Ive been investigating a different board for this forum, base on Snitz Forums and Ive put a copy up for testing here :

http://66.155.126.102/forum/default.asp

Im after comments on design, functionality and performance.
Note, the server is playing up a bit since nimda, so performance is a little flakey at times.

Most of your existing profiles / logins exist on this server as they do here, so use your normal login if posting.

If an error is found, please post what you were doing what happened, and any relevant error messages.

I am still developing it, so there may be the odd time when its down.

------------------
§þððk¥
"I am Spooky of Borg. Prepare to be assimilated, babycakes!"
Subscribe to OutFront News
Database / DRW Q & A
The Spooky Login!
VP-ASP Shopping cart

While most of the new options are nice, I don't see a lot of added value brought on by them. (Talking about the formatting capabilities mostly.)

Also, with the ability to insert images into posts, could this become an issue for those with slower connections. Getting into a post with 30 or more replies with images could be a problem for loading.

I've been fortunate to receive great performance from the current board you provide...unless there is 'another issue' driving the need for a 'new' board, why change what works...

If this applies, then I say...don't fix it if it ain't broke.

Best of luck.

------------------
SuperConductor

{If hindsight were foresight...I'd be a friggin genius.}

[This message has been edited by SuperConductor (edited 11-13-2001).]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SuperConductor:
I'm going to agree with EWD in most respects.

While most of the new options are nice, I don't see a lot of added value brought on by them. (Talking about the formatting capabilities mostly.)

Also, with the ability to insert images into posts, could this become an issue for those with slower connections. Getting into a post with 30 or more replies with images could be a problem for loading.

---

quote:

---

I've been fortunate to receive great performance from the current board you provide...unless there is 'another issue' driving the need for a 'new' board, why change what works...

---

quote:

---

---

------------------
Gil Harvey
The Host Factory
Resellers are our speciality
"Indecision may or may not be my problem"

Theres many reasons to change, probably just as many to stay the same.

One of the issues, is consolidating outfront onto one server, currently its on a couple.
One server makes admin easier.

Although the NT server will run UBB, it tends to not be easy to modify (unless you want to muck around with cgi)
I prefer asp, so it means I can be more reponsive to providing features that people want. "Printer friendly" for example, being one of them.

To me, the use of avatars provides a "personalisation" (If thats a word of users - more recognition.

Snitz offers extended profiles, so if people want, they can add more about themseves. Its always interesting to read about others, what they do and what they are up to, as part of a community.

Image loading? yes and no. Caching to a certain extent will remove problems, but most images are 2-3k and a topic will contain 10-15 posts max.

So as you can see, from the design, its the same but different. On average, I hope, a better different

All this time and I didn't even know you could add an image...leave it to a guy to take off driving without reading the map first.

Also, since I have been using this forum, I haven't seen one post that uses an image...so I made the 'assumption' (nasty word, sometimes) that the functionality wasn't there.

Lesson learned...

------------------
SuperConductor

{If hindsight were foresight...I'd be a friggin genius.}

According to my Wife, I do that (driving without reading the map) all the time

------------------
Gil Harvey
The Host Factory
Resellers are our speciality
"Indecision may or may not be my problem"

I agree it would look better to keep the text the same ol' black, but most users of snitz boards don't seem to use colored fonts except for amusement once in a while.

The snitz boards I have used (from a user standpoint) I do like. I expect that changing Outfront from one board to the other will be like the design changes in the past.... just takes a bit of getting used to, then I usually like it better than the previous version. (did I mention I'm still using FP2000, FP98 occasionally when needed, and PSP 6.2 instead of version 7? so maybe I just don't like change much. )

As for speed and usability, I think snitz has it above UBB.

Linda

------------------
Frontpage Web Templates

[This message has been edited by LB (edited 11-13-2001).]

------------------
Gil Harvey
The Host Factory
Resellers are our speciality
"Indecision may or may not be my problem"

1. You can tell how many times a discussion has been looked at and replied too.

2. I like the avatars

3. In the profiles it will tell you how many times each person has posted before. I like this because you can tell who is the most active.

4. Once you post you can elect to be emailed responses or not.

I still think this is a great board with the change or without.

Sincerely,
EB

I (IMO) do understand why you're going to the Snitz Forum - works better on my site as well - however, I don't see much value in the additional graphics; they seem to make a lot of pages too 'busy'. Of course, we all do live in the real world and a lot of people don't think a site is worth visiting without a significant amount of 'eye candy', however Avatar's don't do a lot for me....

Fortunately, I don't have to deal with the slower modem connections, but there still are lots of people who do - the additional graphics will probably affect them (as mentioned before by SuperConductor).

Don't really see a lot more on the front end, however the change was probably based more on the back end (consolidating to 1 server, ASP, etc.)

I do tend to think sometimes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", however some things don't have to be 'broke' to need a little fixing... ('course I was the guy that said "Why would I ever need to write a program that uses all 64K of the memory in my computer... )

In closing out my $.02, I do think Spooky did a good job in keeping a lot of the consistency of the original site yet balancing in new features for those that want it - especially with changing engines.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have our cake and eat it too???

I've messed with the snitz engine a bit and have found it to be really dependable on the whole and the options available are enough to satisfy most peoples desire to express themselves.

I'll be pretty much black text with a hyperlink or 2.

It still looks like the outfront forum. Great work Spooky.

Cheers,
Andrew

Suzkaw - ditto.
I like the fact you can see the last poster, and how many replies.

From a moderators point of view, its good to know who answered a post. If it was the original poster, you know you may have to return an answer. It its another moderator or knowlegeable person, you know you may not have to.

rdouglas - I tend to agree that the view does get a little busy when viewing topics, but I really want to keep the extended information available.
I played around a little with it to make it so (and ended up back where I started!)
But I am open to design suggestions if anyone has a mockup of it

I seldom use it in your current forum, but you will loose the spell checker with Snitz. (Or can you add one? Let me know how if you can and it's really easy.)

I had no problem with the speed, even on the pages with the avitars - and right now I'm working from the hotel with a 48k connection speed.

All things considered, my vote is with Snitz.

Regards,
Andrew

------------------
Andrew
webmaster@serenitynet.net
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..." Gal. 5:22

I didnt do this one, so Im unsure whats involved. But hopefully it wont take much.
Ill get the board up first, then do that part.

Looks great to me. I'd swap just for the ability to print out a topic (clean w/o menus etc.) I've got the Snitz forum set up on our company intranet and think it's very easy to use, even for someone like me who knows nothing about ASP.

------------------
I think, therefore I am, I think.

With new topic first, it seems too easy to accidentally click that instead of reply.

Linda

------------------
Frontpage Web Templates

I don't like the appearance of the new board. It's:

1. Too dizzy with colours
2. The avatars(?) are distracting - what a load of codswallop....

3. I don't like how the coloured horizontal dividers work - they too are distracting.

4. As my nurse would say - it's a load of "bumpf" (probably a polite way of saying b..... or w..k)

I do like it though when someone started showing pictures of real sheep...!!!

In summary - all the razzimataz bumpf may be alright for lounge but when all you're after is good solid, sound advise as newbie or intermediate FP user, all you really need is something in readable form...

my 4c worth (AUSD = 1/2USD)

Im of a simialr frame of mind with the dividers actually - I tried it without and I didnt dislike it, but didnt want to go too white.

Im not a fan of grey as a backround either....

Suggestions?