Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Just put out an update with the following new features:

Added a 'catch up' to threads with over 90 posts which makes it all on one big, blog style readable page. No additional ads put in at the moment on them either. Perfect for when you want to catch up on a massive blog that you've missed and not wanted to click 'next page' 200 times for.

Added top content main section for viewing recently updated blogs (get exalted content with 90+ posts and show in blog view mode). This is the 'hobby blogs' section and is pretty awesome if you have some time to read some amazing projects. It is not just blogs, it is any popular massive threads, so some are a bit odd in display, but on the whole it is pretty cool. Works best with project logs naturally.

Country name pops up on mouseover or click of flag by post (now you can stop asking!) - note this might take up to a week to work if you have cached script files on your system. You can clear/refresh your cache to force it to start working now.

Cleanups of INAT FAQ page, store finder and video feed.

Video descriptions have a fixed size in the video section, making it more readable. Deleting videos is done with AJAX so much faster to mod there now too.

'Gaming tables' option added to all stores in store finder to allow people to search for places to play. If you could all take a look at your local stores on the store finder and update them if they have gaming tables (default is 'no') then that would be a big help thanks

List of stores added by any given user is added. Note, reversed ordering of stores - might be unknown repercussions in other parts of store finder. Keep an eye out for bugs.

Cleaned up 'services' section of the site. Removed services from the main navigation as it is never accessed. Removed Army Profiles link from main navigation and moved into the articles section as it did not get much traffic in the main header due to a lack of perceived updates.

Naturally, I've only tested in firefox, so please let me know in nuts and bolts if there are any bugs in your browser of choice, or any other new bugs. Limited testing so I can get this release out this week instead of waiting a week or two.

Thank you for your hard work!

I like the sound of this top content page...

Very nice update thanks! Now time to go play around with it...

Nice! I updated the store finder re: tables at stores in my state.

Oh. Anyone else think that the location of the "catch up" button and the "skip to first unread" button should be flipped? I am just so used to clicking on the one at the end to see the most recent posts that I accidentally go into the blog style each time!

 Commander Cain wrote:
Oh. Anyone else think that the location of the "catch up" button and the "skip to first unread" button should be flipped? I am just so used to clicking on the one at the end to see the most recent posts that I accidentally go into the blog style each time!

I'd prefer them flipped, too. I can't make heads or tails of the blog version of threads and I do the exact same re: clicking the one at the end.

Commander Cain wrote:Oh. Anyone else think that the location of the "catch up" button and the "skip to first unread" button should be flipped? I am just so used to clicking on the one at the end to see the most recent posts that I accidentally go into the blog style each time!

Platuan4th wrote:

 Commander Cain wrote:
Oh. Anyone else think that the location of the "catch up" button and the "skip to first unread" button should be flipped? I am just so used to clicking on the one at the end to see the most recent posts that I accidentally go into the blog style each time!

I'd prefer them flipped, too. I can't make heads or tails of the blog version of threads and I do the exact same re: clicking the one at the end.

YES, PLEASE!

Either that or maybe give us the option to turn off the "Blog View Catchup" feature.

Please?

I'd agree that the skip to last post and blog view should be swapped round

And I like the blog view, it is so much easier to read through larger PLogs with lots of posts talking about rubbish being minimised and only the posts with actual stuff going on in them being displayed

Yea I just posted about that in Nuts and bolts (I didnt see this thread naturally lol) flipping or turning it off would be incredibly nice *nudge nudge*

Yup,

I'll add my voice to swapping the 'first unread post option' back to the end

The blog view feature is awesome! Thank you for adding it

Glad some like it!

I'd love to be able to turn it off!

I vote for the "flip buttons" as well. But I do like the feature a lot.

One of my problems with it is that it is giving the forum a very cluttered look now.

Not at all like the streamlined well oiled machine that it is, and used to look like!

Maybe even just changing it to blog view instead of "catch up with..." Might help

Oh I love the feature no doubt about it! Just calling it "blog view" is a good idea though.

Now have no excuse to avoid those super long blogs that I fear to enter due to the vast amount of pages that they have!

Normally I'd just say pffft and let people take the 48 hours to adapt, but since the usually ultra mild Alpharius has posted 4 times here and in the mod forum about it, point taken

I've trimmed the language of both options down and made skip to first unread the right most option when both are present.

Perfect! Didn't even get to post a reply before you fixed it. Thanks again Lego!

yeah,
I at first was confused by it. thought my browser was crashing!
But now I know what the button is for it's awesome! Thanks Lego.

Blogs flow better in this format.
I've already switched the /list for /blog in the links to my signature blog links, they look so much better in blog format.
It removes unwanted photos, and lengthy posts that people throw in there and such that sometimes has nothing to do with your blog, and blog jacking!

I wonder though will this new format reduce the amount of posts people make in blogs? users will know that their posts will effectively be spoilered.
I guess what I'm saying is that some people like writing in blogs to share the spotlight...
I'd hate to receive less 'have you thought of this' posts because posters can't be bothered to write a post and have it auto spoilered.

...

Also I agree with the cluttered look to the news and rumors section where we find lots of 30+ post threads.. blog view is madness incarnate for that forum.
maybe moving the button somewhere else is best? or have the OP control a threads list / blog view?


Anyway I love your work as always Lego : )

Panic...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
yeah,

 legoburner wrote:
Normally I'd just say pffft and let people take the 48 hours to adapt, but since the usually ultra mild Alpharius has posted 4 times here and in the mod forum about it, point taken

I've trimmed the language of both options down and made skip to first unread the right most option when both are present.

Huzzah!

Panic...

I would say it is very likely that people in blog view will not post, but at the same time, blog view is suboptimal for following a blog, it is better suited to your first read of a blog. Once someone is following a blog, the normal forum view (with skip to unread) is the better way to keep a tab on it, and encourages posting and ideas. Blog view is primarily for lurkers and catching up on blogs people were avoiding due to be intimidated anyway, so I dont see there being a significant drop in feedback posts as a result.

Threshold is 90 posts to enable blog view, and 1 page of blog view loads 300 posts (instead of 30) fwiw.

Many Thanks Legoburner

for the cool new feature, and for listening to us confused users when it threatened to melt out minds!

 legoburner wrote:
Normally I'd just say pffft and let people take the 48 hours to adapt, but since the usually ultra mild Alpharius has posted 4 times here and in the mod forum about it, point taken

I've trimmed the language of both options down and made skip to first unread the right most option when both are present.

I've only viewed it on my phone, and it is a huge improvement.

What power you wield Alpharius! Use it wisely.

Id really like an option to turn off the blog view button, its so annoying at the moment.

Also as i filter through 'My Subscribed Threads' by looking for the view first unread links its just making me think that i havent read anything.

Not a fan im afraid, dropped the ball on this one imo.

 legoburner wrote:
I've trimmed the language of both options down and made skip to first unread the right most option when both are present.

Thanks for your efforts. I like it.

I think a feature to turn it off would be nice.

Updates sound fantastic, thanks Lego!

yeah,

Vitruvian XVII wrote:Id really like an option to turn off the blog view button, its so annoying at the moment.
Also as I filter through 'My Subscribed Threads' by looking for the view first unread links its just making me think that i havent read anything.
Not a fan im afraid, dropped the ball on this one imo.

I get your saying, I'm in a similar position regarding how I scan my subscribed threads for my new unread posts...
In the old way it was easy to spot the theads with new new posts

[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...6, 7, 8 ] [First unread]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, ]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...9, 10, 11 ] [First unread]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...6, 7, 8 ]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, ]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...9, 10, 11 ] [First unread]


Now it's a bit messy with the blogs links...
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...6, 7, 8 ] [Blog view] [First unread]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, ]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...9, 10, 11 ] [Blog view] [First unread]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...6, 7, 8 ] [Blog view]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, ]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...9, 10, 11 ] [Blog view] [First unread]


Maybe if Alpharius's [blog view] shuffle move was made more extreme and [blog view] was moved all the way to before the go to page links?

[Blog view] [ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...6, 7, 8 ] [First unread]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, ]
[Blog view] [ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...9, 10, 11 ] [First unread]
[Blog view] [ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...6, 7, 8 ]
[ Go to page: 1, 2, ]
[Blog view] [ Go to page: 1, 2, 3 ...9, 10, 11 ] [First unread]

Panic...

There will be no option to toggle it off due on account of efficiency requirements. Adjusting your eyes and habits will take no time at all - the skip to first unread is only present on updated threads, so just look to the bullet icon first - if it has colour then the skip to first unread link will be there, if it is monochrome, then there are no updates in the thread.