducing flashing monstrosities to detract from the whole point of a message board: the content of the messages. Plus they seriously slow down browsing threads. They're just like forum signatures, the forums will become nothing more than a huge billboard of ads and flashing nonsense (I've had experience with this so it's a pet peeve of mine, it's a nightmare and more trouble than they're worth). Honestly, we were lucky to get a handful of animated emoticons, even those weren't supposed to be accepted.
However...displaying the avatar in the first post would be helpful, so as to better identify the poster since the poster name is easy to miss when first looking.
Here's another suggestion for functionality: actually having the built-in browser spell checkers function in these post boxes.
I feel ya, we're just gonna talk ourselves til we're blue in the face here. It'll be a few years before any of it gets implemented.
Reply #23 Thursday, January 22, 2009 4:04 AM
I think rather than trying to implement more ideas for the forums...like birthdays etc...as done previously....best to try and get what we already have working.....or back to working....again.
Things like the personal page comments...not being able to delete.....not that one should have to.... 
Getting the dates back in order....it did work once upon a time...
...and the Private Messaging.....when I got to a hundred...I deleted nearly half of them....yet the number remains....I have 52 messages in there...and shows 99....the only option, I know...is to delete the lot....shouldn't have to...would be nice to have that feature working again...
keep it simple.....but keep it working...
There have been quite a number of things implemented that are much better.....but it seems...everytime we gain something....we lose something else....
Reply #24 Thursday, January 22, 2009 4:15 AM
I agree with that syd, get thing's working again, and the comment book, you shouldn't have to delete stuff, but apparently it's neverending, as it is, I can't even visit my own site, unless I'm prepared to wait 10 minutes for the comments to load,
and sometimes people post crap in there, and you just can't remove it..
7. Integration between WC main site and forums.....
( when I have already signed at WC main site and open any forum thread from there I have to sign in again to post anything. This might be happening to others too)
Sounds like a simple cookie problem 
Reply #26 Thursday, January 22, 2009 4:56 AM
Umm.. I wasn't seriously comparing it to a death camp, and it wasn't meant to be offensive, and apparently, nobody else found it offensive, and it's ridiculous that I even need to justify that.. 
Over & out.
Reply #27 Thursday, January 22, 2009 6:45 AM
I thought that the thread had merit and a way to present ideas/thoughts/comments to WC in a concise manner. Although not an official thread (whatever that is) DrJBHL clearly stated his intent and presented a set of guidelines that if the posters followed would be appreciated.
It seems that some have gotten their knickers in a twit over the crosstalk issue and disagreement with some of the suggestions presented. I, for one, would have liked to know that WC had registered our thoughts and comments, tossed out the bad and consider the good.
Is this our first family squabble???
Reply #28 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:13 AM
I think the intent was good for this post but knowing the comunity and the forums you have to expect tangents and cross-talk.
I further think that the post has some merit.
Here's what can be done:
- Rewrite the first post removing the "rules".
- State the purpose of the thread
- Update the 1st post with the ideas that are vetted
- This will make it easier for the dev
- This will allow for setting of community priority
- This will require more commitment by the OP
Or let this one die and start again some other time.
It's not a bad idea though. You just have to assume in any forums that things will get off-topic. Accept and move on. 
Reply #29 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:24 AM
It's totally unnecessary...it's a given....and the word 'many'...was never used......
good post Zubaz....
maybe the main points can be gleaned by DrJ and emailed to Stardock in point form thus sidestepping our forum interaction....
Reply #30 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:33 AM
So did I.
However....sometimes it's just seen as another place to 'socialize' rather than contribute/add positive input.
Reply #32 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:37 AM
I wasn't socializing, I posted that it's hard to put forth an idea, and not be 'allowed' to elaborate on it..
Reply #33 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:37 AM
I dont think people are opposed to positive input.. just having rules laid out.. that was the point
Reply #35 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:48 AM
My two cents would be that the forums here are probably the cleanest, least cluttered I have seen when compared to a lot of sites. They are fairly easy to navigate and read. I don't think we need 'signatures', etc., cluttering it up.
I also agree with a few of the previous statements...let's get what we already have working properly.
Reply #36 Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:52 AM
It's a good thread. Pick your chin up and carry on, my freind. The people interested in what is being said 'on topic' will sort through it all and contribute.
Reply #37 Thursday, January 22, 2009 9:24 AM
New From Here:
I have copied suggestions (hope I didn't miss any).
No rules. Everyone welcome. Enjoy the suggestions for fixing forums.
A. Make last post read work.. for everyone
B. Return to top of page at bottom of each page.
Clicking on Recent forum Activity take you to latest post not first page.
Expanded smiley list.........we know they are out there. bwa ha ha.
Seperate section for Political discussions, Humor (including shopping shots) and personals.
General section would be for general Stardock and WC realated conversations.
Recent posts list either expanded to 20 listings, or separated into help related and non-help related subjects.
Better search funtion.
C. 1. Polls.. everyone could create polls.
2. Introduction of negative karma.
3. Increased Firefox compatibility.
4. Less render times.
5. Bann on using adult words
6. Animated Gif avatars less than 100 kb
7. Integration between WC main site and forums.....(sign on)
D. actually having the built-in browser spell checkers function in these post boxes.
E. I think rather than trying to implement more ideas for the forums...like birthdays etc...as done previously....best to try and get what we already have working.....or back to working....again.
F. 1. Fix the "insert link" function. (as in mIRC)
2. actually having the built-in browser spell checkers function in these post boxes.
Reply #38 Thursday, January 22, 2009 9:35 AM
hmmm. interesting. so, only suggestions you think are important are listed?
I can't find the suggestion bebi mentioned earlier in your list. (oh is it too big? you weren't able to paraphrase?)
Reply #39 Thursday, January 22, 2009 12:07 PM
I can't find the suggestion bebi mentioned earlier in your list. (oh is it too big? you weren't able to paraphrase?)
@Wulfn1: Sorry, I missed it and have edited and pasted it in F. Thanx for calling my attention to that .
I was rushing to get to a business meeting while trying to read, copy and paste. Not a great multitasker. 
No censorship was intended. This was an error of omission, not commission.
"...for what they're payin' me..." 
Reply #40 Thursday, January 22, 2009 12:46 PM
I feel ya, we're just gonna talk ourselves til we're blue in the face here. It'll be a few years before any of it gets implemented.
I missed the poll last year, sorry. And there has been a lot of activity in the forums lately regading changes to the site and WC as we now know it. Until the changes happen it can't hurt to reinterate/appeal/grovel/beg and hope that some of our thoughts are being taken under consideration.
if you're going to keep track you could have mentioned my suggestion that was left off also. (is there an imagecon for "snicker, snicker") It is okay though as Island Dog mentioned it under another post as being considered.
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Reply #21 Thursday, January 22, 2009 2:59 AM
6. Animated Gif avatars less than 100 kb
7. Integration between WC main site and forums.....
( when I have already signed at WC main site and open any forum thread from there I have to sign in again to post anything. This might be happening to others too)