Journals

[oiuyt]

Fix them back, PLEASE!

Not a big fan of the new layout.

Suggestion for improvement to the old layout: just add a link at the bottom of the list of the X (20?) most recent entries to get the next X. Would help for when you haven't been on for a few days and want to catch up on your journal reading but enough entries have been made to scroll some unread ones off the bottom of the list and into oblivion (unless you happen to catch which journals have entries you've missed and go after those entries).

-B :)

[Zilverzmurfen]

OMG it's horrible, I can't find anything anymore!

Please change it back!

[Pauli]

I'm not particularly fond of the lay out either.....
It sure has not improved, was better before....

[Zilverzmurfen]

On the other hand I just noticed an improvement: I am now able to edit my "Journal Buddy" list. I couldn't do that before.

[Peach]

I dislike the new layout myself.

[esskreemr]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

On the other hand I just noticed an improvement: I am now able to edit my "Journal Buddy" list. I couldn't do that before.

What exactly is a "journal buddy"? What use is it to appoint someone your buddy?

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by esskreemr

What exactly is a "journal buddy"? What use is it to appoint someone your buddy?

I'm not sure. I think it's just like a shortcut to that particular persons journal or something...

...so not much use at all, really!
But you're my buddy anyways, on or off-journal!

[VERITAS]

I agree - the new format is somewhat irritating.

Please change the order so that the most recent entry is shown first.The buddies feature is kinda nice, but hardly necessary. Naming the journal was fun, though.

[LUDICROUS]

Could we pleaaase have it the way it was?

[Craig]

The "old" system isn't supported anymore by the author, so I moved to the "new" system which will be supported and made to be compatible with the next major change in the overall forum software code this fall.

I can't go back to the old system, but I can figure out how to tweak the new system to display things better.

One thing is that I know of is that the last entry time will get updated when you add a new entry to your journal. Try adding an entry and see if that helps at all.

There are a lot of differences between the old and new systems, mainly in the back-end for sysadmin management and efficiency. I'll work to get the front end looking better.

Right now I'm working on finishing out the Moscow Sabre DVD, so this will have to wait until I'm done with the DVD.

Thanks!
Craig

[Craig]

OK, This one was a really easy fix (2 characters to change)

The journals now show in descending order of date entered. No function to choose ascending (oldest first) vs. descending (newest first) at the moment. If people want that, then I can work on getting it in.

What would be useful to me for this would be if one or two people would submit to this thread what changes are needed/wanted in the journal system. Be as specific as you can be and then when I can come back and spend more time on this, I'll have a good set of requirements to work from (and hire a coder if I need to!)

What specifically did you like about the older layout that you don't like about this layout, etc. (And I know that the graphics need to be changed to be in line with the rest of the site - that's already on the list.)

Thanks,
Craig

[Peach]

I just fixed a recent entry and realized you had fixed the display so that the most recent entry is on top! That was my biggest objection, since it meant I had to go to the last page to read other people's journals or to check my own.

I liked the display by most frequently read because the most frequently read journals are the ones I read most frequently I realize that doesn't hold for everyone.

[Craig]

Also changed the comments to be Ascending order so that your journal entries are newest first, but comments on the entry are oldest to newest.

I'll look at a way to sort by most read.

Craig

[oiuyt]

I say either punt the box titled welcome to vB journal (or something similar to that) or at least drop it below the mainsection listing journals. Make the default for the main section be sorted by most recent journal entry - descending. With those two changes it would be comparable to what it was prior to the recent changes. More tweak suggestions once I've played a bit more.

For reference, I read journals nearly daily, frequently/occasionally post comments, but have never made a journal entry of my own, so I won't have any feedback on that portion.

-B :)

[oiuyt]

Sorting (say, to get most recently updated journals) and then trying to go to the next page doesn't work correctly (jumps to sorted by journal start date).

It would be nice if, after asking the welcome to vB jounal box were shrunk closed it stayed that way. Whether I come back to the journal homepage via link or via the back button the welcome box is reexpanded. Of course, if this box goes away completely or is moved away from chewing up most of the first screen this is less of an issue. :)

-B :)

[mrbiggs]

For me, I think the main problem with the new layout is the asthetics. The old one was uncluttered and simple. Also, I basically only looked at the recently updated journals. So, when I was reading journals, I'd just look at the box in the corner.

So, in short, I really don't care about the layout of the journals, except for:

a way to get to mine

a way to see the list of the 10 or so most recent journals, with author, title, and date when it was updated. Also, it's handy when these links lead to the journals themselves, rather than a specific entry.

That's just me, though.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Just some random thoughts coming up:

• A list of the latest journal entries is good, but I think that list could be just a little longer.
• The list at the bottom of the page; "Journals for Fencing.Net Discussion Board", what's it for and why are they not sorted by username or views?
• What's with Latest Journals? I don't get it...
• Thanks for getting the entries sorted by entry date (latest entry first).
  Would it be possible to get the comments sorted in a similar way?

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

A list of the latest journal entries is good, but I think that list could be just a little longer.

Limited to 5 right now due to space.

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

The list at the bottom of the page; "Journals for Fencing.Net Discussion Board", what's it for and why are they not sorted by username or views?

Use the "Display Options:" menu to choose how you want them sorted. The default is by the start date of the journal, but you can change that. I may change the default to either most views or most recently updated, but you can always change the sort order with that form.

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

What's with Latest Journals? I don't get it...

Latest Journals refers to the last 5 journals that have been created. It's to let you know what the new journals/blogs are so that you can check them out. (As oppossed to "latest entries" which are based on the entry and could be a very old/existing journal.)

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Thanks for getting the entries sorted by entry date (latest entry first).
Would it be possible to get the comments sorted in a similar way?[/list]

I am leaving comments sorted oldest first. Since the comments build on each other they should stay in that order - otherwise it just looks really weird to me.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Ok, thanks for sorting that out!

[oiuyt]

Can no longer choose to disable smilies in journal comments. :(

-B :)