View Full Version : The New Design Thread
Well, it's finally here.
At some point when things have settled down a bit, I'll write down some stuff about the long, windy road that led to all this, because it's more interesting that you'd expect. But for now, I just wanted to have a thread to discuss some of the new features and allow people to post their feedback and ask any questions they might have.
Please note that this is not the thread for bug reports. Please post bug reports here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=34952). Many thanks.
I would be remiss, of course, if I did not thank our testers: all the mods (Sedai, Loner, and Tacitus) got a sneak peek, they were patient with the debugging process, and provided valuable feedback. Ditto for SC, particularly during this last week, where he caught several things I'd missed. I owe thanks to bluedeed and Daniel M as well for their help, and to a handful of MoFos for some crash-course beta testing on the mobile site (TUS, Aus, Rodent, and g_p).
This is by no means exhaustive, but I wanted to explain a few of the new things preemptively. On to the next post!
Notifications
The notifications system has gotten a huge overhaul. Now, when you have a notification waiting, you can see it on every page, and it'll be signified by a tiny red number above your avatar in the header. Clicking on it will bring up a list of new notifications right there on the page.
Posts
Most of the time spent on the site is spent looking at posts, and most of that time is spent simply reading them. So a lot of effort went into making the posts as clean as possible. The text is larger and more spaced out, and most of the options are initially hidden from view. But they're right there when you need them: hovering over the user's avatar gives you the most commonly used options, and the icons just above it show you their Favorite Movies and Lists.
To the right, you'll see the familiar +1/rep button, a Reply with Quote button, and a little cog for all other options: Quick Reply, Comment, Report, and Edit (when applicable). The idea is to keep things out of the way until you want them.
Profiles
I suspect you guys'll have a lot of fun with these. You can now upload a Profile Banner that will appear on your profile, and it's been given top billing. Whatever image you choose will be scaled either up or down as necessary to fit the given space, which is 960x315, so uploading larger images produces the best results. A cropping tool is included, as well.
Your stats are big and bold on the left, and the profile automatically calculates how long you've been a member. You can hold your mouse over it to get the exact join date.
Below that you'll see tabs that toggle between your Favorite Movies (more on those in a second), Profile Comments, Lists, and profile information. To the right you'll see an Activity Log that tracks things like posts, shouts, list updates, and any time you update your Profile Banner or Favorite Movies. It's relatively plain at the moment, but will be expanded over time.
Favorite Movies
This one was fun to build. You can now display the favorites on your profile with gorgeous poster artwork. All you need to do to is go to the new Favorite Movies (http://www.movieforums.com/community/favorites.php) page to confirm your choices. The first time you do, the database will make its best guess as to which film each of your preexisting titles referred to, and it should do a pretty good job. But make sure to review them before you save. Once you do, the posters will show up instantly.
If you need to make changes or corrections (now or in the future), you can drag and drop your favorites to change their order, hit the X over their top right corner to remove them, or add new ones by starting to type the title in the box above and selecting the correct film from the autocomplete that comes up. Just make sure to hit Save Favorites when you're done.
I logged out and in and the "Thanks for Logging In" is new but nothing else still.
Nevermind. It's new! WOW.
Masterman
02-27-14, 12:51 PM
Very nice.
http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/3104.gif
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/the-oval/2010/02/28/obama-thumbsx-large.jpg
Masterman
02-27-14, 01:03 PM
My review thread isn't with the other review threads :(.
The Rodent
02-27-14, 01:04 PM
Looking awesome there, Yoda...
http://i.imgur.com/0AZnj2E.gif
THIS LOOKS EPIC! Good job.
I came on, and literally my head popped back in astonishment lol! Absolutely beautiful in every conceivable way. Awesome job guys!!
My review thread isn't with the other review threads :(.
It will be. :) Hang in there! Working on this has left us a bit behind on User Reviews, both tagging them and marking all the threads. But we'll be catching up soon as part of an overhaul of the entire thing. I want to be one of the centerpiece features of the site.
Mesmerized
02-27-14, 01:15 PM
It's like coming home and seeing your house redecorated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1pxwIwnU9Q
Sexy Celebrity
02-27-14, 01:27 PM
It's like coming home and seeing your house redecorated.
Well, keep it nice and don't put up anymore of those tacky anti-abortion posters.
Mr Minio
02-27-14, 01:32 PM
https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1383966173/6722504.gif
Good job. At first I was like 'why did they change it', but I'm getting to like the new design more and more with every minute.
http://img.pandawhale.com/36243-nicolas-cage-clapping-gif-Imgu-Sj9d.gif
Citizen Cage approves!
The Rodent
02-27-14, 01:34 PM
My dinner is ready now... but all I want to do is sit here like this http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/086/2/2/Puppy_Eyes_by_AinaShadox.jpg
rauldc14
02-27-14, 01:37 PM
Look who else approves
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/1368351841_applause-gif-3.gif
Pussy Galore
02-27-14, 01:45 PM
It's a really nice design congratulation !
Mr Minio
02-27-14, 01:47 PM
http://www.drodd.com/images10/clapping-gif12.gif
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Barack-Obama-Clapping-in-Front-of-American-Flags.gif
http://replygif.net/i/960.gif
http://replygif.net/i/95.gif
http://media.giphy.com/media/birpHantyYf1C/giphy.gif
http://mrwgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Huge-Academy-Award-Worthy-Clapping-MRW-Gif.gif
http://25.media.tumblr.com/33a69cfc0924dc492a9166f2201aef87/tumblr_mu04jcZgEr1soqgbqo1_500.gif
http://static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/1/6/8/8/1/a622976-103-yoda.gif?d=1129954057
honeykid
02-27-14, 01:48 PM
It's nice and clean. Obviously I'm not used to it, but I don't think it'll take too long. Good job everyone. :):up:
The Gunslinger45
02-27-14, 01:48 PM
Look who else approves
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/1368351841_applause-gif-3.gif
Dammit ya beat me to it!
The Gunslinger45
02-27-14, 01:50 PM
My response to the new site design
http://i43.tinypic.com/fvy3jr.jpg
My initial reaction when I saw the new layout:
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSECLfhqdaRNvejOVhJQw3Fde2nZbG6EhsloUblGoVThLEr2H8q
My reaction now:
http://cdn.mamamia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Happy_gif.gif
We're an entire generation that can only communicate feelings through GIFs.
The Gunslinger45
02-27-14, 01:52 PM
But it is funnier this way! ;)
I don't understand. Funnier? You mean like this?
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/4/4a/Dolls_Laughing.gif
The Gunslinger45
02-27-14, 01:57 PM
Needs less creepy. lol
Harry Lime
02-27-14, 02:01 PM
http://i.imgur.com/cOiSwFi.gif
Skepsis93
02-27-14, 02:14 PM
This is superb. I love how the style harks back to classic cinema yet remains modern, slick and so far, very easy to use. I doubt this will take long to get used to.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/orson_wells_Slow-Clap.gif
Skepsis93
02-27-14, 02:17 PM
I am disproportionately excited about the fact that the film reels next to the tweets rotate when you hover over them.
Austruck
02-27-14, 02:19 PM
I am disproportionally excited about the fact that the film reels next to the tweets rotate when you hover over them.
And the MoFo banner and the words "MOVIE FORUMS" kinda wiggle a little when you hover over them too.
It's all so squee-worthy. :D
This is superb. I love how the style harks back to classic cinema yet remains modern, slick and so far, very easy to use. I doubt this will take long to get used to.
This is exactly the line I was trying to walk. Awesome.
I am disproportionally excited about the fact that the film reels next to the tweets rotate when you hover over them.
I was waiting for someone to notice that. You'll find the same effect on the New Thread/Post Reply buttons, too.
And the MoFo banner and the words "MOVIE FORUMS" kinda wiggle a little when you hover over them too.
Yeah, the logo lights up and slides down, and the words MOVIE FORUMS change orientation. By default they're tilted downwards, and meant to look like the big stone-carved letters on old movie title cards, but on hover it "faces" you.
Skepsis93
02-27-14, 02:22 PM
THE LISTS SECTION
http://www.nerdtopiacast.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/homer-drooling.png
Sexy Celebrity
02-27-14, 02:22 PM
Bye, bye, old layout that we've had forever.
http://vikingessa.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/tumblr_mw7wd8lf6d1r1c97qo1_500.gif
I just want to get in on the GIF thing.
THE LISTS SECTION
http://www.nerdtopiacast.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/homer-drooling.png
And that's the Lite version I had to slap together to get this thing up before the Oscars. The list page itself is the only one I really got to spend a lot of time with. Lots more coming there.
You can generally expect all the interactive areas (Lists, User Reviews, Quizzes) to get a lot more attention and have a much more prominent role in the next couple of months.
Austruck
02-27-14, 02:27 PM
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd446/Austruck/clapgeek_zpsdb372d02.jpg (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/Austruck/media/clapgeek_zpsdb372d02.jpg.html)
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd446/Austruck/62157-JGL-clapping-gif-Wh0q_zps2cabebdf.gif (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/Austruck/media/62157-JGL-clapping-gif-Wh0q_zps2cabebdf.gif.html)
The Sci-Fi Slob
02-27-14, 02:28 PM
New site looks great.:up: Just one thing though - the cropping tool for the profile banner image is producing an error message.
Sorry to hear that! I'll PM you to debug.
teeter_g
02-27-14, 02:35 PM
It looks really great! Nice job! I think it is going to be pretty easy to get a handle on.
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6lqzgGMVm1qireq9.gif
On an un-related note, the caption on the original gif said that this was Harry Potter?! WTF?
Glad you like it. :) I am definitely optimistic that people will get used to it quickly. Lots of stuff in the same place, and most of the changes were done with ease of use in mind, so I think the transition will be pretty smooth for most.
Well, the actor in question was in one of the Harry Potter movies, so I guess that'd be why.
Sinny McGuffins
02-27-14, 02:39 PM
I logged in today for the first time in ages... imagine my surprise!
Great job, Yoda. It looks great!
teeter_g
02-27-14, 02:39 PM
I had forgotten! He played Barty Crouch Jr. !
I logged in today for the first time in ages... imagine my surprise!
Great job, Yoda. It looks great!
Wow, Sinny! Welcome back.
Yeah, you picked quite a day. I haven't even sent out the mailing list update about it yet, so I guess it was just a total coincidence.
Whoa.
Great new design, although the old design was here for so long that I'll always miss it.
Sleep in peace, sweet brother.
Sinny McGuffins
02-27-14, 02:45 PM
Unfortunately I won't be able to stick around for long, I actually just logged in so I could make some Oscar picks. Is that still happening this year?
Awww, gone so soon?
Re: Oscar Picks. Yup. I just have to put the link back up! Here it is for now: http://www.movieforums.com/oscars
We're doing the chat on Sunday, too.
earlsmoviepicks
02-27-14, 02:48 PM
http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab94/earlsmoviepicks/fcc_zps3adb32c3.gif (http://s853.photobucket.com/user/earlsmoviepicks/media/fcc_zps3adb32c3.gif.html)
Just kidding, Excellent Job!
Bar raised high on grooviosity and grooviositude!
Skepsis93
02-27-14, 02:49 PM
Let's take a moment to pay our respects to the old design. You served us well, old friend.
http://www.blackfive.net/.a/6a00d8341bfadb53ef0120a69cdb0b970c-500wi
The Rodent
02-27-14, 02:51 PM
The Quizzes section looks tidy...
The Rodent
02-27-14, 02:53 PM
I especially like the top scorers list on the quizzes...
The Quizzes section looks tidy...
Amusingly, that was another section I had to do quick-and-dirty. That one's getting a huge facelift, too.
Everything's been updated to fit the new style, obviously, but to meet the Oscar deadline I had to just update the general look and feel of some of them. I'm still going to go through and actually change the way a lot of them are laid out. And add new functionality after that.
So stay tuned for a lot more on that one.
BlueLion
02-27-14, 02:56 PM
Changes usually take a while to get used to, but I feel as though I'm already used to it.
Nice work, Yoda!
The Rodent
02-27-14, 02:58 PM
Yeah, took me ten or fifteen minutes to acclimatise my eyes to it... i.e. I'm used to seeing who's online at the bottom of the page, having certain links in certain places etc...
Now I'm used to where things are, it's all cool and the fresh 2 levelled look adds a great dynamic...
Don't forget to load your new profile banner pics, especially Lucas, because he loves Blade Runner!
BlueLion
02-27-14, 03:11 PM
Don't forget to load your new profile banner pics, especially Lucas, because he loves Blade Runner!
http://film-grab.com/movies-a-z/
If you're looking for a banner, that should come in handy.
Gabrielle947
02-27-14, 03:21 PM
Of course, it's strange at first but adjustable ;) Nice work :up:
Sinny McGuffins
02-27-14, 03:21 PM
Awww, gone so soon?
Re: Oscar Picks. Yup. I just have to put the link back up! Here it is for now: http://www.movieforums.com/oscars
We're doing the chat on Sunday, too.
Thanks for that!
Yeah, I still don't have my own computer, and only have access to one once a week for a couple of hours, which makes me turning up just as the new design goes live even more coincidental. I'll be back for good when I buy a new laptop after I return from my travels. :)
Skepsis93
02-27-14, 03:29 PM
One thing I love is the fact that I haven't had to search around for links I use a lot, like Find My Posts or Edit Post, stuff like that. They all seem to be in their logical place even though everything looks very different.
The Rodent
02-27-14, 03:33 PM
One thing... The Top 50 Posters On MoFo will be a lot harder to do...
I can't see a way of getting the Members List...
Daniel M
02-27-14, 03:50 PM
One thing... The Top 50 Posters On MoFo will be a lot harder to do...
I can't see a way of getting the Members List...
http://www.movieforums.com/community/memberlist.php
It's still a bit messy (I guess that's why there's no link on forums) but it should work for what you want.
The Rodent
02-27-14, 03:52 PM
Miss Vicky has it now... she's taking over as I'll be doing the Comics List...
Why am i getting a letterboxd vibe?
Probably because we use the same movie database API. And web design in general has been moving towards things like more negative space and hiding options until elements are interacted with.
I was actually a little bummed when I saw their launch, because long before they came along I'd reworked the Review categories page to have the exact same rounded-corner posters that became so ubiquitous afterwards.
Alas, that's the downside of taking so long between redesigns.
The Rodent
02-27-14, 04:10 PM
One thing I do like is the avi of the MoFo who started the thread next to the thread's title rather than just the name of the starter.
A quick ditty to celerate the new site!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9BLDibPEg0
:up:
http://media.tumblr.com/aba4de1c08b5fe1ae5142e9971b1ea2e/tumblr_inline_mx6jqkbkms1qz62ac.gif
Mr Minio
02-27-14, 05:15 PM
http://infomixture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/3216-263x300.jpg
Shocking facts revealed!
LOL that one destroyed me:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8f7axVqXW1qex0dmo1_r1_500.gif
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x89/edwardbayntun/gifs/star-wars-yoda-dry.gif
Thursday Next
02-27-14, 06:27 PM
I haven't had time to explore all the features yet, but the new design looks good! :yup:
Frightened Inmate No. 2
02-27-14, 06:34 PM
this is has completely lived up to my highest expectations. great job, yoda.
Looks very slick.
I can see you put a lot of time into this, Yoda, so thanks very much for continue making this forum better than what it already is. :)
teeter_g
02-27-14, 07:02 PM
https://31.media.tumblr.com/517bb0ef60fce8c15fdebffead779728/tumblr_inline_mxrl1sUGqH1rcyftk.gif
http://media.giphy.com/media/12c47gEeHC356g/giphy.gif
https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1380415010/818911.gif
http://rs65.pbsrc.com/albums/h206/smoore182/GIFS/carlton_happy.gif~c200
McConnaughay
02-27-14, 07:32 PM
I think it looks terrific. I am sure that I might find a few unpolished aspects if I look hard enough, but it's all eye-candy, you did a really good job.
Loving the new phone design. :)
Godoggo
02-27-14, 08:32 PM
You rock, Yoda! Just when I thought "oh crap, I'm stuck in mobile and can't post pictures for my tournament," you fixed it. Looks great too. Also the mobile version is much better and easier to use now. I am not so adverse to using it now, unless I need to post pics.
Yeah, er, buckle up with the whole mobile thing. You'll never be stuck in it--worst-case scenario I can PM you a style reset link--but I'm still playing with this at the moment, so you might bounce back and forth between them a bit.
Godoggo
02-27-14, 08:39 PM
No biggie. I don't have a new round until tomorrow.
Shootin Jack
02-27-14, 08:52 PM
It looks excellent man! Im clapping by my computer, id make my own personal clapping gif if i knew how to do that lol
Harry Lime
02-27-14, 11:28 PM
This is a 5 design, Yoda.
Edit: Liking the new popcorn barrels too. Check out the shadow!
mikeython1
02-27-14, 11:47 PM
Not to discredit the importance of the threads such as Movie Commentaries, MOFO Big Brother or MOFO Survivor but these threads are usually specific to certain users and with the frequency of the posting kinda ruins the "Now Playing" function. I have a limited time to get my MOFO on and it kinda ruins the relevance of certain things I am trying to discuss or trying to generate discussion about. Now Playing can be so useful when I am surfing web for info or waiting on replies to post I have made(since I have multiple tabs open looking at various things) I thought I saw somewhere back in this thread or another that this problem was going to be addressed with the new version.
Well, someone mentioned it, and I agreed that it was worth looking into. But that was just a couple of weeks ago, and as you can see, it's been a pretty busy time, especially considering it's an issue that only comes up now and then.
Anyway, it's a fine suggestion, and it's on my list, but it's not really related to the new design. If someone wants to brainstorm about the best ways to do it, I think a new thread would be in order. :)
TheUsualSuspect
02-28-14, 12:33 AM
....something's different.
Nice job Yoda. Standing Ovation.
One little nitpick for me...It's hard for me to tell what my new messages are. I see they are in bold...a bit. But I have to really look hard to see the new ones. Before the colour distinction made it easier for me.
I can dig that, good suggestion. Maybe the same little NEW tag I'm putting on the posts? That would probably make it a lot easier. I'll add that now and we'll see how it looks.
Frightened Inmate No. 2
02-28-14, 12:43 AM
yeah, i second theusualsuspect's suggestion. i love when forums have those little "new" tags next to threads. makes life so much easier.
I think he was just talking about PMs (which have tags on them now), but regarding threads, you should be able to tell them but the "Go to New Post" icon before the title, no? Not noticeable enough?
I do have an item on my to-do list already to find a way to make them stand out more, but I just tried it and they look pretty clunky with the icon AND a "New" tag.
TheUsualSuspect
02-28-14, 01:35 AM
I see the change and already noticed I missed a message from the numerous "survivor" messages sent my way.
Very easy to distinguish.
Thanks.
Frightened Inmate No. 2
02-28-14, 01:46 AM
I think he was just talking about PMs (which have tags on them now), but regarding threads, you should be able to tell them but the "Go to New Post" icon before the title, no? Not noticeable enough?
I do have an item on my to-do list already to find a way to make them stand out more, but I just tried it and they look pretty clunky with the icon AND a "New" tag.
wow, i didn't even notice that icon, because i was using the regular style on my phone and the button just looked kinda inconspicuous when i was zoomed out so i forgot it was there. yeah, that works just fine.
Cool. Arrows facing downward are "Go to New Post" icons, and the ones facing to the right (say, under the Last Post column) are "Go to Last Post," if you see either of them anywhere.
It's gorgeous...simply gorgeous!
Looks nice! Maybe I'll drop in again soon.... :) I hope everyone is well!
Oh, I see you guys have a Twitter account. I'm now following you on Twitter! I love Twitter. :)
Allow me to break the cycle and be the first to say that I hate it! But then I'm a neophobe! I hate anything new! It scares me. Reading through the 80s List and it just felt so odd. And it's also kind of thrown off the balance of my reviews. :mad:
But I'm sure I'll get used to it in time. :p And there is some stuff I like. I love the art deco vibe to the design, reminds me of an old cinema from the 30s. There used to be a cinema here in Glasgow that opened back in 1934 which kept some deco touches to it which it reminds me of. And I like how the posts are made to resemble speech bubbles from the users.
A couple of questions though regarding the threads in the members reviews area. Is there a way to go to the last post of the thread that I'm completely missing? Just clicking on it only takes me to the first page. And also other than just simply counting is there a way to tell the post count of a thread. In the past each post had its count number but I don't see anything now. And I always found it handy to know for my reviews, that if there was just one post to go before a new page I wouldn't post the review because it would quite often get overlooked by everyone else
I'm sorry you dislike it it...except for the way all the posts look and the overall style. ;) Anyway, I'm pretty sure you'll find it much easier to use once the shock wears off.
The post numbers were brought up earlier; I'm not sure if they're coming back or not. But you can still find out if a post is going to be on a new page or not by holding your mouse over the page navigation--the tooltip that comes up will show you how many are being displayed (it's 20 per page).
As for Member Reviews, I'll see about adding the same New Post/Last Post icons that threads have, but I'm loathe to do anything much more than that, because User Reviews in general are going to change a fair bit soon, anyway, in ways that'll probably supersede these tweaks.
mikeython1
02-28-14, 09:15 PM
Well, someone mentioned it, and I agreed that it was worth looking into. But that was just a couple of weeks ago, and as you can see, it's been a pretty busy time, especially considering it's an issue that only comes up now and then.
Anyway, it's a fine suggestion, and it's on my list, but it's not really related to the new design. If someone wants to brainstorm about the best ways to do it, I think a new thread would be in order. :)
I hope you know The Bachelor is next.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13178&d=1393636452
Skepsis93
03-01-14, 11:25 AM
The only thing that's annoyed me so far is that I keep scrolling all the way down the to the bottom of the 80s list to edit in the new movies before realising Edit Post is now at the top. :p
Allow me to break the cycle and be the first to say that I hate it! But then I'm a neophobe! I hate anything new! It scares me. Reading through the 80s List and it just felt so odd. And it's also kind of thrown off the balance of my reviews. :mad
Well, I never! How dare you, Sir!
http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/crybaby.jpg
forgive me if this is actually easy, but I can't figure out how to search?
Miss Vicky
03-01-14, 12:00 PM
at the top of the page next to your avatar is a little magnifying glass icon, click on that.
Skepsis93
03-01-14, 12:01 PM
forgive me if this is actually easy, but I can't figure out how to search?
Little magnifying glass to the left of your avatar under the banner.
I'm sorry you dislike it it...except for the way all the posts look and the overall style. ;) Anyway, I'm pretty sure you'll find it much easier to use once the shock wears off.
Oh Yoda I tease! :D
Thanks for pointing out the post numbers thing in the page navigation, didn't realise that was there and that works just fine for me. And I see you've already added last post icons to the Members Reviews. :up: And I'm interested to see what you come up with.
One other thing, which I don't know if it's a bug or just the new way of the site. When I run a search and then look at the results the keywords are no longer highlighted in the posts which I always found very handy, particularly if it was something hidden in the middle of a long post.
I'll have a look at that. But could you do me a favor and post that in the bug report (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=34952) thread instead? Easier to keep track of. :)
Holden Pike
03-01-14, 08:19 PM
I confess I have not gone back and read through this thread, yet. Overall, I think the new design is great. More social mediaesque in some ways, but that's not a bad thing, in 2014.
The one minor issue I have, thus far, is that you can no longer read through the thread you are responding to for reference after you start your "advanced" post. I don't know how many of you used this feature on the old site, but I rather relied on it.
That is all.
But in general, rock on, Kennedy. :)
Yes, I liked that too. You could look back while also checking whether to see if somebody made a new post. :)
Ah yes. That's coming back as well--just another on the list of things I figured I could bring back post-launch. I'll move that up the list, because I think it should be an easy change. Thanks for the reminder!
Holden Pike
03-01-14, 09:05 PM
Coolio. Thanks!
Daniel M
03-01-14, 09:15 PM
I mentioned that to Yoda too and was interested in seeing who else used it, glad to see I was not the only one who thought it was useful :D
Mr Minio
03-02-14, 03:51 PM
Okay, Yoda... I rate the new design 4.5.
Because 5 is only for Werckmeister Harmonies. :p
Sexy Celebrity
03-02-14, 04:11 PM
Yeah, I liked that feature Holden was talking about, too.
Sexy Celebrity
03-02-14, 04:12 PM
Maybe you could have it so that new posts to a thread pop up automatically while you're reading it? So if I was reading this right now, and someone posted something new, it would pop up and I wouldn't need to refresh.
I would make this an option you could turn off, though, in your settings, in case you don't like that.
I was actually thinking about that, yeah. Not because it's easier (it'd take a lot longer), but just because otherwise the Post Reply page can get pretty long. I'll probably just throw the posts themselves on there for now, since that's quicker and people miss it, and have a look at something cooler/more dynamic after the more functional things are taken care of. But yeah, that's exactly the sort of thing the new design does a lot more of.
Sexy Celebrity
03-02-14, 05:15 PM
It would give the threads a more "chat room" kind of feel to them -- which works because now the posts look like chat bubbles.
Could make those ever so pesky commentary threads better for those of us who use them, too.
I keep expecting that to happen with this new layout. I would love it to become a reality.
Sexy Celebrity
03-02-14, 05:19 PM
One way -- I don't know how easy this is to implement, though -- you could solve the problem of the annoying commentary threads from popping up in "Now Playing" is to maybe flag threads that are such things so that they can be separated and not show up in "Now Playing" at all, ever. You could flag the threads like this already in existence, and you could make it an option for when people make threads to flag their thread and prevent the thread from being updated in "Now Playing." So it could say something like:
Turn Off Now Playing Notification (however you could word that)
Click it and the thread won't show up in Now Playing at all.
Yeah, that's exactly what I was leaning towards. I was mostly just wondering how feasible it would be for me to design a sustainable solution, like something that automatically filters out a bunch of replies from the same thread. But that's probably way more sophisticated than is needed, since threads like this will only have to be added to the list now and then, so I should probably just do it the quick-and-dirty way.
As for real-time posts: that's a big undertaking, and at this point the site's blazing fast anyway. But I did try to do this for The Shoutbox awhile back, and put a fair bit of time into it, but couldn't get it working quite right. I've learned a lot since, though, so I might have another go at it.
The Rodent
03-05-14, 12:21 PM
Don't know how much of a hassle it'd be...
Would it be possible to get a Report Button on the page where everyone's posts are shown?
As in, the page on the user's profile that shows that user's posts, have a Report Button for spam on each one like we have on the actual post in the thread...
It'd certainly be quicker and easier for Members, myself included, to report the spammer and all their spam posts rather than going from thread to thread to thread tracking them down...
Hmmm. Let me think about this one. Adding the button is easy, but having it automatically report all their posts is a little thornier. I think I like the idea but have to balance it against all the other things I'm trying to hash out at the moment.
But I definitely don't want you guys to feel you have to report them all--that sounds tedious. So for now, if you can get just one of them removed (by being seconded by another member)--say, the first one, as a common meeting point--the mods and I will get the email and I always make sure to check the user's other posts, anyway, so that'll work pretty well as a stopgap.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll make a note of it.
The Rodent
03-05-14, 12:34 PM
No probs, in regards to reporting all of their posts in one click, I was more on about having the button appear on each post in that list on the profile, rather than a single blanket report for every post they've made.
It'd just be easier to have that list of posts on their profile that we can just sit and click at our leisure rather than following the spamdog around waiting for pages to load.
That last guy, really not all of his posts were spam, just the majority of them were... so having that list on his profile with the button next to each post, would make it quicker for a couple MoFos to get rid of the actual spam from the forum...
I always find it frustrating to go into a thread, judge whether they've actually spammed or not, if so report it, wait a second for the site to reload, go back to the main page and only then discover they've posted 17 more spammy posts...
That's interesting, too--and it might be easier to program. I assume it would be just as good to have a button to report the user, instead of the posts, too? Though in that case I'd probably have to just have it contact the mods and not do anything automatically, because otherwise it's a little open to abuse, even of the pranking variety.
Daniel M
03-05-14, 12:38 PM
That's interesting, too--and it might be easier to program. I assume it would be just as good to have a button to report the user, instead of the posts, too? Though in that case I'd probably have to just have it contact the mods and not do anything automatically, because otherwise it's a little open to abuse, even of the pranking variety.
Perhaps, if possible, something along the lines of when you report a member that has under a certain amount of posts (say 100) you get a message saying would you like to report the single post or the user? That way it rules out a lot of misuse/pranking as nobody would really do that to new members.
The Rodent
03-05-14, 12:40 PM
I think a Report User Button might get abused...
At least with the Spam Button, the post disappears from the forum. But it's certainly be quicker for MoFos to clean up the forum by having a Spam Button next to each of their posts on their profile page rather than having to follow them around.
Just an idea really. I know I'd certainly use it if it was implemented.
Lots of good options. Let me make a few dents in the rest of the to-do list and come back to this and see if I can find the best work-to-effectiveness solution. Probably Report User without automation (or some caveats based on post count/tenure) or another button on post search results. Or both! :) Thanks for the feedback guys.
The Rodent
03-05-14, 12:47 PM
Quick, badly made, Photoshop of my idea... this is my own list of posts from my own profile.
Yup, that's pretty much what I had in mind. Though I'd probably just put an actual link/button there and not make you go through a menu, and have it process without reloading the page so you can reel a bunch off in a row. If I go that route I'll definitely build it with the idea that people will want to do a bunch in quick succession.
The Rodent
03-05-14, 12:50 PM
You had that with the old layout with the ! symbol at the top right...
bob13bob
03-06-14, 09:52 PM
I dislike the new format. I would really like an accessible search function. I would be nice to be able to do title searches.
Daniel M
03-06-14, 09:54 PM
I dislike the new format. I would really like an accessible search function. I would be nice to be able to do title searches.
You can? Magnifying glass in top left.
Also, on the old design was their a 'quick edit' option for posts?
Yeah, what Daniel said. The search is as accessible as it can be: it's in the header of every single page on the site. And it does title searches by default, too.
Also, on the old design was their a 'quick edit' option for posts?
Indeed there was; it stopped working, and I decided it could go down the to-do list a little since you can still edit and all. I'll definitely be taking another look at it. Probably just some small oversight early in the process.
Deadite
03-06-14, 10:07 PM
I kind of prefer a lighter background... but this is a pretty swanky joint.
Sir Toose
03-06-14, 10:40 PM
The one constant is change.
The new design is swellegant (heh).
Deadite
03-06-14, 10:44 PM
I guess it may just seem very dark because there's a lot more space between letting the background show, though. No biggy.
I'm a bit disappointed by the active users box. I liked the old position better and I can't see where users are currently reading by hovering the cursor... maybe it's just not working for me.
In general, I like the look. Classy. Oscar-ey. :)
I especially like the rep dings.
Daniel M
03-06-14, 10:50 PM
Speaking of rep, any plans on putting back into our post profiles or full profiles the amount users have?
I'm a bit disappointed by the active users box. I liked the old position better and I can't see where users are currently reading by hovering the cursor... maybe it's just not working for me.
That's been mentioned a couple of times--the activity thing is definitely coming back, just have to figure out if I'm going to take another pass at integrating it with the new tooltip script or using a second one. :)
I might move it down below again, too. I'm just so-so on the home page as-is.
I especially like the rep dings.
You mean the thumb icon, or the red banners?
Speaking of rep, any plans on putting back into our post profiles or full profiles the amount users have?
No immediate plans. The old system seems like it was of pretty marginal use: people hung around for awhile, inevitably got the green bar, and then that was it.
That said, I know people do like seeing that kind of progress, and I do like the idea of having formal recognition of various milestones. But I'm thinking it can be a lot more fun and inventive than the old way. I've got a few ideas. :)
Deadite
03-07-14, 01:00 AM
Banners?? :eek: I thought they were little red ribbons of Excellence awarded to the best posters. :D
TheUsualSuspect
03-08-14, 12:42 AM
No immediate plans. The old system seems like it was of pretty marginal use: people hung around for awhile, inevitably got the green bar, and then that was it.
That said, I know people do like seeing that kind of progress, and I do like the idea of having formal recognition of various milestones. But I'm thinking it can be a lot more fun and inventive than the old way. I've got a few ideas. :)
I wouldn't mind seeing this come back in some form. I always hovered over people's green bars to see their rep count.
Could be interesting to see more milestones for certain rep maybe? You know, just trying to pile on more work for you....;)
The one minor issue I have, thus far, is that you can no longer read through the thread you are responding to for reference after you start your "advanced" post. I don't know how many of you used this feature on the old site, but I rather relied on it.
Yes, I liked that too. You could look back while also checking whether to see if somebody made a new post. :)
I mentioned that to Yoda too and was interested in seeing who else used it, glad to see I was not the only one who thought it was useful :D
You got it. :) You'll find it back in its old spot.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 03:44 PM
Looks good.
Again, I want to add more, but have no multi-quote. :(
Yeah, we really need that multi-quote function back.
Alrighty: Multi-Quote should be available again now, too. :) You'll find the link under More Options; the link will be yellow on selected posts and the normal light gray otherwise.
This one took a fair amount of doing, and ended up with a rather roundabout solution. I think it should work perfectly fine, but let me know if you guys run into any problems with it
The Rodent
03-08-14, 09:34 PM
Not showing for me...
All I got is Quick Reply, Comment and Report still.
You probably checked juuuuust before I made them visible for everyone. Try a refresh. :)
The Rodent
03-08-14, 09:34 PM
Edit... there it is...
The Rodent
03-08-14, 09:35 PM
Edit... when I click it, it just acts like the regular Quote button and takes me to the reply page.
Edit... when I click it, it just acts like the regular Quote button and takes me to the reply page.
Hmmm, pretty sure that's just a caching problem. But I'll PM you to debug, since it's a little boring and technical to make sure.
Skepsis93
03-08-14, 09:38 PM
Working great for me. :) HK can stop moaning now.
HK can stop moaning now.
Well, about this.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 09:46 PM
I see the "Multi-Quote" link but when I go to reply, no quotes are there.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 09:53 PM
I'm about to do a commentary with Honeykid, though, so, busy.
honeykid
03-08-14, 09:56 PM
You probably checked juuuuust before I made them visible for everyone. Try a refresh. :)
Edit... when I click it, it just acts like the regular Quote button and takes me to the reply page.
Hmmm, pretty sure that's just a caching problem. But I'll PM you to debug, since it's a little boring and technical to make sure.
Working great for me. :) HK can stop moaning now.
Well, about this.
Success!!!
Thank you so very, very much. :)
The site is now complete. You may take the rest of the weekend off.
I see the "Multi-Quote" link but when I go to reply, no quotes are there.
Are you clicking the link on each post? The text'll change to yellow if you clicked it.
Also, it won't work if you go through Quick Reply--which I'm pretty sure was the case before.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 11:36 PM
I click them -- it lights up yellow -- I go to "Go Advanced" instead of Quick Reply -- but there aren't any quotes to be seen.
Works here.
Success!!!
Thank you so very, very much. :)
The site is now complete. You may take the rest of the weekend off.
Are you clicking the link on each post? The text'll change to yellow if you clicked it.
Also, it won't work if you go through Quick Reply--which I'm pretty sure was the case before.
I click them -- it lights up yellow -- I go to "Go Advanced" instead of Quick Reply -- but there aren't any quotes to be seen.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 11:44 PM
Not working for either of my browsers. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
honeykid
03-08-14, 11:46 PM
Don't go to advanced. Just reply with quote in the last post you want to quote.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 11:47 PM
Don't go to advanced. Just reply with quote in the last post you want to quote.
Not working for either of my browsers. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
Works here.
Oh, I see. Well, that works.
After I clicked on all thr posts, I went up to Post Reply at the top of the page.
Sexy Celebrity
03-08-14, 11:50 PM
After I clicked on all thr posts, I went up to Post Reply at the top of the page.
Oh, I see. Well, that works.
Don't go to advanced. Just reply with quote in the last post you want to quote.
That works, too.
There needs to be something down below that'll do it.
I don't think that's necessary. At that point "Quick Reply" would be a total misnomer, and it never worked that way before, anyway. I think there are better uses of time than writing completely new functionality for something which is easily accessible two other ways already.
Oh, and not that this is a big whoop-de-do, but now, when you open a More Options menu, any other open ones close, same as the Favorite Movies/User Lists. Happened while updating the code in the process of adding Multi-Quote, so yay.
Sexy Celebrity
03-09-14, 12:25 AM
I don't think that's necessary. At that point "Quick Reply" would be a total misnomer, and it never worked that way before, anyway. I think there are better uses of time than writing completely new functionality for something which is easily accessible two other ways already.
Oh, I forgot about how rare it is that you work on the website because of your busy schedule.
At least, I think, you should make it so that "Go Advanced" incorporates the multi-quote function, because if I remember correctly, IT DID on the old layout. I didn't think to click the "Reply w/Quote" icon. I don't really like that -- I always use "Go Advanced." And the "Post Reply" button is way at the top. You have to scroll up to go there. That's a lengthy road trip to scroll up -- it could take up to two or three seconds of valuable, never-to-be-returned-to-you time.
Oh, I forgot about how rare it is that you work on the website because of your busy schedule.
I have no idea what this is supposed to mean.
At least, I think, you should make it so that "Go Advanced" incorporates the multi-quote function, because if I remember correctly, IT DID on the old layout.
It didn't. I checked.
I didn't think to click the "Reply w/Quote" icon. I don't really like that -- I always use "Go Advanced." And the "Post Reply" button is way at the top. You have to scroll up to go there. That's a lengthy road trip to scroll up -- it could take up to two or three seconds of valuable, never-to-be-returned-to-you time.
That sounds like a good reason to add a Post Reply button to the bottom, which I was thinking might be a good idea anyway.
honeykid
03-09-14, 12:40 AM
Leave Yoda alone. He's done the multi-quote button, now the rest of the weekend is his own.
That's right, I'm putting my foot down!
The Rodent
03-09-14, 12:42 AM
SC uses the Post Reply button at the top when he posts?
I've never used it... I always just use the Quick Reply box at the bottom (one press of the End key on my keypad takes me there straight away) or do that then click Go Advanced if I need to organise a layout that needs Centre Text etc...
That's a thought... Centre Text, Align Left, Align Right... is it possible to have those buttons on the Quick Reply box as well as in Go Advanced?
Boy, most of this stuff is there if you know how to press a button. :)
I need you guys to start posting feature requests and general suggestions in their own threads, or at least in a new thread. This thread is for feedback and questions relating to the new design. It's fine to ask about anything we used to have, to see if it's coming back, but it shouldn't be a catch-all for anything anyone would like to see done. Help me out here a little.
Sexy Celebrity
03-09-14, 12:45 AM
SC uses the Post Reply button at the top when he posts?
No. But when I make replies, I use "Go Advanced" unless I'm replying with a quote.
But a button at the bottom -- a "Post Reply" button -- sounds like a good thing, especially if I'm multi-quoting. I dunno. That's just me.
Or incorporate it into "Go Advanced" when I activate the new multi-quote gizmo.
The Rodent
03-09-14, 12:49 AM
But, the Post Reply button does the same thing as hitting Go Advanced... it takes you to the reply page.
And Go Advanced is already at the bottom of the page anyway.
You're on about two buttons at the bottom of the page that do the same thing?
Sexy Celebrity
03-09-14, 12:49 AM
I see a Post Reply button at the bottom now, so, he's done that already.
Thank you! :)
Deadite
03-09-14, 01:10 AM
I need you guys to start posting feature requests and general suggestions in their own threads, or at least in a new thread. This thread is for feedback and questions relating to the new design. It's fine to ask about anything we used to have, to see if it's coming back, but it shouldn't be a catch-all for anything anyone would like to see done. Help me out here a little.
Fine but we need a popcorn maker. Jussayin.
Okay, I've just added the Jump to Page option back to the page navigation on threads, search results, and any other place that uses it. It's the little white arrow to the right of the page numbers. Click it to bring up a field where you can enter any page number in the thread.
Skepsis93
03-09-14, 07:18 PM
Ooh, notifications in the favicon. Nice touch. :up:
Crossed off a few more items on the post-launch to-do list. Mostly just polish-around the edges stuff, like making sure the search bar doesn't close on the home page when Now Playing updates (and doesn't disappear when you click the SEARCH button, even though that's usually just for a half-second before the page reloads). And adding notifications to the site's tab icon, as Skepsis mentioned.
Also, now if you shout from any page other than the first, it loads the first, since that's where it's gonna end up. Before it just slid it into view no matter which page you were on, which didn't really make sense.
I'm probably gonna spend the next couple of weeks just making my way through these kinds of random items, though a handful will be more noticeable. Once I've got the list whittled down a fair bit, I'll start looking at the more ambitious projects, like redoing entire sections and adding completely new functionality.
But for now, my wife's telling me to stop doing this stuff and play some games, so I'm gonna do that. :)
Whoa! I've been out of here for too long, this site has changed a damn lot :p
Great, great work Yoda! The new design looks very practical as well as really good-looking.
Wow! Just popped in and found you remodelled the place Yoda. I had to tell you it looks fabulous!
I'll go take a peek around. Looks like you put alot of blood, sweat and tears into this site. Great job!
Frightened Inmate No. 2
03-17-14, 02:35 AM
my only real complaint with the new design is that i kind of prefer when it told you the time and day of the post, and not just how long ago it was relative to now. it makes stuff like keeping track of deadlines more difficult than it should be, or if i want to see exactly how much time occurred in between two posts or something, and it just requires less thinking overall.
Tacitus
03-17-14, 07:06 AM
Wow! Just popped in and found you remodelled the place Yoda. I had to tell you it looks fabulous!
I'll go take a peek around. Looks like you put alot of blood, sweat and tears into this site. Great job!
The redesign worked! Good to see you around hon. :kiss:
my only real complaint with the new design is that i kind of prefer when it told you the time and day of the post, and not just how long ago it was relative to now. it makes stuff like keeping track of deadlines more difficult than it should be, or if i want to see exactly how much time occurred in between two posts or something, and it just requires less thinking overall.
I might be able to give people a switch for this, or display the raw date and time in a tooltip. How'd that be?
Frightened Inmate No. 2
03-17-14, 05:19 PM
yeah, that'd be great.
Okay, you can see the exact date and time if you hold your mouse over the link now. It used to say "Link to post" but I think the link's purpose is pretty easy to surmise without it.
Very old timey look to the site, and I remembered a video game called Bioshock. One of the best RPG FPS ever made, and it was based on an advanced society 100 years ago that had their own city named Rapture deep underwater. The overall atmosphere of the game was what made it a work of art than just being called a great game. The old timey mixed with sci-fi with interiors, lettering, and music. The new Movie Forums look would fit right in.
http://skiffyandfanty.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/bioshock-rapture.jpg
http://wallpaper.pickywallpapers.com/samsung-galaxy-s/bioshock-midnight-in-a-perfect-world.jpg
http://gamersyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/bioshock2screen7.jpg
Very old timey look to the site, and I remembered a video game called Bioshock. One of the best RPG FPS ever made, and it was based on an advanced society 100 years ago that had their own city named Rapture deep underwater. The overall atmosphere of the game was what made it a work of art than just being called a great game. The old timey mixed with sci-fi with interiors, lettering, and music. The new Movie Forums look would fit right in
Good call, and high praise. Indeed, that kind of feel is definitely something I was aiming for from the beginning. Thank you. :)
Meanwhile: an update. As a few of you requested, I've excluded a handful of game/tab threads from the Now Playing box on the home page. They'll still display on the initial page load, they just won't refresh endlessly if they're really busy. You can probably guess most of them: Survivor, Big Brother, Word Association, etc. For now it's just a hard-coded solution, but hopefully at some point, if this ends up being a common thing in the future, I'll design something a little more robust.
SamsoniteDelilah
03-29-14, 04:23 PM
Well played, sir. :) This is gorgeous.
Quick update: a fellow developer of mine (we "came up" on the same web development forum as teenagers) who runs ManagingCommunities.com (http://www.managingcommunities.com) invited me to write a guest article about the challenges of redesigning a community after such a long time. Looks like it'll probably be posted tomorrow.
It's targeted more at other forum owners so it has an instructional feel, but it might be of interest to some of you anyway, so I'll be sure to pop in here when it goes up so ya'll can read it if you want.
I still might write up a few more general thoughts about the whole thing before long, too, since it was such a long and windy process.
Patrick
03-30-14, 06:27 PM
Quick update: a fellow developer of mine (we "came up" on the same web development forum as teenagers)...
I am that fellow developer and I just wanted to say here, as I have said to you privately, that you have done such a great job ushering in this new era of Movie Forums. Change is hard and when you've had the same design for 10 years, it is incredibly challenging to make a dramatic change and have it be so well received. You've made it look easy, but it is anything but. Congrats again Chris.
The article's up. Many thanks to Patrick for the invitation to write about this. And, of course, thanks to all of you for all the positive feedback. :)
This Online Community Had the Same Design for a Decade; Learn How They Launched a Redesign That Members Embraced (http://www.managingcommunities.com/2014/03/31/this-online-community-had-the-same-design-for-a-decade-and-then-they-launched-a-redesign-that-members-embraced/)
Excerpt:
A lot of site owners make the same mistake of designing for the launch, and not for the day-to-day, month-to-month, or even year-to-year process of running the site afterwards. They’ll trot out eye-popping, meticulously crafted post layouts that leave just enough room for the existing options and information, but which can’t be added to or changed without throwing the whole thing off. This makes a big splash, but seems superfluous after a week or two, never mind a year. Good, clean design might not make for a grander reveal, but the reveal is just a few days. The people who’re going to be there months later are the ones you’re designing for.
Working on the new Reviews area, and I think it's coming along pretty nicely. The community's been producing such a steady stream of great reviews that I think it's time we run the whole section off of those contributions. Keep it up guys--your work's going to be showcased a lot more soon!
Masterman
04-07-14, 05:06 PM
Working on the new Reviews area, and I think it's coming along pretty nicely. The community's been producing such a steady stream of great reviews that I think it's time we run the whole section off of those contributions. Keep it up guys--your work's going to be showcased a lot more soon!
Look forward to seeing this :).
flipmodes
04-11-14, 02:39 AM
haven't been here for a while. place looks awesome, love the noir style to it.
christine
04-26-14, 06:43 AM
Not specifically to do with the new design but just wanted to ask if there's a way or a place to list the names of the reviews you've done? Just asking as I'm getting to the age when I forget things, so was going to review a film when I realised I might've done it before (which I had). I have seen people edit the first post in their review section and list the films they've reviewed. Is that the best way to do it? I just want a quick reference.
Great question--I'm actually working on it right now! :)
christine
04-26-14, 01:03 PM
Great question--I'm actually working on it right now! :)
You're a star :)
Okay, quick note on the new design: some of you may noticed that there are currently no ads on the site. I wanted to launch without them and take some time thinking about how to integrate them gracefully into the layout. It's been a couple of months, so I'll be gradually reintroducing some.
I'm gonna to try to integrate them as naturally as possible, and they might change a few times while I figure out what works best. Just a heads-up. :)
Executive summary: you've all been spoiled! You think bandwidth grows on trees?!
Just bumping the post above: I'll be reintegrating ads into the site soon to try to offset the new server costs. You'll probably notice a fair number of variation at first, while I try things to see what works best, both in terms of graceful integration and figuring out which ads are most effective.
Thursday Next
07-21-14, 11:29 AM
Just noticed what 'Advertisement's favourite movies are, lol.
Maybe this has to do with the new design, but what happened to managing one's list of attachments in their control panel?
That was removed, since basically nobody used it. If you need it for something I can PM you a link (since it's kind of messy looking, though still functional).
That was removed, since basically nobody used it. If you need it for something I can PM you a link (since it's kind of messy looking, though still functional).
Ok thanks
Quick update: I've finally gotten around to making most of the content areas (IE: non-forum stuff) usable on mobile. It's mostly basic stuff: viewing reviews, lists, essays, and box office stats. But you can also update your lists on mobile; should be pretty easy, too. The more interactive stuff, like searching lists, taking quizzes, or filtering reviews might be a bit longer.
Related: there is going to be a tablet-optimized version of the site up. That's near the top of my list now, so probably by the end of the year. I don't think it'll take too long, because I did a lot of research and testing prior to the new design going up, so it shouldn't drag on too long. There's a lot of low-hanging fruit that would make it a lot easier to use on tablets without a ton of dramatic changes.
The Rodent
11-20-14, 10:58 AM
I've had an idea... not sure if this is the right thread to put this though...
On the Reviews Page, would it be difficult to put a link/button that will take you straight to the post which holds the person's review?
Example: On JayDee's review of, say, Odd Thomas on the reviews pages, click the link/button and you go straight to the review on page 114 in his thread.
It would not be hard at all, and I've thought about doing that a handful of times. Not sure why I haven't, I guess I was uncertain about usefulness. But I guess it's useful so that you can see how people responded to it?
The Rodent
11-20-14, 11:01 AM
Yeah, it'll help to see how other people see the review and how they feel about the film... but it'd make it easier also to rep a review.
I've spotted dozens of reviews I liked from JayDee, SC, TUS etc and thought it'd be both cool and easier if I could just click a button that takes me straight to their review in their thread so I could rep it.
The Rodent
11-20-14, 11:03 AM
Or even... have a rep button in the Reviews Page... click it and it sends a Rep to the original post.
"Wanna Rep this review? Click Here" sort of thing.
You got it: I made the "posted on DATE" part clickable. :) Thanks for the suggestion.
The Rodent
11-20-14, 12:50 PM
Just had a look... cool!
Update on the tablet version:
Related: there is going to be a tablet-optimized version of the site up. That's near the top of my list now, so probably by the end of the year. I don't think it'll take too long, because I did a lot of research and testing prior to the new design going up, so it shouldn't drag on too long. There's a lot of low-hanging fruit that would make it a lot easier to use on tablets without a ton of dramatic changes.
So, obviously I was optimistic, though in my defense I thought raising a puppy would eat up a lot less of my free time. ;)
However, I just got some key parts of the tablet layout working. I didn't want to release a tablet version of the site unless it felt really smooth and pleasant to use, and the mockup I'm working on feels great. At this point it'll just be a matter of polishing the concept up a bit, and then the rote work of implementing it. The latter will probably drag on a little, but it's a lot easier to push through than technical or creative challenges, so yay.
Those of you who I've talked to in the past about testing a tablet version should be getting a message sometime in the next few weeks (hopefully). And if you use the site on a tablet and want to test it before everyone else and give feedback, send me a quick message (http://www.movieforums.com/community/private.php?do=newpm&u=1).
This has nothing to do with the design and I didn't want to waste making a new thread but would a MovieForums app for the phone/tablet be ever possible in the future? Just a curious observation since there are so many apps now.
A fine question. :) I'm sure I've been asked that before, but it might've been via PM.
The main consideration is that I don't currently know much about how to create apps, and it would probably take a fair amount of time and effort to learn. And if apps were the only way to create a good mobile experience, I'd probably suck it up and put in that time and effort anyway. But these days you can get a really good, app-like experience from a well-designed mobile site. So I'd probably be more inclined to just make the phone and tablet versions as good as they can be, since I already know how to do that and a lot of the web seems to be moving that way.
Citizen Rules
01-05-15, 08:46 PM
I know what a tablet is and I even heard of mobile versions of a web site. But I never knew there was such a thing as a tablet version of a site until I just read it here.... I'm so 20th century...:(
TheUsualSuspect
01-28-15, 09:12 PM
Not sure if Chris posted this, but an interesting read. (http://www.managingcommunities.com/2014/03/31/this-online-community-had-the-same-design-for-a-decade-and-then-they-launched-a-redesign-that-members-embraced/)
I think I posted that, but don't remember for sure. Either way, thanks. :) It was fun to write.
I wrote up a lot more initially (not for that site, but just for here), but I concluded it was probably only interesting to me. :D
Pretty sure you posted it, because I have read it before, and I don't frequent that site.
Can you believe that, at the end of next month, it'll have been a whole year? :eek:
Tacitus
01-30-15, 02:58 PM
Can you believe that, at the end of next month, it'll have been a whole year? :eek:
Yeah, the place is starting to look a bit tired. *runs* ;D
Cobpyth
02-01-15, 07:30 PM
Not sure if Chris posted this, but an interesting read. (http://www.managingcommunities.com/2014/03/31/this-online-community-had-the-same-design-for-a-decade-and-then-they-launched-a-redesign-that-members-embraced/)
My Top 101 thread was used as the example for the images. I'm so honored! :cool:
Citizen Rules
02-02-15, 02:10 PM
Has there been a tweak to the site in the last 24-36 hours? I notice the icons on the upper right hand side of each post look different, they are bigger. Unless my eye sight is wonky:eek:
You're the first person to notice. :)
I replaced most of the site's icons with inline SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). They're better because, apart from being easier to tweak than the images I was using before, they can scale up or down in size depending on zoom and screen resolution. They all look pretty similar, but some (like the rep thumb) are more obviously changed than others. Others (the search icon in the header) are virtually indistinguishable.
Citizen Rules
02-02-15, 02:50 PM
They look good to me...(I'm glad it wasn't my eyesight!)
Not a big deal, but I've redesigned the Who's Online (http://www.movieforums.com/community/online.php) page a bit. Should fix the issue with not having avatars display past the first page, too.
Gonna pretty up the Reputation page next, I think, and then look around for any other stragglers that I had to rush out the door for the redesign. Then, onto adding some new features I've been thinking about for awhile. :)
The Rodent
04-23-15, 11:54 AM
I got a glitch on my screen in the Who's Online page.
Look at cricket
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q552/The-Rodent/Whos%20Online_zpsj8798nuw.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/The-Rodent/media/Whos%20Online_zpsj8798nuw.jpg.html)
That section is being reconfigured and debugged this week; it may be in flux for a short while. Thanks for the heads up!
Yeah, I'm fiddling. That happens if a thread title is too long. I'll see what I can do.
Fabulous
04-23-15, 12:20 PM
Sounds good. I never experienced the old design, but these forums are the nicest I've ever seen. This design, format, and organization is top class. Thank you Yoda & mods!
I never experienced the old design
21180
21181
but these forums are the nicest I've ever seen. This design, format, and organization is top class. Thank you Yoda & mods!
Thank you! :) A lot of time and effort went into it, so this is very nice to hear.
Fabulous
04-23-15, 12:36 PM
Definitely had a much more retro/old school look.
Yeah, we had that design for a very long time. I was invited to write an article about the redesign for ManagingCommunities.com (http://www.managingcommunities.com/2014/03/31/this-online-community-had-the-same-design-for-a-decade-and-then-they-launched-a-redesign-that-members-embraced/). I like lots of its elements, but it just wasn't flexible or fast enough, and it'd gotten really cluttered over the years.
Miss Vicky
04-23-15, 12:57 PM
Man, it hasn't even been that long since the redesign and I'd already forgotten what the old one looked like. Massive improvement.
Citizen Rules
05-02-15, 01:28 PM
Wow! the rep page has changed. I like it!
Glad you like it. :) The old page was one of those "just make this generally fit in with the new style so we can launch on time" pages. It's taken me awhile, but I've finally been getting around to sprucing up any stragglers that got the "good enough" redesign last year.
Citizen Rules
05-02-15, 01:31 PM
I'm glad I can mouse over the avatar pic on the rep and see the name of who gave it, that's a nice touch.:)
Iroquois
05-02-15, 02:10 PM
Very flashy, though it might take a little getting used to, obviously.
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 04:50 PM
Wow! the rep page has changed. I like it!
I don't.
I have to either know who's avatar that is to know who repped me (which isn't always easy to know because people change their avatars a lot) or I have to mouse over the avatar to see who it is.
I like the new format, but I also greatly miss seeing the name of who repped me easily.
If I can think of a good place to put the username without cluttering things up, I will. That said, I would think the overwhelming majority of rep is coming from people whose avatars we recognize pretty easily.
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 04:52 PM
I liked seeing the person's name easily. It means more to me than their avatar.
Citizen Rules
05-02-15, 04:55 PM
I would agree with SC that the name is more important than the avatar. But I can mouse over the avatar and see the name, so that works for me.
But maybe that feature is not available for mobile users?
Ðèstîñy
05-02-15, 04:57 PM
I love the new look. Very nice. Great job, Yoda. Of course, one of the first avatars there for me to see, was Cricket's. Who the hell's going to forget that avatar!?! :indifferent:
Love ya, Cricket!
The Rodent
05-02-15, 04:57 PM
Looks tidy... surprise surprise SC doesn't like it :D
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 04:59 PM
I mean, I went "ooooh!' when I saw the change, but, not seeing the person's name easily is a big minus.
What if it's somebody you don't really know who's giving you rep?
I like seeing the avatars, but I feel like it's such a .... it's causing a different department of my brain to come on. I mean, I guess I can get used to mousing over if I have to. I don't know what it's like on mobile yet.
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 05:00 PM
Looks tidy... surprise surprise SC doesn't like it :D
Oh! You have no idea how tidy I am. I am a neat freak.
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 05:02 PM
See, I have no idea who this is that just gave me rep:
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=21340&stc=1&d=1430596925
I think it's BlueLion.
*mouses over*
Yep, it's BlueLion.
But that required an extra annoying step.
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 05:04 PM
How dare Rodent say I don't like something tidy. Based on stories I've heard about his apartment, he's not a very tidy person.
Miss Vicky
05-02-15, 06:19 PM
I like the look of the new rep page overall, but I'm not keen on those green +1's. They seem pointless since one person cannot give multiple rep to the same post and also cannot give negative rep, so all rep has to be +1.
I thought about that. I also thought people would find them satisfying. Maybe just on the new ones?
They might also tie into something else I'm considering about displaying multiple reps under one post "box," so that the number might vary. But I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that (and if it would be worth the effort).
Sexy Celebrity
05-02-15, 06:23 PM
I thought about that. I also thought people would find them satisfying. Maybe just on the new ones?
Yes, just on the new ones. There needs to be a way you can be sure which reps are new.
Among other problems...
The new ones are already marked, but they're only marked when you visit the page through your notifications menu link (they'll have NEW labels in front of the thread name and a subtle yellow gradient on the background). I might switch the +1 to show up just then, too. But I might wait awhile until I've decided whether or not I'll be changing things up enough that multiple reps might be consolidated, so that the number might change on each.
Nice rep page redesign! :cool:
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