Backroom Suggestions

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 21:35
Backroom Suggestions - CraigP
'Backroom' Forum Suggestions, not 'Website' Suggestions

Just seen the sticky thread about the website upgrade

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=83...9

There's an invite for a laundry list of features, guessing that means if we drop off our requests there might be scope for the developers to add in some features? Here goes :-P

* Threaded interface for posts.
* Update the Swear filter to detect all caps posts, save poor DD having to fix the posts.
* User reputation / thank you / karma points system -- would be nice to be able to say thanks to some of the posters on here and have them gain an elevated status
* Picture hosting
* BB Board style formating, keep it simple though (bold, italics, underline is prob enough, no size changes)
* Improved quoting of posts, when i quote another user, visually distinguish this better, also mention who im quoting
* Subscribe to threads feature, with optional email notifications
* RSS feeds for each forum, with new topics (p.s. feel free to include an advert in the RSS feed item, but ensure you list the full first post not jsut a snippet of it)

Wow, that turned out bigger than i thought lol just some ideas.


Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:11

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 22:30
Website Suggestions - maz64
* Threaded interface for posts.


Have you tried the 'view threaded' link at the top of a topic page, or is it not what you have in mind?
* BB Board style formating keep it simple though (bold italics underline is prob enough
no size changes)


you can to an extent :-)
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 23:17
Backroom Suggestions - Altea Ego
you can cant to an extent :-)

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:15

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 23:27
Backroom Suggestions - bell boy
If It Aint bRoKe WhY FiX It?

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:15

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 23:30
Backroom Suggestions - ForumNeedsModerating
>>If It Aint bRoKe WhY FiX It?

Progress dear boy - like new & better motors, innit.

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:15

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 23:33
Backroom Suggestions - bell boy
oh thanks for that progress eh :-)
so a bit like the autotrader website then add more gizmos and it still freezes up when you click on the photos
that would be good for footfall on the hj website
not
KISS
the best advise i was ever given
:-)

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:15

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 23:44
Backroom Suggestions - ForumNeedsModerating
Photos? freezing? Eh?

Who said anything about photos... I'm sure I wouldn't like to see any.. especially of the posters - and especially not of me.

Imagine though bellboy.. if there was a rating system for posts you could count the number of fans you had, innit.

The problem with AT is more to do with ad sites though - not the piccies - just like this site is currently. Cheers (hic).

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:14

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 23:46
Backroom Suggestions - rtj70
They are migrating to a new platform. We may or may not like it. Mods have seen some of it today but not before today. I am sure it will be pretty much as now functionality wise.

HJ has a new hat at least. So we'll be okay.

So no point discussing before tomorrow late afternoon. We'll worry about it then!

Rob (Moderator)

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:14

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 01:38
Backroom Suggestions - Dynamic Dave
* Update the Swear filter to detect all caps posts save poor DD having to
fix the posts.


Excellent suggestion.
* Picture hosting


Open to abuse.
* Subscribe to threads feature with optional email notifications


We used to have that feature, but the Webmaster's inbox was continually getting filled up with people who couldn't read. See the following link for further info:-

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=70...4
* RSS feeds for each forum with new topics


The site already does have an RSS feed.

There are in fact 2 feeds.
1) feed://www.honestjohn.co.uk/xml/forum_posts.xml
This shows all posts in latest date order

2) feed://www.honestjohn.co.uk/xml/forum.xml?f=2 (for discussion forum for example)
This shows threads for that forum - in latest date order.

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:14

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 08:21
Backroom Suggestions - maz64
The big question is - what are we supposed to do for the 3 hours while the site is down?? :-)

It's going to be like one of the Apollo missions where the spacecraft went behind the moon and out of radio contact, and everyone's waiting for it to (hopefully) come out on the other side...

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:14

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 08:23
Backroom Suggestions - cheddar
The format and functionallty is fine, just fix all of the bugs that cause it to lock up, run slow and make my Kaspersky sound off.

EDIT: Oh, and when I do report a problem via the button a simple acknowledgement would be nice.

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:13

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 08:44
Backroom Suggestions - Aretas
bell boy gets my vote for sensible ideas. This forum works just fine. Don't need bells and whistles - content is what it is all about.

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:13

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 09:30
Backroom Suggestions - Altea Ego
The format and functionallty is fine just fix all of the bugs that cause it
to lock up run slow and make my Kaspersky sound off.


OH! there is someone who still uses kaspersky.......

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:13

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 09:59
Backroom Suggestions - cheddar
OH! there is someone who still uses kaspersky.......


Free 3 user licence with a Barclays Bank account.

And it is well rated:

internet-security-suite-review.toptenreviews.com/

I did like F-Secure though.

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:13

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 08:40
Backroom Suggestions - pda
well, I suppose I'll have to do the ironing then:(

Pat

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:12

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 09:07
Backroom Suggestions - ifithelps
Another vote for no more gadgets, gimmicks, etc.

Plaint text rules OK.

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:12

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 09:11
Backroom Suggestions - cheddar
Clever roll over effect on the Mazda ad!

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:12

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 09:34
Backroom Suggestions - maz64
Just seen the sticky thread about the website upgrade
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=83...9


9:33 and we're still posting - change of plan?

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:12

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Thu 18 Feb 2010 10:06
Backroom Suggestions - Sizer
Id like to see a phpbb type forum integrated into the site. Looks nicer, more user freindly, more features and free...

Edited by Honestjohn on 18/02/2010 at 10:12

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Sun 21 Mar 2010 04:07
backroom Suggestions - Lofty Boy

Might I suggest cutting back on some of the adverts. They're to overpowering and intrusive.

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Sun 21 Mar 2010 10:22
backroom Suggestions - oilrag

Points/thanks for advice and so on would likely lead to newcomers feeling excluded due to not being part of the established clique.

I thought a marque specific forum I use was ruined by this. Posters who knew nothing about tech issues started to thank each other for nothing in order to get a `higher status`. The effect was like monkeys touching each other up - while people giving detailed tech advice could not compete, some of these only had one or two `thanks` while the kids were addicted to the button.

It led to some `tech` minded people ceasing to advise and going elsewhere.

There were some great car/tech shots I could have posted from my phone from the Far east - if there were the facility. I know the argument has been put about a text based forum suiting some and of course I respect that. but if a thread had a warning symbol that it contained embedded images - what`s the problem?

Look at the US based bMW forums and the images of a badly sludged engine - then the effects of (no effect) using a flush treatment. a picture was worth more than a thousand words.

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Sun 21 Mar 2010 14:45
backroom Suggestions - Avant

Agree entirely with that, Oilrag. One of the things that I feel strongly about - and I'm sure the other mods would join me - is that we need to make new members feel welcome and want to come back - even if they know little about cars and want some basic advice.

I'll be looking out myself to try and be as helpful as possible, not least because in order to thrive any business needs to attract and keep new customers.

Edited by Avant on 21/03/2010 at 14:46

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Mon 22 Mar 2010 15:45
backroom Suggestions - Tornadorot

can we stop the forum software from messing about with uppercase letters in posts? Some of us still like to use capital letters where appropriate.

test: USa NhS tSi tDi VW (all typed in uppercase)

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Mon 22 Mar 2010 15:49
backroom Suggestions - rtj70

Yes there is a strange bug the site developer is aware of. But thanks for highlighting it just in case.

Edited by rtj70 on 22/03/2010 at 15:49

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