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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6184 is a reply to message #6183] |
Sat, 05 October 2002 09:34 |
Olliver
Messages: 443 Registered: March 2002
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Matt wrote on Sat, 05 October 2002 07:44 | I've come to this site a few times in the past, but I would just leave thinking FUD was just another garbage wannabe forum coded by some 12 year old, like so many forums out there. My opinion was based mainly from the look of the default template.
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U judge a forum by its default template? There are people out there who also take a look on its functions before using it .
Quote: | But today, just because I was bored and had nothing to do, I installed FUD on my local machine. So what's the verdict? FUD is great! It has so many features in the AdminCP that other free boards lack. FUD has to be the most feature rich free bulletin board on the net, next to Invision Board.
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Quote: | So that leads me to ask, why the hell does FUD use this god awful template?! It's just terrible.
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Well, and I do like it. Now u got two different opinions. And there are a lot more people out there which u didn't ask...
Quote: | You'd attract a lot more visitors if you gave FUD a better default style, because the current one will just scare people off.
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Can u prove ur claim? How will u know that people are scared off? Only because u don't like the forum's style? There are many people out there, and some of them even dare to have a different opinion, so u can't speak in their name.
Quote: | Seriously, change this template...I beg you. I hate to see a great forum like FUD get forgotten because of it's ugly template.
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More seriously: U don't like the default style, u know how to change it. So what keeps u from creating a different template? Only because u suffer with this style this doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the world will do as well.
bye
Ken
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6187 is a reply to message #6183] |
Sat, 05 October 2002 13:12 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Senior Member Administrator Core Developer |
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Well, I am a programmer and not a designer, the layout itself is a refinment of something I've came up with when the forum was written. Until some more graphically inclined person offers a better solution, this will be the layout used.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6211 is a reply to message #6183] |
Sat, 05 October 2002 22:21 |
Matt
Messages: 2 Registered: October 2002 Location: Michigan
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Quote: | Can u prove ur claim? How will u know that people are scared off? Only because u don't like the forum's style? There are many people out there, and some of them even dare to have a different opinion, so u can't speak in their name.
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You know, I didn't come here to bash FUD, I like it...I'm just giving some feedback. And I do judge forums by the default template to some extent, as do most other people. If FUD has such an amazingly good template that everyone loves except for me, then explain to me why this forum is nearly dead?
This being a good or bad style is not a matter of opinion really, it is bad. And having a good looking style does attract users, take phpbb2 or Invision Board for example. phpbb2 lacks so many basic features, yet it's extremely popular.
Quote: | Well, I am a programmer and not a designer, the layout itself is a refinment of something I've came up with when the forum was written. Until some more graphically inclined person offers a better solution, this will be the layout used.
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Maybe you should put out some "help wanted" ads on the main site...there are plenty of skilled people out there who would be eager to help.
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6221 is a reply to message #6211] |
Sun, 06 October 2002 15:57 |
valiant
Messages: 80 Registered: September 2002 Location: Zurich
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Matt schrieb am Son, 06 Oktober 2002 00:21 | If FUD has such an amazingly good template that everyone loves except for me, then explain to me why this forum is nearly dead?
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PHPBB, Invision Board, UBB, VBulletin,... they are all older. They've had a long time to get known while FUD Forum is still in development.
Matt schrieb am Son, 06 Oktober 2002 00:21 | This being a good or bad style is not a matter of opinion really, it is bad.
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The default style is in fact a little bit too gray in gray. It lacks of colors and contrast, but hey, if you can do it better, I'm sure protoss would appreciate a better default style.
As for functionality you could put buttons "submit", "preview" directly under the message box. I did that on my phpbb2 forum and it looks better and all users like it. They're the most important buttons and it doesn't make sense if the attachment thing and all the radio buttons which are almost never used directly under the message box.
Thanks and keep up the good work - Andy
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6246 is a reply to message #6226] |
Sun, 06 October 2002 22:30 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Well, there is also something else to consider. Many forums add a pretty interface that makes their layout look like a colourful child's toy designed to prevent the child's attention from wondering off to the next toy. IMHO this type of design detracts somewhat from the forum, since the focus of an online community are the people and what they have to say rather then pretty colourful buttons, distracting color schemes etc...
That is not to say pretty layout does not have its place, but many people my self included, prefer somewhat bland layout that do not distract the eye from important things.
Ultimately, if someones wishes to conribute their skills towards making a more 'eye candy' design for FUDforum they are more then welcome to, there is a very good chance their work may even become the default template. However, the current 'bland' design will still have its place for people who prefer content over color.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6254 is a reply to message #6252] |
Sun, 06 October 2002 22:48 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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I tried doing this at one point but is was rather acquard and I cannot say I liked the way it looked.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6257 is a reply to message #6256] |
Sun, 06 October 2002 22:55 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Senior Member Administrator Core Developer |
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Well, functionality is certainly important, but consider this. Following the standard designed conventions nearly every single form has the buttons alligned to the right. Which makes it easy to see and find them, especially on busy forms such as post form, which is full of various controls.
You can modify how the buttons are positioned on your forum fairly easily by modifying the post.tmpl template.
Simply move the last row
'<tr class="RowStyleA"><td class="GenText" align="right" colspan=2>...' above '{TEMPLATE-DATA: file_attachments}' inside the 'POST_PAGE' section.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6264 is a reply to message #6261] |
Mon, 07 October 2002 00:54 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Senior Member Administrator Core Developer |
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The tab index is a very good idea, I already use it to allow quick tabbing from subject directly to the message box. I will add more tab orders to make the next tab take the user to preview message and from there to submit reply.
The buttons for formatting are very simular to the ones used in just about every single word processort, mail client and so on. In fact earlier versions had some text help appear on mouse overs. However, I had recieved a number of complaints that I took to heart about that. The reason for the complain was that the 'help' text blocks other buttons and is superfulious for buttons that 99% of computer users will recognize from prior experience.
Could you show me a screen shot of how the post form looks, your forum does not allow me access to the posted URL without registering.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6277 is a reply to message #6274] |
Mon, 07 October 2002 14:11 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Senior Member Administrator Core Developer |
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Thanks for the screenshot.
To be honest unless I was looking for those buttons where you told me I would've missed them completely. That could be in part due to the fact I cannot read the language used on the forum. However, I do believe the placment you are using makes the user have too look for those buttons. IMHO that is not a good approach, since preview/submit are fairly 'critical' buttons that should be easily visible on the form.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6282 is a reply to message #6268] |
Mon, 07 October 2002 14:26 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Senior Member Administrator Core Developer |
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Well, here is my thinking on the matter. What's better a clearly visible button 9 inches away (which really depens on your resolution, on my 1280x1024 it is only about 4 inches away) or a button 1 or 2 inches away that you can miss.
People using keyboards won't really care of tab order is properly setup, since they'd simply tab to the button, distance is of no relavence to them.
IMHO it is better to have a clearly visible button a little farther away, rather then a button you can easily miss closer.
Needless to say that is just MY opinion, if you can show me how you can accomplish putting the button closer and yet make it clearly visible, I'd gladly go along with such a suggestion.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #6288 is a reply to message #6285] |
Mon, 07 October 2002 16:26 |
Ilia
Messages: 13241 Registered: January 2002
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Senior Member Administrator Core Developer |
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Putting more data on left & right of the message box will cause problems for people with small screen resolution. And I refuse to make the message box smaller since it is THE CORE of the form. Heck, I'd make it bigger if I could, but I cannot due to people using small resolutions.
FUDforum Core Developer
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Re: FUD needs a new default style [message #8741 is a reply to message #6187] |
Thu, 20 February 2003 10:19 |
Anonymous
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I dont think FUD needs a new default layout at all. It looks a bit plain, admittedly, but that's a good thing. Default should be neutral so it fits with everyone's tastes.
What FUD really needs is a few easily-accessible themes that you can choose after you've installed the forum.
Even if these are simple colour changes it would be a great feature that gives more than it costs to produce.
*Suggestion*
What the FUD guys could do to help here is provide a means of importing (and exporting) themes easily. I'd like to download a theme from the site, copy it to my site and install it as easily as the forum.
And yes, I will post one when I finish tinkering with it, and no, I'm not a graphic designer so don't expect too much from it ;-)
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