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Improvements to the forum

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I browsed through the forum for a little while just now and noticed a few possible improvements that could be made. Do what you please with these ideas.

1. Sub topics. There are threads but one cant create a subtopic to that thread. This could be useful when the question is slightly off topic but can serve as a subtopic. This feature would make finding and sorting through threads easier when searching too. It could be like an indent underneath that particular thread.

2. Sort by replies. When browsing or searching, allow the user to organize the threads based on how many replies it has received. This is handy when there are a lot of search results for the topic.

3. Add chat room feature that shows when a user is typing. Have a light next to the users name and it goes on when they are typing, so one wont interrupt the other and wont have to guess if they are going to say anything or add on to what theyve already said. The user names would have to get moved down a little bit though so each user can see the list of users as well as the type box.

4. Audio question/comment option. On each post or throughout the entire thread, a user could choose to listen to an audio version of the comments in the thread. A computer voice would announce what has been typed. I would enjoy this when I have sore eyes, or am doing a trivial task away but close to the computer.

5. After clicking on "view new posts", have the default be "this weeks posts" instead of "todays posts". This would be helpful so one doesnt have to wait 15 seconds to go to that option. Why have it be "todays posts" instead of "this weeks posts" anyways? "This weeks posts" still allows the users to see the most recent posts anyways.

6. Photo flipbook in users profiles. Instead of limiting users to one photo to show of themselves or whatever they want, let them put multiple pictures. People can better get to know them that way.

7. Grammar check when making new posts. Theres spellcheck already but grammar suggestions would be nice too for the people who arent masters at grammar, but who want to make their posts as neatly and easily to read.

8. Add "interests" to the search criteria when searching for a member. Also add "banned" to the same criteria to allow the users to see who got banned. That would be interesting.

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Some of those ideas would require the forum software to change. We use Invision Power Board. The Chat software we use is phpFreeChat. So, new software features would require those folks to make changes.

One that can be done now: When one is browsing a sub-forum, one can "Order By: Replies" (check the bottom-right of the page).

Banned members not showing up in the member list is probably a configuration option. I think the fact that a member is banned does show up by their name, alongside their posts. If what you're looking for is "find all banned members" (or their posts), that's not there right now.

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5. After clicking on "view new posts", have the default be "this weeks posts" instead of "todays posts". This would be helpful so one doesnt have to wait 15 seconds to go to that option. Why have it be "todays posts" instead of "this weeks posts" anyways? "This weeks posts" still allows the users to see the most recent posts anyways.

Bad idea. The default is "unread posts" and that's what it needs to stay. There are people who read the forum exclusively by searching for unread stuff and then marking it as read (me).

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Bad idea. The default is "unread posts" and that's what it needs to stay. There are people who read the forum exclusively by searching for unread stuff and then marking it as read (me).

What do you mean its "unread posts"? I thought it goes to "todays posts". Either way, the software developer could make the default option open to voluntary change. That way you could have your "unread posts" as default and I could have my "this weeks posts" as default.

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Bad idea. The default is "unread posts" and that's what it needs to stay. There are people who read the forum exclusively by searching for unread stuff and then marking it as read (me).

I also read the forum by searching for unread posts... But the link at the bottom of the main page is "todays active posts". Is there some other link, that goes to unread stuff? That would be useful.

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Specifically, it is "New Posts"... i.e. posts after the last unread post. When you get to the default Forum screen, the one that has the heirarchy of Forums/Sub-Forums, you click on "View New Posts" at the top of the screen. On the screen that comes up next, you will see threads which have "New Posts".

On that screen, at the bottom, if one wishes, one can select to see threads with posts that day, that week, past 2 weeks, and so on.

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What do you mean its "unread posts"? I thought it goes to "todays posts". Either way, the software developer could make the default option open to voluntary change. That way you could have your "unread posts" as default and I could have my "this weeks posts" as default.

I should get the default. You can do extra clicking. :nuke:

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4. Audio question/comment option. On each post or throughout the entire thread, a user could choose to listen to an audio version of the comments in the thread. A computer voice would announce what has been typed. I would enjoy this when I have sore eyes, or am doing a trivial task away but close to the computer.

Opera web browser with voice :)

Sometimes I use it (the voice feature), it's really comfortable.

As for grammar checker: I suppose you can type your posts in word: it checks grammar, and then post them here.

I find 1 and 8 to be brilliant ideas. Especially 1. And 8.

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