Forum upgrade feedback

[ceratopsian]

Just checked on desktop in this topic and the huge blank space is now gone.

Hmm, this seems widespread. Is it on every page or just certain pages?

I wonder if it is related to the reply box height mod I installed recently (see upthread). But if that were so, it wouldn't happen on the forum front page, and it would happen on the ATF too.

It can't be an issue with one of the side bar blocks, because they don't appear on thread pages.

And the fact that it doesn't happen on the ATF, even though both sites use the same software, means it must be something DTF-specific. But what!?

I'm going to deinstall another mod now. Let me know if that fixes the problem... Edit - mod deinstalled, does the problem persist?

[DinoToyForum]

OK, well at least I know the likely cause of the problem: one of the mods. I'll leave that mod deinstalled for now, please let me know if the white space comes back.

[postsaurischian]

Just checked on desktop in this topic and the huge blank space is now gone.

Same here . It's gone.

[DinoToyForum]

Just checked on desktop in this topic and the huge blank space is now gone.

Same here . It's gone.

Great, that's one problem we can chalk up as solved!

[ceratopsian]

Hooray!   (And thanks for all your labours.)

Just checked on desktop in this topic and the huge blank space is now gone.

Same here . It's gone.

Great, that's one problem we can chalk up as solved!

[Sim]

@dinotoyforum, the dinosaur users select is no longer shown in their profile next to their posts.  Can that be brought back?

[DinoToyForum]

@dinotoyforum, the dinosaur users select is no longer shown in their profile next to their posts.  Can that be brought back?

Done!

Now that you mention it, I might also remove the v.1 status from posts, unless anyone has any objections to that? And I could completely delete (or modify) the default 'gender' option, which seems a bit personal, although it isn't a mandatory field. Also, if anyone has ideas for other profile fields or options, I'm open to suggestions.

[Sim]

Thanks!

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I just noticed that the forum no longer extends fully to the left and right of my browser window. It takes up about half the width now in the center, and just started doing this today. The ATF displays the whole way across for me.

Also, the blank space is back below the content. It's on most threads but not this one (edit: it's on this page now, too). It's been like this for a while now, but I haven't gotten around to saying anything about it.

[GojiraGuy1954]

I prefer the smaller view

[DinoToyForum]

I just noticed that the forum no longer extends fully to the left and right of my browser window. It takes up about half the width now in the center, and just started doing this today. The ATF displays the whole way across for me.

Also, the blank space is back below the content. It's on most threads but not this one (edit: it's on this page now, too). It's been like this for a while now, but I haven't gotten around to saying anything about it.

Yes, I'm experimenting with set a new max-width limit for the forum, so the content doesn't get too stretched out on large monitors (more narrow like the DinoToyBlog). Did you prefer it how it was or do you like the change? I see @GojiraGuy1954 has already expressed a preference for the new narrowr look.

I think I know the cause of the white space below the footer, I'll see if I can fix it. In the meantime, sorry for the inconvenience.

[Halichoeres]

On the narrower appearance on large monitors, at first I was like, "hey, what gives?" but already I barely notice it. No particular preference.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

@dinotoyforum It threw me for a loop when I first saw it, but a more narrow column like this is typical on some other forums I use so I don't really mind.

[ceratopsian]

I strongly dislike it.  But my reason is personal - my glaucoma means that I see the left side of the screen far better than the right, and at the left I now have a broad empty band.  So I'll have to move chair or head to see the posts as well as previously.

[DinoToyForum]

I strongly dislike it.  But my reason is personal - my glaucoma means that I see the left side of the screen far better than the right, and at the left I now have a broad empty band.  So I'll have to move chair or head to see the posts as well as previously.

That's a good reason to dislike the change! Would it help if I increased the forum width a bit more (i.e reduced the width of the empty bands), or does it need to fill the whole screen for you to view it without inconvenience? This is an easy thing for me to change.

I'm not affected one way or the other because all my screens (laptop, ipad, iphone) are smaller than the max-width forum setting. It was only recently, when I viewed the forum on the Quest 2 (Virtual Reality) browser, that I saw how incredibly wide and stretched out the forum must appear for users on large screens. That prompted me to adjust the setting.

Presumably you encounter the same inconvenience viewing the Dinosaur Toy Blog?

[ceratopsian]

It doesn't need to stretch all the way across the screen - I don't see the right side of the screen at all unless I follow text and look across to it.  For my own personal taste, all I need is less blank space to the left and more to the right - i.e. have the posts shifted left rather than central, as now.  Yes, the Dino Toy Blog is the same, but I look at that much less than the Forum and also tend to view new entries in my emails rather than direct through the blog.

It's probably easier if I just get used to moving my chair across for the Forum.  Perhaps give it a few days and see how my brain adjusts to searching for a different area of the screen for text when I open the Forum.  It may well be that the brain adjusts and I then cease to be confronted by blankness on opening up.

[DinoToyForum]

Okay, well let me know after a couple of days if you're able to adjust. If not, then it's a simple matter to reset the width. After all, although a few members have approved of the change, it wasn't something I implemented due to public demand.

[DinoToyForum]

Also, the blank space is back below the content. It's on most threads but not this one (edit: it's on this page now, too). It's been like this for a while now, but I haven't gotten around to saying anything about it.

I've been able to isolate the cause of the large blank space that occurs below the footer on some pages in some browsers/devices and it's a real weird one... it is caused by ebay links. I've been able to fix this on most pages by removing an Ebay text ad I'd included under the last post of each thread page. However, where Ebay links still occur (e.g. in the Ebay thread!) so does the white space. It's a real head-scratcher. I think it may be related to some server-side security setting so I'll look into that and see if I can find a fix. Anyway, it's not a major issue so it doesn't really matter too much, and I don't want to stop people linking to Ebay (if anything I want to encourage it!).

[DinoToyForum]

It doesn't need to stretch all the way across the screen - I don't see the right side of the screen at all unless I follow text and look across to it.  For my own personal taste, all I need is less blank space to the left and more to the right - i.e. have the posts shifted left rather than central, as now.  Yes, the Dino Toy Blog is the same, but I look at that much less than the Forum and also tend to view new entries in my emails rather than direct through the blog.

It's probably easier if I just get used to moving my chair across for the Forum.  Perhaps give it a few days and see how my brain adjusts to searching for a different area of the screen for text when I open the Forum.  It may well be that the brain adjusts and I then cease to be confronted by blankness on opening up.

@ceratopsian were you able to adjust to the narrower forum width?

[ceratopsian]

I still find the large white empty space off to the left distracting but I can manage with it thanks. I certainly preferred the old layout but the new one is bearable.