Forum software change - yay or nay?

[Jon]

@Lightwave, interesting points on the user stats. Maybe you have to hover the mouse over their avatar to get the details. Edit: Ah, just noticed that you noticed!

Now for the narrowness of the opening screen...I actually prefer it! My understanding is that the research suggests that reading long sentences on one line reduces comprehension. It may explain why newspaper columns tend to be narrow.

One of the benefits of Xenforo is that the forum sections start higher up the page, or "above-the-fold" as they say. This helps the user experience, since you would see more forum sections or threads or content without having to scroll. i worked out I would get an extra 3 forum sections displayed on the index page, if we switched. Google theoretically prefers this too.

 

[Jon]

Just in case anybody is interested, my current position is 70:30 towards switching. I am inching closer!

 

[Gasman]

Just in case anybody is interested, my current position is 70:30 towards switching. I am inching closer!

10 to 1 on the poll. Go for it

 

[Jon]

At 80:20 now.

I would add the Weekly Digest email newsletter that pumps out the top forum threads. I am sure this would encourage less active members to revisit the site more often. I want to try to increase user engagement on this site and that might help part of it.

 

[Jon]

I just put my vote into the poll, and now we are on 85% suggesting we should switch to Xenforo. My current thinking is that we have a 90% chance of switching. If so, it would be likely to happen anytime within the next 7 days. So, if you see the boards have been closed, you will know why.

 

[pbaldy]

I just put my vote into the poll, and now we are on 85%

You realize yours is the only vote that actually matters?

 

[Jon]

Haha, yes I know. But I want help from the Borg!

 

[pbaldy]

I've been assimilated and I didn't even realize it?!?

 

[Jon]

It's subtle and creeps up on you over the years...

 

[Jon]

Something I am curious about, how do you guys go find and search for posts to reply to? What is your process? Do you go to view what the latest threads are in the Top 10 stats section near the bottom of the site? Or another process?

 

[isladogs]

I use advanced search based on my memory of good examples relevant to the question asked (both topic and author).
The top ten lists are irrelevant to this process as they are all water cooler threads e.g. Are you an atheist, best/worst joke etc

 

[pbaldy]

Something I am curious about, how do you guys go find and search for posts to reply to?

Usually New Posts in the top bar.

 

[Jon]

Thanks for the New Posts link. I forgot I put that there! I've been scrolling down to the Top 10 section all the time, on my own forum!

 

[pbaldy]

I forgot I put that there!

Ha! I've never done that. Okay, I have had people ask for a new report, start to build it, feel like it's familiar, realize I built it x months ago and forgot.

Edit: and obviously the users forgot too.

 

[Jon]

I do remember a number of years ago adding stuff to that menu section.

I want to drop an image in here to ask a question, but it is so rubbish having to upload the image somewhere else and then link to it.

 

[isladogs]

Oops. My answer in post #77 was completely off the point.
I misread the question and thought you meant how do you find example links to provide as answers.

 

[Deleted member 147267]

Well, now that the subject of searches has been raised, that is something I forgot to mention earlier. Advanced search function is frustrating in that it doesn't seem to follow the norm. If you search on "open form" for example, you get everything with "open" or "form" as well as "open form". As for every day searching I use New Post link exclusively.

 

[Jon]

There are some very good search options on Xenforo, and they sell an add-on for something called Elasticated search. Gives more choices, faster etc.

 

[Gasman]

I use New Posts each time.
I too am frustrated with the search. Probably not using the correct syntax.?
Earlier I was looking for "Emulated Split form" and got way too many hits.

I now tend to use Google when I remember. One can specify just a site, so something along the lines of

site:www.access-programmers.co.uk emaulated split form

and even when mispelled like here, it still gets you there.?

HTH

 

[Jon]

Search will improve.