Forums: "Recent Posts" and "Popular Threads" Areas

[HAL]

Often a person wants to create a thread that they would really like more than a couple of people to see but the thread should really be in a forum other than General Discussion. However, General Discussion is the forum that most people read regularly. I would like to petition for "Recent Posts" and "Popular Threads" areas of the forums that are in a separate area of the forum page (left or right column usually). This type of area is common in some forums and I really enjoy them since you can see recent posts even if they are in a forum other than the one you are currently reading AND you can see a list of threads which people are responding to. This column would persist no matter what forum you were looking at.

I would suggest using another type of forum but I know we switched to this one because Daddy uses it ;P

[Krelar]

Doesn't hitting the "New Posts" or "Today's Posts" links already accomplish basically the same thing?

There is also this page (https://www.ddo.com/en/community) though I'm not sure it is officially linked to anymore it still exists.

[HAL]

Doesn't hitting the "New Posts" or "Today's Posts" links already accomplish basically the same thing?

There is also this page (https://www.ddo.com/en/community) though I'm not sure it is officially linked to anymore it still exists.

It doesn't accomplish the same thing, because I am referring to being able to see them while browsing another forum. This is a convenience that appears on many sites and which I know would make the DDO forums more modern. For instance:

http://i.imgur.com/KCJDgf1.jpg

[Knobull]

Perhaps vBulletin's built-in RSS feed would be of some use in this regard?

https://www.ddo.com/forums/external.php

[Angelic-council]

it's funny because, popular posts tend to escalate quickly and after the few pages, it turns into a fight thread. Sometimes, I just want to jump in and say "Umm.. Guys? what are we doing here?". :p

[HAL]

Perhaps vBulletin's built-in RSS feed would be of some use in this regard?

https://www.ddo.com/forums/external.php

I don't think so - I'm looking for a modernization of the forums, not a way to read posts elsewhere.

[Saekee]

HAL I think this is a great idea. /signed. Would it be possible to customize it? For example, I might have two other side windows, one with a specific class I like to follow, another with Dev posts, etc.

[HAL]

HAL I think this is a great idea. /signed. Would it be possible to customize it? For example, I might have two other side windows, one with a specific class I like to follow, another with Dev posts, etc.

That would be a great idea. In MyDDO you could change up windows. I don't know if that is possible with these forums or not but I would like that also.

[Knobull]

I don't think so - I'm looking for a modernization of the forums, not a way to read posts elsewhere.

Oh. I was thinking if one was already using an rss reader browser extension or something similar, one could keep tabs on the latest posts regardless of where on the forums you were browsing. (or while on other sites for that matter).

Here is the problem with the layout you suggested above:

http://i.imgur.com/JwqbF6F.jpg (http://imgur.com/JwqbF6F)

...not enough room at 1280x800 (my laptop's display resolution, just for an example). Such a layout would require a responsive design (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design), and given the level of attention to detail in the current forum theme I just can't see that happening.

e.g.:
http://themeforest.net/category/forums/vbulletin
http://itutozone.com/newest-responsive-vbulletin-themes.html

Anything off-the-shelf would require considerable customization and might be better done from scratch anyway. I would quote about $2600 to do the job myself (high level of detail and functionality - no broken stuff...).

[HAL]

Oh. I was thinking if one was already using an rss reader browser extension or something similar, one could keep tabs on the latest posts regardless of where on the forums you were browsing. (or while on other sites for that matter).

Here is the problem with the layout you suggested above:

http://i.imgur.com/JwqbF6F.jpg (http://imgur.com/JwqbF6F)

...not enough room at 1280x800 (my laptop's display resolution, just for an example). Such a layout would require a responsive design (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design), and given the level of attention to detail in the current forum theme I just can't see that happening.

I don't agree that it would require responsive design. In my screenshot I simply made my browser window smaller. Also there is tons of blank space in the current forums from left to right. And thread titles could be wrapped if the window gets small enough.

I'm not sure what you mean by "level of attention to detail".

[tralfaz81]

it's funny because, popular posts tend to escalate quickly and after the few pages, it turns into a fight thread. Sometimes, I just want to jump in and say "Umm.. Guys? what are we doing here?". :p

I disagree, you're wrong, and I don't like your hat.

[EllisDee37]

It doesn't accomplish the same thing, because I am referring to being able to see them while browsing another forum."General Discussion" is typically the last place I go, and I don't go there often. Normally I start by clicking Quick Links => Subscribed Threads to see any new posts to the threads I'm subscribed to. After I catch up on those, I click New Posts to see what's currently under discussion. New Posts shows new posts in all forums. Then I check Dev Tracker, and usually end my forum surfing there. If I'm bored or trying to kill time I'll go into General Discussion and New Player Advice & Guidance, but that's not very often. And most of the time when I do, I've already seen all the threads from New Posts. Best of all, unlike Dev Tracker, New Posts also shows Lammania threads.