Ideas for new features?

[Aled]

Any new things you'd like on here?

[postie]

I like the new avatar feature i think i will have some fun with that and im just starting to see what other fun suprises you have in store on here

[Blinkie]

Yeah, it's all so entertaining! The shoutbox keeps going to the first post though as opposed to showing the last post :(

[Nic]

i love the top users thingy on the side :) can't think of anything else you could put on here, still trying to get used to all the new things on here :)

[Ali]

Maybe a user gallery? With lovely pictures of our pretty faces :D

[Nic]

a chris cox avatar...

[gbm]

Hmmm, I feel wrong posting a new feature so early on but it can be remembered for the future - how about a thread automatically being made when its a users (or top users) b'day one to remind all other users but also to say happy birthday and for people to pass on b'day messages :)

[Console]

Birthdays are already noted at the bottom of the forum.

[Adam]

Blogs! Hey, if you can't beat them, at least join them!

Lets add the blog mod!

[gbm]

Birthdays are already noted at the bottom of the forum.

I get that but we cant comment on those, (nor can we give virtual gifts :()

[Ali]

I was think, for the bit on the left, we could put in your own status. Or a box where we could submit something for when someones offline :D

[Nic]

hehe i like the amusing statuses that are on there but it would be kinda cool to make your own.

[Q]

Or a box where we could submit something for when someones offline :D

Whats wrong with PM'ing?!

[Adam]

I love you Q.

[Q]

Aww, I love you too, Adam.

[Aled]

Blogs! Hey, if you can't beat them, at least join them!

Lets add the blog mod!

This is the one I want to work on first

[Console]

Well, we've already been considering user blogs and it'll be fairly straight forward to adapt the current blog system for multiple users, each with their own category, or section.

[Ellie]

I like the amusing offline status'

But I don't go to the pub anymore :icon_cry:

[Riz]

The idea of the blog sounds all well and good, but i thought the purpose of this website was Aled's blog? I didnt think anyone would want it.

[Aled]

No, I like the idea of member blogs

[Adam]

Hooray! That'll be cool. I think its a great feature on forums. God, it means ive got at least 3 different places to add blogs now, no make that four.

Aled - you realise you an import your blogs into your facebook account using rss feeds? I dont know how you write up your current blogs, but I think what with your myspace and increasing facebook friends along with this place - I think you've got pretty much possibly covered.

I import my blog which I write at Unofficial Mills into my facebook account.

[gbm]

I agree, I do like the idea of user blogs, I think it's a good place for people to make their thoughts and events known but I do feel that if people want to do that - why not just post a thread? - it goes at the top of the forum when new and if its worth reading people will comment and keep it at the top

I have glanced over the um one but I think it's got a bit busy so I'd like to suggest something like having particular days where certain people can post, for example breaking down people into groups and then only a certain group can post on a monday, then a different group on a tuesday. I also like the different sections / areas idea depending on the different user and then perhaps have a 'best of' part for the blogs that people have liked :)

Can I ask for a rss feed for the podcast, blog (inc user blogs if done) and perhaps even the pics if any new ones are added - not asking for much? ;)

[Riz]

That blog system gbm, its too regimental. Not everyone will want to, or will read everyone elses blog. After a while, people will get to see whos blogs they like and whos they dont.

[Aimee]

what about a forum members photo gallery, were we can add some photos of ourselves etc or if people dont want to have photos of themselves, photos of other things - nature, animals etc.
Just an idea lol :)

[Console]

That is certainly a possibility for the future, although it will be at the bottom of a currently growing list.

[gbm]

I've just been looking around at some stuff but its for phpbb3 and I've just noticed that A.I is vBulletin (is there any reason for that?) - I found things like a photo gallery and cash system whereby people are rewarded virtual money/points for good posts - which they can then do stuff with such as have a special user name (pretty colours) or other things :)

[Console]

I've just noticed that A.I is vBulletin (is there any reason for that?)

The full answer is very long, complicated and boring, but suffice to say, no.

However, depending on what it is you want added, I should be able to code it myself, or find a suitable vBulletin mod.

[Terrier]

I think support for embedding all video sharing sites using HTML rather than just youtube and myspace would be good.

[Console]

The problem with allowing Flash videos from any site, is that there are quite literally hundreds of video sites, and making and maintaining bbcodes for them all would be a lot of work, especially considering that only a few of them will be used regularly. Now, we could just make a 'Flash' bbcode, so any flash applet could be embedded, but this has security concerns that make it a bad idea.

[Nina Cupcake]

Maybe a user gallery? With lovely pictures of our pretty faces :D

Seconded! That would be cool.

Then again, it's Aled's site, let's not steal the limelight ;)

[Terrier]

Can't we just enable posts using HTML code so that we can just use the embed function that most flash sites have?

[Nina Cupcake]

That would be awesome until the spammers would come in. HTML can do far more harm than BBCode.

[Console]

It would indeed, and beyond that it was be an even worse security concern.

[Nina Cupcake]

It would indeed, and beyond that it was be an even worse security concern.

My point exactly :)

[Terrier]

Usually so long as you make it the default option that HTML is off and the user has to either use radio buttons or a drop down menu to enable HTML in a post there's not much of an issue.

[Console]

I can't see how that would reduce the security issue; at best it's just obfuscating the problem. If HTML can be posted, then it can be posted and that'll lead to many, many problems.

[Nina Cupcake]

Exactly. While the forum code is very simplified, HTML allows users to post content that could harm the site. The only forum I know that allows HTML, only allows the basic formatting tags. A bit of a pain, but at least there's no problems on the bugs front.

[Terrier]

It reduces it because it confuses bots which are one of the main sources of HTML abuse. Plenty of forums with huge userbases into the tens of thousands use this system with little to no problems. I think you're maybe a little paranoid on this one Console

[Console]

I can't see how it would confuse a bot, it's trivial to parse the source code of a webpage to see if it's possible to enable HTML.

Of course I'm paranoid, that's my job; my two main concerns are compatibility and security. There are oh so many ways to attack a site, and allowing HTML or non-local applets to be posted is a XSS risk, and an unnecessary risk at that; the advantages aren't enough to risk the disadvantages here, sorry.

[Nina Cupcake]

I can just imagine JavaScript being enabled... *flees in horror* *won't even go there*

[Terrier]

Well I stand by what I've said, there are far bigger sites than this that enable HTML in posts without too many problems.

However your baby, your choice. Plus I'm a network manager and not a web developer so this isn't my area of expertise, I'd ask for a compromise and say enable posting of videos from break.com and dailymotion.com too.

[Console]

Ok, I'll see what I can do, although I probably won't get round to it today.

[Terrier]

No rush by any means. thank you though.

[Aled]

oh God the technical speak again!

The user gallery was an original idea that had to be ditched due to time issues. I'm a very big fan of us doing it as it would go hand in hand with user blogs - it's down to time really. There are a few fixes Console's working on from what we have already before we add any new stuff.

It'll come though

[gbm]

Maybe a user gallery? With lovely pictures of our pretty faces :D

Agreed, however flickr photopool is available, who's up for a 'post a pic of yourself' thread until then?

[Blinkie]

Could you have a section that is like a news 'thing' (not sure of techy term!) for the site which updates to let us know what new things have happened regarding the site when we log in? Not regarding posts, just regarding new features etc so we can make full use of them! Does that make sense?!

[bbb]

im up for the user pics i had one other idea but i know its not a good one as it kinda of goes against the whole point of the forum any way the idea was a voice sever like teamspeak or vent or mabye something like wat blizzard entertainment have been doing to wow(world of warcaft) and that is embeding it into there game adn i think there website as well howevr i now know its a bad idea as to make a vent or teamspeak sver would cost money and to keep it going and it would also take time to find out when best to have it on or of as for the embedding that would prob take to much space be it gb mb gh not sure the rhight size tream i would also like aguide

[bbb]

and if it were poable mabe make ur avatr size limit on rater useing profile size biger by one kb as alot of my stuff us to big and i have noidea how to downsize it tho the pic i went for mu user profile is only one kb to big

[Console]

I've increased the max filesize of avatars to 30KB.

[bbb]

cool ty but i cant use my pic i wanted for my profile pic one size to big its 65kb while the limit id 64 do u have anytips for me on wat to use to downsize the pic?

[Console]

Pretty much any photo editing package can resize a picture, I'm fairly certain that even MS Paint can do it.

[Nina Cupcake]

It can, you just need to save it as a JPEG again, the quality goes down but the file becomes smaller that way. :)

[bbb]

ty so much jst shows u i do nothing of pcs /laptops/ macs or anything tec about them lol ill give it a try if not then no worreiese ill jst post the pic to my bro and let him down size it then email m eit ^_^

[Aled]

Agreed, however flickr photopool is available, who's up for a 'post a pic of yourself' thread until then?

Lets hold off on the thread for now. The shared photo thing (including the Flickr element) was in the original site plan so we will get to it real soon.

Bear with us.

[sinister]

Come on Jones the steam, use the flickr group!

[Mitchell]

More activity would be great :)

[Arron Davies]

Facebook connect or twitter connect for comment submission, and a status feed update for user profiles.

http://www.s22group.com/conect.gif

this is what i made into the redesign im playng with.

When you comment it shares it on twitter or facebook, so your friends can see. if you choose the facebook or twitter connect options.

normal commenting is also available!

Does anyone like this idea.?

[sinister]

Aye, wellard!

[Console]

this is what i made into the redesign im playng with.

I think that we're using different definitions of the word 'design'.

When you comment it shares it on twitter or facebook, so your friends can see. if you choose the facebook or twitter connect options.

When 'you' comment on what?

[sinister]

'whatever' your doing at the time?

[Console]

Okay, I've obviously misunderstood something. Are we talking about people using this website to post on other websites and not this one?

[Arron Davies]

I figured it will be a good feature for the blog commenting system. for Aleds blog. i added it when i read his blog. i know im working on the graphical side but, i just popped it in there.. and his twitter feed is on display that can be replied to from the user profile.

i can remove them, just think they work well with the community.

[sinister]

I think it works like this, if say Jones the steam twatters something, which he does a lot, it'll appear here as well. Though I am quite possibly talking out of my roy keane

[Arron Davies]

I dont know what this means

[sinister]

That's because I was talking outof my roy keane!

[Console]

Is that Dimwell arrhythmic rhyming slang?

[Arron Davies]

That's because I was talking outof my roy keane!

What?

[sinister]

Arsehole roy keane same thing

[postie]

Lol sinister