[Closed] The STW forum still sucks

Whats wrong with that multiquote post?

Yeah as I thought.

The sites you are linking are run by fans or small commercial, they're using free or cheap hosting the ads generate money for the host not the owner of the site. ST is owned and ran by Gofar they pay for the hosting which when it's as busy as this with as much content, not just a car crash of sub forums and spangly banners like the ones you linked, it costs a lot. They also have a IT team that looks after the site, an ad man who sells the ad space. Then there's the writing team, oh and the man who makes everything look pretty, he'll be in cold sweats at the very thought of avatars. i could go one but you must get the idea by now, please.

aracer i think you need to switch you computer off for a bit. about a month should do. 🙂

aracer - Member

"Whats wrong with that multiquote post?"

Check out which replies are to which quotes, and how the reply to quote #1 is actually closer to quote #2, making it seem more associated with that than it should be.

Eh? its very simple to put more spacing in if you want - and thats not how I see it at all

Hmm.. a quick multi-quote experiment:

Here's something I'm quoting #1

Here's my reply #1

Here's something I'm quoting #2

Here's my reply #2

Here's something I'm quoting #3

Here's my reply #3

Okay that looks fine. I suspect you get the weird spacing because you don't put an empty line between the quote block and the reply?

So if I'm right this will look different:

Here's something I'm quoting #1

Here's something I'm quoting #2

Here's something I'm quoting #3

Edit: Yeah that looks different to the previous post on my browser (Firefox 8.0). I suspect the bottom margin on the blockquote style needs tweaked.

GrahamS - Member
Okay that looks fine. I suspect you get the weird spacing because you don't put an empty line between the quote block and the reply?

So if I'm right this will look different:

Here's something I'm quoting #1

Here's my reply #1

Here's something I'm quoting #2

Here's my reply #2

Here's something I'm quoting #3

Here's my reply #3

GrahamS - Member
Hmm.. a quick multi-quote experiment:

Here's something I'm quoting #1

Here's my reply #1

Here's something I'm quoting #2

Here's my reply #2

Here's something I'm quoting #3

Here's my reply #3

Posted 4 minutes ago # Report-PostGrahamS - Member
Okay that looks fine. I suspect you get the weird spacing because you don't put an empty line between the quote block and the reply?

So if I'm right this will look different:

Here's something I'm quoting #1

Here's my reply #1

Here's something I'm quoting #2

Here's my reply #2

Here's something I'm quoting #3

Here's my reply #3

Edit: Yeah that looks different to the previous post on my browser (Firefox 8.0). I suspect the bottom margin on the blockquote style needs tweaked.

Posted 2 minutes ago # Report-PostThe Southern Yeti - Member

GrahamS - Member
Okay that looks fine. I suspect you get the weird spacing because you don't put an empty line between the quote block and the reply?

So if I'm right this will look different:

Here's something I'm quoting #1

Here's my reply #1

Here's something I'm quoting #2

Here's my reply #2

Here's something I'm quoting #3

Here's my reply #3

?

wow 🙂

[b][i]{Note: The following information is for geeks only}[/i][/b]

Hmmm... actually it looks like the HTML generated by the forum is different depending on how you enter them.

If you add a blank line between the quote and the reply you get a <p></p> in the HTML, otherwise you get a <br >

Ah jeez. I'm lost now.

Quote test

reply

Quote test

reply

Quote test

Quote test

Well who'd have thunk that putting more space between the quote and reply results in less space when posted. Still not the natural way tyo do things IMHO - and I'd still argue that the forum is broke if the user has to do something special (and different to every other forum on the internet) to make it work.

[i][b]{Executive summary for non-geeks}[/b]
[/i]

If you don't want weird spacing when quoting then make sure you add a blank line between the quote and reply like this:

[code]{quote}Here's something I'm quoting #1{/quote}
 
Here's my reply #1[/code]

And not like this:

[code]{quote}Here's something I'm quoting #1{/quote}
Here's my reply #1[/code]

Okay?

Yes yes I concur.

GrahamS - Member
{Note: The following information is for geeks only}

Hmmm... actually it looks like the HTML generated by the forum is different depending on how you enter them.

If you add a blank line between the quote and the reply you get a <p></p> in the HTML, otherwise you get a

Posted 5 minutes ago # Report-Postdeadlydarcy - Member
Ah jeez. I'm lost now.

Posted 4 minutes ago # Report-Postaracer - Member

Quote test

reply

Quote test

reply

Quote test

reply

Quote test

reply

Posted 1 minute ago # Report-PostGrahamS - Member

{Executive summary for non-geeks}

If you don't want weird spacing when quoting then make sure you add a blank line between the quote and reply like this:

{quote}Here's something I'm quoting #1{/quote}

Here's my reply #1

And not like this:

{quote}Here's something I'm quoting #1{/quote}
Here's my reply #1

Okay?

❓

Yes yes I concur.

The sites you are linking are run by fans or small commercial, they're using free or cheap hosting the ads generate money for the host not the owner of the site. ST is owned and ran by Gofar they pay for the hosting which when it's as busy as this with as much content, not just a car crash of sub forums and spangly banners like the ones you linked, it costs a lot.

PM being a massive strain on the database, and bandwidth?

LOL you serious??

There are certain things about STW Forum I like and some I find less likeable, on balance it is good.
This site [url= http://www.thehubsa.co.za/ ]The Hub[/url] looks and feels different to use and I like it too.
It does things the way the OP would like it to be.

/steps out of thread.

[i][b]{Executive executive summary for TSY}[/b][/i]

[img] [/img]

- it's far from straightforward to check what posts somebody has made (just which threads they've posted on, which is really helpful with 500 post threads)
- you can't go direct to the first new post in a thread since you last read it

eh? i thought it was painfully obvious how to do these things. like, [i]so easy[/i] 🙄

(apologies if this has already been mentioned. i just want to join in!)

I can't believe the mods are continuing to argue the point.

Nested quotes are Wack
Avatars are for losers
Quote counts etc are for boring cheap forums where people post crap to push up post count.

This is the only forum I frequent, looks good on Mac/pc/iPad and phone, so why change.

I really like the clean look rather than hundreds of sub forums.

Thanks to STW and Mods for providing a great easy to use forum!

I don't speak yoof, what does "Wack" mean?

Graham... I understand 🙂

I was just trying to be as annoying as possible, with quoting quotes.

I only use this forum... any place that allows you to directly quote a post, which contains a post... is pretty rubbish.

As for the PM idea... WTF, just why would you want this?? You'd have Elfin telling you how wrong you were privately as well as publicly... although it would let me proposition C_G in private...

PM being a massive strain on the database, and bandwidth?

i thought it was painfully obvious how to do these things. like, so easy

You wouldn't like quoting to work better, to be able to go to the first unread post in a thread, or to be able to easily find a post somebody else (or even yourself) has made in a thread?

Of that list, the one thing I would like is the "first unread post" bit, or at least bring back the icon saying there're new posts on a thread you've previously opened. I like the quoting as is, would hate to see any more subforums, and avatars would be the death of this site!

As an aside, I can't quite work out why the mods continually go on about STW being such an amazingly huge forum: it's not.

I like the simplicity of STW and dont care much for Avatars and nested quotes and PM's,
BUT I HATE
having to go to Photobucket, upload a photo from my computer, getting the code, copying the code, then return to STW, pasting the code etc!!! 🙄

Go on then - if it's so easy explain away (several people have already mistakenly suggested the same thing on this thread, due to misunderstanding how the forum actually works).

wooah there, nelly!

ok, looks like i misread your demand for seeing [i]all[/i] posts someone has posted.

as to seeing the last post on a thread? surely just by clicking on someones name as it appears to the right of the thread in the forum? EDIT: under the freshness column?

if this is not not to what you refer, then i give up. though i will say this - i'm happy with the forum structure and see no reason to whinge [baby-pram-toys malfunction]because it isn't made the way i want it[/baby-pram-toys malfunction]

Hi everyone...

A few points..

Avatars? - Absolutely no.. nada.. never! Awful things 🙂

PM? Watch this space.

PM doesn't overload the database. It's a level of functionality that is actually already built in to the forum, we just have it disabled at the moment until we are ready to launch it properly and in a way that works for us.

Quoting works fine as far as we can see. Patrick will have a look at the minor html issue with spacing to see if we can sort that out.

Our forum is big. But not huge. There are plenty bigger as have been pointed out. That's not the point though as we do something with ours (and the rest of the site) that changes things a little and makes direct comparisons with other forums a little more tricky.

We have a membership system - The Premier system. This is not just a simple authentication system where there is effectively a big list on the server that is checked when you login. Our system links your online account to the account we have in our subscriptions database here in the office. That database is itself connected to other databases, like the Spreedly payment system that authenticates card paymens and allows instant access to the Premier functions of the site. There's also our Direct Debit database that as I'm sure you can understand, comes with an enormous raft of legal and technical hoops that have to be jumped through in order for us to be allowed to keep our licence to process - As an example... when we applied for DD BACS status we had to show our office was not in the direct flightpath of an airport and there's even a specification for the types of cupboards we have to use to store DD mandate documents).

Our site is big in terms of other cycling forums - But not huge. It is, however, very complex behind the scenes even though from the front it looks very simple.

Not an excuse though as we are already working on new functions to add to the whole site - like I said, PM is likely to be one of the first you get to play with very soon. The first job that our tech guys have to finish before that happens though is the subscription gift voucher system. This is a system that allows us to issue voucher codes (think iTunes voucher) that can then be redeemed by entering the code into the website. Again, if it weren't for the fact that we also provide a printed magazine this would be a much simpler job to implement - but we have lots of databases talking to each other and it's a bit of a juggle 🙂

Hope that gives you a bit more of an insight into how we work on things here 🙂

As an aside, I can't quite work out why the mods continually go on about STW being such an amazingly huge forum: it's not.

For the record and those who've not read what I've already written, I'm definitely not wanting sub-forums (the traffic level on here doesn't justify it compared to larger forums 😛 ), and I don't really like avatars either - I don't use one (or a sig) on any of the other forums I belong to.

As for the PM idea... WTF, just why would you want this?? You'd have Elfin telling you how wrong you were privately as well as publicly... although it would let me proposition C_G in private...

This, for one, as a good example of why just switching PM functions on as they are built into the site already, is something we are not keen to do. Hence some modifications are needed first.

Hence some modifications are needed first.

Please say it's the ability to attach photo's to messages 🙂

I don't speak yoof, what does "Wack" mean?

Oi, I'm no youf. Just trying to articulate my point in a 'hip' and 'on tend' manner!

Wack=

Adjective - very bad

If you do have the PM function, lets hope the user can disable/enable it. I'd rather only contact/be contacted if I tick enable..

Thanks.

😳

Thank you Mark! I just can't believe you came on to prove me right about the loading caused by PMs (despite my smug and insufferable attitude).

From the sounds of things, you don't have a lot of fans for PMs, but I'm sure people will wonder how they ever did without when it gets rolled out.

As I keep pointing out, I don't want here to look like those others I linked to - like most on here I like it the way it is in general and my points are only really minor niggles (there I go with my hyperbolic thread titles again!)

Thanks also for getting the quote spacing sorted - I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but it must have been missed as I didn't kick up enough fuss! Would also be nice if you could go to your first unread post on a thread and find all posts made by somebody (not just threads they've posted on) - things for your developers to do when they get bored? I should point out that the functionality for finding all the posts somebody has made does already exist, but it's a bit convoluted to get to - just needs relinking a bit.

I've been playing around with userscripts for showing unread posts as part of an update to the killfile. It's a bit buggy and doesn't store counts across computers (if you access STW at home and at work for instance).

Shows posts you've read, and a little icon where you have some unread posts next to a thread you have previously viewed:

[img] [/img]

I need to finish it and send it to STW Towers for approval but hopefully you can get your mitts on it soon!

This, for one, as a good example of why just switching PM functions on as they are built into the site already, is something we are not keen to do.

PM: I just can't see the point. Well I can, in that it's worked for me when selling car specific stuff on a car specific forum I have used. But here? When so many threads descend into petty squabbling (yes, sometimes guilty your honour), I can't see how some users would resist the temptation to send "abusive" PMs. The open nature of the discussions mean that (most) users temper what they're about to post because lots of other people will be reading.

I would hazard that the mods would have quite a bit more policing to do should a PM function be added, for all its usefulness.

I would hazard that the mods would have quite a bit more policing to do should a PM function be added, for all its usefulness.

I''m too embarrassed to comment.

wooah there, nelly!

Well that's what you get if you do rolly eyes without having actually bothered to read properly what you're quoting.

as to seeing the last post on a thread?

Yes that's easy enough - trouble is I was actually after:

the first new post in a thread since you last read it

if this is not not to what you refer, then i give up.

Thanks for your contribution.

No PMs please.

That looks awesome thebunk!

I would hazard that the mods would have quite a bit more policing to do should a PM function be added, for all its usefulness.

No PMs please.

From the sounds of things, you don't have a lot of fans for PMs, but I'm sure people will wonder how they ever did without when it gets rolled out.

I doubt it, I don't think I've ever used a PM on any forum or thought it would be handy

UKC forums haven't changed at all in the last 10 years, are free and piddle all over this forum (and many others) in terms of functionality.

aracer - now i see. still, i'd really not like to conflate the significance of this forum in my life; i fail to see how these things are really that much of an issue. but, i guess things like this are pretty important to some.

Important enough for you to add your 2p to a thread about it?

😆