Forum redesign feedback thread

[will-audentio]

Hey all!

I'm Will with Audentio; we did the redesign for Sniper's Hide, and I'm the developer who was in the lead on this project (so, if you've got any hate to send regarding code, I'm you're target).

We wanted to get a dedicated thread going for feedback on the new styles. We had a rocky day when we first launched due to a few technical difficulties on one aspect of the upgrade, so we decided to revert the look back to the original styles for the time being. Now, however, the new styles are available for you to try out. If you go to the bottom of the site and click on the area highlighted in the screenshot below, you'll be able to change styles to the new ones, which are "Sniper's Hide (2020)" and "Sniper's Hide Dark (2020)". The first is a light style, while the second is dark.

Here's some notes on what we've tweaked since our initial launch attempt:

• Font size has been bumped slightly; Something to note, however, is that you can actually set your own font size if you have difficulty with smaller type by going to your account preferences.
• We fixed a bug with the register button showing white on tablet/phone devices in the dark style
• We added in the bottom breadcrumb
• We added divider lines between the threads in the discussion lists
• We added the SH logomark as the icon for forums denoting read/unread.
• Also, your navigation hasn't disappeared; If you were used to having a second nav bar underneath the main one, those have been moved to be in drop-downs on the main nav (so, for instance, if you click on the down-arrow on the Forums option, you'll see all the sub-navigation items for Forums there). Regarding mobile, that has switched to a traditional hamburger-style navigation, which is pretty much standard now for anything on the web (much less wasted space, so you don't have to scroll as much to read longer content).

Here's what we're looking for in feedback:

• If you encounter anything that looks like a bug, be as descriptive as you can be! Screenshots are great, and help us isolate issues.
• If there is functionality you're used to that seems to be missing, it may have moved (I covered some stuff above), so be sure to check twice before you post about it.
• If you're having problems due to visibility overall (such as text being hard to read), let us know where and give us a screenshot. If you've got thoughts on improvement on that front, don't hesitate to say something.
• Finally, we only want positive feedback. If you don't like it, too bad (just kidding - I get that changes like this can be jarring, so feel free to vent at me).

Some final thoughts: While some aspects of the changes may not make sense to people who've been on here for a while, there is actually a method to the madness. We've been doing this stuff a LONG time, and ultimately, we want to ensure that this community continues to grow and prosper (we wouldn't be in business very long if we didn't). Give the new looks a bit and you may find you like it more in some ways. Once you've had some time with the new stuff, let us know your thoughts here. Ultimately, however, Frank is the king of the castle, and he's the one we'll check with before we do anything.

Anyway, from me personally, I may be coming back in the future to get some thoughts on finally getting back into shooting; I used to when I was young, and have missed doing it. Nothing like real marksmanship; Mostly dealing with small varmints and max 100 yard target shooting (typically just ironsights, because we were poor and couldn't afford decent optics ).

 

[FS1]

The big Kahuna dropped some coin and hired a perfessional.

Good job no problems here. Well, none that can be fixed with code anyway.

I see lots of Email in your future.

 

[SD Carpenter]

Personally I like the brown " mountain" theme as it's easier on the eyes, if you could carry that over that would be awesome

 

[will-audentio]

Personally I like the brown " mountain" theme as it's easier on the eyes, if you could carry that over that would be awesome

Saw that on the previous thread about the new look; That's definitely a Frank decision, but it's good to note.

 

[will-audentio]

The big Kahuna dropped some coin and hired a perfessional.

Good job no problems here. Well, none that can be fixed with code anyway.

I see lots of Email in your future.

Code, like cake, makes everything better, so you never know

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Is it just me or does that link disappear when you select (earth)

Which I've been using since forever. Glad its back.

 

[Snuby642]

Post / reply button still has white text as in white on white.

The menu bar is a pain as have to open it every time, used to be "on top" active.

This is on android phone os.

You using development tools or raw code?

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Post / reply button still has white text as in white on white.

The menu bar is a pain as have to open it every time, used to be "on top" active.

This is on android phone os.

You using development tools or raw code?

My post button is fine, what browser are you using?

I switched to Opera as I had bugs with Firefox.

 

[will-audentio]

Post / reply button still has white text as in white on white.

The menu bar is a pain as have to open it every time, used to be "on top" active.

This is on android phone os.

You using development tools or raw code?

Not seeing the post/reply button issue; could you share a screenshot?

RE the menu bar, yeah, it does switch to a hamburger-style nav on mobile. That's actually considered the standard now in web development; especially considering how many navigation items this site has.

We're raw-coders here (PHP, HTML, LESS/CSS and Javascript); While we built these new styles on top of one of our style platforms, those were hand-coded by us as well.

 

[Snuby642]

Oh sorry android and chrome for the browser.

Raw code guys, awsome so much more flexable.

 

[Aries256]

Everything seems fine so far. Lol if I run into problems, ill bitch about it ???

 

[1J04]

@will-audentio Can you please make my Avatar active again? I'm suppose to have a guy hopping over the shitter and dropping a deuce. It's kinda a big deal.

 

[Aries256]

@will-audentio Can you please make my Avatar active again? I'm suppose to have a guy hopping over the shitter and dropping a deuce. It's kinda a big deal.

This guy is prolly going over this site and going “jesus christ guys, what the fuck is wrong with you” ?

 

[Snuby642]

From a chrome browser.
Also cant seem to get the tan theme to load.

 

[Snuby642]

Impossible to develope for all browsers but I think chrome is still popular.

 

[DIBBS]

This guy is prolly going over this site and going “jesus christ guys, what the fuck is wrong with you” ?

I am computer illegitimate to a degree, so there is that. I like the site changes and the chocolate background. As far as what is wrong with us collectively, am sure that the programmer's/HMFIC have already figured out that most of us have several screws loose!

 

[1J04]

I am computer illegitimate to a degree, so there is that. I like the site changes and the chocolate background. As far as what is wrong with us collectively, am sure that the programmer's/HMFIC have already figured out that most of us have several screws loose!

And we ain't gett'n no better as the days roll by...........

 

[Snuby642]

Other themes found and tried, had lost the save button in prefrances due to w on w.

 

[Aries256]

I am computer illegitimate to a degree, so there is that. I like the site changes and the chocolate background. As far as what is wrong with us collectively, am sure that the programmer's/HMFIC have already figured out that most of us have several screws loose!

Oh I know I do ?

 

[will-audentio]

@will-audentio Can you please make my Avatar active again? I'm suppose to have a guy hopping over the shitter and dropping a deuce. It's kinda a big deal.

Well, sadly, that's not determined by the dev work we did. There's actually a really good reason why your guy can't hop over the shitter; The technical answer is that the forum software by default is set to use certain image software to process (size and store) things like avatars when they are uploaded, and that software doesn't support animated gifs for avatars. It CAN be changed, but that's a Frank decision, and may require some additional stuff on the server (and requires utilizing software that is prone to security vulnerabilities). Older versions of XenForo used the less-secure option I believe, which is why it may have worked previously.

In short: Don't blame me, blame the developers of the systems used to process images on setups like this.

 

[will-audentio]

View attachment 7281328

From a chrome browser.
Also cant seem to get the tan theme to load.

That's actually one of the older styles, and not the newer ones we developed. I know it's a little odd since it is named "Snipers Hide - Light (New)", but you'll want to switch to the 2020 styles.

 

[DOA]

Im on my android phone and it looks great withe the chocolate color. When i am on pc, the screen seems to shrink, and the background border on either side of the text box seem rather large. The old way the text area used to take up almost the entire page which was easier to read.

 

[1500varmint]

I like the SNIPER'S HIDE EARTH (SUBTLE) the best. Best compromise between the dark and light IMO.

I'm using Firefox on a HP Laptop running Windows 10 Enterprise and everything seems to be performing as normal.

 

[1J04]

Well, sadly, that's not determined by the dev work we did. There's actually a really good reason why your guy can't hop over the shitter; The technical answer is that the forum software by default is set to use certain image software to process (size and store) things like avatars when they are uploaded, and that software doesn't support animated gifs for avatars. It CAN be changed, but that's a Frank decision, and may require some additional stuff on the server (and requires utilizing software that is prone to security vulnerabilities). Older versions of XenForo used the less-secure option I believe, which is why it may have worked previously.

In short: Don't blame me, blame the developers of the systems used to process images on setups like this.

I'm gonna take that as an iffy maybe. Hook a Brother up and tell Frank it's an essential add on. You've got till noon, or no Cake for you.

 

[Snuby642]

You beat me to it.
The 2020 style is working fine on chrome / android tablet.

Thanks, good job!

I did html and java applets on notebook in the old days and can appriciate the effort.
Best thing is raw code crashes development tools partially and probably some hackers baby tools.

Where did my doss prompt get off too? And I have lost my fortran cards again. Lol

 

[will-audentio]

Im on my android phone and it looks great withe the chocolate color. When i am on pc, the screen seems to shrink, and the background border on either side of the text box seem rather large. The old way the text area used to take up almost the entire page which was easier to read.

It's interesting you mention that; Most people generally speaking prefer the slimmer content area on desktop for readability purposes, because it can be hard to read long lines of text for extended periods, so what you're looking at is basically the industry standard.

I do have good news for you, however!

On the new 2020 styles, there is a button in the footer next to the button that selects the style; looks like 2 little diagonal arrows pointing out to the corners. Click that. You may be happier.

 

[will-audentio]

You beat me to it.
The 2020 style is working fine on chrome / android tablet.

Thanks, good job!

I did html and java applets on notebook in the old days and can appriciate the effort.
Best thing is raw code crashes development tools partially and probably some hackers baby tools.

Where did my doss prompt get off too? And I have lost my fortran cards again. Lol

I got my start when I was 8 years old writing Basic. Went on to do C++, Pascal, VB (ugh), a little x86 Assembly, and now focus solely on web.

And I hear you on the DOS prompt; that's why I do the bulk of my dev work on Linux

 

[Lowlight]

Just an FYI,

I think it would be more helpful if you posted screenshots of what is missing or not working as needed.

Describing things can sometimes get lost in translation

 

[1J04]

Ok, quick update. A concerned member contacted me with a super idea. The fix is in and "Jumping Shitter Dude" is active again in my signature. It's gonna be a great day..........

BTT

Now post up some screenshots of issues you're seeing! @will-audentio Thanks for your service.

 

[wilson1911]

I like the forum for the most part, love the dark theme going. What I do not like is the non color shift from threads you have read, to the ones containing new posts. Shifting from bold to regular font is the only thing that bothers me. There should be 2 colors used to differentiate between the two. If there is a setting I have not found, just point me to it.

 

[seansmd]

Hi Will,

Any chance in making read/unread more distinct? It is bold and regular but hard to see in mobile. Much easier to see in the light theme 2020.

 

[hollowoutadime]

Works fine on a PC. Don't need any changes there. Look at one of the top sites DrudgeReport, still same look of 2000. Content is what matters, it's good here.

 

[Centuriator]

I really appreciate the Sniper Hide Dark 2020 theme. But is the option to see "threads you started" and "threads you've posted in" missing in this theme? I'm having trouble finding it again. I switched themes and here is what I can't see/find in the Sniper Hide Dark (2020)

 

[seansmd]

I really appreciate the Sniper Hide Dark 2020 theme. But is the option to see "threads you started" and "threads you've posted in" missing in this theme? I'm having trouble finding it again. I switched themes and here is what I can't see/find in the Sniper Hide Dark (2020)View attachment 7281462

The menu ... On the left there is a drop down under forums, is nested in there.

 

[Centuriator]

Yup, just found it that way, thanks!

 

[Centuriator]

Very, very cool theme, really like it. Thanks Frank.

 

[Snipe260]

Ok, quick update. A concerned member contacted me with a super idea. The fix is in and "Jumping Shitter Dude" is active again in my signature. It's gonna be a great day..........

BTT

Now post up some screenshots of issues you're seeing! @will-audentio Thanks for your service.

For people that get their feelings hurt will now report to Will!

 

[will-audentio]

Hi Will,

Any chance in making read/unread more distinct? It is bold and regular but hard to see in mobile. Much easier to see in the light theme 2020.

View attachment 7281431

No problem - Got a fix I can implement on that. Should see it changed some time today.

For people that get their feelings hurt will now report to Will!

Hey, wasn't me. I only spoke to the avatar issue

 

[bigwatchpilot]

Personally I like the brown " mountain" theme as it's easier on the eyes, if you could carry that over that would be awesome

Funny you say this Boeing aircraft have Brown earth tone cockpits (I fly the B777)

and Airbus have Grey battleship colored cockpits.

In manny ways the coloring and style matches that of a cockpit with the Font, Colors, Layout...there is a science to it for sure. I am a Boeing fan and the brown flight deck makes me less fatigued for long flights looking at stuff. Same here...go figure. I do like the 2020 Dark, very Airbus and looks good too.

 

[atomic41]

If you're looking for general feedback, the EARTH theme is my favorite as it's easiest to read and seems like the best compromise between light and dark. I'm looking forward to the change mentioned above making read threads easier to see.

 

[will-audentio]

Ok, unread threads now have an indicator next to the title, making them stand out much more.

And, in regards to the brown cockpits, I keep wanting to make the brown pants joke.

 

[atomic41]

Ok, unread threads now have an indicator next to the title, making them stand out much more

I'm not seeing it? I'm in earth tone and I just switched to light and don't see it there either.

 

[bigwatchpilot]

Ok, unread threads now have an indicator next to the title, making them stand out much more.

And, in regards to the brown cockpits, I keep wanting to make the brown pants joke.

You can...the UPS pilots have brown uniforms and we all make fun of them!

 

[will-audentio]

I'm not seeing it? I'm in earth tone and I just switched to light and don't see it there either.

It'll only show up on the new styles (the ones with "2020" in the title). See below.

 

[brianf]

not style related but im not getting all the posts which i am "watching" in my "Alerts"

the amount of alerts i do receive matches the number on the "Bell", but i go through my watched threads and find new posts which i was not made aware of.

possibly a single user issue not realted but a issue.

thanks...and good job on the redesign

 

[Maser]

Can we get a gaming section yet? Already got sections for sports and movies. Why not complete the circle of media entertainment?

 

[Snuby642]

New shading working in chrome.

Thanks

 

[Slash0311]

More of a question than a bug. But where did the feedback notifications go? For example if someone likes or quotes my post, in the old system, a red box with a number showed I had a reaction. I've not been able to locate that in the new setup.

Also, I tried all font sizes and doesn't seem to change. Im running an Android phone.

Thanks

 

[seansmd]

Will awesome responsiveness and quick changes!

 

[W54/XM-388]

I'm using the Light theme and a lot of the buttons like post and post reply are very hard to read.
It hasn't caused a huge problem as I kind of know what they are supposed to do.