Forum Suggestions

[simba]

Hello

OK since we started the forum its grown allot and is the most used service on http://www.undernet.org (According to the logs)

I would like peoples feedback on any updates they would like to see here ie. More language packs , styles , avatars or any other things you think would be usefull.

Please only usefull items to be posted , not stupid comments.

Many thanks in advance.

[OUTsider]

More styles !, this one is getting boring and is common for any phpBB forum, You should create your own style for this one

[kenv]

Yes, would be great if we have our (undernet) own style. Good idea!

# I observed that many users ask how can they have their own avatar. You should inform users about this by telling them where to send the avatar, it`s size, etc. (i.e.: open a topic with all the instructions).

# Another idea: add more Emoticons.

kenv.

[C0rrupt3d]

welll a new skin and some new emoticons will be nice

and also an address to send avatars
and ... donno... more topics of discusion... like linux, security, computers

if i remember anything else ill notice u

[_`_]

I still support and agree in principle with the suggestion : Disable images in signatures, enable custom avatars

Just to check, I sent an email to the webmaster with the request to add a custom avatar on 26th august, and I have not heard anything yet; neither is the avatar added in requests. I dont think this present system for avatar addition works. Even if it does, its way too slow.

Some ideas were discussed here too.

Well one thing that I observed here is that the Undernet forum is mostly dedicated to technical issues (problems, suggestions etc.) .. One idea to attract users may be to introduce more general sections like Entertainment, Sports etc. (i.e. instead of having one 'General posts' section under 'General' .. each section is titled accordingly instead). Unless ofcourse you decide to let the forum have the appearance of a help spot rather than a discussion one. Just a thought !

[Kahr]

A new forum style would be great, indeed. And also a forum (Like Undernet Announcements where only the Moderators/Administrators) have access to where you give hints & tips on how to do different things (i.e. like add an avatar, signature etc.).

[Eenie]

Kahr:

And limiting the SIZE of sigs ?!?!

Your sig is ridiculously huge!

This is a FORUM, for exchange of ideas through words.
This is NOT a photo album.

Eenie

[puterfixer]

Simba, first of all I have to say that I appreciate the efforts you put into this website. I know it's not an easy job, and there are always people who make opposing requests. Furthermore, few webmasters are interested in their visitors' oppinions - it's great that you are willing to listen to people's thoughts and analyzing possible improvements.

Suggested improvements:
- All that dark blue space on top of each page, at the right of the Undernet logo, is left unused... Could you come up with a more attractive page header? Perhaps a larger logo, more colorful (a touch of red or orange makes it look warmer and alive), and the menu at its right?
- The forum's top links, underneath the ":: Undernet forums", could be rearranged neatly in a horizontal list at top left or top right, under the site's menu bar; save a few pixels and scrolling.
- When replying, the page header (logo and site menu) is included in the "Topic review" iframe below, or in the "View more Emoticons" pop-up window - I think the header was included in the wrong place in the phpBB, perhaps that could be corrected as well.
- There's always room for more emoticons, funny ones (like the smiley face holding a "Google" sign), but not too large or too animated since some people have the tendency to include them all in every post.

At last, but not least, I would like to reiterate my request to at least disable images in signatures, or limit their size in pixels. It's absolutely outrageous to throw a two-liner reply and fill the rest of the screen with an useless image. Kahr's is way out of the limits. If the only way to prove my point is to add an 1600x1200 .bmp in my signature (2 MB download), I will see myself forced to do that; at the moment, there's no rule to forbid it (except for common sense and respect, but some people don't seem to possess such qualities).

[kenv]

Suggested improvements:
- All that dark blue space on top of each page, at the right of the Undernet logo, is left unused... Could you come up with a more attractive page header? Perhaps a larger logo, more colorful (a touch of red or orange makes it look warmer and alive), and the menu at its right?

In this topic you make suggestions about the forum, not about the Website; there are other topics where you can talk about the website.

kenv.

[puterfixer]

The top header (logo, site menu) is included as a separate file in the forum script, so it IS also a part of the forum, therefore I CAN suggest improvements for it. I don't think I should apologize for taking the opportunity to speak my mind, if I (as well as all other memebers) was invited to do so and if something good may come out of it. In the end, this is the Undernet forum; why do you insist of breaking a consistent message in two because three sentences may look better in a different section? Why this segregation between different sections?

[Kahr]

Kahr:

And limiting the SIZE of sigs ?!?!

Your sig is ridiculously huge!

This is a FORUM, for exchange of ideas through words.
This is NOT a photo album.

Eenie

Yo, you haven't seen other forums then. Mine is actually small.

[puterfixer]

"Yo"?! Talk like that to your homies in da hood, I doubt you went cruisin' and checking out the babes with Eenie to remotely justify such a rude form of addressing yourself to a person whom you probably haven't met. And we're not comparing this forum with others; I'm assuming that other forums allow huge photos in signatures, foul language and an IQ smaller than my shoe size, but that doesn't mean it should be that way on THIS forum. As long as in your messages the part which says something (message body) is smaller than the part which is useless (the signature), we have a problem. Peace, dewd.

And to not be completely off-topic... It could be a good idea to have a section called "Frequently Asked Questions" with links to the most representative discussions on the forum, or perhaps edited copies of those discussions. This should help lowering the number of repetitive questions, such as "how to register nick", "how to download files", "I want longer nicknames" and so on. Eventually, as the forum grows, it would be a good idea to insert a "Search Block" at the top of each reply/open new thread page, if the user has less than 30 or 50 posts. What I called "Search Block" here would be a visible table, with simple instructions like: "Before asking, did you search the forum for an already existing thread on the same subject?" followed by a forum search form, a Google search form, a list of the frequently asked questions or important information such as rules of conduct on this forum, Undernet's AUP, and so on. These should ease the job of moderators with newbies who don't know how to use the forum yet, and don't observe the "Search" link on top of each page.

[Kahr]

I think we understand your point, puterfixer. But do not fear, the signature has been removed. On the other hand, I do not think "yo" is the worst possible word one can speak/write. I am not thinking of Eenie as my homey, and I hardly ever write in such fashion. When I do, it is either meant as a joke, or as a "lighten up" trend.

If you wanna meet my homies, try this:

PICTURE REMOVED BY SIMBA

[Eenie]

The Halloween jack-o-lantern graphic for Halloween is cute and a nice gesture, but everyone knows, after a few days, the pumpkin starts to rot and stink. Time to take it down, please.

Eenie

[kenv]

I guess the Undernet Forums have some terms & policies which users must follow them.
Opening an "AUP Section" will help users to know and understand the guidelines.
In this way we hope that moderators don`t need to lock/delete/etc. post/threads anymore