New forum software?

by Caffeine on 03/09/2007 02:29, 30 messages, last message: 03/16/2007 21:09, 9207 views, last view: 05/04/2024 01:52

Aard, or whoever's responsible for the forum: Would it be feasible to switch to a more featureful and popular forum software solution? I know better than to recommend any specific product here, but it seems like this forum badly needs two key features. Namely: email address validation and the restriction of posters' information (both email and IP addresses) to moderators/admins only. The former feature would probably cut down on spam posts. The latter feature would make it safer to post here (in the case of IP address restriction) and would cut down on spam to our inboxes if we provide real and un-obfuscated email addresses.

Not knowing anything about the underlying software here, I don't know what it would involve to add those features. They do come out-of-the-box with some fairly well-known solutions, though.

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#11: ..

by Gilt on 03/10/2007 03:52

you know, I've been thinking that we don't really need a forum. I can't help but feel that effort here would be better spent on the wiki, or a blog with comments, or something of that sort.

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#12: Re: little changes

by mayhem on 03/10/2007 08:37, refers to #8

I would just like to chime in about the forum links. I agree the search feature should be more prominent with an image but i would like to see another link directly to the docs. I believe the search feature would benefit by this as well as those who take the time to field the questions.
A big thank-you to everyone who helps others here, even those who are readme challenged. Some of the posted questions lately have been ridiculous, and by people who have been using the forum long enough to know better. I know this has been suggested before...a few times...This forum is exactly as it should be....simple, clean, informative. Perhaps it could be moreso if search and readme were added to the link-list. That's my humble opinion anyway.

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#13: Re: little changes

by _Tentus_ on 03/10/2007 18:02, refers to #12

You know, having the Docs up as a permanent thread (locked from comments of course) seems like a really good idea. Or you could even have a separate set of permanent threads that consist of the main docs.

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#14: Re: little changes

by Drakas on 03/10/2007 22:04, refers to #13

Even a better idea - make a bold red 40px message that says "READ THE DOCUMENTATION FIRST", as most people will ignore even that...

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#15: Re: little changes

by Quin on 03/10/2007 23:45, refers to #14

The readme and base website are supposed to be portals to this forum. Both of which have links to the documentation in full.

Unfortunately, 90% of the questions comes because those people are just too lazy to help themselves by reading the docs, although I hope I've made strides to making it more accessible to people without bloating them in for the next release.

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#16: ..

by SanHolo on 03/11/2007 00:18

I love the simplicity of this forum. I woudn't bother "real" registration, though, but spam is not too much of a problem here I guess.

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#17: Re: little changes

by Drakas on 03/11/2007 09:35, refers to #15

Quin: where I answered "RTFM", why are you still heelping them to find all the content? They should find it themselves, that's why I write "RTFM". They should learn, but when they get a real answer, from someone else they will not learn anything.

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#18: ..

by Minion...Seriously on 03/11/2007 16:14

Aside from the fact that I can't get my original cookie for my name back, I love the utilization of cookies for the login.

My only real objection was the choice to make gigantical permanent threads like the 'map editing' one which I'm sure probably has useful information in it, unfortunately it is near unbrowseable because its 2700 replies long with no search feature.

Still I find the board to be cleverly designed and although I was a little put off with it at first, I've grown to like it :o

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#19: Re: ..

by MeatROme on 03/11/2007 16:32, refers to #18

Try clicking the "search"-link.
Available on the thread-overview ... right next to "Show all threads".

The wiki is there to condense information passing through this forum ... but in the end most questions here can usually be answered fully by "RTFM" - although this isn't actually helpful to the individual in question, but the problem of them not reading available documentation is.

Until we all get paid I guess you won't find a lot of "let me take you by the hand"-responses - you seldom do on the interwebs - unless the question was either put in a way that indicates the individual _/did/_ put some energy of his/her own into trying to solve their issue on their own ;)

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#20: ..

by noerrorsfound[other-computer] on 03/11/2007 18:55

Not all forum software is bloated. Phorum (http://phorum.org) is very lightweight and has no avatars, smilies, or images in signatures by default.

You can login here with the username "admin" and a password of "demo" to see this non-bloated forum software.
http://demo.opensourcecms.com/phorum/

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#21: ..

by Quin on 03/12/2007 02:00, refers to #17

Drakas: Maybe I'm stupid and have hope for all of humanity, or I believe in help others help themselves.

Just maybe because I've spent the last few months tinkering with the documentation and wiki finding ways to get these type of people to actually /consider/ reading the docs and maintain simplicity at the same time.

Sometimes, people are just new to this sort of thing, and don't know any better. Being arrogant scares off people who could genuinely learn enough and become regulars.

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#22: Re: ..

by Minion...Seriously on 03/12/2007 04:21, refers to #19

Awesome, no complaints then :)

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#23: ..

by makkE on 03/12/2007 10:41

"Sometimes, people are just new to this sort of thing, and don't know any better. Being arrogant scares off people who could genuinely learn enough and become regulars."

I have to agree. The tone has become quite rough, even some of those "regular" people here seem to have no problem in scaring off anyone new, just because he dared to ask a question here.

Really, all you rtfm´ers are annoying me. Just posting rtfm doesn´t help anyone either. If I was in charge here, I´d delete every post that contains rtfm and rude language towards new people (calling people noob for no reasons)...

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#24: ..

by KoiKitsune2006 on 03/12/2007 13:08

I have to agree with Makke. I know FPS games usually have that, "I must own everybody" aspect about it. But if you think about it, we're all contributors. We contribute in some shape or form. Even new people who come here that are interested with Cube/Sauerbraten should be able to come here and get into the gig without being scared off just because their new.

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#25: Forum Software

by Gnome.... on 03/12/2007 14:59

There are clean, simple options: http://getvanilla.com/

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#26: ..

by Drakas on 03/12/2007 16:46

Fine.

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#27: Re: ..

by Aardappel_ on 03/12/2007 22:42, refers to #23

It's a tough balance. For one thing, the stream of incoming people that don't RTFM will always far outnumber the people you can reach by trying to teach them to RTFM.

So there's no point to get angry at them each time, because they will just keep coming. Hence the wiki: it is the most flexible way to cater for new and existing questions, and be able to reply these questions with a single url answer. And hopefully once they see the wiki, they will dare click on some links... :)

herb: really. and what did I reply to you?

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#28: Re: ..

by Aardappel_ on 03/12/2007 23:51, refers to #28

I already explained you before, opening threads on issues that only really concern you is bad form. If noone answers on the
main thread, that's because noone has an answer.

and:

Creating new threads for every small problem you have, especially ones that are not really about sauer and are unlikely to interest others, is inappropriate. Read the text on the new thread page.

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#30: Re: ..

by Quin on 03/13/2007 04:19, refers to #27

Exactly, I totally understand where most people are coming from when they get upset, having worked helpdesk positions both online and offline for 6 years. The stream of easily-answered and simple questions gets tiring, but remember: we're here to share this great game we love with everyone, and as an open source project it's up to each and every single one of us to contribute and //sell Sauerbraten's worth// to the public.

If a question that isn't convered on the Wiki is asked, and you consider it fairly trivial, consider adding it the bottom of the FAQ ( http://cube.wikispaces.com/FAQ - linking vigourously to other topics/sources) and then pointing the original question asker there. Not only are you contributing back, but you're ensuring that user is pointed to a place where they won't have to ask any further questions.

And to keep this on topic: I'd be more than happy to help maintain the website/forum if it's wanted/needed. The software could indeed use a little love.

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#31: ..

by enigma_0Z on 03/16/2007 21:09

The only thing that I really hate about this forum is the cookie.

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