New forum software

[ben]

Hi folks,

I've installed the latest forum software for the site. I'll look to tweaking it with some reloadonline branding over the next few days. Let me know if you experience any issues with it. It's current edge release candidate stuff - so there may be some bugs!

Ben

[Steve Sole]

Hi Ben.

Well, it's probably just me, but I don't think the new look is my cuppa.
I am, off course, going to let it sink in, but I spent some time on it last night, just going through the new layout, and I think I prefer the old one instead.
I'm also not that big a fan of the guys pictures displayed on the main index; I think it looks kind of naff (sorry).
I had a look around the web, finding out a little about phpbb, and I noticed that it's free (I think).
Is there any way we could maybe all chip in and buy one of the new layouts like:
http://www.coldplaying.com/ I love this board, cause it just has so many possibilities.
Sorry to be a bit negative on this, and I know you mean really well, but for me, it just doesn't look like home.
Please, anyone else, tell me to be quiet, if you guys really like it, but I just thought I should put forward my opinion, seeing as how it's my favorite place on the net.

[ben]

Thanks for the feedback Steve.

I take your point about the new layout. This has been a criticism by many users of the new phpBB software. It is mostly cosmetic however - we can shuffle back to the old layout if necessary. This was a bit of a test-run for me - I hadn't played around with this new version until now. I needed to do something to prevent all the spam users from registering themselves (a feature of the old forum software version).

As far as the using other software goes, this is something that I have raised in the past. There was a mixed response. The forum software on coldplaying is vBulletin. This is about £91 to buy and £15 per year to license. I use this on one of the other site's that I maintain (http://www.a2oc.net). It is a very good bit of forum software - but to justify the cost requires some kind of commitment from its members. On the A2 site above, we have over 2000 members - and we receive occasional donations to help with the running costs.

I'd be happy to foot the annual renewal costs for this - but would look for donations to meet the initial outlay.

The alternative is that we simply tailor the site templates to our desire.

Comments?

[darlo]

I actually like the new look

Perhaps scale down the piccies on the front but I really like the new buttons and scheme etc.

As for the upgrade, do we really need it for the volume of users/posts? I think I may have a solution to all duffer accounts that I shall speak to BEN about.


I haven't looked but is that really pron on the production page?

darlo

[chuckcogan]

i have always like phpbb the best
was a bit trown when i first saw this new layout.....but im quickly getting used to it
think it looks snazzy
however...im not to fond about the actual topic boxes....but as ben says...ALOT here can be modded to how we like it
and there are themes to choose from aswell

i say we keep this and see what we can mod

[thewalker]

my tuppence worth:

I can tell that the far left icon goes a little red when there is an unread message, and the bar goes a little yellow? maybe. i would prefer these colours to be more pronounced, for quicker decode/navigation.

apart from that from my perspective it all works about the same, except it looks a little "sharper" around the edges. you should play with the template a little to make it a little softer, i think. maybe.

the pics are good, they define the topics better, possibly could be a little smaller, maybe if you make each topic bar a different colour you could make the pics a similar colour, which would improve the topic identity even more, as long as i can still tell where the new messages are of course...

i am not sure what the different icons mean. some have a red star(does this mean not new,but recently updated?), and some have scrolling "text" within the circle....?????

also,what is good about the coldplay one?




and, thanks ben, keep up the good work.

[hayhook]

cool new stuff!

i dig it
thanks ben

[Steve Sole]

....ggrrr. you're all heathans!!

Seriously though, I'm actually getting quite used to the new layout.
I do have one remaining niggle though; is it possible to somehow remove the phpBB banner up on top left? And maybe stick a big picture of something else in it's place? I think that would be cool.
Also, it seems to be going a little slow when I post. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
Apart from that, it's pretty good.

[ben]

Keep sending the suggestions. I'll aim for a proper reload/gc branding this weekend...

[matt]

as long as the information within is the same quality - i'm happy

[bumblebee..]

I'm all for it - just installed phpbb on my own homepage

[hayhook]

maybe the wordpress needs an upgrade? for some reason only the "homepage" will open now, cannot navigate to any other pages of past releases etc...

ben? anyone else know how to fix?

[ben]

I'll investigate and update word press if I can

B

[ben]

Fixed.

[hayhook]

Ben you're a champ! what was wrong?