Forum Update Completed - Issue List

[Props Valroa 26,039]

Moments ago, Jeric said:

This is a little within the scope of the reason for the change. We do not want users to create posts and replies to topics because they are incentivized by post count. We want them to post because they have something to say within the confines of the topic. 
 

My grandfather had a saying that I still consider an important guiding principle in my life. “Do a thing for the right reason.” 
 

Simple, but a salient point of view when you are managing an online connection. Also appropriate for those that post for statistics that have little meaningful value on their own. 

That makes sense however seeing numbers go up due to something you are doing is satisfying for everyone I bet.  

[Tacodidra 59,792]

Logging in doesn't work properly, at least for me. If I fill my data in the fields that appear at the top of the screen (regardless of whether I use my display name or email), I get a message saying my username or password is incorrect (I actually got locked out trying to sign in earlier tonight). Signing in through Poniverse works the way it should.

[Silly Druid 6,138]

I'm getting this error:

[Clawdeen 12,109]

1 hour ago, Tacodidra said:

Logging in doesn't work properly, at least for me. If I fill my data in the fields that appear at the top of the screen (regardless of whether I use my display name or email), I get a message saying my username or password is incorrect (I actually got locked out trying to sign in earlier tonight). Signing in through Poniverse works the way it should.

I actually have this issue as well. I got locked out of my account earlier trying to log in. I’m able to sign in through poniverse fine.

[Twilight Sparkle97 395]

@Jeric For some reason, I had to reset my password on my account this morning. I couldn't log on this morning. I'm not sure if the forum upgrade affected my password or if someone purposely changed my password, but I would like to know what really happened. 

[Rikifive 23,486]

  

47 minutes ago, Jeric said:

I’ve been constantly tweaking the max-width to try and find a balance between seeing the background and the content. I’ll keep making changes as I keep testing the different view port sizes. 

Perhaps using both, % and px could be a good option? For example if you'd still like to have at least that 5% for background, you could add a cap to that, let's say, normally have 1340px and switch to 95% when the display has less than 1430px (and then it would be further modified with current settings to 100% for screens lower than 979px).

  

38 minutes ago, Califorum said:

I personally disagree with this decision. Without seeing the post count on threads, posts, etc, I feel less incentive to post in general. It looks bland.

If that makes things somewhat better, there's still the badge, that is connected to your post count displayed.

To be honest I also preferred having that displayed in posts. At least a tiny number would be nice.  ...Buuuuuut in the end it's not a big deal for me I suppose.

28 minutes ago, Tacodidra said:

Logging in doesn't work properly, at least for me. If I fill my data in the fields that appear at the top of the screen (regardless of whether I use my display name or email), I get a message saying my username or password is incorrect (I actually got locked out trying to sign in earlier tonight). Signing in through Poniverse works the way it should.

20 minutes ago, Operetta said:

I actually have this issue as well. I got locked out of my account earlier trying to log in. I’m able to sign in through poniverse fine.

If I recall correctly, before the upgrade, clicking the login button instantly redirected you to Poniverse - so you've been always logging in through Poniverse. Changing the password on forums also redirected you to Poniverse. It looks like passwords between Poniverse and MLPF accounts aren't synced, so typing in the same data in the MLPF login box results in incorrect passwords, same as MLPF - Poniverse usernames aren't the same thing and can be different. Basically your Poniverse account handles logging in. I suppose users shouldn't see the login box on the forums and that it might be removed later? idk, but anyway, try logging in through Poniverse, as you always did.

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,520]

1 hour ago, Califorum said:

That makes sense however seeing numbers go up due to something you are doing is satisfying for everyone I bet.  

The "rank badge" under your avatar (that starts at Blank Flank, then progresses through Muffin > Cupcake > etc.) is meant as a fun replacement for in-thread post counters that rewards you with a progression of new badges as you make more posts over time but without emphasizing the specific number as an important piece of information for all the world to know while reading your content. The FAQ page that contains the list is sadly broken at the moment (there's lots to still fix up that broke during the upgrade) but here's a partial screenshot of the list from the admin panel:

These badges fulfil the "fun" aspects of post counts but differ spirit by reinforcing MLPF's pony theme (everyone starts as a Blank Flank, just like newborn foals!) and feel more like long-term rewards for ongoing contributions to the community; watching a generic number count up with every post, in comparison, is more like the short-term dopamine jolts from getting a like on a Facebook post. Yes yes, I know we have a brohoof/reactions system but there are no "rewards" for it beyond the software's "won the day" thing and a somewhat hidden "leaderboard"). Being motivated to earn the next badge is more fun and creates a friendlier community atmosphere in my opinion than being motivated to increment a counter over and over again.

Most forums show post counters because that's what most forum software does out of the box but I've observed it subtly breeding elitism over time on many sites, creating a sense of classism between longtime users and new ones. This has torn apart more forums I've been on in the past than I can count; de-emphasizing the counters helps make the site more welcoming to newer as well as less active users by not constantly intimidating them with higher numbers than their own that we humans reflexively compare and generate feelings about - and making MLPF fun for new users is just as important as keeping it fun for everyone who's already here.

Please give the new look without these counters a chance and pay attention to your feelings about posts and their authors as you read various threads and write your posts. The difference is psychological and might be pretty subtle but I expect you'll feel a friendlier vibe to the site after an adjustment period.

Edited January 2, 2021 by Twilight Sparkle ✨
fix broken screenshot

[Sparklefan1234 161,860]

What does it mean when mentions are light blue? 

[Props Valroa 26,039]

Where is the 'recent visitors' tab on profiles, is that removed from this update? Where you can see users who recently viewed your profile.

[Rikifive 23,486]

14 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

What does it mean when mentions are light blue? 

You mean like this @Sparklefan1234? Stylization of mentions has changed in the software update. It's just how it looks now, there's nothing special behind that.

Beware of flashbangs in boop threads 

7 minutes ago, Califorum said:

Where is the 'recent visitors' tab on profiles, is that removed from this update? Where you can see users who recently viewed your profile.

It is where it was, but at the bottom. Previously it was somewhere at the top, now, at least at the moment, it's the last block.

[Props Valroa 26,039]

1 minute ago, Rikifive said:

You mean like this @Sparklefan1234? Stylization of mentions has changed in the software update. It's just how it looks now, there's nothing special behind that.

It is where it was, but at the bottom. Previously it was somewhere at the top, now, at least at the moment, it's the last block.

Thats quite strange, hmm. I guess there is a lot of discovery to do in these new updates, eh? Will there be a dark mode? 

[Rikifive 23,486]

4 hours ago, King of Canterlot said:

Oh I'm also going to add that the "recent visitors" block on my profile page has vanished too 

If you're still looking for this, it is where it was, but at the bottom.  

4 minutes ago, Califorum said:

Thats quite strange, hmm. I guess there is a lot of discovery to do in these new updates, eh?

New forum layout/theme was one of the bigger mentions regarding what's in the update, so yeah, expect things to be a bit different and/or placed somewhere else.

6 minutes ago, Califorum said:

Will there be a dark mode? 

You asked that already and Jeric has already gave you an answer:

21 hours ago, Jeric said:

Yes. This is certainly on the recent to do list in the near future.

If you meant to ask me in particular / for my input, then I can't add anything more to what Jeric has said, as I'm not in charge of themes. 

[Sparklefan1234 161,860]

31 minutes ago, Rikifive said:

You mean like this @Sparklefan1234? Stylization of mentions has changed in the software update. It's just how it looks now, there's nothing special behind that.

Beware of flashbangs in boop threads 

 

Oh. I thought light blue meant someone wasn't online. 

[Jeric 46,834]

@Twilight Sparkle ✨ beat me to the punch on a few things. The brohoof rep button is now visible. 

[Jeric 46,834]

Re: Login issues. The internal login was removed. We only use the Poniverse login. Sorry I missed that guys. 

[raykv423 1,689]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

 

Oh. I thought light blue meant someone wasn't online. 

....although that wasn't a bad idea. Maybe there should be a light blue dot sitting beside a user which means someone logged out of that account and/or no longer active and/or wasn't online. Kinda like In Facebook and FB Messengers which whenever someone's active on Facebook, there's a green dot on their FB profile pics. I know there's already a "Last Visited" thing but still. 
 

EDIT: And maybe if the account is banned/suspended (or in this case, "banished" ), there could be a red bot indicating someone's MLP Forums account is banished/suspended. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by raykv423

[Sparklefan1234 161,860]

58 minutes ago, Jeric said:

Re: Login issues. The internal login was removed. We only use the Poniverse login. Sorry I missed that guys. 

 

Is that why I was locked out twice even though I typed everything correctly all six (?) times?

[Jeric 46,834]

30 minutes ago, raykv423 said:

EDIT: And maybe if the account is banned/suspended (or in this case, "banished" ), there could be a red bot indicating someone's MLP Forums account is banished/suspended. 

I almost want to address this in its own post since I do not want this topic to become a discussion on ban policy (you are welcome to make a topic in Feedback or Site Questions or PM if you want to know more on that). I'm a proponent of being transparent, so to answer your question the way we have handled banned accounts has been changed quite a few times over the years. As bans are not always permanent, I don't think that a badge and red name highlighting someone's punishment is the right way to go. Ignoring for a moment that some of you talk to each other outside of MLPF, I would rather a reinstated user not have the fact that had a public notice of being banned hanging over their head. It doesn't serve any purpose to the community, the staff, or the old user. 

 

8 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Is that why I was locked out twice even though I typed everything correctly all six (?) times?

It is. Back in 2013 the site switched to a single login system and disconnected the default forum one. The default one shows up with each update and I didn't catch it this time. 

[Sparklefan1234 161,860]

2 hours ago, Jeric said:

It is. Back in 2013 the site switched to a single login system and disconnected the default forum one. The default one shows up with each update and I didn't catch it this time. 

 

Thank You SO MUCH for fixing the issue and for changing the notification icons back to red! 

 

Also, what are the dimensions for profile banners now?

Edited January 2, 2021 by Sparklefan1234

[Dabmanz 2,128]

Didn't realize this post existed just made a status saying the only bug I noticed was the smaller banner. GG ^^  

[Rikifive 23,486]

11 hours ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Also, what are the dimensions for profile banners now?

Initially the site width after update had no limits and could be super-wide on bigger displays, which introduced more things to worry about when designing profile banners. The wider the site was, the more stretched the image was, resulting in having even less vertical area displayed.

However, the max-width cap has been restored to 1340px, so in the end nothing has changed in regards to profile banners, or at least it seems to be displayed just like it was earlier.

Like earlier, sadly there aren't ideal dimensions for these, as their display varies between screens/devices. The lower the width of the display, the more of the image can be seen vertically.

> At full site width, which is 1340px, the profile banner displays 1310x350 pixels
> If the banner image will have a lower or higher width, it will be automatically scaled to cover all pixels horizontally (up to 1310px at full site width)
> The banner keeps the aspect ratio, so instead of stretching, it will scale both width and height to cover the whole area horizontally without making the image appear squished/ultra-wide - that is what affects the vertically displayed pixels
> The banner always displays all pixels horizontally (covers entire area's width), but visible height always varies, where the banner starts with the top of the image. Keep the most important content at the top, as not everyone may see the bottom of the image.

So... it would be best if the banner width had 1310 pixels, so that it would have full quality in all display widths. Lower values may look blurry at full site width, however, 1000 pixels is still somewhat reasonable, for example. Obviously, the lower the image width, the more blurry it will get when scaling up.

If the image width would have 1310 pixels, a minimum of 350 pixels vertically would be required to cover the whole area at full site-width. The lower the banner width, the lower height is required, as both will be upscaled.

However, it works in both ways - on smaller screens, especially mobile, the displayed width will decrease and along with this, the height will also be scaled down, showing more of the image vertically. That is why there is no ideal height for banners. 

 

Summarizing, it would be best to have:

WIDTH = 1310px (or less, but never more, as it would be scaled down anyway, waste of filesize)

HEIGHT = As much as possible within the file weight limit (Generally a not bad idea is to keep your image somewhat square-y, or better if it has more height than width)

Remember, that you can upload images up to 0.25MB (0.5MB for subscribers iirc?), which might give you troubles with designing the banner, so eventually consider using less width to save some filesize for height or use lower quality .jpg format).

For example, my current banner is 700x596. It appears a bit blurry at full site-width (especially on PC's), but its squarey shape handles the thinner displays (especially mobile). But still, it's not enough to cover all possible cases, but works for the most part.

That's all I can say after investigating a bit.  

[Sparklefan1234 161,860]

2 hours ago, Rikifive said:

1310x350 pixels

 

So, this? 

[Rikifive 23,486]

@Sparklefan1234 Too many details, huh? Me and my walls of text.  

Basically, I recommend having square-ish banners (for example on my phone the profile banners appear as squares). So a full-quality square dimensions would be 1310x1310, where the height could be even bigger just in case, if possible.

I just made a template, that hopefully may explain things better.  

Spoiler

ALWAYS VISIBLE AREA + AREA MOSTLY SEEN ON MOBILE DEVICES = 1310x1310 SQUARE

Feel free to work with it if you want, the image uses real dimensions, so you can just slap images behind it and lower the opacity of the template to see how your banner will fit.

For example, that's how my current banner looks like (after scaling it up to cover 1310px horizontally):

Spoiler

And literally, on PC I only see the ALWAYS VISIBLE AREA, nothing beyond that. On mobile I have a black bar at the top, so my banner isn't high enough, I believe a square would cover the whole space.

 

You may bump into issues with too big filesize, because users are allowed to upload banners up to 0.25MB, so in that case either use lower quality format or scale the image down, keeping the aspect ratio. For example if you'll scale the 1310x1000 banner to 0.5, you should get 655x500. This will greatly reduce the filezise, but will make the image appear blurry on bigger displays, but all areas marked by me will still be perfectly valid.

[Sparklefan1234 161,860]

I would like to know when someone responds to my status updates but I would not like to be notified

every time someone I follow posts a status update, is there any way I can fix this in my notification settings?

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sparklefan1234

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

So uh..I may have accidentally posted multiple of the same character ref due to the bug.. is there a way to delete all but one?