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Community Feedback: New Forum Software Is Live!

61175 Views 1592 Replies 155 Participants Last post by  BobHall, 
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We are excited to announce that we are live on our new forum platform!

It’s been a long time coming. Let’s face it. Sometimes older forum technology lags behind other parts of the internet. Although seeing the same format for a long time is comforting, the member experience shouldn’t include dealing with outdated, unsafe, slow software.

The transition to a new platform will never be 100% smooth but the days of dealing with out of date forum software are over. We have teams dedicated to building a world-class community for you. The development has been steady with regular software releases since May 2019. Asking members for feedback and coming up with ideas for improvement is what we want.

Speed and Reliability Are Key
No one should have to wait for information. This site has been built to be much faster and more reliable, period.

New Homepage Experience
Our algorithm will serve a personal customized feed based on your prior engagement with content on the site. If you’ve liked and or commented, or are following certain topics that are of interest to you, similar content will appear at the top of the homepage.

Search
We have introduced new search algorithms, powered by an industry-leading AI platform, to help you find information faster. We plan to roll out new features to continue improving search, and to power many additional areas of the forum.

Due to the volume of content, our search platform may take some time to complete indexing over the first few days after migrating. During this process, you may see a limited number of posts until indexing has been completed. We appreciate your patience.

Finding Your Way Around
We have made the design clean and simple to use. Near the upper right-hand corner of the community, you will see navigation icons.

The first icon is for what’s new on the site.

Clicking on it, by default, will take you to new unread posts. On that page, you can click on additional tabs as well, such as Popular, if you prefer to view active topics.

Clicking the list icon next to “NEW” will bring you to the full forum listing.

Clicking your avatar will give you a drop-down menu for all things related to your account.

You can also navigate more by clicking the 3 vertical dots.

Dark Mode
We have introduced Dark Mode. One of our favorite features allows you to access the site with a power-saving, and easier on the eyes dark mode. You can access it in the drop-down menu under the 3 vertical dots.

Save Bookmarks
Now you can save your favorite discussion threads and posts! Bookmarks are a handy way to remember and easily find great content or stuff you want to read later.

We also wanted to make it easier for new users to understand the lingo of forums. We have cleaned up various language to more commonly recognized phrases including:
  • Following - Thread subscriptions, and Watched are now known as Following
  • Conversations - Private Messages or PMs are now conversations and can be accessed from the user avatar drop-down in the main navigation
  • Showcase - Showcase is designed for users to "showcase" items/projects through the use of uploaded images, text descriptions and custom content categories. It’s a way to visually and textually provide detailed information on the content you wish to share. The showcase would be similar to a catalog, whereas the gallery would be like a photo album. It can be accessed from the drop-down menu with the 3 dots.
Take a tour and look around! Check out the Help section for some quick FAQs about the new platform.

Please keep all feedback, questions, concerns, requests for help, etc. regarding the new platform right here in this Feedback thread. This will help us make sure not to miss a request for help and also let us pass along your thoughts to our Product team. The Admins and I will be here to help along the way taking note of your comments.

- Community Management Team
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BlueRidgeDog
Okay, so after using it a few times to update a current project, I note the following items for feedback:

  • Grid layout for "Projects" and "Showcase"
  • Remove the "Projects" word from the projects layout (waste of space...and we know what we are looking at...generally remove the heading/where you are indication from all places as you have the "breadcrumbs" trail at the top of the page)
  • Favorites figured out
  • Improve speed for posting (assume this is an AWS or similar instance, so more capacity or mirroring or separating hosts for duties). Since it is a fresh conversion, the database is a clean as it will ever be at this point and things will only get worse from here.
  • Reduce white space in general (make it look amazing on a desktop/laptop and passable on a phone versus how it is tailored now to be great on a phone and acceptable on a desktop/laptop). We are mostly older dudes. No offense to those who are not older dudes, just making an observation and mostly does not mean all. Given that fact, we access the site generally through a computer or similar. Your browser data should tell you the platforms used and I would wager most are coming to you from a large format device.
  • Update the "Recommended Reading" algorithm to include recent activity (it is recommending items from years ago currently).
  • Restore some of the previous separation between a project that is completed and one that is in process AND general forum traffic. The ability to create a blog series for a build then a final for the project was a good part of the site. Though if your intent is to convert blogs to threads, then find a way to make the OP's entries more stacked.
That is about all I could think of. XenForo should be able to customize the few items that would make it work for the audience. Keep in mind that LJ is a business. It has revenue and expenses and the first has to be greater than the second. The revenue comes from advertising. Advertising comes from traffic and traffic comes from content, so the LJ business is dependent on the free content provided by the members. That content needs to be front and center (better looking projects pages, better and more focused build blogs for other to follow along). Putting the time into making the content attractive and interesting will at the same time keep the revenue flowing. Previously LJ was two things. It was a forum and it was a place where woodworkers could show what they made and how they made it. The two were commingled a small bit but projects and blogs were some of the amazing content that brought clicks to your site and ad views to your bank. The current software is all forum in nature and I think the long term effect will be to reduce traffic/clicks/adviews.

I have done several migrations on a scale that equals this one and my hat is off to the LJ team for what must have been some massive stress. Also praise to the XenForo folks for creating a conversion algorithm that got it "mostly" right. I have written a few of those and there are many many late nights involved. It gives me chills just to recall! I am retired now and do woodwork!

Good luck with the new software. I am certain it will be a great home for LJ and will help you manage the business site better in the long run. The bugs will get solved.
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sras
BlueRidgeDog said:
Okay, so after using it a few times to update a current project, I note the following items for feedback:

  • Grid layout for "Projects" and "Showcase"
  • Remove the "Projects" word from the projects layout (waste of space...and we know what we are looking at...generally remove the heading/where you are indication from all places as you have the "breadcrumbs" trail at the top of the page)
  • Favorites figured out
  • Improve speed for posting (assume this is an AWS or similar instance, so more capacity or mirroring or separating hosts for duties). Since it is a fresh conversion, the database is a clean as it will ever be at this point and things will only get worse from here.
  • Reduce white space in general (make it look amazing on a desktop/laptop and passable on a phone versus how it is tailored now to be great on a phone and acceptable on a desktop/laptop). We are mostly older dudes. No offense to those who are not older dudes, just making an observation and mostly does not mean all. Given that fact, we access the site generally through a computer or similar. Your browser data should tell you the platforms used and I would wager most are coming to you from a large format device.
  • Update the "Recommended Reading" algorithm to include recent activity (it is recommending items from years ago currently).
  • Restore some of the previous separation between a project that is completed and one that is in process AND general forum traffic. The ability to create a blog series for a build then a final for the project was a good part of the site. Though if your intent is to convert blogs to threads, then find a way to make the OP's entries more stacked.
That is about all I could think of. XenForo should be able to customize the few items that would make it work for the audience. Keep in mind that LJ is a business. It has revenue and expenses and the first has to be greater than the second. The revenue comes from advertising. Advertising comes from traffic and traffic comes from content, so the LJ business is dependent on the free content provided by the members. That content needs to be front and center (better looking projects pages, better and more focused build blogs for other to follow along). Putting the time into making the content attractive and interesting will at the same time keep the revenue flowing. Previously LJ was two things. It was a forum and it was a place where woodworkers could show what they made and how they made it. The two were commingled a small bit but projects and blogs were some of the amazing content that brought clicks to your site and ad views to your bank. The current software is all forum in nature and I think the long term effect will be to reduce traffic/clicks/adviews.

I have done several migrations on a scale that equals this one and my hat is off to the LJ team for what must have been some massive stress. Also praise to the XenForo folks for creating a conversion algorithm that got it "mostly" right. I have written a few of those and there are many many late nights involved. It gives me chills just to recall! I am retired now and do woodwork!

Good luck with the new software. I am certain it will be a great home for LJ and will help you manage the business site better in the long run. The bugs will get solved.
Click to expand...
I would add that the blog functionality is seriously deficient. The list for that one is long.
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BlueRidgeDog
sras said:
I would add that the blog functionality is seriously deficient. The list for that one is long.
Click to expand...
Right. The blogs and the projects were always a separate item from the forums in most respects. There were mechanisms that made them successful...and as my post suggests...brought visitors and revenue to LJ. I hope they harvest some of that past discreteness so that members can continue to post their "build along with me" blogs and have a great project showcase for people to see, learn from, favorite and possibly build. Mixing this with the forum because that is the tool on the table will blunt it somewhat.
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Admin
Good Morning Y'all! 🌞

Give me some time to work backward to respond to your questions.

In the meantime, I have a favor to ask of y'all.

Can we keep all feedback, questions, concerns, requests for help, etc., regarding the new platform here in our Community Feedback thread?

The reason this is important is that we will be seeing regular updates, which are largely fueled by community feedback. While that doesn't mean we can action every request, it does mean we are actively listening to the feedback and sharing it with the developers. By keeping all of the information in one thread, we can help make sure that we don't miss anything.

We absolutely want to hear all of the feedback, both good and bad. We are just asking that it be posted to the community feedback thread.

I also need for y'all to take a moment to read through our FAQs.
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BlueRidgeDog said:
Right. The blogs and the projects were always a separate item from the forums in most respects. There were mechanisms that made them successful...and as my post suggests...brought visitors and revenue to LJ. I hope they harvest some of that past discreteness so that members can continue to post their "build along with me" blogs and have a great project showcase for people to see, learn from, favorite and possibly build. Mixing this with the forum because that is the tool on the table will blunt it somewhat.
Click to expand...
While we work through possible solutions, please consider using our Projects In Progress forum section.
www.lumberjocks.com

Projects In Progress

Post the project you're working on and update us on your progress from start to finish.
www.lumberjocks.com www.lumberjocks.com
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Brit
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If you search for the The Joys of Rust Hunting blog originally started by Donwilwol and then click 'Jump to Latest'
Rectangle Font Screenshot Software Number


You get taken to the last page in the tread.

Font Screenshot Electric blue Multimedia Software


However, if you then click the previous page (198), you get taken to a page showing a post made in 2014. There seems to be a massive chunk of the history missing.

Product Font Screenshot Software Multimedia


Is this because the pages are still being indexed?
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Ark68SS said:
What's the deal with this "Enable Push Notifications" pop up that keeps showing even after I've told it "never" 14,352 times already? Please, please, Make It Stop! :))
BillL
Click to expand...
Are you using an ad/script blocker? If so, disable it long enough to click Never.
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Mosquito said:
I would agree, I would love to see something more like this for the Showcase/Project section (This was done by almost exclusively modifying css styles in dev tools as a quick example/POC)
View attachment 3853889
Click to expand...
I have passed this information on to the developers.

- Cricket
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sras
Cricket said:
While we work through possible solutions, please consider using our Projects In Progress forum section.
www.lumberjocks.com

Projects In Progress

Post the project you're working on and update us on your progress from start to finish.
www.lumberjocks.com www.lumberjocks.com
Click to expand...
I would some more guidance as to why using a forum is an acceptable substitute for a blog.

I am hesitant to create blog content and have it tucked away in a forum thread and disconnected from all my other blog content.

I think I'll wait until things are cleaned up a bit.
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CommonJoe said:
When you are using the "NEW" ballon to follow discussions, I noticed that if someone posts a project it doesn't show up unless I have my settings wrong.
If that's the case, I think it should show up to give projects more attention.
Click to expand...
Categories within Showcase are not forum sections, so within NEW, you would need to click on New Showcase.
Rectangle Font Parallel Display device Darkness
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Ark68SS said:
What's the deal with this "Enable Push Notifications" pop up that keeps showing even after I've told it "never" 14,352 times already? Please, please, Make It Stop! :))
BillL
Click to expand...
Disable your ad blocker, click "Never" then re-enable your ad blocker! [edit: whoops, posted as Cricket was replying!]
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CommonJoe said:
I don't get why on the main page in the middle is the picture "Projects in Progress" when you go to it, it's closed. I understand advertising the new forum, but when you click on it you should be taken to the forum as well. Kind of missing the mark IMO
Click to expand...
The forum section is NOT closed. Only the sticky explaining it is.

- Cricket
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Mosquito
sras said:
I would some more guidance as to why using a forum is an acceptable substitute for a blog.

I am hesitant to create blog content and have it tucked away in a forum thread and disconnected from all my other blog content.

I think I'll wait until things are cleaned up a bit.
Click to expand...
Well, in short to answer the first part, it's not. It was the only way they knew of at the time, with the software solution they had, that they could retain the information from the existing blogs and not lose them entirely.
I really do hope they can come up with something better, because it was a great part of LJ that's missing from most forum-first platforms
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C
Cricket said:
Categories within Showcase are not forum sections, so within NEW, you would need to click on New Showcase.
View attachment 3853922
Click to expand...
Yes I understand that. I think a lot of us use "New" like the old "Pulse" Only suggesting that when a new project is posted or commented on, that it would show up under "New" so that it gets the attention without having to go look for it. From what I have read, a lot of this site is about projects and I think that projects need to be more prevalent.
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CommonJoe said:
Yes I understand that. I think a lot of us use "New" like the old "Pulse" Only suggesting that when a new project is posted or commented on, that it would show up under "New" so that it gets the attention without having to go look for it. From what I have read, a lot of this site is about projects and I think that projects need to be more prevalent.
Click to expand...
When you click on NEW the tab is right there.
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C
Cricket said:
When you click on NEW the tab is right there.
Click to expand...
OK, sorry!
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R
I am getting used to the new forum and think it has done very well for being so young.

IMHO....There is one area which I think could be improved and that is the Reviews. It is not useful to have all the categories and actually is pretty useless to find things. With the relative few number of reviews, I think it would be mire useful to do it the same as Projects...ie..Showcase.
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Mosquito said:
Well, in short to answer the first part, it's not. It was the only way they knew of at the time, with the software solution they had, that they could retain the information from the existing blogs and not lose them entirely.
I really do hope they can come up with something better, because it was a great part of LJ that's missing from most forum-first platforms
Click to expand...
The team might do better if they viewed blogs like projects instead of a forum topic.

In many ways the blogs are more content rich than projects - a build blog with several chapters certainly takes more effort than a project posting.

With the old format the build blogs were the first thing I checked when I logged on - and where I spent the most time.
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Mosquito
sras said:
The team might do better if they viewed blogs like projects instead of a forum topic.

In many ways the blogs are more content rich than projects - a build blog with several chapters certainly takes more effort than a project posting.

With the old format the build blogs were the first thing I checked when I logged on - and where I spent the most time.
Click to expand...
Yeah, and I know that's something that has been raised to the admin(s), and to the dev team behind it all as well (I've been one pushing for it, personally). I know there's a lot of exploration around it going on, so hopefully something good comes of it.
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Mosquito said:
I would agree, I would love to see something more like this for the Showcase/Project section (This was done by almost exclusively modifying css styles in dev tools as a quick example/POC)
View attachment 3853889
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yes now your talkin ! (y)
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