NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

For feedback and suggestions about the SOS magazine, app, web site or forums.

Moderator: Moderators

NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by Forum Admin »

Here are some tips to help you quickly familiarise yourself with the new SOS site and specifically the Forum:

[*] Login / Register -- Existing users/members can log in at the top of any SOS page using their already-registered Email and Password. Guests/anonymous users can browse/read forums that allow it (Musician's Lounge still requires you to be a registered user). New Registrants will have to pass the new Google image CAPTCHA and verify their email address as being real, by clicking the validation code they get sent.

FORUM
[*] Members are allowed 45 minutes to edit their post after submitting it, then it is frozen. Send a Private Message (PM) to any Moderator if you desperately need a change to be made, or use the (!) [exclamation mark in circle] icon to Report A Post to all Mods, and explain why.

[*] All post-publication edits are user/date/time-stamped automatically (shows as smaller text at the end of the post).

[*] Posts can be saved as a Draft, re-opened later from MY CONTROL PANEL and then submitted when ready.

[*] Private Messages -- you can PM someone by clicking on the envelope icon below their avatar/username or via the Private Messages option under MY CONTROL PANEL > Overview menu.

[*] Flat Topic View -- this Forum only shows flat posts (no threaded option), one below another. Thus there is no means to reply directly to someone other than to use the Quote button (but please shorten the quote if it's not all required).

[*] Nested Quotes - a maximum of 5 nested quotes is allowed, then you get an alert message in red on the Reply screen.

[*] Latest Post In Topic - clicking the grey chevron > to the right of the poster's name on Forum Index will take you to the last post in that topic. Conversely, clicking the topic title anywhere will take you to the first post of the topic.

MY ACCOUNT
[*] Forum/Site Preferences - every site user's preferences are located under their EDIT tab in My Account (at the top-left of any SOS page). Here you can specify/edit your avatar, signature, location, biography and your website. Other Forum board preferences are defined in MY CONTROL PANEL > Overview in the grey sub-menu, such as subscribing to forums/topics, PM settings, visibility etc.

[*] Username - this can not be edited by a member once it has been chosen at initial registration. Note: this Username is used all across the site. Please use the Username Change form if you require a name-change: http://www.soundonsound.com/support/username-change

[*] Avatars - existing avatars will migrate. Up to 100 x 100px maximum visible image is allowed, though it will scale 1024 x 1024px when an avatar is uploaded. It always takes the largest size and makes that 100px. Avatars can be changed in My Account > Edit tab > Signature.

[*] Signatures - still 255 characters, they visibly show as smaller, grey text. Images, javascript and HTML are not allowed in signatures. URLs will auto convert to links.

[*] Location -- shows under your avatar if the Location field in your My Account > Edit tab > Profile has some text in it.

[*] Member's Rank Title: unique titles will not transfer, and we could find no way of keeping them in the new software. Moderators usernames are always shown in pale blue.

SEARCH ENGINE
[*] Search engine -- the forum is fully integrated within the site search and is a major improvement. It searches within titles, article intros, posts and all article/news main text. You can narrow down results using the filter links on the righthand sidebar. Use the main Search box at the top-right of any page, or search within just that topic. Results are displayed within the main Search page and you'll see 4 tabs: All, Articles, Forum and News. Click a Forum result and you're back to the post containing what you searched for.

[*] Member Website / Email -- this can be added to your signature and/or to your My Account > Edit tab > Profile. (Please ensure you put http:// in the full URL to make it function.) A globe icon will then appear under your avatar, which can be clicked by members. All personal Emails are hidden from public view, but if you have allowed members to email you in MY CONTROL PANEL > Overview > Board Preferences, this always occurs via an SOS web form so that your email address is protected.

If you have questions or need assistance, as always post in the Magazine, Website & Forum Feedback forum or use the SOS Support Portal (click HELP at the top of any page).

We hope you enjoy using the new site and this new forum.
User avatar
Forum Admin
Moderator
Posts: 4233 Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2003 11:00 pm Location: A studio deep in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire, UK
Search 16,966 SOS Reviews+Techniques articles: www.soundonsound.com/search
SOS Podcasts

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by Bossman »

New forum looks good.. And is usable on my phone :thumbup:

Thankyou
User avatar
Bossman
Frequent Poster
Posts: 698 Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2002 12:00 am Location: UK
www.Lozjackson.com | www.audiowall.co.uk | audioshop.london

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by zenguitar »

For those of you who have previously commented on the old forum not having the facility to go to the first unread post in a thread...

GOOD NEWS

At the top of each Topic there is a 'Go to 1st unread post' link.

Andy :beamup:
User avatar
zenguitar
Moderator
Posts: 12507 Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 12:00 am Location: Devon
Is it about a bicycle?

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by garrettendi »

New site and forums look great. My only bug report is that my post count seems to have gone to zero! Yet my posts still exist... It's a minor bug though
User avatar
garrettendi
Frequent Poster (Level2)
Posts: 3030 Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:00 am
"The blues isn't about feeling better. It's about making other people feel worse... and making a few bucks while you're at it." - Bleeding Gums Murphy

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

garrettendi wrote:My only bug report is that my post count seems to have gone to zero! Yet my posts still exist... It's a minor bug though

That is very odd, and I can't explain why... but I'll add it to the list of things for the team to look at.

H
User avatar
Hugh Robjohns
Moderator
Posts: 38831 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am Location: Worcestershire, UK
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual... 

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by zenguitar »

It's not unique Hugh. In my travels around the forums today I have noticed a number of members with 1 or 0 posts who I know have posted in recent days and weeks.

Andy :beamup:
User avatar
zenguitar
Moderator
Posts: 12507 Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 12:00 am Location: Devon
Is it about a bicycle?

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by EvilDragon »

New look is fine.

I wonder if there's a way to make the layout MUCH wider (ideally fully utilizing the available display width)? Currently the right side area with Latest forum activity takes WAY too much space, and I cannot see a way to collapse it completely.
User avatar
EvilDragon
Poster
Posts: 11 Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:00 am Location: Croatia
 

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by Forum Admin »

EvilDragon wrote:New look is fine.

I wonder if there's a way to make the layout MUCH wider (ideally fully utilizing the available display width)? Currently the right side area with Latest forum activity takes WAY too much space, and I cannot see a way to collapse it completely.

Glad you like it (mostly). :D

It's been a very long day, so hope I'm not missing your point here?

The site is a fixed-width on desktop, and the righthand column is fixed-width to accommodate the industry-standard advert slots we've adopted. The narrow/tall skyscrapers will eventually get replaced as advertisers swap to the new format (some already have).

The forum's Latest Activity snapshot links therefore fill some of the righthand space. There are plans to add more sidebar content blocks, down the line. There's no way to collapse the desktop site.

cheers,
User avatar
Forum Admin
Moderator
Posts: 4233 Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2003 11:00 pm Location: A studio deep in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire, UK
Search 16,966 SOS Reviews+Techniques articles: www.soundonsound.com/search
SOS Podcasts

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by Wonks »

I really, really hate it. Far too small a column width to read anything easily.

It's so narrow that you haven't even got enough space to fit 'quote' and 'code' in their own boxes in the reply to post display.

Why are the avatars so large? Make them smaller and give more column space to posts.

My post count has lost over 7000 posts.

I really don't want to be here until there's a decent column width.

Bye for now.
User avatar
Wonks
Jedi Poster
Posts: 16999 Joined: Thu May 29, 2003 12:00 am Location: Reading, UK
Reliably fallible.

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by Hugh Robjohns »

Bye! :cry:
User avatar
Hugh Robjohns
Moderator
Posts: 38831 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am Location: Worcestershire, UK
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual... 

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by softdigital »

I'm sorry to say this update is a bit of a mess all round...

Fixed width in 2016? I have a large display with a mainly grey background. Empty screen space, paired with the new colour scheme, makes the site quite jarring to use.

The Readers ads update is awful; Firstly, the link to readers ads is buried halfway down the page. I'm sure i'm not alone in the fact that the ads is one of my most visited parts of the site - I have the print and tablet versions of the magazine for the actual content (and wonderful it is too).

Its much, much harder to see the same amount of information on each listing; The excel spreadsheet/table view makes scanning ads borderline unpleasant and also takes longer; there are inline SOS ads and videos within the listings, and large amounts of wasted space with padding etc.

The iPad magazine edition is actually a good case in point. That FEELS like an extension to the print edition, with striking, clean and pleasant layout - a very closely aligned UI/Look and feel between the two editions. The new site feels detached form the rest of the SOS look and fell.

The ads are intrusive and take up an unduly large amount of space in what is, thanks to the fixed width design, already a cramped layout.

I'm sorry, I love SOS and appreciate how much work goes into it from what is a small and very dedicated team, I just think this time its not gone the right way...

[edited as I don't want to hang anyone out to dry. I think the fixed width is guiding the entire layout and that is causing issue with cramming everythgin into what in 2016 os a tiny amount of space...I still love you guys x]
softdigital
Posts: 2 Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2002 12:00 am

Re: NEW FORUM / SITE - User Tips

Post by nathanscribe »

Sadly I feel I have to agree on the width thing. The column of text that I actually *want* to read takes up about 1/4 of my screen's width, which makes scrolling through the comments and replies both tedious and an bit of an eye-strain. I like the cleaner overall concept, but this forum really needs a few pies...
User avatar
nathanscribe
Frequent Poster
Posts: 1482 Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:00 am Location: Wakefield, for my sins.
I have no idea what I'm doing.
Post Reply