VB5 Demo Feedback

[John McGanty]

I'd love to hear from someone who likes the new comment system, why they like it.

Scott

As others have commented, this is optional and can be turned off. That said, we think some forums will find significant value in this, and I'll give a couple examples.

One is for threads which persist over an extended period of time. We operate over 200 forums and on many of these, some of the richest evergreen content was posted months or even years ago. In such cases there can be significant value in letting users attach add-on content to the relevant initial post on a subject.

Another use case where commenting will be helpful is in discussions with a broad range of subject matter. Imagine, "What's the greatest rock and roll album of all time?" (Do we still call them albums?) It might be much more readable to have all comments on each suggested album tied together with that album's original post.

[BUDIMAN]

Just want to chime in a bit although I'm not a vB developer - just a support staff member.

As Allen touched on, QA staff, vB Devs and support staff don't have any say when it comes to the managerial decision as to the timing of vB5 Beta launch, licensing and pricing policies. So setting aside decisions and factors outside of our control for the moment, here's some facts from my perspective:

1. vB Devs are currently analysing and identying the performance issues on the public vB5 Beta 10 demo, and ironing out those issues as we speak.

2. Subsequent vB5 Beta builds will definitely have lesser number queries per page and better performance than what you are currently witnessing on vB5 Beta 10 demo forums. How much better, I wouldn't know as I'm not a developer. Thus, the current vB5 Beta 10 demo shown isn't anywhere near representative of what to expect for final vB5 product. Same probably can be said for vB5 Search.

3. Yes the current vB5 Beta 10 demo forum is awfully slow. Even a 2 legged dog would be faster. But as already mentioned, subsequent vB5 Beta builds will definitely improve in terms of performance as vB Devs tireslessly squash each bug they come across.

4. Yes, one poor performing query can slow things down, I think most of us have experienced this ourselves with other mysql utilising apps as well besides vB. So can many efficiently performing queries out perform fewer poorly performing queries ? Of course it can. As it relates to vB5 current beta 10 build, as Wayne already linked to, vB devs are identifying all the problem areas, one example is http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBV-4345. So future vB5 builds will improve in terms of a lesser quantity of queries per page as well as their efficiency. Again vB5 Beta 10 demo isn't anywhere near representative of what to expect for final vB5 product.

Then, don't sell it. Just give to them to test it out.. Poor on http://pvgaming.com/forums/

[SighK]

I really dislike how the 'Activity Stream' is getting so much emphasis on the Forum Home. It's a huge waste of space and relegates the rest of the forum categories to a small little box up the top. I feel as you guys are trying to make the Activity Stream like the Facebook Newsfeed but about forums IMO that will be disastrous for Big Boards and I HOPE there is a simple function to return the Forum Category to normal as per 3.8 and vB4.

I am strongly opposed to the above as it feels unnatural/complicated - can you imagine the general user base trying to figure it out and use it if I (a forum admin) gets confused.

[Ramsesx]

As others have commented, this is optional and can be turned off. That said, we think some forums will find significant value in this, and I'll give a couple examples.

One is for threads which persist over an extended period of time. We operate over 200 forums and on many of these, some of the richest evergreen content was posted months or even years ago. In such cases there can be significant value in letting users attach add-on content to the relevant initial post on a subject.

Another use case where commenting will be helpful is in discussions with a broad range of subject matter. Imagine, "What's the greatest rock and roll album of all time?" (Do we still call them albums?) It might be much more readable to have all comments on each suggested album tied together with that album's original post.

Welcome John, when do you expect the 200 forums upgrading to vB5? Thanks.

[craigvm]

I'd love to hear from someone who likes the new comment system, why they like it.

Scott

to be honest that alone would put me off the quote system is better leave the comment system on facebook where it belongs

[Zachery]

Comments are a type of contentype (as I understand it). Comments are used for blog responses, instead of replies.

You can disable them for the post content type.

[Super Cat]

Post comments are a new feature, when we (as testers) first saw them, some liked them, some hated them.
It was requested that there be the ability to turn them off, this was added.

Some people suggested that they may be useful for staff comments, so it would be useful if they could have some usergroup permissions on them.
That would be a more complex change and has not yet been implemented.

What may be better than usergroup could be per forum. This way it could be set up like a facebook newsfeed without it being everywhere with a usergroup.

[Andy]

I really dislike how the 'Activity Stream' is getting so much emphasis on the Forum Home. It's a huge waste of space and relegates the rest of the forum categories to a small little box up the top. I feel as you guys are trying to make the Activity Stream like the Facebook Newsfeed but about forums IMO that will be disastrous for Big Boards and I HOPE there is a simple function to return the Forum Category to normal as per 3.8 and vB4.

I am strongly opposed to the above as it feels unnatural/complicated - can you imagine the general user base trying to figure it out and use it if I (a forum admin) gets confused.

I completely agree. The 'Activity Stream' is a terrible way of displaying new content and I will be disabling them them.

[acwatts]

Why have VB gone down the activity route in VB5, when so many people asked how to disable it in VB4.2

[SighK]

While you can disable the activity streams in individual modules, you'll need to maintain those modules on the page. The topic list, forum list, etc... are all technically part of the Activity Stream modules.

So basically it'll require custom coding to return the 'legacy' Forum Home?

That pretty much ensures I DO NOT upgrade to vBulletin 5.

Can you explain to me the logic behind the Activity Stream getting such extreme emphasis and the reason for moving away from listing forums in the fashion we're ALL use to regardless of forum software that is used?

How does it improve a typical forum users forum experience being bombed with what others are posting in threads all over the forum? And let me guess the subscription feature will be there for those who want to refine what shows up on their activity stream? Now I am confused are we trying to be Reddit or Facebook. It's a silly move that serves no real purpose other than to confuse existing users and frustrate new users in the future when they're forced to subscribe to forums to prevent gunk clogging up the 'Activity Feed'

Totally pointless

[Wayne Luke]

I completely agree. The 'Activity Stream' is a terrible way of displaying new content and I will be disabling them them.

While you can disable the activity streams in individual modules, you'll need to maintain those modules on the page. The topic list, forum list, etc... are all technically part of the Activity Stream modules.

Personally, I see future potential in the Activity Stream and the filtering it provides in vBulletin 5. It needs three things...

1) The templates need to be tightened up so each entry.
2) Items need to be grouped better. So instead of nine entries for replies on a thread it says "Thread XYZ has nine new posts".
3) Filters need to be in two forums... Permanant Saved Filter options and the ability to have temporary filters.

[SighK]

While you can disable the activity streams in individual modules, you'll need to maintain those modules on the page. The topic list, forum list, etc... are all technically part of the Activity Stream modules.

Personally, I see future potential in the Activity Stream and the filtering it provides in vBulletin 5. It needs three things...

1) The templates need to be tightened up so each entry.
2) Items need to be grouped better. So instead of nine entries for replies on a thread it says "Thread XYZ has nine new posts".
3) Filters need to be in two forums... Permanant Saved Filter options and the ability to have temporary filters.

So basically the aim of the Activity Stream is to give users greater control over the content that is displayed to them?

Fair enough but mutilating the very core of what makes a forum, a forum isn't the way to go to come to that position.

Why not keep the 'legacy' forum home like we're ALL use to regardless of forum platform and simply add a feature for users to Filter out forums from showing up in their Unread Posts, New Posts etc?

Instead you're trying to totally change the look and feel of forums for what? To introduce a filter?

You're doing it wrong.

[acwatts]

Looks to me like VB are trying to cash in on Facebook users, give them something they are used to. It's been heading the Facefarce route for some time, look at the apps. Forum apps left broke for long periods, Facebook app was given an instant hot fix when a problem was found.

[Wayne Luke]

Why not keep the 'legacy' forum home like we're ALL use to regardless of forum platform and simply add a feature for users to Filter out forums from showing up in their Unread Posts, New Posts etc?

Pretty sure if you look at the current demo via the HOME tab, it gives you the classic Forum Listing after it is done loading everything.

The Forum tab is not the a representation of the the FORUMHOME page in vBulletin 4.2.0. It is direct look into the Forum Channel. FORUMHOME and the Forum Channel are two different things.

The Forum Tab was only added because of a question by Andy and I told him it wouldn't work like he wanted it to. That is the demo showing it doesn't work the way he wants it to.

I've just gone ahead and removed the Forums tab because it really is more trouble than its worth.

[SighK]

Pretty sure if you look at the current demo via the HOME tab, it gives you the classic Forum Listing after it is done loading everything.

I Will be able to sleep like a baby having just checked and confirmed that the Classic Forum Listing is still there: http://www.vbulletin.com/vb5demo/

Faith has been restored for me.

In regards to the filter why not take some ideas from the following two old modifications:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=168303

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=132279

With the right implementation of the above (simplicity is the key) the Activity Stream can be scrapped.

The only place I could see the Activity Stream (AS) being useful is within the Profile seeing what mutual friends are up to but the current state of the AS is pointless because it seems to show everyone's activities in a way which isn't necessary. Why not just have PHP file for instance unread.php that displays thread activity only (controllable by a simple to use forum filter!) and instead of the preview loading for each you hover over a thread title and you get some details, neat, simple and easy on the eyes.