craig5320

Hi,

As I'm in the process of sorting out the next big upgrade for HardwareHeaven. I'd like to know any improvements you think can be made, anything feedback related to any part of the site.

Whether it's being unable to quickly find something you want. Something not acting how you'd expect.

Anything that you think would make your experience better.

We will be upgrading to vBulletin 4. This alone will mark a big change in the forums. Functionality such as system spec menus and medals has already been carried over into our VB4 test suite. A few thinks are likely to be removed such as the Arcade and there will be a general shuffle of the forums.

The frontpage/reviews system will also receive an overhaul. So feedback doesn't have to just revolve around the forums.

Would you like to see a lighter theme for default? With the option of dark skins.

How is site performance in general? Fast load times? Do you experience slow-down at any particular time.

Issues such as large images hiding behind advert towers has been taken care of in VB4. I also plan to finally give you guys the smilies I promised 8 months ago!!

So any feedback good and bad is welcomed!

Thanks

Craig

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IvanV

I'd really like to keep a darker skin as an option, I've grown used to it and find the combination of bright text on a dark background nicer for reading than vice versa. I'm currently using CosmosHeaven, but I also liked the Flashpoint sponsored theme quite a bit (bright yellow letters on black background), as well as another from a few months ago which had bright red letters (there were two such themes relatively recently I think, I liked the one with brighter letters better).

Other than that, I'm curious to see what you'll come up with, but have no particular suggestions, things generally work well for me as they are.

* * EDIT: Oops, a couple of things. WYSIWYG editor isn't really WYSIWYG in Opera. I know that there was a problem with the browser itself and that feature, but I think they fixed it (it seems to work when I set "mask as Firefox").

Another rather marginal thing, I know there's a tag to embed Youtube videos into posts, but I haven't seen a button in the post editor. Also, if it would be possible to allow viewing the embedded videos in full screen that would be cool.

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craig5320

We will always have both dark and light options available for skins.

The Wysiwyg I'm sure has been fixed in VB4 and Videos now have their own button for inserting like so:

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Robert McClelland

Have users editor there Subject thread starters So I don't have ask Mod repair my mistake tittle thread

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simonw

A couple of small points:

- Without logging into the forum, I can click on Today's Posts, but it seems that it skips threads in certain forum sections like Reviews and Gaming.

- New Posts vs Today's Posts - after logging in the forum, the above works fine. However, Todays' Posts now turns to New Posts which does act differently (i.e. threads that you have viewed or commented on now disappear from view). My personal preference is to use Today's Posts all the time, not really a huge problem as I can access it via the Quick Links menu.

BlueMak

Will you keep the Dead Space skin? I kinda love it.
If you don't, please consider having a dark skin with some orange touches.


Ok, one thing I would like is this
HardwareHeaven.com > Forums > Graphics Cards > ATI Graphics Cards
On the bottom of the page as it is on the top. So that I don't have to scroll all the way up in long pages.

Plus an increase a size of these triangles, at least as an option?

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craig5320

We can't allow users to permanently be able to change their subjects, as it's often abused. However in the PAX driver section you should be able to double click a threads title in the thread listing and enter a new one. If that doesn't work PM me and I'll take a look for you.


Today's Posts and New Posts work differently, Today's posts lists all posts in the last 24hrs regardless of whether you have read them or not. The system tracks which topics you have read and stores this information in the database, known as database tracking, this is only for members. When you're signed in as a member and you click New Posts, it will show you all the posts on the forum that you have never read while logged in. If a thread you want to check for new posts isn't listed then it's because with 100% certainty there are no new posts in it. Same goes for why a thread you just created wouldn't be there, because it's not new to you. You just read it, and no one else has replied yet. When they do it will appear again. It's a very accurate method. If you feel it's not working or still doesn't seem right, click the Mark All Forums read link at the bottom of the forum homepage then from that point on you will see how it tracks each thread.

I don't know how many dark skin options we will have in terms of colours, we will have the midnight style dark grey/blue for sure. The small icons you refer to on DeadSpace were updated over a year ago, but for some reason not rolled out on DeadSpace, I've moved over the icons from FlashPoint which are similar in colour but have a slight background difference. I hope you find these better to use.

The icons in VB4 are bigger than what was on DeadSpace but probably smaller than the ones I created there.

Thanks for all the feedback guys will + rep everyone.

If anyone is curious to VB4 have a browse over to www.vbulletin.com/forum/

Keep the feedback coming!

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niceguyrichy

don't know if this is the type of feedback you're looking for, but i still think that the front page is just too cluttered.
especially when i'm using my linux laptop, there's too much and its too small.

new smilies btw.. 'bout time

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craig5320

Thanks Reichie, I always value Reechy's feedback he tells it how it is.



Yea, frontpage is being worked on as we speak. It will be a vast improvement, and hopefully I can involve a few of you in the process as we improve it. If there's information from the frontpage you want to see, or information you think doesn't need to be there let me know. Off the bat we're talking new navigation system, no more tabs and some negative space!

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Tyrsonswood

So far it seems the upgrade will take care of my only problems with the site, ads hanging over the first post, the add youtube video button, etc. which were all minor anyways. So it looks like it should be great.

Keep "cosmosheaven" skin please..... easy on the old eyes.

Thanks for all your hard work and keeping the site smooth

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BlueMak

Thanks a lot Craig, it's beautiful!

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

Mousey

Have you got a beta link for public viewing? Or perhaps a screenie?
I must agree with Richy, New smilies please lol
Will there be a blogging system? I saw that the VB4 Package comes with a CMS, Blog and Forum if you get the premium one

Oh by the way Craig, FANTASTIC Job optimising the board, I just went to post on Crackberry.com and my god i was pounding the desk in frustration it was that slow

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Robert McClelland

fix the flash ad when you zoom in flash add comes with it you can't read the forum at all because flash add on top of the thread. Like in Opera.

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sahara_mafia

my only feedback would be to give this site a new look if its possible

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craig5320

This is the same issue as the banner appearing over the images in Heavenly Visions and has been taken care of in VB4.

There's no live test server that's publicly accessible at this time, but I hope to have something available before launch. We own the full package licence, but our CMS is custom and I don't think we'll be introducing the blog at this stage.

That's exactly what I'm hoping to do. Maybe when I have some more ideas and mock ups I can gather further feedback on my designs.



Thanks again everyone who is providing feedback, everything helps.

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brainless_beginner

No performance issues as for me

Issues such as large images hiding behind advert towers has been taken care of in VB4. - glad to hear

I'll vote for light themes,- currently using SereneHeaven

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Freulein

I do not like 'the hardwareheaven newsrooms', it looks like advertising. the news appears randomness generated, not copyedit ( how to say, hm...like someone put some work on it, damn english words).

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craig5320

Thanks, are you referring to the content itself, or simply the layout? I will be altering the layout of the news, possibly providing a true snippet of the article in a more traditional list style. At this moment I'm hoping to move away from the grid layout that was originally chosen, I find it both confusing to look at and use.

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Callandor

I don't really like changes and think the site is fine just the way it is, but change is a wind that blows through everything so I hope its nothing too big otherwise I don't mind changing to fit the change. I can't really see anything that needs to be improved except it would be nice to keep more skins than the four or so you have to choose from. I really miss Neon Heaven. I miss The Neon Cowboy too.

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craig5320

Well as you say change is inevitable, the site needs to change to keep growing.

Here's some nostalgia for ya... I didn't think anyone actually liked my NeonHeaven never mind remembered it.

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Callandor

Oh man, that really hit the spot, got me remembering the good old days when PJ was still a regular of the site, so was Poopy the J for that matter, thanks a lot for that really needed it. Will the change affect our post counts though because that would really suck. Left you some rep too.

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comp_ali

I don't notice any change in layout,menus or smilies.
Could it be the time difference ?
Edit: I prefer lighter skins anyway.

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niceguyrichy

i could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure NeonHeaven was the one i used to use as well.
see craigeee , your efforts are appreciated really

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Necrosis

I miss the old front page where it would show more recent discussions. Most of the time I just link in to the forums and read everything from there.

PruritusAni

I too do this, perhaps a More new posts button/link could be incorporated in the new Latest Forum Topics box.

If new themes are added I'd appreciate if if the cosmos heaven persisted. Also it'd be nice if none of the skins were "sticky" like the gaming heaven skin.

The only portions of the site that load slowly for me are the threads where people get really carried away with the embedding of youtube videos. But this may also have something to do with my lappy being over 4 years old.

I also enjoy the current smiley theme quite a bit, but additions to it couldn't possibly hurt.

Hope this helps you in your quest for a shinier, awesomer HH.

craig5320

On the frontpage if you click the title of the LATEST FORUM TOPICS box, it takes you to the list of new posts, I know it's not very clear to do that. Well not clear at all really! I will look at extended this section, to include hopefully more information like the forum the post was made and who made it or similar.

GamingHeaven theme persists because it contains a lot more GH specific code, so the forum layouts are different, logos etc. There will always be a different look to GH, as we further try to split the two sites while still maintaining the relationship between the two. If that makes sense


Loving the feedback so far, please anyone who wants a 2c please reply, or you can send me a private message or email detailing feedback if you so wish.

Craig

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PruritusAni

Cool, I learned something today! definitely did not notice that before, thanks!

It makes sense, but it's also kind of weird. I mean, should GH have skins too? how about a HH skin?
Also I just noticed that when activating the gaming heaven skin on HH my ad blocking software makes it all sorts of messed up (the text links are all over the place), while when just clicking on the games link GH looks like it should. It's probably more of a problem with the ad block plus addon for firefox though.

craig5320

The problem is that you shouldn't be able to select the GH theme while on HH, I think I'd reactivated it while debugging something a while back and never turned it off again! The theme is now disabled for HH. All the themes are HH themes. GH could have more themes only selectable on GH. I will look into this after the main upgrade, it all comes down to a matter of time really.

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PruritusAni

I imagine it takes quite a bit of time/work to run something the magnitude of HH. Then throw GH on top ... you must be hooked to IV pumps of caffeine 25/7.

craig5320

I made the switch from caffeine to anti-freeze a few months back, really gives you that extra kick in the morning.

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