Should We Move To A New Forum Platform?

[BigBrother-84]

If I understand what you mean by "We can’t jump to a page which number isn’t displayed", this issue is that there are 368 #'s to display and not enough real estate on the page to do it with. So Nabble shows you seven pages around the page you are on, three pages ahead of and three pages behind.

Yep, not really often but sometimes it happened that I was searching for something and wanted to jump couple of pages ahead (or back) of the listed ones. The only way in Nabble is to click one by one. That could be a plus for easier browsing, even though not a major issue.

As for the notifications that someone has posted, it is hard to tell with so few of posts. Maybe you and I need to post more on both platforms?

Yep, you’re right.

And this is a more important issue (IMHO). Seeing at a first glance what’s going on is a major point.

Nabble offers that.

 

[Gary Lewis]

If I understand what you mean by "We can’t jump to a page which number isn’t displayed", this issue is that there are 368 #'s to display and not enough real estate on the page to do it with. So Nabble shows you seven pages around the page you are on, three pages ahead of and three pages behind.

Yep, not really often but sometimes it happened that I was searching for something and wanted to jump couple of pages ahead (or back) of the listed ones. The only way in Nabble is to click one by one. That could be a plus for easier browsing, even though not a major issue.

As for the notifications that someone has posted, it is hard to tell with so few of posts. Maybe you and I need to post more on both platforms?

Yep, you’re right.

And this is a more important issue (IMHO). Seeing at a first glance what’s going on is a major point.

Nabble offers that.

I'm confused with phpBB. Below is my view of the "board index" and it would seem to show that there are several threads I've not read because they are in bold. But that's not true as I've read the ones in red and even created the one in green. And after going to read them all again it still looks that way.

Please post a time or two on phpBB so I can see what, if anything, changes.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm confused with phpBB. Below is my view of the "board index" and it would seem to show that there are several threads I've not read because they are in bold. But that's not true as I've read the ones in red and even created the one in green. And after going to read them all again it still looks that way.

Please post a time or two on phpBB so I can see what, if anything, changes.

Also, what's your view of both phpBB and InVision's board index/main page? Do you see my recent posts highlighted?

[BigBrother-84]

Please post a time or two on phpBB so I can see what, if anything, changes.

Done.

I posted in “General Discussion/Kicking up the post count” and in “Ford Forum”.

[BigBrother-84]

Also, what's your view of both phpBB and InVision's board index/main page? Do you see my recent posts highlighted?

Here is what I see on my iPhone, Main page and General Discussion page:

EDIT: Just for testing purpose, I will create a second user in each platform, to see how "others" appear in discussions, reactions. I'll discuss with my "alter ego".

So Admin please don't be surprised!

[BigBrother-84]

Also, what's your view of both phpBB and InVision's board index/main page? Do you see my recent posts highlighted?

Here is what I see on my iPhone, Main page and General Discussion page:

EDIT: Just for testing purpose, I will create a second user in each platform, to see how "others" appear in discussions, reactions. I'll discuss with my "alter ego".

So Admin please don't be surprised!

I made some tests in phpBB and InVision.

Both have kind of "already read" flagging feature.

Not sure to well understand how it works exactly, I mean that the "mother" thread «General Discussions» aspect changes in phpBB but not in InVision.

What I understand :

• phpBB changes if you click on the title, no matter if your read all the content or not (turns from red to black);

• InVision changes (lose the bold) if you read all posts included in the main thread, to the last page of each.

[Gary Lewis]

What I understand :

• phpBB changes if you click on the title, no matter if your read all the content or not (turns from red to black);

• InVision changes (lose the bold) if you read all posts included in the main thread, to the last page of each.

Jeff - I'm seeing the same thing. But I'm finding that it is far easier to see the red vs black on phpBB than the bold vs plain on InVision.

And I'm liking the layout of phpBB more than I am that of InVision. I like the clean look of phpBB, shown on the left.

But what do all y'all think?

[Gary Lewis]

What I understand :

• phpBB changes if you click on the title, no matter if your read all the content or not (turns from red to black);

• InVision changes (lose the bold) if you read all posts included in the main thread, to the last page of each.

Jeff - I'm seeing the same thing. But I'm finding that it is far easier to see the red vs black on phpBB than the bold vs plain on InVision.

And I'm liking the layout of phpBB more than I am that of InVision. I like the clean look of phpBB, shown on the left.

But what do all y'all think?

Jeff - I need your help. I'm coming to the conclusion that phpBB is not going to do what I think we need it to do because:

• I can't figure out how to get a permalink to a post in phpBB. I think Chris said he'd see what he can do when he gets back from his trip, but maybe you can?

• The ability to post a link is poor. Yes, you can click the chain link icon and it'll drop in the html code with the curser between the two brackets so all you have to do is paste in the link. But I'd like you to try to cause it to make a link out of a word instead of having the whole link showing in the post.

• And creating bulleted or numbered lists is not happening for me. Could you try?

So if we can't get the permalink and link things working I think we shouldn't go any farther with phpBB. The bulleted & numbered lists things are just "ought to haves", but permalinks and the ability to turn a word or words into a hyperlink are required.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Jeff - I need your help. I'm coming to the conclusion that phpBB is not going to do what I think we need it to do because:

• I can't figure out how to get a permalink to a post in phpBB. I think Chris said he'd see what he can do when he gets back from his trip, but maybe you can?

• The ability to post a link is poor. Yes, you can click the chain link icon and it'll drop in the html code with the curser between the two brackets so all you have to do is paste in the link. But I'd like you to try to cause it to make a link out of a word instead of having the whole link showing in the post.

• And creating bulleted or numbered lists is not happening for me. Could you try?

So if we can't get the permalink and link things working I think we shouldn't go any farther with phpBB. The bulleted & numbered lists things are just "ought to haves", but permalinks and the ability to turn a word or words into a hyperlink are required.

Jeff - There is a way to get a permalink on phpBB. Just right-click the title of the post, the one circled in red below. Then click Copy Link Address and you have it.

However, that's certainly not intuitively obvious to the casual observer, so I gave it an orange thumbs-down in the spreadsheet. On the other hand, clicking the three dots on InVision isn't the most obvious thing either, so might that be an orange thumbs-up?

And, how do either of those work on an phone?

[BigBrother-84]

Jeff - There is a way to get a permalink on phpBB. Just right-click the title of the post, the one circled in red below. Then click Copy Link Address and you have it.

Thanks Gary… But I found it since that post.

I agree it is not very intuitive. And less with an iPhone, in which you don’t have the “right-click”. But it works if you maintain the pressure on the title, and then a menu appears enabling to copy the link.