Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

[Fenyx]

Hi!
Although I haven't been actively posting here (unlike aysiu), I've been watching this forum for a few months now. I would like to thank the admin/mods for offering a sort of alternative place where people can get help with Kubuntu. I also like that this site has a sort of front page. It has a nice feel to it. I'd also like to ask some questions and make some suggestions regarding the format of the forums. Please excuse me if some of my questions/suggestions are beyond the capabilities of the forum software, as I have barely little (actually almost none) idea about forum software.

1. Question: Is notification of subscribed threads only done through e-mail? There was a suggestion of having a sort of "subscribed threads" feature. (re: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...=3878.0;id=450) While I don't mind my e-mail being bombarded by important stuff coming from here, I think it would be a bit more convenient if one could just log in the forums and see if there had been any replies to my posts/threads, without having to check the e-mail.
2. Question: Is it possible to have an RSS Feed for the forums? I noticed that there's an RSS section in the front page, but it's for RSS coming from other feeds.
3. Suggestion: Rearranging the Forums. This is related to this thread (re: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=3878.0)
Taking into consideration what was talked about there, I would like to suggest this order:

******************************************
Important Information
News and Announcements
Forums
Kubuntu
Security Patches
Linux/KDE
Documentation
FAQ
Customization/Optimization
Experimental
*** Version A of Help and Support: Version-based sections ***
Help and Support
Help the New Guy
Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger
Installation and Boot
Hardwaare
Software
Networking
Next Release: Dapper Drake
Previous Release:
Hoary Hedgehog
Warty Warthhog (anyone still using this?)
Bugs
Other Desktops
GNOME
Xfce
Everything Else
*** Version B of Help and Support: General Support except for Dapper ***
Help and Support
Help the New Guy
Installation and Boot
Hardwaare
Software
Networking
Dapper Drake
Bugs
Other Desktops
GNOME
Xfce
Everything Else
******************************************
Multilingual Support
Espanol*
French
******************************************
Discussions
Miscellaneous Linux/Kubuntu Topics
Artwork
Gaming
Coding/Scripting
Kubuntuforums Feedback
Site Improvements
Forum Ideas
Dynamic FAQ
Community Chat
Testimonials
Distribution Showdown
Classified Ads
Geek News
Anything
******************************************

Well, these are just of the things I could think of right now. I look forward to spending and enjoying my time here. Thanks for the great work on this site!

*I'm sorry about the spelling. I just recently realized I don't know how to type that kind of letter "N"...

[askrieger]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Re: your quetion 1. when you login look at the right hand column. There's an entry called new replies. I think that's what you want.

[Open Source]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

I am working on the RSS feed. I will get back to you.

[Fenyx]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

@askrieger: hey thanks for that! I completely didn't know about that feature. you know why? those two panels at the side (left and right) are hidden by default. I can't see them. Is there anyway I can have them show by default?

@Open Source: you are the coolest!

How about rearranging the forums? any plans on that?

[askrieger]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

I thught they were VISIBLE by defaiult on the login page. If you normally visit the site by clicking on the link in a message telling you that there's a new reply to a post, you probably don't see the main page very often. In any event once you are in the forums there are quick links to both unread posts and new replies on every page. Open the sidebars, though they have some interesting stuff.

[Fenyx]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Well, the side bars are always on in the main/front page (www.kubuntuforums.net), but not always in the forums (www.kubuntuforums.net/forums). And even if I make it visible by clicking the >> and << buttons at the sides, once I go into/out of a section/thread, it hides again, so I have to click on those two buttons to make them visible again and again. Of course there's a "Show new replies to your posts" link at the very top (which I only noticed now... how embarrassing...). But still I prefer the side panels. They look much better.

[Open Source]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

I have the sidebars closed by default when viewing the forums because of user request. Some people have low resolution, so screen space is limited. If by popular vote you want me to have them shown by default let me know with a poll.

[Open Source]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

As soon as the official release of dapper comes out, I will move the forums around.

[Fenyx]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Oh no. If by popular vote they wanted the side bars out, then by all means, let me not hinder the will of the masses. Anyway, I just thought that there might be an option to turn it on/off just for my profile. This forum software you are using (SMF, right? that's what the Help page tells me) has some neat features, like the side panels. I just find it a bit lacking in the "customizable" area.

When Dapper comes out... that will be June 1, 2006. No biggie.

Btw, the News section is a bit out of date. After Flight-4, KOffice 1.5 beta 2 and amaroK 1.4 beta 2 (which only works in Dapper) was released. Then just last week Flight-5 was released. You might also want to have a notice regarding a critical security patch for the kernel. There might be some people who don't/rarely visit the "other" forums.
Here's the link for the security patch announcement: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=143622

[Open Source]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Do to constant changes in the Linux world, I have now changed the permissions for the Kubuntu Announcements so that any member can post announcements. This will hopefully keep everyone up to date. As of right now, people can reply to topics as well, but I may change that in the future depending on how things go. Also the sidebars are actually part of MkPortal which is the frontpage you see before entering the forums. That software is less customizable for the individual user. SMF is actually pretty customizable for its settings.

[Fenyx]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Oh I see...
So MkPortal (the one that handles the side bars) and SMF (the forum software) are two different apps? Ok, I'm learning here.

Do you mind if I posted the news I just mentioned (KOffice, Flight-5, and the security patch)? I might be a bit too late, but you never know who just might need the info.

[Open Source]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Go right ahead. The Kubuntu Announcements forum is now open for all members to post in order to keep the public up to date on Kubuntu items.

[Fenyx]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Great! Thanks for the go signal. Just posted three topics in the Kubuntu announcements:
1. KOffice 1.5 beta 2 and amaroK 1.4 beta 2
2. Kubuntu Flight 5
3. Ubuntu patch for installer password disclosure flaw (I'm not sure if this news/topic reached here).
If ever there are new official news from KDE, Kubuntu or Ubuntu, I'd be happy to post them there. Note that I will only post official ones. Stuff like the delay of Dapper have no official press releases yet.

Thanks for all your wonderful efforts, Open Source! Glad and proud to be part of the Kubuntu community.

[Open Source]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Ok RSS feed up and running. Check the Forum Administrative Announcements section for configuring it.

[Fenyx]

Re: Some Forum Questions and Suggestions

Wow! This is great! exactly what I have been looking for! (Ubuntuforums, AFAIK, doesn't have an RSS for unread replies/posts, but I've requested for it). This is sooo nice! I'll be customizing it now!

Btw, I will be making a sort of list for the korresponding Kubuntuforum section and the # to be put in the RSS link. Where should I post it?

Is sa=recent the only sub-action option possible? I tried putting sa=unreadreplies and sa=unread and still got the same output as sa=recent.