Feedback: Forum Software - Version 3.7.0

[Kakashi]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

In my opinion, social networking websites are great for small hobby groups to link up online (provided you're not squeamish about protecting your privacy), but they are not so great for long, extensive discussions. For individuals with a wealth of opinions, blogs tend to be the better platform for them to share their thoughts. For others who like to engage in lengthy debates, forum boards are usually better.

Originally Posted by Vexx

The most useful thing about social networkware I've found is in professional arenas. I need to assemble a team to build a tesseract --- I go to the network and start making connections with people who are up on tesseract tech and theory. It works well for that (especially if there is a credibility index). I know of a number of large entities (NASA, some corporations) that are experimenting with it for that.

TRL's comment about "the older a person gets, the less patience he has for trivial chatter, and the more interested he'd be in long conversations." may have some validity. I've never had much tolerance for banal chatter though.

Browsing through the thread it looks like many people agree this particular implementation just seems kind of half-baked.

Correct I believe Myspace was initially intended to be used as a promotional space for music artists and the like but caught on as a social networking phenomenon.

It's generally useless and I understand what you were both trying to get across now. As I'm relatively young compared to you two, from personal experience the vast majority of my friends got hooked on Myspace, not Facebook. I figured it was because Myspace was more colorful, what else could it be considering Facebook technically has more useful features. Personally I thought it was a slower version of IM and therefore useless.

But an upgrade like this for a forum could be different because it's not like we're using it to arrange times to meet up etc. It's simply a place to vent off-topic discussion. So in a way I think it benefits:

"the older a person gets, the less patience he has for trivial chatter, and the more interested he'd be in long conversations."

[WanderingKnight]

I figured it was because Myspace was more colorful

Please, don't remind me of that. The goggles do nothing indeed, moreso when it comes to such a crap site as myspace.

[Rurik]

Nice, I just noticed you can track edits made on post and compared them to the original version, this tool is really great!!!

[King Lycan]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Please, don't remind me of that. The goggles do nothing indeed, moreso when it comes to such a crap site as myspace.

Why you consider myspace a crap site ?

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Rurik

Nice, I just noticed you can track edits made on post and compared them to the original version, this tool is really great!!!

Question about this, as I noticed it as well - can anyone see the changes made, or just the staff and the user who made the post?

Originally Posted by King Lycan

Why you consider myspace a crap site ?

This question will without a doubt open up a relatively minor yet heated debate. Maybe we should make a topic for it in the general chat area? (For the record I'm not a fan of MySpace, either...)

[NightWish]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

can anyone see the changes made, or just the staff and the user who made the post?

The author and the staff only. It follows the post edit rules. If you can edit the post you can see the edit history.

Originally Posted by Ledgem

This question will without a doubt open up a relatively minor yet heated debate.

Indeed, I would ask that the topic is not continued.

[Aoie_Emesai]

The comments on the user page, I've found to be much more useful than PM. That "is" why PM are called Private Messages now.

[Sarugaki]

So these social networking features are interesting, they're far from essential for a forum, but they reflect that our way of using the internet is evolving, after all PMs and the rep system aren't that useful to conversations either, it's just a way for forum owners to create a stronger community and "customer loyalty"

I don't care much for any of these features but I don't see why they would deactivated.

And I'm all for humorous tags unless they're off-topic or abusive.

[Claies]

Originally Posted by King Lycan

Why you consider myspace a crap site ?

Because people are allowed to make some really, really eye-murdering profiles that make you question the possibility of there being any worse. Facebook, on the other hand, at least restricts the background and colors, which certain people can make real abuse out of in MySpace. >_>;;

The worst a Facebooker can do is make a five-mile long profile with 74 apps. The worst it can do to you is make you close and not look again...instead of trying to unsee something frightful.

</offtopic>

I do like the social network additions to vBulletin, though. I found these a good indication of how connected or casual a forum is. I know some sites where the profile pages are already packed at this point. The ones here are still a little bit quiet.

[KholdStare]

To add onto what's been said, as long as this doesn't turn into Facebook, the everything is good. For those who doesn't know Facebook, it was pretty good and simple before apps were created. Nowadays, if you go onto any of your friends' page, you'll have to scroll down past 25+ apps until you can reach their comment box, or you receive at least 10 invites everyday through apps (which is very similar to a pyramid scheme, in that if you want to use an application Facebook asks you to "introduce" the application to all of your friends). That is when I left Facebook. As long as AS won't be cluttered with useless social network additions, then it should be good. Right now, I am pretty much in love with AS.

[Slice of Life]

After over three weeks my impressions have been neutral to positive. I think the main changes are:

1. Tags (neutral)
I still don't see this feature becoming an actual useful search or description tool but at least it also seems that it won't become a parallel channel for 4chan-esk snippy comments.

2. Friend List (neutral)
I have no overly romantic understanding of the word "friend" but the number has always been much smaller than several dozens. And I think it's out of place here anyway. I've privately redefined the word here to "people who impressed me with their intelligent/enjoyable contributions". Except for Kairin who is in my friend list because I'm planning to exploit her naivety and make her the victim of my carnal urges. The feature does no harm.

3. Social Groups (neutral)
I don't know yet. Most seem to be used to demonstrate your fan boy/girl status towards some anime character. Let's see how many groups will be still alive by the end of the year. Those will have proven their usefulness I'd say.

4. Gallery (positive)
Nothing much to say expect that this is one feature I learned to like on other forums.

5. Visitor Messages (positive)

Is probably the most useful addition. It keeps the forum noise free and is a useful channel for anything personal that isn't meant to be strictly private and might at least be of some interest to other people who know the adressee. I've read somewhere here that it's a no-no on facebook to post into your own message list (I couldn't care less) but I think it's on the contrary even more useful to have a place where you can put your own comments when they are more interesting to your 'friends' that might browse by than to the readers of the thread where they are on topic (if they are on topic anywhere at all).

[KholdStare]

In short, as long as there is an option to turn off what you don't like, everyone should be happy. For example, you can hide the option to show who visits your page or limits who can post on your visitor message. What I suggest is an option to hide all tags for those you don't like it. Do you see the little double arrow on the top-right corner of the Quick Reply section? If we can have one of those for Tags, then some might chose to hide Tags until they choose to see them again.

[Claies]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

Or you receive at least 10 invites everyday through apps (which is very similar to a pyramid scheme, in that if you want to use an application Facebook asks you to "introduce" the application to all of your friends).

I'm glad somebody thought the same on this. Nobody seems to get that "you've been nominated as smartest person!" is actually the same as "earn $1000000 quick!" >_>;;;

I will agree with Slice of Life on the visitor messages. Those can be a real godsend against personal spats. Thankfully, this forum doesn't have many to begin with.