New site roundup - questions & suggestions here

[Brock Beauchamp]

There's a lot to take in here and the site will continue to evolve pretty rapidly as we add functionality and new sections of the site.

If you have questions about how something works or suggestions how to make something easier/better, please share them here!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Here are some handy guides for all of you:

Tutorials and Help guides: https://brewerfanatic.com/help/

How to use tables: https://brewerfanatic.com/blogs/entry/1-brewer-fanatic-tips-tricks-part-one-tables/

How to use the feed: https://brewerfanatic.com/blogs/entry/2-brewer-fanatic-tips-tricks-the-feed/

Achievements: https://brewerfanatic.com/blogs/entry/3-introducing-achievements/

Following content and users: https://brewerfanatic.com/blogs/entry/4-brewer-fanatic-tips-tricks-following/

[brewerfan82]

Thanks Brock! I'm really enjoying the site as I dive into some of its features!

I've been messing around with the activity streams feature, which look really cool. One thing I noticed is that if I create multiple streams there doesn't seem to be a way to access your non-default stream. However, if I switch the site's theme to the default stream there is a menu path to get to them (Activity > My Activity Streams). Is this something you can enable on the Brewer Fanatic theme? Or is there another way to access these?

Thanks!

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, brewerfan82 said:

Thanks Brock! I'm really enjoying the site as I dive into some of its features!

I've been messing around with the activity streams feature, which look really cool. One thing I noticed is that if I create multiple streams there doesn't seem to be a way to access your non-default stream. However, if I switch the site's theme to the default stream there is a menu path to get to them (Activity > My Activity Streams). Is this something you can enable on the Brewer Fanatic theme? Or is there another way to access these?

Thanks!

Oh shoot, that default theme isn't supposed to be visible. ?

But I can certainly get this working, I'll work on that in the coming days.

[brewerfan82]

2 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Oh shoot, that default theme isn't supposed to be visible. ?

But I can certainly get this working, I'll work on that in the coming days.

Ha! Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that, it was cool seeing some of the features that could maybe be turned on still, lol. But understand wanting to keep everyone in the same environment, as it would also cause a lot of confusion.

Thanks for looking into it!

[patrickgpe]

so far my only (minor) complaint is that I don't like the gif's. They make it much harder to read though a thread. part of thing that makes BF.net stand out is that the simplicity of the site. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

12 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

so far my only (minor) complaint is that I don't like the gif's. They make it much harder to read though a thread. part of thing that makes BF.net stand out is that the simplicity of the site. 

GIFs are controversial. Some people love them, others hate them.

If people feel strongly about it, I can probably create a profile toggle to hide all GIFs in post content. It's not something I'd get to right away but maybe some time during the season I'd be able to add something like that if people want it.

[patrickgpe]

@Brock BeauchampI don't hate them. They can sometimes add some value. most of the time they don't and just causes a post to be huge that really could be one or two lines, or did have to be posted at all. 

[JackNicholson1974]

Is there a way to make the site less....white? For example, I scroll Twitter in dark mode only.  Is there a dark mode?

[SeaBass]

Suggestion: When clicking the "Mark Forum As Read" button that it also takes you back to Home. Would eliminate a step.

[Brock Beauchamp]

20 minutes ago, JackNicholson1974 said:

Is there a way to make the site less....white? For example, I scroll Twitter in dark mode only.  Is there a dark mode?

Dark mode is on list of features coming, though it will be quite some time before we get there. 

[BillScottCanRake]

1 hour ago, JackNicholson1974 said:

Is there a way to make the site less....white? For example, I scroll Twitter in dark mode only.  Is there a dark mode?

If you get a Browser extension, you can make the site run in Dark Mode.  I use a Chrome extension called Dark Reader.

 

[Vgmastr]

Not sure what every else's opinion is, but is there a way to remove the column on the right and have the posts stretch the width of the page?  The current setup seems a bit cramped on a non-mobile screen.

[JackNicholson1974]

thank you for the replies.

[Pugger]

How do I get my avatar from the old site here?

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, Pugger said:

How do I get my avatar from the old site here?

Unfortunately, some of the old avatars didn't port over. The install of phpBB was so ancient that the conversion software didn't know what to do with the information so it dumped it.

But uploading a new avatar is dirt simple. Click on your own "P" temp avatar, then click on the small image icon next to that avatar on your profile to upload a new avatar.

[logan82]

4 hours ago, Vgmastr said:

Not sure what every else's opinion is, but is there a way to remove the column on the right and have the posts stretch the width of the page?  The current setup seems a bit cramped on a non-mobile screen.

Agreed. This forum seems a lot more geared towards mobile with the spacing and how everything is all puffy is the best way I can think of describing it. Large avatars on the left. Things in posts looks like 1.5 spacing. Tons of deadspace on the page. I included a snip form this thread and a thread from BGG as examples.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

10 hours ago, logan82 said:

Agreed. This forum seems a lot more geared towards mobile with the spacing and how everything is all puffy is the best way I can think of describing it. Large avatars on the left. Things in posts looks like 1.5 spacing. Tons of deadspace on the page. I included a snip form this thread and a thread from BGG as examples.

Yeah, the site is designed mobile-first and that's just kinda the way we have to do things nowadays. The first day of this site, traffic was 60% desktop, 40% mobile. Literally the day after the redesign, it was 60% mobile, 40% desktop. Things flipped that quickly. Over at Twins Daily, we usually sit around 75% mobile, 25% desktop despite people browsing the forums all day long on their work computers. People just use their phones for this stuff now so we need to prioritize them.

We try to make both usable and good but mobile is both harder to do well and the priority.

In a perfect world, we'd develop an app... but I don't know how to write an app and I put the cost of doing so at probably about $50,000 to do it right. Whereas I'm a web developer and do most of the coding for the site myself, which is what makes this project possible.

[brewerfan82]

I LOVE the improved mobile experience. That combined with the custom streams and follow features are taking my Brewerfan addiction/problem to a whole new level. ?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I just received an email that my account was locked due to security reasons. I'm guessing that is stemming from my initial issues logging in a few days ago, but odd to receive the email now, considering my account is currently operational.

[Brock Beauchamp]

25 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I just received an email that my account was locked due to security reasons. I'm guessing that is stemming from my initial issues logging in a few days ago, but odd to receive the email now, considering my account is currently operational.

Email is one thing I do not do well. I find it aggravating to navigate how to both send email from a server (I'm not a system admin, I'm a developer) and how to get said email through client filters so it doesn't end up in the junk bin (which it usually does anyway).

[Jim Goulart]

Brock, the "Mark Forum Read" option (the specific forum one is in) only appears on the desktop version. On mobile, the hamburger provides a "Mark Site Read" option. I believe this was mentioned previously elsewhere, thanks.

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 hours ago, Mass Haas said:

Brock, the "Mark Forum Read" option (the specific forum one is in) only appears on the desktop version. On mobile, the hamburger provides a "Mark Site Read" option. I believe this was mentioned previously elsewhere, thanks.

Fixed!

[tomwopat]

On 3/15/2022 at 10:56 PM, logan82 said:

Agreed. This forum seems a lot more geared towards mobile with the spacing and how everything is all puffy is the best way I can think of describing it. Large avatars on the left. Things in posts looks like 1.5 spacing. Tons of deadspace on the page. I included a snip form this thread and a thread from BGG as examples.

 

+1 for finding the web experience a bit scroll-happy. In most cases there's only room for 2 or 3 posts on a single screen.

[trwi7]

On 3/15/2022 at 12:06 PM, BillScottCanRake said:

If you get a Browser extension, you can make the site run in Dark Mode.  I use a Chrome extension called Dark Reader.

 

This is so much better.  The site was awful with a white background and navigating it was even worse with the white background with the gray text.