Let's make phpBB look cleaner

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AmigoJack
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by AmigoJack »

alancast wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2018 4:48 pmvisual-kinesthetic people like me
What does kinesthetics have to do with the internet? I'm unable to touch it - or are you refering to touch screens?
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by alancast »

AmigoJack wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:13 am
alancast wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2018 4:48 pmvisual-kinesthetic people like me
What does kinesthetics have to do with the internet? I'm unable to touch it - or are you refering to touch screens?
Did you ever feel what you were seeing?

Like when you look at some place and feel: "What a nice place!", or the opposite...

It's kinda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

I've read somewhere that all babies feel in their bodies everything that they see, hear etc.

As for web sites - I can feel which ones were made with care for users, and which weren't.
warmweer wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:25 am
SeriousOldschool wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:07 pm alancast: I wholly agree with your post about keeping things aesthetic and visually pleasing. to me, thats 90% of keeping a user on your site! if not 100%.
Seriously, yes, looks can be important and can be the first thing that attracts, but looking at this from a human relationship point of view: it's the content, not the packaging which increases the probability of a long lasting relationship.
From a human relationship point of view, people rarely would even start a relationship with a dirty stinking bum which looks at you like she wants to rob you.

Me personally can make some analogies with web sites - some look like they are probably full of viruses :), and couldn't care less about your benefit...
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by alancast »

canonknipser wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:04 am Just my personal opinion:

You mentioned the "New topic" buttons appearing on top and bottom of the topic list even if the complete list is visible:
I would prefer to stay them there. When I read on my tablet (or on my office desktop monitor positioned in portrait mode) and if I have a quite long list of topic - I prefer to have the chance to create a new topic on both ends ;)
In general, usability rules advise against duplicated links or buttons on screen.

Though I understand, sometimes duplicated links can be helpful, when they are in different local contexts - such as phpBB's ACP has the same functions in several menus. It can be handy.

But I see not much sense in just duplicating buttons at the top and the bottom. Maybe that's just a habit that you are get used to? Or you mean you feel lazy to move your mouse or your finger few inches up or down? :)
canonknipser wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:04 am Context sensitive is a great think, but don't break it down too small.

I would avoid sites that look different every time I visit. I expect the same look and feel the whole time I'm visiting the site. Disappearing and Re-Appearing buttons remember me about the so-called "ribbon"-menus used by Microsoft office products - I hate them. The same about those newspaper sites telling you every few seconds: "There is new content, please reload" with a big popup.
No, I didn't mean anything so intrusive.

Or "looking different every time". Think of just adding few buttons when they become needed.

What about hover effects?

Drop-down menus?

Do you hate them?

I think now it's a norm if a page is a bit interactive when it makes using its interface easier.

And look at modern popular fora or blogging platforms (I mentioned some already). They can popup whole panels of buttons, and still people love them and don't feel that as intrusive.
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by canonknipser »

alancast wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:51 pm What about hover effects?
It depends - there are some useful, but some "designers" misuse the system and use half of the screen for a hover menue - and thats annoying when you hit the position with your mouse pointer by accident.
alancast wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:51 pm Drop-down menus?
When they have static content, if find them often useful, but don't make them too context-sensitive (just picking up the MS example again: when writing a text in word, you have a context menu for easy formatting - type face, table, frames, .. Great for easy access! But when the spell checker is active and you have a wrong word, those option are mostly gone and replaced by word correction hints. It is very bad when you write a technical documentation with a lot of word MS don't know - formatting using the context menu is nearly impossible.)

And please define
alancast wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:51 pm few buttons
and
alancast wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:51 pm a bit interactive
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by david63 »

This discussion about the aesthetics of the core style are more appropriate on area51
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

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alancast wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:28 pm From a human relationship point of view, people rarely would even start a relationship with a dirty stinking bum which looks at you like she wants to rob you.
Isn't this taking it a bit too far? My response was about the choice between 90% esthetics + 10% content or 10% esthetics + 90% content. Suddenly you transform that as though I mentioned 0% esthetics and nothing about content . It kind of complicates a discussion. :?
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by stevemaury »

De gustibus non disputandum est.
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by Holger »

I have to give the OP cudos.
Over the 15 years running our phpBB-forum we have tweaked almost everything (more or less) in the style based on user-feedback.
But you have to remember, when pleasing one group of members the other group will say it was better the old way. So you have to alter the looks VERY carefully.
But overall, a less cluttered viewtopic and maybe some additional information on mouseover or hamburger-style (user details/menu and so on) would be a good startingpoint.
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by warmweer »

Holger wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:45 am I have to give the OP cudos.
Over the 15 years running our phpBB-forum we have tweaked almost everything (more or less) in the style based on user-feedback.
But you have to remember, when pleasing one group of members the other group will say it was better the old way. So you have to alter the looks VERY carefully.
But overall, a less cluttered viewtopic and maybe some additional information on mouseover or hamburger-style (user details/menu and so on) would be a good startingpoint.
Why the restriction to viewtopic?
I agree with the OP that in certain cases pages can look overloaded but as you also mentioned
So you have to alter the looks VERY carefully.
Ideally a user could have a couple of UCP settings allowing a certain compaction and non-visibility of parts but that would increase the amount of code again,+ you can never please them all.
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
On the other hand, it is not open source, which means you cannot change it or publish it in a modified form.


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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by AmigoJack »

warmweer wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:59 amIdeally a user could have a couple of UCP settings
Preferably in UCP > Board preferences > Edit display options where you can already switch off avatars and signatures - I added several options there in my board. But I also know there are users who never go thru any setup/preferences before demanding what they want.
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by sttstt »

I agree. I loved using phpBB back in 2002. It was the best forum software. Fast forward to today, there are other competitive forum softwares out there with cleaner UI. That said, I'm still looking at potentially using it in one of my future projects. Just thought I'll make known what my thoughts are, been lurking around this forum for far too long.
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Re: Let's make phpBB look cleaner

Post by bastones »

sttstt wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:44 pm I agree. I loved using phpBB back in 2002. It was the best forum software. Fast forward to today, there are other competitive forum softwares out there with cleaner UI. That said, I'm still looking at potentially using it in one of my future projects. Just thought I'll make known what my thoughts are, been lurking around this forum for far too long.
I agree with you but I would argue that the default interface for most forum software leaves a lot to be desired, least of which vBulletin. I think most forum administrators will want to customise the theme no matter what software they choose to use so that it fits their website or corporate theme.
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