What's New - July forum update

Blog Post created by Greg Jankowski

on Jul 9, 2011

Like • Show 1 Like1
Comment • 21

The following is a list of updates to the forums. We also will be doing some more updates soon to enhance navigation and the ability to find what you are looking for easier.

Discussions

The correct answer to a question is now featured at the top of the discussion, along with links to view it in context and see answers marked Helpful
Admins and Moderators can mark a specific response as the Correct Answer
The asker can mark their own reply as the correct answer from the discussion view (they do not get points for this)
The entire community can now give feedback on what's useful in a discussion by Liking individual replies
Inline mini-RTE form for replying to discussions when in threaded mode
All replies happen inline (no new page load to reply)

Ratings and Liking

Configure ratings and/or liking on any content type
Like content and individual comments/replies
See who liked content
When rating, write a review that will be added to the comments with the rating
New Top Liked and Top Rated widgets

Tagging

It's now easier to search, find, and navigate on tags
Authors and editors can now tag content without going into edit mode or generating a new version

Blogs

See Popular Posts from the blog you're reading on blog overview and blog post pages
Authors now have the option to make minor changes to blogs that won't send email update notifications

Content

Members now have site-wide control over threaded vs. flat comment and discussion views (set in User Preferences)
Everyone gets a voice with Liking on individual comments
Users can now add Reviews when they Rate content that are displayed together in the comments section
Comments now support selecting or uploading a new image
Sleeker, refreshed comments UI
Preview of first page of attachments (similar to activity stream view)
Link function includes an option to toggle selection of content types to search

Profile privacy controls

Individual users can choose what information others can see on their profiles based on whether and how they are connected
Users can preview how their profile will look to Friends and Connections, Colleagues, Registered Users, or Everyone

Email notifications

Add attachments in reply by email
Reply by email to Bookmark comments

Pagination

Pagination is now included at the top and bottom of lists
Changing pages now brings user focus back to top of the new page
The user's preferred number of results in search is now sticky
Optionally enable pagination on document and blog comments

Performance improvements

Improved caching and page load times

Outcomes

Deepak Gupta Jul 9, 2011 4:37 PM

No option to add an attachment and change the FONT (size, style, etc.) in the reply box . One has to go to advanced editor to do it

This doesn't work while replying to a blog post.

Actions

Scott McFadden Jul 10, 2011 12:49 AM

I agree with Deepak. The first time I replied I could not add an attachment.

I had to close the reply then edit it to enable adding an attachment.

And why can't I bookmark this?

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ Scott McFadden on Jul 10, 2011 2:43 PM

Bookmark is an open issue after the update. We are working to get that addressed.

Actions

Anna Wood Jul 10, 2011 11:31 PM

The Reply does not work consistently well when using an iPad to interact with the forum.

However, I can create new discussion on my iPad better then the old version.

Bummed the Reply feature does not work well anymore with the iPad.

I use my iPad to access and interact with the forum at least 50% of the time I spend here.

One would think a new software upgrade would have better features for tablet/iPads. Sigh......

Cheers,

Anna

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ Anna Wood on Jul 11, 2011 6:48 AM

Agreed. We will look into this also. (wish I had my iPad with me this week...)

Actions

Walter Fetsch Jul 11, 2011 12:47 PM

Greg, is there any possibility that you could fix the site so that we don't have to log in over and over and over again?

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ Walter Fetsch on Jul 11, 2011 1:35 PM

One thing we will do is review all the open issues and update them. I agree that this could be better. We will do a general update on the open issue list this week.

Actions

Paul Marsman Jul 11, 2011 1:55 PM

Any way we can get the previous behavior for the image viewer? You could "close" the image before just by clicking on it, but now you have to actually click the "x" in the upper right... I'm in engineering, I don't want to have to be accurate when it isn't needed

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ Paul Marsman on Jul 12, 2011 5:23 AM

Yes, looks like that behavior has changed. You can now click "outside" the box to close it...

Actions

Mark Kaiser Jul 12, 2011 9:36 AM

The new forums and navigation doesn't work too well for my current method.

1. I browse the recent discussions page.

2. I hit the more button at the bottom for more discussions.

3. I find a discussion I want to read, and select it.

4. I leave a comment, or am done reading the discussion.

5. I hit the back button on my browser, here's the problem.

6. After hitting the back button, it returns me to the initial short list of recent discussions, and I have to hit the more button again to get back to where I was.

So, the back button doesn't take me back to where I was, since I had hit the more button to display more discusstions. Possibly I could customize my view to show more discussions, but it would be nice for the back button to take me back, properly.

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ Mark Kaiser on Jul 12, 2011 5:55 PM

Navigation for the Recent Discussions was changed back to the "more" link. This was the previous behaviour.

Actions

Glenn Schroeder Jul 12, 2011 10:46 AM

I kind of like what you have done with adding the correct answer in the original post and adding text that says who someone is replying to.

On the other hand, I have to agree with Mark Kaiser. I wish that when I hit the more button at the bottom of the discussions that it would stick if I look at a discussion and then come back.

Actions

Mark Larson Jul 12, 2011 2:54 PM

Mark:

"We also will be doing some more updates soon to enhance navigation and the ability to find what you are looking for easier."

the changes have made navigation more difficult, I wonder if the promised changes will merely return ease of navaigation to what it was before, or actually improve upon it, apparently they were so eager to impress us with the new functionality, they released the changes without completing the job

apparently it is no longer possible to edit your response apparently it is

Actions

Glenn Schroeder @ Mark Larson on Jul 12, 2011 12:26 PM

Mark,

I was able to edit mine above.

Actions

1-4EQZK9 Jul 12, 2011 12:51 PM

Greg,

I like most of the changes - great job. I have one question for you and the community:

how do you back out of a specific post? My method is to use the back button in Firefox. Problem with this (and the revamped forum) is that it does take me back to my home page but my list of posts are in a collapsed state, instead of being expanded with the "more" button like when I last left the page. The problem with this is when expanding my # of posts a few times (by clicking the more button) and then repsonding to a specific post, and I want to return to reading posts - I click the back button in my browser and my last page of posts are totally collapsed. I then have to click a number of times to get back to where I was the last time I left my home page.

Any suggestions? I'm I using it in the best way?

Regards

Mark

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ 1-4EQZK9 on Jul 14, 2011 12:04 PM

Mark,

I believe the widget change should allow you to use the "Recent Discussions" as you have in the past.

If not, please let us know.

Actions

Walter Fetsch Jul 14, 2011 1:23 PM

Greg, I have been having trouble since the latest updates, with writing comments because the cursor is not visible. I cannot see where in the message my text will appear until I start typing.

Actions

Walter Fetsch Jul 18, 2011 12:41 PM

Greg, would it be possible for us to have a button to flag postings for inappropriate language? The SW forums are usually clean and professional, but occasionally users get out of hand and I don't think we want our little neighborhood to go that way.

Thanks!

Actions

Greg Jankowski

@ Walter Fetsch on Jul 19, 2011 12:00 PM

I thought we had this on already. It's now enabled.

Actions

Deepak Gupta Mar 1, 2012 7:15 AM

Not sure if anyone had it noticed but using Chrome whenever I click on a thread, it takes me to the first post whereas earlier it used to show the last reply.

Actions

Richie More Sep 9, 2016 9:43 PM

this is helpful , Thanks

Actions

21 Comments

Deepak Gupta Jul 9, 2011 4:37 PM
No option to add an attachment and change the FONT (size, style, etc.) in the reply box . One has to go to advanced editor to do it

This doesn't work while replying to a blog post.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Scott McFadden Jul 10, 2011 12:49 AM
I agree with Deepak. The first time I replied I could not add an attachment.
I had to close the reply then edit it to enable adding an attachment.
And why can't I bookmark this?
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ Scott McFadden on Jul 10, 2011 2:43 PM
  Bookmark is an open issue after the update. We are working to get that addressed.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
Anna Wood Jul 10, 2011 11:31 PM
The Reply does not work consistently well when using an iPad to interact with the forum.

However, I can create new discussion on my iPad better then the old version.

Bummed the Reply feature does not work well anymore with the iPad.

I use my iPad to access and interact with the forum at least 50% of the time I spend here.

One would think a new software upgrade would have better features for tablet/iPads. Sigh......

Cheers,

Anna
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ Anna Wood on Jul 11, 2011 6:48 AM
  Agreed. We will look into this also. (wish I had my iPad with me this week...)
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
Walter Fetsch Jul 11, 2011 12:47 PM
Greg, is there any possibility that you could fix the site so that we don't have to log in over and over and over again?
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ Walter Fetsch on Jul 11, 2011 1:35 PM
  One thing we will do is review all the open issues and update them. I agree that this could be better. We will do a general update on the open issue list this week.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
Paul Marsman Jul 11, 2011 1:55 PM
Any way we can get the previous behavior for the image viewer? You could "close" the image before just by clicking on it, but now you have to actually click the "x" in the upper right... I'm in engineering, I don't want to have to be accurate when it isn't needed
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ Paul Marsman on Jul 12, 2011 5:23 AM
  Yes, looks like that behavior has changed. You can now click "outside" the box to close it...
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
Mark Kaiser Jul 12, 2011 9:36 AM
The new forums and navigation doesn't work too well for my current method.

1. I browse the recent discussions page.
2. I hit the more button at the bottom for more discussions.
3. I find a discussion I want to read, and select it.
4. I leave a comment, or am done reading the discussion.
5. I hit the back button on my browser, here's the problem.
6. After hitting the back button, it returns me to the initial short list of recent discussions, and I have to hit the more button again to get back to where I was.

So, the back button doesn't take me back to where I was, since I had hit the more button to display more discusstions. Possibly I could customize my view to show more discussions, but it would be nice for the back button to take me back, properly.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ Mark Kaiser on Jul 12, 2011 5:55 PM
  Navigation for the Recent Discussions was changed back to the "more" link. This was the previous behaviour.
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
Glenn Schroeder Jul 12, 2011 10:46 AM
I kind of like what you have done with adding the correct answer in the original post and adding text that says who someone is replying to.
On the other hand, I have to agree with Mark Kaiser. I wish that when I hit the more button at the bottom of the discussions that it would stick if I look at a discussion and then come back.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Mark Larson Jul 12, 2011 2:54 PM
Mark:
"We also will be doing some more updates soon to enhance navigation and the ability to find what you are looking for easier."

the changes have made navigation more difficult, I wonder if the promised changes will merely return ease of navaigation to what it was before, or actually improve upon it, apparently they were so eager to impress us with the new functionality, they released the changes without completing the job

apparently it is no longer possible to edit your response apparently it is
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Glenn Schroeder @ Mark Larson on Jul 12, 2011 12:26 PM
  Mark,
  I was able to edit mine above.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
1-4EQZK9 Jul 12, 2011 12:51 PM
Greg,

I like most of the changes - great job. I have one question for you and the community:

how do you back out of a specific post? My method is to use the back button in Firefox. Problem with this (and the revamped forum) is that it does take me back to my home page but my list of posts are in a collapsed state, instead of being expanded with the "more" button like when I last left the page. The problem with this is when expanding my # of posts a few times (by clicking the more button) and then repsonding to a specific post, and I want to return to reading posts - I click the back button in my browser and my last page of posts are totally collapsed. I then have to click a number of times to get back to where I was the last time I left my home page.

Any suggestions? I'm I using it in the best way?

Regards

Mark
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ 1-4EQZK9 on Jul 14, 2011 12:04 PM
  Mark,
  
  I believe the widget change should allow you to use the "Recent Discussions" as you have in the past.
  
  If not, please let us know.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
Walter Fetsch Jul 14, 2011 1:23 PM
Greg, I have been having trouble since the latest updates, with writing comments because the cursor is not visible. I cannot see where in the message my text will appear until I start typing.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Walter Fetsch Jul 18, 2011 12:41 PM
Greg, would it be possible for us to have a button to flag postings for inappropriate language? The SW forums are usually clean and professional, but occasionally users get out of hand and I don't think we want our little neighborhood to go that way.

Thanks!
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
- Greg Jankowski @ Walter Fetsch on Jul 19, 2011 12:00 PM
  I thought we had this on already. It's now enabled.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
  Actions
Deepak Gupta Mar 1, 2012 7:15 AM
Not sure if anyone had it noticed but using Chrome whenever I click on a thread, it takes me to the first post whereas earlier it used to show the last reply.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
Richie More Sep 9, 2016 9:43 PM
this is helpful , Thanks
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions

What's New - July forum update

Outcomes

Related Content

Recommended Content

Incoming Links