The Suggestion Box

Started by Dungeon Master, January 13, 2011, 09:56:38 PM

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Dungeon Master

Its 2 a.m. and you just can't sleep. You like GMG, but you have a great idea to make it even better, and this idea is so good, its keeping you awake. You just have to tell somebody about it!

This is the place to do it.

All suggestions will be at least read.
Some suggestions will be considered.
The occasional suggestion will be implemented.

Unfortunately limited by my modest technical skills.

cheers
Rob

springrite

NOT a serious suggestion but, I'd love to have a penalty box like in hockey: 2 for roughing, 5 for fighting and misconduct!
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

Que

#2
Mentioned before in a discussion on pictures: a default picture size when using the "image button", that can be altered if necessary when composing a message.
I would propose a standard width of 350, so when clicking the image symbol there would appear: (minus the extra space I inserted here)

Q

Opus106

#3
Quote from: Que on January 13, 2011, 10:07:05 PM
Mentioned before in a discussion on pictures: a default picture size when using the "image button", that can be altered if necessary when composing a message.
I would propose a standard width of 350, so when clicking the image symbol there would appear:  (minus the extra space I inserted here)

Q

I just noticed* that that if an image is resized using the tags, clicking on it brings it to back to the original dimensions. So even if someone finds the text hard to read, all that the person has to do is to click on the image. Test here:

Note that if it has been resized, a pointing finger would appear when the mouse pointer is moved over the image.


* Thanks to the Bad Hair Days thread.
Regards,
Navneeth

Dungeon Master

#4
Quote from: Que on January 13, 2011, 10:07:05 PM
Mentioned before in a discussion on pictures: a default picture size when using the "image button", that can be altered if necessary when composing a message.
I would propose a standard width of 350, so when clicking the image symbol there would appear: (minus the extra space I inserted here)

Q

The forum already has a built-in system for resizing large images. Currently, I have set it at maximum 480px across and 640px high. Anything larger than that results in it being resized, but clickable for full-size. Anything smaller is no affected.

Unfortunately, a default width=400 in the img tag would result in small images (meant as icons or thumbnails) also being resized to 400 pixels - which is not what the person making the post intends.

Here is an example of what the forum currently does. A big image is displayed as 480px across - click it to see it in its full glory:



And here is what would happen to a small image with the default width=400 tag:



Daverz

What about the asin tag? That seems to default to the larger pic (500x500?), whereas I think 300x300 would be fine.

DavidRoss

Quote from: Daverz on January 14, 2011, 12:08:09 PM
What about the asin tag? That seems to default to the larger pic (500x500?), whereas I think 300x300 would be fine.
Agreed--or even 250.
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Dungeon Master

Quote from: Daverz on January 14, 2011, 12:08:09 PM
What about the asin tag? That seems to default to the larger pic (500x500?), whereas I think 300x300 would be fine.

The Amazon ASIN tag is resized to 400px across.

Image size is relative to the screen resolution you are watching. I'm on a Mac with a 27 inch screen with 2560x1440 pixels. A 400 pixel CD cover takes up just 15% of my screen's horizontal resolution. Anything smaller, and I would have trouble seeing it. (I'm getting old)

Granted, not everyone is one such big screens, and therefore the image will take up a bigger proportion of the screen. I think 400px is a good compromise for everyone. I'm happy to hear otherwise.

In the meantime, for PC users - it might be worth checking that you have your optimal screen resolution for your monitor. Often, the default setting is too small. Check this page for instruction on how to change your resolution.

cheers
Rob

DavidRoss

Different strokes.

Are you drying out yet, Rob?
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Daverz

I use either a Macbook with a 12" screen (1280x800) or a Mac Mini connected to a 42" HDTV (1080 x I forget).  Big doesn't really bother me, but I didn't want to offend the big picture haters on the board.

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Daverz on January 14, 2011, 01:01:28 PM
I use either a Macbook with a 12" screen (1280x800) or a Mac Mini connected to a 42" HDTV (1080 x I forget).  Big doesn't really bother me, but I didn't want to offend the big picture haters on the board.

Not sure they are haters so much as people going the opposite direction; we have a bunch of people who check the board via their smart phones while away from their computers. Pictures tend to lose their visual impact when you have to scroll to 6 different positions to see the entire... :D

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

karlhenning

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on January 14, 2011, 01:23:38 PM
Not sure they are haters so much as people going the opposite direction; we have a bunch of people who check the board via their smart phones while away from their computers. Pictures tend to lose their visual impact when you have to scroll to 6 different positions to see the entire... :D

8)

Yes, puts us in the dubious position of needing to "ignore" users who favor large images, otherwise just the page loading is a battery drain.

PaulSC

I'd like to request "next page" and "previous page" links for stepping through the pages of a thread. Unless I'm missing a trick,* the only currently-available page-turning method is to click the next page number. That's a tiny target! (It doesn't help that my manual dexterity is compromised by physical disability.)

In case the result would be too much clutter across the top and/or bottom of the page, there is an existing feature that might be safely removed: every modern browser offers commands that make the "Go Down"/"Go Up" links redundant.

*Of course there's the trick of directly editing the URL, which is okay for leaping around in threads that span many pages but is a bit hairy for everyday use...

Lethevich

A chat box (big enough so that it's usable - most aren't).
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Szykneij

Quote from: PaulSC on January 20, 2011, 12:52:33 PM
I'd like to request "next page" and "previous page" links for stepping through the pages of a thread. Unless I'm missing a trick,* the only currently-available page-turning method is to click the next page number. That's a tiny target! (It doesn't help that my manual dexterity is compromised by physical disability.)

In case the result would be too much clutter across the top and/or bottom of the page, there is an existing feature that might be safely removed: every modern browser offers commands that make the "Go Down"/"Go Up" links redundant.

*Of course there's the trick of directly editing the URL, which is okay for leaping around in threads that span many pages but is a bit hairy for everyday use...

This appears at the bottom right of every page
« previous next »
but it's just as small as the page numbers, so I'm not sure it helps you.
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

Opus106

Quote from: Szykniej on January 21, 2011, 04:53:38 AM
This appears at the bottom right of every page
« previous next »
but it's just as small as the page numbers, so I'm not sure it helps you.

Those are for traversing between threads, not for pages within a thread. :)
Regards,
Navneeth

Szykneij

Quote from: Opus106 on January 21, 2011, 04:56:54 AM
Those are for traversing between threads, not for pages within a thread. :)

Oh, wow! No wonder I was having so much trouble following the flow of conversation!  :-[   :)
Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

karlhenning

Quote from: Szykniej on January 21, 2011, 05:01:09 AM
Oh, wow! No wonder I was having so much trouble following the flow of conversation!  :-[   :)

And you just thought we were all daft!

Dungeon Master

Quote from: PaulSC on January 20, 2011, 12:52:33 PM
I'd like to request "next page" and "previous page" links for stepping through the pages of a thread. Unless I'm missing a trick,* the only currently-available page-turning method is to click the next page number. That's a tiny target! (It doesn't help that my manual dexterity is compromised by physical disability.)

In case the result would be too much clutter across the top and/or bottom of the page, there is an existing feature that might be safely removed: every modern browser offers commands that make the "Go Down"/"Go Up" links redundant.

*Of course there's the trick of directly editing the URL, which is okay for leaping around in threads that span many pages but is a bit hairy for everyday use...


I agree, this would be helpful, but it is surprisingly difficult to implement. Maybe in a future iteration of SMF.

Dungeon Master

Quote from: Lethe on January 20, 2011, 07:24:15 PM
A chat box (big enough so that it's usable - most aren't).


Seriously??? Isn't the entire GMG forum a big enough chat box for you?


Or am I a bit out of touch?


Rob