Any thoughts about upgrading this forum?

[cliffcoggin]

Congratulations for being able to insult the vast majoriy of the netizens in just a few words.

You're very welcome. Anything else I can enlighten you on?

[drlucas]

Nah, thanks, I had enough of your words of wisdom

[Petermint]

Some of the suggestions in this thread are available for phpbb through add-on modules. If I felt the need for them, I would help implement them. Many of them are on my "makes zero difference" list, a reason for not helping anyone to change the forum.

I have used nested replies and a few other things on other forums. They often become unreadable because you cannot work out the timeline of the replies.

The same happens with likes. In one popular programming forum, people upvote a "solution" that does not work reliably because the approach uses fashionable code. You cannot tell anything from the likes. What works better is to have someone say "this works for me on my ... machine using a ... wifi chip". I prefer the interaction on this forum to many other forums.

The search function is not effective but I usually search through google to also get Ubuntu solutions.

[Dark Owl]

Here's a case where a like button would save me having to say I agree with the above, except for the bit about likes. A Like is not the same as an up-vote.

But expanding on that: the character of a forum is pretty much defined by the default display option (some forums let you choose, but the majority will simply accept the default). Some forums want to be strictly technical, so up-voting and nested replies works to reduce general banter - but if you want to encourage a bit of social interaction, threads have to be chronological.

What you can't do is change the nature of an established forum. This could pretty much destroy the readability of existing threads, and put off existing users.

[RollyShed]

Please, please don't change the format. It is one of the better (best) forums I interact with. Plain, readable and everything works. And definitely a No to "likes".

[Moem]

Here's a case where a like button would save me having to say I agree with the above, except for the bit about likes. A Like is not the same as an up-vote.

I'm having a hard time imagining a 'like' button that could show such nuance as your words convey: 'I agree with the above, except for the bit about...'
I think that your post neatly demonstrates the limitations of such buttons.

[Dark Owl]

I'm having a hard time imagining a 'like' button that could show such nuance as your words convey: 'I agree with the above, except for the bit about...'

If we had likes, that clause would not have been there to disagree with and a "like" would have done it.

[Moem]

But then half of the information that your words conveyed here would be missing. I don't see that as an improvement.

[Mick-Cork]

As mentioned previously I think the functionality of this forum works well asis, but having been reminded (by Schultz) a few days ago about userContent.css in Firefox I thought I'd have a little play.

I used the colours on the LM Blog as a baseline (I prefer the more subdued greens) and tried to cut down on some of the 'fussiness' in the forum design. Now, when I use FF to view the forum, I see it as per this image:



The CSS is as below. Would be interesting to see what others come up with if anyone else plays around with it:

Code: Select all

@-moz-document domain(forums.linuxmint.com) {
	body {
		background-color: #5e7553 !important; 
		padding-top: 0px !important;
	}
	
   	.wrap { 
		max-width: 1100px !important; 
		background-color: #3a3a3a !important; 
		border: 0 !important; 
		padding: 0px 35px 35px 35px !important;
		border-radius: 0px !important;
	}
	
	.headerbar {
		background-color: #3a3a3a !important; 
		background-image: none !important;
		border-top-left-radius: 0px !important;
		border-top-right-radius: 0px !important;
		margin-bottom: 10px !important;
		padding-top: 15px !important;
		padding-bottom: 20px !important;
	}

   	.site_logo {
		background-image: url("https://i.imgur.com/gzwK3tM.png") !important;
		width: 60px !important;
		height: 60px !important;
   	 }
	
	.navbar {
		border: 0 !important;
		background-color: #3a3a3a !important;
		color:#ffffff !important;
	}
	
	.navbar a {
		color:#ffffff !important;
	}
	
	ul.navlinks {
		border-top: 0px !important;
		border-bottom: 1px solid #86be43;
	}
	
	ul.dropdown-contents a {
		color: #3a3a3a !important;
	}
	
	.notification_text {
		color: #3a3a3a !important;
	}
		
	.notification-block {
		color: #3a3a3a !important;
	}
	
	.time {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
	
	h2.ucp-title, h2.posting-title a {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
	
	a.mark-read, a.mark {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
	
	.rules {
		display: none !important;
	}
	
	.forabg {
		margin-bottom: 15px !important;
		background-image: none !important;
		background-color: #5e7553 !important;
		font-size: 1.1em !important;
		color: #3f3f3f !important;
		}
	
	.page-body .forum-title h2, .page-body .forum-title a {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
		
	.topic-title a {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
	
	.post {
		margin-top: 10px !important;
	}
	
	.postbody {
		padding: 10px !important;
	}
	
	.pagination {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
	
	.jumpbox-return a {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
	
   	.headerspace {
		padding: 3px 10px 10px 10px !important;
	}
   
   	.online-list, .statistics {
		padding: 3px 10px !important;
	}
   
	.headerspace, .online-list, .statistics {
		background-color: #C4DCAB !important;
		border-radius: 7px !important;
		margin-bottom: 15px !important;
	}
   
   .footer-row, .footer-row a {
		color: #ffffff !important;
	}
}

(The '!important' attributes are used to make sure these rules take precedence over the inherent CSS).

[Buffy]

TBH, I think the forum is fine. I don't understand when people say things like "it looks dated" etc. Like change just for the sake of change is of value.

If it works well, and it does, then energy can be put to fixing things that maybe actually need it.

[antikythera]

Yep like slaying vampires

[Mick-Cork]

TBH, I think the forum is fine. I don't understand when people say things like "it looks dated" etc. Like change just for the sake of change is of value.

If it works well, and it does, then energy can be put to fixing things that maybe actually need it.

I sort of tend to agree, but after my little exercise with the CSS I'm sticking with it now. I find it's a bit more relaxing on the eyes, a little less harsh and the lower contrast between the text and the white background also helps. I'm happy

[Buffy]

Yeah yours looks nice; being able to theme things is IMHO a useful thing.

I added on mine and it really does look nice! \o/

[Petermint]

the lower contrast between the text and the white background also helps.

I might use your trick to improve readability by increasing the text contrast from grey on white to black on white.

[Switch]

Forum veteran and moderator @Pierre's signature inspired me to add my 2 cents. His signature first:

Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved!
and DO LOOK at those Unanswered Topics - - you may be able to answer some!.

I think it's pretty reasonable to expect from a forum engine in this day and age (whichever forum engine you choose) to list all the fresh, hot, active topics under a special tab. This certainly helps making people more engaged. Otherwise, what am I really supposed to do? Go into every sub forum and see what's new there? That's not what I would call modern and time conscious, meanwhile the world has certainly been offering more adequate solutions for this problem.

[RIH]

Clicking on the 'Hamburger' (Quick Links) icon on the left hand side of the Forum gives you that option..

topic.png (19.02 KiB) Viewed 1374 times

[Switch]

Clicking on the 'Hamburger' (Quick Links) icon on the left hand side of the Forum gives you that option..

Fair enough. But I suppose if it wasn't self evident to me it probably isn't self evident to others either. Meanwhile other forums make a similar functionality much more self evident. Going further I call this a bad user interface design.

[Switch]

I really love Mint and this forum. The members and managers/admins are quite helpful and friendly and I truly appreciate all the help and good will.
I was wondering why this forum looks so unattractive (IMHO) and old, no offence. Especially compared with such a polished and well made product.
Even the lack of likes/karma/rating/thanks-meter alone, features that motivate quality and helpful answers, is a good enough reason to consider upgrading. I believe that a better forum will attract a lot more users and Mint adpoters as well as a lot more activity of exisiting users.
Have you considered upgrading it to a more modern, user-friendly and attractive BB? (such as vBulletin or my personal favorite Invision)?

I've just listened to an interview with Ubuntu MATE founder Martin Wimpress (and Solus founder Ikey Doherty and elementary OS founder Daniel Fore) by Lunduke & Whatnot (yes, that interview) and boy/girl, I have almost immediately jumped ship to Ubuntu MATE just for benefit of their modern and engaging forum. But I'm not a distro hopper so I stay. Maybe I'm too easy to impress? (OK, they have a slick, contemporary design too. For someone who promotes a retrospective future. A retrospective future on the Raspberry Pi, too.)

[Moem]

Forums are not as popular now as they used to be. Now there are many platforms where people can not only communicate, but also have fun, show their lives, and make more money on it. Owners need to find ways to get people to use the forums to keep them popular.

Have you seen how many new topics get posted here every day? It's a lot. This is a technical forum with a clear function: not to have fun, show your life, or make money, but to help each other solve problems with Linux Mint. It's as popular as it needs to be, seeing that many people know where to find us every day.

Your comment sounds very generic, and not aimed at this specific forum at all. In fact, you have not posted anything about Linux Mint at all. I will not be surprised if you start posting spam links on each of your existing postings.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Abused? Never seen them being abused on technical forums...

I have on a couple of sites. On one of which the system was on trial and was very quickly disabled again (old manjaro forum)

I've also seen it happen.