27 replies to this topic

[Albert]

I really need to get the forum and associated modules (Gallery, Blogs, Tracker, Chat, etc.) updated to the latest versions.  However, reskinning the forum is a very time consuming process.  I'm wondering how people would feel if I updated the forum to the new version and did a minimum amount of skin work in order to get this done?  I am looking to pay a "professional" skinner to redo the forum skin, but haven't found anyone just yet.  But there are numerous features, fixes and improvements in the latest version of this software and I'd really like to get them implemented here..

Any thoughts?

..Al

[jaybird3rd]

Won't be a problem for me.  Do whatever you have to do.

[Ransom]

Sounds fine to me.

[Emehr]

This site could be pure ASCII and I would still be here.

[Albert]

Emehr, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 12:24 PM, said:

This site could be pure ASCII and I would still be here.

That would be fun.  

I bet the site doesn't look very pretty in Lynx.

..Al

[GroovyBee]

Just pull the trigger Al I'm sure we'll cope.

[potatohead]

No worries.

[Rybags]

Sounds good to me.

The fact it's available and functional is more important than the window-dressing.

[Brian O]

Will the new forum be in 3-D?

[thegoldenband]

Albert, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 12:35 PM, said:

Emehr, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 12:24 PM, said:

This site could be pure ASCII and I would still be here.

That would be fun.  

I bet the site doesn't look very pretty in Lynx.

I've browsed Atariage in the past using a couple different text-only browsers, typically when I was using a slow and/or "borrowed" (ahem) wireless connection.  It actually looks just fine!

I really wish the guy responsible for WannaBe would update it for OS X.  It was a great text-only browser in its day, and I used to use it all the time.

Edited by thegoldenband, Tue Feb 8, 2011 1:33 PM.

[Random Terrain]

I thought many AtariAge members were 'professionals' who could do stuff like that? Maybe if you'd post a global want ad above the forums, some trustworthy AtariAge member who needs the cash could get the job done for you?

[Christophero Sly]

I hate to be the old curmudgeon around here, but I have to say that I value the clean and uncluttered appearance of this forum far more than having the latest and greatest software features.  To be honest, I don't even use any of the features that have made there way into the forum over the last couple of updates.  Frankly, I would like to see most of what's been added disappear the way it seems like all of the features I really appreciated in the past (ability to block individual topics, PM archiving, Blog version 1.0, etc.) got dumped when these same "updates" were made.  I've become quite skeptical about these "updates" as a consequence of all that.  

I'm going to assume that this update is going ahead regardless, and that this thread is really just to notify us to prepare ourselves for some imminent changes to the look and function of these forums.  With that in mind, let me be the first to make a request that the "My Posts" feature be added back in.

BTW, anybody see Kotaku's new layout?  I only visit that site occasionally, but the primary reason I did so was because the site had a such a straightforward layout.  You could catchup on a week's worth of industry news in about 5 minutes.  The new layout is an utter disaster.  Won't be spending much time there anymore. People often forget that when it comes to presenting visual information, form is function.

[Albert]

Brian O, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 1:28 PM, said:

Will the new forum be in 3-D?

Yes, but you have to use a new 3D monitor and have to have a pair of 3D Shutter Glasses (and the appropriate drivers for your OS--Linux users are probably out of luck).  

..Al

[Albert]

Christophero Sly, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 1:41 PM, said:

I'm going to assume that this update is going ahead regardless, and that this thread is really just to notify us to prepare ourselves for some imminent changes to the look and function of these forums.  With that in mind, let me be the first to make a request that the "My Posts" feature be added back in.

The updated forum software has this built in as standard, so I won't have to hack this in as I've had to in the past.  

Quote

BTW, anybody see Kotaku's new layout?  I only visit that site occasionally, but the primary reason I did so was because the site had a such a straightforward layout.  You could catchup on a week's worth of industry news in about 5 minutes.  The new layout is an utter disaster.  Won't be spending much time there anymore. People often forget that when it comes to presenting visual information, form is function.

Yes, Gawker went to this new layout for all their sites and it's horrid.  The updated forum software is pretty much identical in terms of layout, but there are many worthwhile improvements that I'd very much like to get in place here.  Plus they've End-Of-Lined the software we're using now.  

..Al

[Random Terrain]

Albert, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 2:22 PM, said:

Christophero Sly, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 1:41 PM, said:

I'm going to assume that this update is going ahead regardless, and that this thread is really just to notify us to prepare ourselves for some imminent changes to the look and function of these forums.  With that in mind, let me be the first to make a request that the "My Posts" feature be added back in.

The updated forum software has this built in as standard, so I won't have to hack this in as I've had to in the past.  

There was much rejoicing in AtariAge Land, but the wise elders fell to their knees and prayed to the gods that this new 'standard' feature would survive through the hurricane-force winds of future updates.

[Tempest]

Albert, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 12:35 PM, said:

Emehr, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 12:24 PM, said:

This site could be pure ASCII and I would still be here.

That would be fun.  

I bet the site doesn't look very pretty in Lynx.

..Al

I've browsed AtariAge on my Apple IIe using Contiki.  It's functional, but navigating is a pain!

Tempest

[SpiceWare]

Albert, on Tue Feb 8, 2011 12:35 PM, said:

That would be fun.  

I bet the site doesn't look very pretty in Lynx.

..Al

There's a lot of white space, but it's useable.  I don't like how Lynx scrolls a full screen at a time though (at least by default).

[Mirage]

The site looks great, and I love the current look... but it's the people that make the site, so any temporary look doesn't matter.

[Albert]

Thanks for the Lynx screenshot, that's pretty interesting.  

I might actually try upgrading the forum "in-place" later tonight.  That means I'd take  the forum down, back everything up, upload the latest version of the forum source code, and then run the upgrade scripts for the Forum, Blog, Chat, Gallery, Downloads (not visible here yet), and other modules.  Assuming that goes without a hitch, I'd then have an upgraded forum without the current AtariAge skin.  I'd then have to spend at least some time skinning the forum to at least get the header at the top, colors and fonts to match the current forum and the rest of the site.  When I'm satisfied with the results I'd then put the forum back up and unleash it upon everyone.

Next I'd work on upgrading all the other skins, most especially the newest version of the (commercial) mobile skin which has been much improved for the iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile devices.  Most of the other skins should have updates as well, and I might open more of them up to everyone and not just subscribers.  And I may buy a few new skins, as there have been some impressive efforts in the last year as people become more adept at skinning IP.Board 3.x.

There are various modifications I've done to the forum software and I do need to spend at least a minimum amount of time investigating whether any of them are worth keeping, still relevant, or can be sacrificed in the name od progress.  I'm hoping to get away from using mods that require source code edits, as those make it difficult to move forward with forum upgrades.  There is a fairly new system for writing mods that does not involve directly patching the source (using "hooks"), which nearly all mod authors are using in the present.  Probably about half of the modifications here are now hook-based, and those are the mods I can easily keep, as long as the mod authors have kept the mods up to date (which is usually the case). I do need to inventory what modifications have been made to the source (using a commercial diff/merge tool), so there are no surprises.  

Could be interesting.  

   ..Al

[Random Terrain]

Albert, on Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:52 AM, said:

Could be interesting.  

[Nathan Strum]

I'd be most interested in having the blogs fixed, skinned or not.

Edited by Nathan Strum, Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:02 PM.

[Albert]

Nathan Strum, on Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:01 PM, said:

I'd be more interested in having the blogs fixed, skin or not. While I'm sure there are some useful updates to the forum software, the blogs have things that are just plain broken.

The blogs will be updated as well.

..Al

[Nathan Strum]

Thanks - I caught that in your earlier post after I'd originally posted.

So is skinning mostly graphics? Or a combination of graphics and coding?

[Albert]

Nathan Strum, on Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:11 PM, said:

Thanks - I caught that in your earlier post after I'd originally posted.

So is skinning mostly graphics? Or a combination of graphics and coding?

Mostly CSS and HTML changes, some graphics as well (depending on how many of the stock graphics you want to replace). I'm not really satisfied with many of the graphics in the AtariAge forum skin, such as the orange and blue buttons used all over the place.  I'd really like to have someone help me revamp the skin to make it a fair bit more polished..

..Al

[Nathan Strum]

I'd offer, but I only know enough about CSS and HTML to be dangerous.

I do know a guy though... want me to PM you his info?