New forum software

JanDW · 2009-09-30 14:42:52

Keeping textile, adding google search box and

That and making the Tabula Rasa theme default (removing some of the aged brown, re-enabling distinguishable visited links in one go) would botox-away the crinkles.

would be enough for me…

uli · 2009-09-30 15:32:01

Re-reading my quoted text made me think I wasn’t clear enough between the parentheses. What I meant: Tabula by all means, but with a mini facelift, i.e. less brown in the header, and please return to the good old standard TXP forum distinguishable visited links in one go.

jsoo · 2009-09-30 15:49:34

colak wrote:

Admittedly the problem of not being able to search specific topics is an ongoing one but searching the forum though quick and/or advanced search has always returned the desired result for me.

Yes, the advanced search works pretty well. The problem is that the regular search doesn’t work at all — it always returns “No hits”. If we could just replace the current search form with a plain link to advanced search, it would be much better. Someone who doesn’t know this quirk will try a few search terms, get no results, and give up.

MattD · 2009-09-30 16:19:35

I like this forum so much I was using it as inspiration on a new project that requires a forum. I rarely have troube with the search and if I get to many results I turn to google. I’ve been using the tabula theme for so long I forgot there was anything else and I think it looks tons better than the default.

jsoo · 2009-09-30 16:25:14

MattD wrote:

I rarely have troube with the search …

Even the non-advanced? I always get “No hits”, no matter what search term I enter.

hcgtv · 2009-09-30 16:26:29

Let me clarify my position.

Yes, I was involved in the PunBB project until it was sold. Since then it’s gone in a direction that is not about free software, it’s been more about monetary gain. The changing of the domain from PunBB.org was the last straw for many core devs and longtime community members.

Yes, the project was forked, but the 1.3 code base was abandoned, extensions got out of hand, so the original devs decided to take a step back and reformulate a new direction. The 1.2 code base is being maintained by this new fork, FluxBB released the latest security patch, which PunBB just copied for their own release.

Yes, PunBB 1.3 is not something to be running on a production board, the FluxBB devs, the ones who coded it, abandoned it. At present, there is no upgrade path for PunBB 1.2.22, and when and if there is one, the code base will be a complete rewrite. Note: There will be a FluxBB 1.4, but it’s not the code direction the team is taking towards a 2.0 release.

Yes, PunBB has become one of the most attacked forums, it’s not under the radar anymore. Spam has become a big issue and bots are signing up in droves. Just yesterday this forum had 88 new members, want to bet how many were bots and spammers?

Yes, I love small and simple, it’s why I run Textpattern. But if Textpattern changed hands and headed in a direction I didn’t agree with, I’d move on. The choice of using an Open Source project is equal parts the quality of code and the quality of the community, PunBB lost it’s community.

No, I won’t webmaster a modded PunBB forum till the end of time.

els · 2009-09-30 17:47:35

The forum software is working fine enough for me, the only addition I might wish for is the ability to search topics, but it’s not something I want so desperately that I’d consider a move to another app for it. I have no other wishes :)
All search methods depend more on the user’s search skills than on the tool itself.

Jeff, the regular search always returns results for me as well.

About the look: honestly, who cares!? Content is what matters on a forum. If you really can’t stand the look, there’s always the Stylish extension or other ways to add your own stylesheet. (I use it on one other forum I visit that really, really hurts my eyes ;) Why would I spam that forum with complaints about the layout if I can easily change it myself?)

jsoo · 2009-09-30 18:23:30

Els wrote:

Jeff, the regular search always returns results for me as well.

Oh. Well I guess I should be glad it’s only me, then. How strange.

MattD · 2009-09-30 18:32:22

jsoo wrote:

Even the non-advanced? I always get “No hits”, no matter what search term I enter.

I just made a few tests.

Search Term	Results
plugin	None
smd_if	48 Pages
plug	312 Pages
forum	None
punbb	56 Pages

So confirmed that search is not consistent.

els · 2009-09-30 18:38:35

MattD wrote:

So confirmed that search is not consistent.

You’re right, that’s odd. So maybe replacing it with a Google search box is not such a bad idea.

JanDW · 2009-09-30 18:45:17

Els wrote:

About the look: honestly, who cares!? Content is what matters on a forum. If you really can’t stand the look, there’s always the Stylish extension or other ways to add your own stylesheet. (I use it on one other forum I visit that really, really hurts my eyes ;) Why would I spam that forum with complaints about the layout if I can easily change it myself?)

You’re right that it is the content that matters, but the idea is that a design can emphasize content or distract from it. Considerate use of typography, color and structure increase readability & usability. Also, not everybody knows about user stylesheets (stylish or greasemonkey) or wants to spend the time required to change things themselves. The looks of the forum are its face. If that face looks stale, that reflects on the perception of textpattern, I think.

Wouldn’t it make more sense for David DeSandro’s Tabula Rasa theme to be the default? I think it’s a superior design, it seems that a lot of people on the forum agree… I think Uli suggested some interesting improvements. It doesn’t seem like too much of an effort.

Oh well, … It doesn’t keep me awake at night since I am using my own user styles, but textpatternkind would be better off I think. DeSandro’s textpattern.org styles are even more wanted…

jsoo wrote:

Oh. Well I guess I should be glad it’s only me, then. How strange.

Nope, me too… unless i use the advanced search

Last edited by JanDW (2009-09-30 18:48:28)

els · 2009-09-30 19:02:47

JanDW wrote:

You’re right that it is the content that matters, but the idea is that a design can emphasize content or distract from it. Considerate use of typography, color and structure increase readability & usability.

You’re absolutely right of course. I just think that you can never ever find a design that works that way for everyone.

Wouldn’t it make more sense for David DeSandro’s Tabula Rasa theme to be the default?

I don’t care one way or another, I know how to choose my own settings. To keep everyone happy we could even add one or two more to the options.

Edited to add disclaimer: though I just said ‘we’, I don’t have anything to say about this, Robert is the one who has to do it ;)

Last edited by els (2009-09-30 19:03:34)

redbot · 2009-09-30 19:42:10

woof wrote:

By the way if you’re browsing this in the default style give yourself a treat (and a whole new outlook on this forum) by going to Profile > Display > Select your preferred style > tabula

Oooh… I never knew this style was added. Really nice!
I’m now among the ones who think it should be default – a great emprovement with a minimal effort.

Els wrote:

About the look: honestly, who cares!? Content is what matters on a forum. If you really can’t stand the look, there’s always the Stylish extension or other ways to add your own stylesheet…

Sorry Els don’t want to sound harsh but I don’t agree this time.
I think the look is relatively important (provided you are reading interesting contents of course). For example I wouldn’t enjoy so much a newspaper filled with interesting content but written in “comic sans”. On equal contents, I prefer to have it nicely presented.

…I just think that you can never ever find a design that works that way for everyone…

Again, I have some doubts. As per the example above, I’m sure there is someone who would prefer “the Guardian” in comic-sans…

As for the search, the simple one never worked for me.

edit: Er, unfortunately I’m so acquainted with txpish I fear I’ll continue using it. (nonetheless I still confirm what I said before)

Last edited by redbot (2009-09-30 19:57:31)

hcgtv · 2009-09-30 20:11:59

JanDW wrote:

Wouldn’t it make more sense for David DeSandro’s Tabula Rasa theme to be the default?

I didn’t even know it was an option to tell you the truth. I just switched to it and agree that it should be the default, it looks rather nice, it works well and doesn’t take much effort for the admin to enable it. Those that like the old look can easily switch back to it.

Actually, it’s more inline to how Textbook looks nowadays, more cohesion I feel.

els · 2009-09-30 20:13:06

I was just about to write a reply when I read your

edit: Er, unfortunately I’m so acquainted with txpish I fear I’ll continue using it.

which is exactly the way I feel :)

But you were not seriously comparing txpish with comic sans I hope? If this forum was using comic sans I’d agree with any proposed change…

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#16 2009-09-30 14:42:52

Re: New forum software

#17 2009-09-30 15:32:01

Re: New forum software

#18 2009-09-30 15:49:34

Re: New forum software

#19 2009-09-30 16:19:35

Re: New forum software

#20 2009-09-30 16:25:14

Re: New forum software

#21 2009-09-30 16:26:29

Re: New forum software

#22 2009-09-30 17:47:35

Re: New forum software

#23 2009-09-30 18:23:30

Re: New forum software

#24 2009-09-30 18:32:22

Re: New forum software

#25 2009-09-30 18:38:35

Re: New forum software

#26 2009-09-30 18:45:17

Re: New forum software

#27 2009-09-30 19:02:47

Re: New forum software

#28 2009-09-30 19:42:10

Re: New forum software

#29 2009-09-30 20:11:59

Re: New forum software

#30 2009-09-30 20:13:06

Re: New forum software

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