Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

Welcome to the new SGL!


Recommended Posts

We hope you approve of this new and improved Stargazers Lounge. 

A number of background tasks are still running so you might find some older posts that are not displaying properly or are missing links to their attachments, also the search function will need a day or two to catch up with the changes. 

Change can be unsettling but the new layout will soon become familiar and includes a whole bunch of useful features. Here are some of the most noteworthy: 

  • New theme - works well on a range of screen sizes so everyone sees the same SGL and has access to the same features.
  • New editor - more powerful and no need for a 'preview' because it shows you everything as it will appear. It also works on mobile devices :)
  • Mobile uploading - you can now upload from mobile devices, e.g. iPhones, straight into the forum.
  • New SGL logo - the old logo served us well but this new one is cleaner and more modern. 
  • HTTPS - the entire site now has full SSL encryption for enhanced security.
  • Post editing - is now enabled for everyone (all post edits are recorded so moderators have a history of changes).
  • More powerful 'follow' features - you can follow people to receive notifications when they post (replaces the previous 'friends' feature and is much more capable).
  • View new content - has been replaced with an 'Activity' button (top-left). It uses the ‘streams’ concept (similar to the wall feed on Facebook) which enables you to keep track of everything happening on the forum. You can also choose what you do/don’t want to see. I.e. if you aren't interested in status updates, you can ignore those. If you want to follow a particular forum and nothing else, you can :) This powerful new feature grows more useful the more you use it (we are currently using default streams but we shall create more and you can create your own). 
  • More editor buttons - includes mathematical and scientific notations.
  • Ability to tag people - when you mention another member in a post, if you type @ before their username (e.g. @Grant) they will receive a notification. This useful feature alerts others to conversations they might find interesting or might want to participate in.

The above is only a selection of the new features, there are many more and we shall turn some of them on over the coming weeks so watch this space! 

With this new upgrade and the larger more powerful server we are confident SGL will continue to serve the needs of what must surely be the UK’s largest and BEST community of astronomers :smile:

if you have suggestions or feedback please post them here in this thread. If you encounter any issues or bugs please post them in the regular Bugs, Errors and Issues forum so we can assist you directly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 389
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I'm going to post up answers to any frequently asked questions we get to help others too (and to save me having to answer the same questions millions of times! :D )

Where have all the pictures and attachments in posts gone?

This is a significant upgrade so every single (almost 3 million!) post must be be rebuilt to fit the new forum. While this rebuilding is in progress some old posts will not display their images or attachments. The rebuild is currently about 2/3 through so should be finished within the next day. We didn't want to leave SGL offline any longer than was necessary so are leaving those tasks to complete in the background.

Why are the spaces so big?

The editor now defaults to starting a new paragraph when you press enter. Once you get used to this, it is easier because in most cases, that's what you want to do when you move down a line. If you do want to go to the next line, press 'Shift' and 'Enter' instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there any chance of some idiots instructions on how to use the new forum. All these activity switches mean nothing to me and I've no idea what they do when you click on them, or where to find what they changed.

What is a stream? And how do I add/remove stuff to the front page that I'd like to see? Where does a stream appear? And what do the different options mean cos they're all the same words etc.... Just a few of the questions I think a lot of folks will be asking. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be honest here , I personally hate this format , have just suffered an identical "upgrade" on another forum and it's awful in comparison to the old format/layout.

I understand that it's quicker , cleverer and better for smartphones ... and all the other plus points that'll get bandied about ... it's just not the layout for me I'm sad to say.

Been nice while it lasted , I'm sure you'll continue to be a great place to while away the cloudy evenings , sorry I won't be here so much with you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sorry i don't like this, immediate impression is its too long to scroll through things, the spacing and reply boxes are too large, 12 posts so far and I have to scroll 5-6 times to get to the bottom.

It's even worse on the front page of the forum with all the different sub forums

The colouring is nice, fits in with the main theme of the site and the background 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Starting to find my way round & seems to be functioning ok, I did check out my messages earlier & noticed all the pictures had gone, I'm guessing these are all taking time to be uploaded & also in my friends list its says they are followers now so something else to get used to I guess. Other than that seems ok to me so far.
That coming from me is good as I don't like change generally. I'm sure there will be a few bugs here & there that will get ironed out over time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Eri said:

sorry i don't like this, immediate impression is its too long to scroll through things, the spacing and reply boxes are too large, 12 posts so far and I have to scroll 5-6 times to get to the bottom.

It's even worse on the front page of the forum with all the different sub forums

The colouring is nice, fits in with the main theme of the site and the background 

Yes I agree, the line spacing is terrible, I just had to alter my sig as it was far to big with the extra spacing, another stargazing forum I used to frequent has had the same upgrade and I never visit anymore because of it, and now you have done the same, :(

i realise a lot of hard work goes into it, and I appreciate that, but if it ain't broke then leave well alone.......

and I thought it was fine before, maybe a few little things could have been tweaked, but all in all I preferred it to this, but just my opinion..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok another thing i am not a fan of, it makes a noise when someone likes a post in the thread? not just my post but anyones?

Sounds are in my opinion a no no for forums, i ran a scifi forum for about 5 years so i do understand the need for updating and it's always tricky getting a new look going and accepted, I also know the amount of time and effort involved.

Sorry if this sounds very negative but i believe it's better to give honest opinions so that the admin team are given every angle and get a better idea going forward to keep this place a lively and usable place

 

**Edit**

I found where I can turn sounds off which is good, it's in account settings notification settings but maybe have it turned off by default and let people know they can have sounds would be a better option

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ejp1684 said:

Could we have a theme which uses black text on a white or pale background? For reading for any length of time I would find it easier to read.

Eric.

Yes - we will be adding a white background theme option at some point :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Eri said:

ok another thing i am not a fan of, it makes a noise when someone likes a post in the thread? not just my post but anyones?

Sounds are in my opinion a no no for forums, i ran a scifi forum for about 5 years so i do understand the need for updating and it's always tricky getting a new look going and accepted, I also know the amount of time and effort involved.

Sorry if this sounds very negative but i believe it's better to give honest opinions so that the admin team are given every angle and get a better idea going forward to keep this place a lively and usable place

This is optional - you can turn it off in your notification settings: https://stargazerslounge.com/notifications/options/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.