Who does it better?

But, of course DW does it better!! :P

I have one question though: Whatever happened with the live feed?

Live feed? Huh?

Remember the umm... What did we call it... Anyway, it was a page where the posts made in daniweb were displayed live, moving in a vertical way fading as time passed by... Remember?

Ooh, the spy :) That was removed because it was very buggy and very resource intensive. Perhaps a less buggy version can go live again in the future. Was it useful??

I think it was called something like "Post Spy" or "Thread Spy", or something spy...

Yes!! That one... Actually, I found it pretty useful :P

I imagined it was pretty resource consuming though... But, yeah... maybe a lighter version could be developed

Here are a couple of things:

1) If you want to be a bit adventurous, I've heard of the concept of "labeling" threads (as gmail does) rather than putting them in subforums (folders, following the gmail vs traditional email example). I noticed your thread discussing how you re-arranged some subforums - with this style that would not be necessary.

2) On sites like (or based on) stackoverflow, there is the ability to mark a response as the "answer". This is very helpful.

3) Let me re-suggest using uservoice (http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread289892.html) to catalog this type of thing (i.e. to replace this thread!)

4) Let me re-suggest cataloging problem solutions as examples on a wiki (http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread284749.html)

Let me know if you want any further explanation or clarification of these ideas!

Dave

Is #1 on your list similar to Stack Overflow's concept of tagging? We have tagging as well, but it is used in addition to forums as opposed to instead of it.

Yep - I have only posted once or twice on Stack Overflow so I guess I didn't even realize they used it! It is ultimately much more flexible - folders/subforums are a strict subset of labels/tags. This allows for perfect backward compatibility - you could leave the structure that you have in place, just when a user clicks "c++" under "software development", it would just show them all of the threads with the c++ label. This allows "old school" users to go about their business without even knowing anything changed. But "bleeding edge" users could take advantage of mutliple-labels on a thread. Basically it lets 2x (or more) the audience see relevant posts. There are certainly plenty of times when a post could go in both "game design" and "c++" (just as a silly example). I would never see the post if it was only put in "game design" (since I am a c++ dweller), but I would if they tagged it as "game design + c++".

"Linuxquestions" sends out a periodic (optional!) e-mail containing, among other things, links to "unanswered questions". Sometimes this is a motivation for sporadic users, like myself, to log in and answer a question which seems to be in my sphere of knowledge. Also links to current topics, and such like, about one or two pages at most.

Not sure if I've got the name of the site right, because in fact I generally only log into the site when I see something in the e-mail that interests me.

However, such a thing should not be very frequent, or else people would soon tire of it and unsubscribe. Say, monthly?

2) On sites like (or based on) stackoverflow, there is the ability to mark a response as the "answer". This is very helpful.

As the theme from "The Spy Who Loved Me" states: "Nobody does it better..." but I do like the feature David was describing. I prefer the MSDN approach where any user can propose a post as an answer and the OP can okay it or after a period of time a mod can mark it as solved with the proposed solution. As an aside, on more than one occasion I've wanted to up or down vote a post on MSDN even though they have no such feature. :D

Ability to click a button to download code tagged part from message.
Some newbie messages to help posting right place, mark threads with lapse in activity solved, dealing with outdated code snippets, ui for small screens..

Be sure to vote here!

Catalog good answers/examples on wiki:
http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/830529-create-a-wiki-to-catalog-answers-and-examples-?ref=title

Thread labels (instead of subforums):
http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/843599-thread-labels-tags-instead-of-subforums

Mark best answer: http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/843583-let-users-select-mark-the-best-answer

Download/copy to clip board code tags:
http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/843587-download-code-in-tags

Monthly unsolved thread email:
http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/843591-monthly-email-with-unsolved-threads

Post spy:
http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/843593-bring-back-spy

There are many things that could be done better or added but where it really starts from is the beginning.

#1 The surprise rollout of a buggy new system is as unprofessional as one can get.
#2 You want use to reiterate what we have already written within this forum since the rollout of this new design! Why cannot you reread all those posts and make the list yourself as you should have done from the beginning? Just more evidence of the lack of professionalism!
3# You want a list of other forums? See the pinned post in the Visual Basic 4/5/6 forum, VB6 Stuff, Tutorials, Source Code, Tips and Tricks http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread214396.html post #2 at the bottom...

I'll stop there before my blood boils over as I rethink these things but I am surprised that more people have not gone over to http://www.programmingforums.org/ where they have the same design as this place used to have...

Oh yeah, as for the speed increase we are supposed to be seeing!!! Not on this end! In fact, this is one of the slowest and unresponsive sites in that list that I mention above as I visit each of them daily if not twice daily!!!

> The surprise rollout
Nothing was a surprise about it. It was mentioned for 6+ months to come on a fairly regular basis including screenshots of early mockups along the way.

> You want use to reiterate what we have already written within this forum since the rollout of this new design!
Nope, not at all. We already have more than enough threads talking about everything that is wrong with the new design. The problem is that there have been so many posts recently complaining that things need to change because they're done wrong here, but no examples of how they are done better on other sites. What I am requesting are VIABLE SOLUTIONS that are *working* -- and working well -- on other popular forums. Specific examples of things are done better in other communities, what makes them better on those sites, and how they can be modified to improve our community.

"Linuxquestions" sends out a periodic (optional!) e-mail containing, among other things, links to "unanswered questions". Sometimes this is a motivation for sporadic users, like myself, to log in and answer a question which seems to be in my sphere of knowledge.

Interesting. That's something we could maybe add to the existing monthly DaniWeb Digest email newsletter perhaps? A link to a few unanswered posts under a 'can you help' heading...

vb5prgrmr - RELAX man! The other 750,000 users seem to be enjoying their time here. Dani is clearly showing an effort to correct any "wrong" that you claim may have been done by, as she said, asking for viable solutions to the "problems".

Dani, Davey -
I actually haven't been able to find how/where to sign up for the DaniWeb Digest. (granted I haven't looked TOO hard). I would suggest putting it somewhere more prominently so more people sign up!

Dave

I havent been to many forums, but of the forums i have visited, this seems to be the most neatly organized forum. And the people here are nice, and forgiving. I think it has something to do with the colors. Most other forums are dark and sad and emo (like the run on sentence?) this site is full of happy cheery people, i like this kind of environment!

Dani, Davey -
I actually haven't been able to find how/where to sign up for the DaniWeb Digest. (granted I haven't looked TOO hard). I would suggest putting it somewhere more prominently so more people sign up!

Dave

In user control panel, go to (Left Side)Settings and Options/Edit Options/(Main part of the window) Messaging and Notification/Receive Email

I think most people are signed up for it by default.

Is it just this "Receive Occassional Email from DaniWeb"? If so, then that is exactly my point! It doesn't say anything about DaniWeb Digest!

Dave

Is it just this "Receive Occassional Email from DaniWeb"? If so, then that is exactly my point! It doesn't say anything about DaniWeb Digest!
Dave

Yes. Well now you know, pass it on! :D

A couple of more things

1) DaniWeb Digest Prominence: http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/844285-make-daniweb-digest-more-prominent?ref=title

2) Almost everyone chatting here has thousands of posts. I'd strongly recommend you link to this thread from EVERY forum/subforum so that all users (including less geeky ones that don't check the Community Feedback forum!) can have a say.

3) It would be nice to be able to specify the number of posts per page. Sometimes it would be convenient to display 30 posts on one page so I can scroll up and down to follow long conversations : http://daniweb.uservoice.com/forums/62155-general/suggestions/844293-allow-variability-in-number-of-posts-per-page

4) There is an "edit/delete" button for the first 30 mins after a post. However, it doesn't seem to give the ability to delete (at least for non-mods). Should it just say "Edit" if the users doesn't have delete power? It actually makes sense to give delete power to a users own posts (again in the short period after the post) to prevent double posting.

Dave

A couple of more things

3) It would be nice to be able to specify the number of posts per page. Sometimes it would be convenient to display 30 posts on one page so I can scroll up and down to follow long conversations
Dave

Control Panel/Edit Options/Thread Display Options/Number of posts to show per page. Dani just heard your request and coded it right up for ya. ;)

>Nothing was a surprise about it. It was mentioned for 6+ months to come on a fairly regular basis including screenshots of early mockups along the way.

And how was this information dispersed? Spam-mail? Community forums? Most people I'm willing to bet don't even bother with the community forums or the emails. I know I don't bother with the emails and did not bother with the community forums until this appalling new layout had assulted my eyes for three or four days. Then when I came down here I read the threads so as not to duplicate anyone elses efforts, well all of them except that long one but I did read some of that one also. So then I posted and I tried to show a sense of humor about things (remember oompa loompa's) but now you want use to cover the same ground? Well that just irked more than one nerve as you can tell because I know you have asked for examples before and I gave them and if I remember correctly, other people did also.

See that list of forums I mentioned above for examples on the following

Syntax and text highlighting (Colors!)
Layout options
Skins (only a couple) + http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums
Closing old threads after a period of time (http://www.tek-tips.com)

and so much more...

and be a professional and do the research yourself as we have already done it for you once!

Ì can vent my spleen with regard to the design like anybody, but some of the comments here are getting personal. Anyway, I welcome the question, as I feel that there was not enough communication prior to the rushed release of the last makeover.

All I can suggest is that you don't do anything too drastic. That would push people over the edge.

Being able to choose user colour schemes via control panel would be cool, but not essential - ... no I won't mention purple ... Remembering that this is a discussion forum and that the majority of users use it thus - I think simplicity should be at the forefront of any proposed changes. Forget the flashy nonsense. Rocky in a old robe as opposed to Apollo Creed in those daft shorts and hat.

>
and be a professional and do the research yourself as we have already done it for you once!

C'mon, that's more than a little harsh. Dani is professional through and through, and just trying to reach out and get ideas, new as well as old, about things that she could do to improve the place. She does read the threads here, and has taken on board what has been said previously, that doesn't mean she should not ask for further ideas.

And talking of keeping it professional, isn't this all getting just a little bit too personal? My mum always told me to count to ten before responding to anything I was angry about, advice that I have often ignored to my cost but good advice nonetheless. Let's not be too harsh on Dani, without her DaniWeb would not exist in the first place (and that is not meant to devalue the community, just a statement of fact) and without her continuing dedication and hard work (I know the hours she puts in on keeping DaniWeb going and growing) it would not be the place it is now.

Just saying...

I would like to reiterate: PLEASE do not just post random changes/suggestions in this thread. Please ONLY post things you think are done better in other communities. Include a link to the community, the feature, why you like it, and why you think that DaniWeb would benefit from something similar.

I saw this today:
http://daviddoria.com/avforums.jpg

They post all the "easy rules" right above where a new post is written. Everything I am constantly saying "make sure to use code tags, make sure to use a good title, etc" can be put there.

Dave

phpbb allows different skins. I assume vBulletin has the same, or has the remake brought too much customization?