Total members that have visited the forum in the last 24 hours

[Ronin Storm]

perhaps even another bar of info could go in on the left side?

I don't think we can go there on two accounts.

1024px width is the maximum we're going to be supporting in Fixed templates for the next while and then some. Those at Uni, those at work (naughty monkeys that you are ) and those with lesser computers may well be forced to resolutions of 1024x768 and so that's the maximum we can realistically support for the moment.

The current sidebar is around 180 pixels, leaving 800 pixels for the main content. A loss of a further 180 pixels, leaving 620 pixels for the main content is really too squashed for reading the forum at anything like a sensible font size. Looked at another way, one third of the screen (assuming 1024 width as indicated above) would be sidebars. Too much priority to persistent content, not enough on specific content.

(Sorry, I hope that didn't come across as "that was a dumb idea" as it wasn't, just one I've already considered and discarded!)

distinction between the "currently active users" bar and the "users in the past 24h" bar?

The poll is about the second. Currently active users is a block of very high importance as it indicates that you aren't the only person here. It's a critical community piece and I feel very strongly that it needs to be on the first screen impression at 1024x768.

For testing I use Firefox's cunning web developer extension to force my browser down to the right size as if I were viewing on a 1024x768 screen. Actually, I lie... not just for testing, I usually browse THN in that format.

 

[BiG D]

Currently active users is a block of very high importance as it indicates that you aren't the only person here.

Unless you're me, who is always around when the forum is empty

Worth noting as well that I sometimes have 3 or 4 toolbars + tabs at the top of my firefox window, so my screenspace is less than most. Depending on how many events there are, and how many people are online, I can generally see the whole Currently Active Users panel.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Currently my THN front-page (Blue2[Scaling]) goes down twice as far as the side bar does, that's oodles of space for fun information.

Mmm, sure, though if you hit a smaller page then the bar overlaps the content by about a million miles. That said, those pages are very much the exception. The full length of the page is driven by the bar that is longest, whichever it may be.

It seems to me that the best position for a "Most Recent Posts" block would be directly beneath "Currently Active Users"... close enough so that you can see it exists without supplanting potentially more important information.

On the Blue2 series I am (in my madder moments) wondering whether there's something we can do about the logo...

 

[Ronin Storm]

I sometimes have 3 or 4 toolbars + tabs at the top of my firefox window

Absolutely, though because you've chosen a few more toolbars you've done that knowing that it'd be at the expense of page browsing real estate. It's all pretty rough, but what can be pulled up probably should be pulled up.

 

[Macca]

I think that the problem is people think that it will be taken away for good, might be an idea just to clarify that it will not be taken away and simply minimised, so that anyone can see it if they want, its just a case of an extra click.

I think a "recent post" bar would be much more useful than the "recent member 24 hour" bar thats there presently. I know myself that I used the "recent post" bar a hell of a lot on the old forums and would be useful here too.

 

[DeZmond]

I think that the problem is people think that it will be taken away for good, might be an idea just to clarify that it will not be taken away and simply minimised, so that anyone can see it if they want, its just a case of an extra click.

I think a "recent post" bar would be much more useful than the "recent member 24 hour" bar thats there presently. I know myself that I used the "recent post" bar a hell of a lot on the old forums and would be useful here too.

Not a bad idea. I know that I use "Current Active Users" more than the total members who have visited the forum in the last 24 hours. An interesting point here is that if the block is removed you can cut down on server bandwidth and page loading times for people on slow connections!

So... yes. Bring back the recent posts block. If there is no such existing vB mod (although I'm certain there is) you could stick in an RSS feed parser and link it to the RSS2 output from these forums. A bit like what I've done with comedy.

 

[Taffy]

I don't use it very often, but:

My watch goes down to 2000 feet. I'm never going to go down to 2000 feet, but it's ice to know that it's okay if I drop it in the sink

To translate, unless it's hogging huge amounts of bandwidth (which somehow I doubt) then we may as well keep it. It's useful if you wanna check up on people and slap them for not being regular THNers

Plus what piacular said, it's colourful

 

[Macca]

Its not really the point of keeping it. It's still going to be there no matter what (just minimised). The debate now is whether a "recent topics" bar - see the bottom left hand corner of the old forums - would be a greater asset than the maximised "active 24 hours user menu".

 

[pHatBambi]

Can it not be toggled so that it becomes a user preference?

ie. If I set it to minimised it will always be minimised when I join the site using my login.

If you could do that then I wouldn't mind if it was minimised as a default as I could just set it to be expanded and leave it at that.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Can it not be toggled so that it becomes a user preference?

It does appear to remember the state it was last in, actually. That's rather interesting... probably set in cookies...

Does it remember for you too?

 

[DeZmond]

It does appear to remember the state it was last in, actually. That's rather interesting... probably set in cookies...

That would be the logical conclusion - the whole point of having the things customisable is that you don't have to look at things that would otherwise fill your screen. If it's in the cookies then it shouldn't be too difficult to tie into a user option. Or indeed, could simply make such a thing redundant.