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News Tracker

Discussion in 'Sorcerous Sundries' started by Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005.

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  1. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Remove all ads!
    [​IMG] I know many people around here are too lazy to keep track of the news on the front page, or to check the news forum regularly, so I made it easier for you lot. ;)

    The front page of the boards ( http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi ) now features a sort of news tracker on top. It displays the recent activity in the General News forum, which means either the latest 5 new threads, or the latest 5 replies to any threads in that forum. Either/or, or mixed. Basically, the last 5 changes in the General News forum always show there.

    I'm still tinkering with the look and size of it, so feel free to comment on it. Do you think 5 latest items is enough, or should it be 10? Or any other number?
     
    Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005
    #1
  2. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    Yeah, you can't require me to read them. It's enough I write them. ;)
     
    chevalier, Jun 9, 2005
    #2

  3. Uytuun Gems: 25/31
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    5 is enough, definitely. The page is a bit crowded even now imho.
     
    Uytuun, Jun 9, 2005
    #3

  4. Charlie Gems: 14/31
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    Ack! Guilty as charged. :D
     
    Charlie, Jun 9, 2005
    #4
  5. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    5 is the bare minimum... we post too much news for anything less to be of much use.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005
    #5
  6. Shrikant

    Shrikant Swords! Not words! Veteran

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    It's kinda .... odd. Somehow.

    How about putting the links along with the forum description, in that little box. And just the post title links, I dont think we bother about when they were posted.
     
    Shrikant, Jun 9, 2005
    #6
  7. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    What little box? And extra forum and date info is automatic, figuring how to take it out would be more trouble than it's worth.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005
    #7

  8. Dendri Gems: 20/31
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    Oi. I wanted to point out it needs some spicing up. It should stand out more. As it is it looks too... improvised. Perhaps some sort of frame works?
    However, cause you said there is still tinkering going on with the News Tracker, nothing much is left to mention, other then:

    Good idea. Might actually lure me to that part of thy SP realm more often.

    /prepares for incoming smiting :(
     
    Dendri, Jun 9, 2005
    #8
  9. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    The whole point is not to make it stick out like a sore thumb. Right now it fits exactly with the rest of the items on that page. It'd look way more out of place if I put some fancy frames or whatnot around it. Originally the whole table had the same colour as the alternating background here (like in your post, Dendri), but it stuck out much more. Actually, I put it back like it was. You think that's better?

    Making it have frames a different colour than black, would also make it stick out more.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005
    #9
  10. Shrikant

    Shrikant Swords! Not words! Veteran

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    You know, along with
    It looks a bit better now with the lighter background. Putting it below the list of members currently online could also work.

    Feh! Would have thought I'd have learnt the codes by now :bang:
     
    Shrikant, Jun 9, 2005
    #10

  11. Dendri Gems: 20/31
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    Jap. This switch to the lighter background is doing it some good, I think. Never mind I mentioned a frame - it wouldnt match with the stark design of the Boards.
     
    Dendri, Jun 9, 2005
    #11
  12. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Shrikant, um... that's a forum description. Only really works on forums. I'm not sure what you think I could do with it on the news tracker... The tracker isn't another forum. It's just a handy extra feature.

    I can't put it below the list of online members, as it is inserted along with the News Crier in that specific area.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005
    #12
  13. Morgoroth

    Morgoroth Just because I happen to have tentacles, it doesn'

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    I don't like it. I won't read it anyway and it makes finding the Alley more difficult! I hate changes like this, it makes finding those familiar forums difficult and takes time to get used to. Oh well, perhaps I can live with it if I try really hard. :p
     
    Morgoroth, Jun 9, 2005
    #13
  14. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    The main reason I don't read the news is that I can't quickly tell what the news is before I read it. The first two lines just say "Here is the latest news from the Neverwinter Nights forum" etc so I can't easily see if I want to read it or not, so I don't.
     
    Harbourboy, Jun 9, 2005
    #14
  15. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    You can skip the customary headline paragraphs in forum news and go straight to developers. I don't even know those by heart at this point despite all the many forum news points.
     
    chevalier, Jun 9, 2005
    #15
  16. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Morgoroth, um... you just have to scroll by it to reach the Alley... it maybe adds two more mouse scrolls to the previous procedure. Sorry I can't make it invisible. :shake:

    Uh, Harbourboy... please tell me you know there's a separate page with the forum news... there's a link in the forum description: http://www.sorcerers.net/index_forumnews.php
     
    Taluntain, Jun 9, 2005
    #16
  17. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    @Harbourboy. Don't worry if you don't. I didn't until he told me. :p
     
    chevalier, Jun 9, 2005
    #17
  18. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    That's because I've only made it just before telling you... But now it's linked on every page in the News/Main section on SP. First General News, then Forum News just below. AND here on the boards in the forum description!
     
    Taluntain, Jun 10, 2005
    #18
  19. Shrikant

    Shrikant Swords! Not words! Veteran

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    Here I am, with my fetish for pages opening in the same window. :D

    While every other link on the BoM page opens the thread in the same window, the top 5 General News Forum Activity links open the threads in a new window :toofar: Why can't they work like any other link to the last post of that forum?

    Better yet. Is it necessary to have only one Latest Post link? You could always have 5 such links for the General News & Comments forum. That would make it stand out yet not look out of place.

    With my attention span I wont remember that this newstracker is new within a week. :heh:
     
    Shrikant, Jun 10, 2005
    #19
  20. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Opening in a new window is due to the modified code for the latest posts block on the front page of SP... the code base for it is shared with the one here on the boards. So either both have links opening in a new window, or none... Though I guess I could take it out for both, wouldn't make much difference either way. Happy now? :D

    That "last post" is part of the stats hack, and it doesn't have anything to do with the news tracker. The concept is completely different as well. I can't modify the output as much as I'd like because of the way UBB makes content islands, so for now this will have to do.
     
    Taluntain, Jun 11, 2005
    #20
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