Viktor Nacht: Need Feedback on New Look of Boards

[Viktor Nacht]

Dear Friends,

As you can see I was a busy beaver last night. I also made some changes to the forum software. They are all experimental, and subject to change based on your feedback and suggestions.

Feel free to post or email any comments you have, but we would like specific feedback on the following issues:

1. Is the font too small? It's currently set to 12px (basically 12pt) Arial. Should we try 13px? Don hates it, so you can become his best friend by hating it too.

2. The new message count function REALLY slows down the loading of the sidebar. If you're using Safari on a Mac, it's like watching paint dry underwater. On the PC, it's not too bad, and it's pretty quick on either platform with Firefox.

The problem is that we're using forum software from the Internet stone age, before flannel became haute couture, so in order to do this, your browser has to send a request to the forum software for a new message count for each forum separately through Javascript. So it can range from "not to bad" to "downright pokey," depending on the speed of your computer the busyness of the site.

Also, we can't easily extend it to Don's Domain, since it would pop-up a bunch of browser authentication errors for non-members. If everyone loves the new message count, I can see what I can do, but it's a big job.

So too summarize, is it too slow for you to be useful or do you like it?

3. The exact behavior of how the new message checking affects your board cookies is unclear to me, so I'll be watching it.

4. Do you like the logo on the right or back on the left?

That's it for now. Let us know what you think.

Good Cards,

V

[ES]

I like the numbering of unseen posts on Parker's Pages. Will it be added to Don's Domain.

I prefer a larger font size. I don't like the longer wait for the material on the left side of the page.

[chsbob]

> I like the numbering of unseen posts on
> Parker's Pages. Will it be added to Don's
> Domain.

> I prefer a larger font size. I don't like
> the longer wait for the material on the left
> side of the page.

DITTO
----------
chsbob

[Bettie]

Guys, which would you prefer ? the number of posts listed by the forum or a faster-loading navbar? You can't have both since it's the post-numbering feature that slows the navbar down, so we'd like to get some input on which is more important to you.

Thanks,
Bettie

[Saboteur]

I love the idea of being able to see which forums have new posts. However, if the loading speed of the nav-bar is being slowed by the counting of the new posts, then I'd suggest that we settle for the next best thing:

If a cookie records the date and time of the last visit, then it might be sufficient to simply flag those forums which have new content without going to the trouble of actually counting how many new posts there are. Once a forum has been flagged as having new content, the forum's title (in the nav-bar on the left) could be displayed in a boldface font, or in a different color. We can find out how many new posts exist in each forum once we actually navigate to that forum.

If such a method is feasible, then you've reduced the amount of time the nav-bar takes to load because the process doesn't involve thumbing through every post in every forum. The search for new posts in a forum stops once one new post has been found there.

[Don Schlesinger]

Yes, some indication that there is at least one new post is all that's needed, in my opinion. The number of new posts is really irrelevant, because, if you're like me, as long as there's one, you're going to open the page.

Don

[Viktor Nacht]

It's worth a try. I've removed the counting loop and replaced it with a simple logic comparison.

I don't personally see much improvement with speed, which I expected (no improvement), since the delay seems to be a problem with most browsers. Almost all browsers have some kind of strange lag when calling to an in-line external script lib.

So unless you see some kind of radical improvement, we might switch back to the counting one. Let me know.

Good Cards,

V

[Sun Runner]

> I don't personally see much improvement with speed ..

I'd say it is 40% less slow than with the number count. Either way is good for me.

[Cardkountr]

> Dear Friends,

> As you can see I was a busy beaver last
> night. I also made some changes to the forum
> software. They are all experimental, and
> subject to change based on your feedback and
> suggestions.

> Feel free to post or email any comments you
> have, but we would like specific feedback on
> the following issues:

> 1. Is the font too small? It's currently set
> to 12px (basically 12pt) Arial. Should we
> try 13px? Don hates it, so you can become
> his best friend by hating it too.

> 2. The new message count function REALLY
> slows down the loading of the sidebar. If
> you're using Safari on a Mac, it's like
> watching paint dry underwater. On the PC,
> it's not too bad, and it's pretty quick on
> either platform with Firefox.

> The problem is that we're using forum
> software from the Internet stone age, before
> flannel became haute couture, so in order to
> do this, your browser has to send a request
> to the forum software for a new message
> count for each forum separately through
> Javascript. So it can range from "not
> to bad" to "downright pokey,"
> depending on the speed of your computer the
> busyness of the site.

> Also, we can't easily extend it to Don's
> Domain, since it would pop-up a bunch of
> browser authentication errors for
> non-members. If everyone loves the new
> message count, I can see what I can do, but
> it's a big job.

> So too summarize, is it too slow for you to
> be useful or do you like it?

> 3. The exact behavior of how the new message
> checking affects your board cookies is
> unclear to me, so I'll be watching it.

> 4. Do you like the logo on the right or back
> on the left?

> That's it for now. Let us know what you
> think.

> Good Cards,

> V

The loading of the side bar is slow but not terribly so, thank god I'm on cable, I can't imagine how long it would take on dial up. BUT.... having the message count on the side bar is worth the additional few seconds it takes to load the sidbar. Now we don't have to open every single page only to see there was no new messages posted.

I agree with Don and would like to see if you could enlarge the font size....for us age challenged folk ya know.

Good job,

Card.

[Sun Runner]

> The loading of the side bar is slow but not terribly so, thank
> god I'm on cable, I can't imagine how long it would take on dial
> up. BUT.... having the message count on the side bar is worth
> the additional few seconds it takes to load the sidbar.

But I'm on Cable also and am using Mozilla. Personally (selfishly) I agree with Caarulo and would chose some new message indicator over a small loss in speed.

I like the smaller font! I'm sure that's a loser though!!

To reiterate, if Saboteur's idea is doable, I would not need to see the 'count', just an indicator (as he said BOLD highlight maybe) would be good enough.

Keep up the good work!

[Magician]

> 1. Is the font too small? It's currently set
> to 12px (basically 12pt) Arial. Should we
> try 13px? Don hates it, so you can become
> his best friend by hating it too.

Could be larger but I just hold down Ctrl and scroll my mouse wheel and hey presto...

> 2. The new message count function REALLY
> slows down the loading of the sidebar. If
> you're using Safari on a Mac, it's like
> watching paint dry underwater. On the PC,
> it's not too bad, and it's pretty quick on
> either platform with Firefox.

Fine with Firefox on a 1Mb/s connection. :-) Good feature.

> 3. The exact behavior of how the new message
> checking affects your board cookies is
> unclear to me, so I'll be watching it.

Not 100% clear to me either but doesn't seem to be intrusive.

> 4. Do you like the logo on the right or back
> on the left?

Hadn't noticed. :-)

As I posted below, would be great if the Post Response text field was wider... perhaps 100%.

[Sun Runner]

> Could be larger but I just hold down Ctrl and scroll my mouse
> wheel and hey presto ...

Thanks! I learn something here everyday!!

[Greasy John]

I liked the larger font> Dear Friends,

> As you can see I was a busy beaver last
> night. I also made some changes to the forum
> software. They are all experimental, and
> subject to change based on your feedback and
> suggestions.

> Feel free to post or email any comments you
> have, but we would like specific feedback on
> the following issues:

> 1. Is the font too small? It's currently set
> to 12px (basically 12pt) Arial. Should we
> try 13px? Don hates it, so you can become
> his best friend by hating it too.

> 2. The new message count function REALLY
> slows down the loading of the sidebar. If
> you're using Safari on a Mac, it's like
> watching paint dry underwater. On the PC,
> it's not too bad, and it's pretty quick on
> either platform with Firefox.

> The problem is that we're using forum
> software from the Internet stone age, before
> flannel became haute couture, so in order to
> do this, your browser has to send a request
> to the forum software for a new message
> count for each forum separately through
> Javascript. So it can range from "not
> to bad" to "downright pokey,"
> depending on the speed of your computer the
> busyness of the site.

> Also, we can't easily extend it to Don's
> Domain, since it would pop-up a bunch of
> browser authentication errors for
> non-members. If everyone loves the new
> message count, I can see what I can do, but
> it's a big job.

> So too summarize, is it too slow for you to
> be useful or do you like it?

> 3. The exact behavior of how the new message
> checking affects your board cookies is
> unclear to me, so I'll be watching it.

> 4. Do you like the logo on the right or back
> on the left?

> That's it for now. Let us know what you
> think.

> Good Cards,

> V