Welcome To The New Forums!

[Glenn]

By now you've discovered things look different. We've upgraded the forums!  The changes go further than cosmetic. We've made many improvements across the board to make these forums more flexible and easier to use, especially for mobile users.

The design is responsive meaning it looks great whether you’re on a desktop or a mobile phone, or anything in between (and we do that the right way: we don’t just remove things on smaller screens).

Our new editor supports drag-and-drop uploading, automatic media embedding, auto-saving and mentions. These are just a few of the countless features that make the new updates so great.

Editor

You’ll immediately notice it’s much faster, but you’ll also notice many, MANY new updates and improvements to the editor.  Many of the updates allow for both speed and greater reliability, as well as a MUCH better experience for mobile members. This does mean some things work a bit differently but you will quickly see the very small learning changes are worth the editor being so responsive.

There’s just too many new features to list.  But a few highlights are:

·        You can now move quote boxes with your mouse to embed them or move them above/below existing text.

·        A small, but useful improvements is allowing @member mentions to be selectable by keyboard. Just do @member and use the arrows and tab key on your keyboard to select the member.

·        Another great feature is the new cmd/ctrl right-click menu that allow for contextual options such as options to remove or break-out of quotes, edit links and edit image properties

·        Pasting formatted text asks if you want to convert to plain text (such as pasting from Word or PDF files)

·        Automatic saving now occurs every few seconds, instead of 2 minute intervals.  It also supports attachments. So if you've uploaded files, these too will be automatically recovered. Essentially if you're in the middle of typing a post and you refresh the page, everything will reappear exactly as you left it.

·        There now no longer needs to be a "BBCode mode" - you can type BBCode straight into the editor, even complicated stuff like lists spanning multiple lines, and it comes out looking great.

·        Image uploads now support drag-n-drop functionality.

·        Videos from YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo, College Humor or Hulu now automatically embed when you post a link to the video.

The new editor is a total rework and we hope you enjoy the new speed, stability, and options. Using the editor is the core function of any community so getting it right is very important.

 

Activity Streams

I hope you will see just how powerful and flexible Activity Streams are. You can do everything you could do in previous versions of our forums plus a whole lot more. 

Areas such as View New Content, My Content, My Followed Content, Status page, and such are replaced by the new Activity Streams, a powerful new tool for viewing content.  Think of this new feature as a way of creating custom filtered views.  For example, we’ve created several for you:

·         View New Content

C    Content I Started

·        Content I Follow

·        Content by people I follow

·        Status updates

But now, YOU can create your own custom views.  You can either click an existing view and edit it to your liking, or create new ones by clicking “Custom Streams”.  For example, you can show posts by only one member – or several members – and call it anything you want (“Moderator Wisdom” for example).

Use cases for Activity Streams are endless. Some examples might be:

• The current View New Content type of result.  This is a custom stream I created to work just like the previous “View New Content” view.
• A Stream of all content from members you follow.
• Show a list of unread items from a specific list of members (perhaps members of staff).
• Maybe you are a prolific Gallery contributor and you want to see a feed of all unread comments on images that you posted.
• Rather than following every item you reply to, you can choose to create a feed of all content you have ever participated in.
• Get really fine-tuned and create a Stream showing unread comments in a specific forum only from members you follow.

The Activity Streams feature is very flexibly and you can get really imaginative with its uses. It is a really big addition to the BassResource forums, and we think you will enjoy it. We already do!

And if you create a really cool view that others might like, you can share it with others so they can add it to their activity stream list!

Then, once you actually view a stream, you can choose how you want to see it. In the full format or in condensed by clicking the box icon on the upper right of the stream. Once you select your preferred view format the system will remember it.

 

Picture Gallery Enhancements

There are two changes to the Picture Gallery that may seem small at a glance but actually make using the Picture Gallery much easier and more flexible.

·        There is now a new upload process which makes adding images or videos much easier to understand. You can more easily see the category, album, or album creation options on the screen.

·        Once you actually upload your image you can more easily add descriptions and other data to your images either individually or all at once.

This direct change to how you add images should result in a much more pleasant experience when adding images to the Picture Gallery.

We also now support reviews on Picture Gallery images in addition to comments.

 

Updated Search Interface

We have given our search interface a revamp to more effectively use space and be easier to use (especially on mobile).

As well as simplifying the way filters appear, we have separated member searching from content searching. This made sense given that the filters available for finding members are entirely different to those you see when finding content, so this visual separation should make that more apparent to you. This new approach to filters also becomes the new Advanced Search view, with results loading dynamically below when submitted.

Another change we have made is to adjust the text snippet to show you the context of the result hit. For example, if you search ‘topwater’, the results will now show you the text surrounding the first match. This small improvement can greatly improve the quality of results.

 

Instant Notifications

Instant notifications has been a long-requested feature, and we are pleased to say they are included in this new version.

If you are active in the window, instant notifications will show as a standard flash message at the bottom of your screen; if you are not active, and your browser supports them, you will get a desktop notification instead, and a chime will sound to alert you. Clicking the notification box will take you to the new item (or open the notification menu if alert is telling you about multiple items).

Retina Emoticons

Many of our well-loved emoticons have had a facelift (pun intended) and now look great on high-resolution retina screens and dark backgrounds.

Profiles

Profiles are one of the key sections of a community, as everyone knows. They are what represent you; where your information is shown and your content is gathered. When members contribute quality content to your community, their profile is where other members go to find it in one place. In short, it's an important area.

In the update, profiles have had a complete makeover. There's a lot to cover, so grab a cup of coffee.  Here we go…

 

1 - Header images

In the previous version, members could customize their profiles by uploading a background image. In practice, this didn't work well when the software was integrated into an existing website design, and the options presented often ended up with a garish profile. It looked so bad, that we disabled that feature.  In addition, social networks like Facebook and Twitter have adjusted user expectations on how profiles are customized.

In the new update, instead of page backgrounds, members instead get to customize their profile header image. This provides the best of both worlds - ample space to choose something creative, but it's contained and won't mess up a website design.

2 - Reputation

The member’s current reputation count is shown prominently in the info column, letting other members know if this member is an asset to the community.

3 - Followers

Followers replace friends in the update, and the member’s followers are shown in this block. Instead of requiring mutual acknowledgement as with the traditional friends system (an approach that isn't entirely useful in a community of anonymous members), in the update you follow members whom you find interesting in order to be updated when they contribute to the community. Members can of course prevent others from following them, if that is a concern to them.

4 - About the member

Traditional information about the member is shown in the next block, including custom profile fields such as your favorite lake and biggest fish.

5 - Recent visitors

Recent visitors to this member’s profile are shown next. As with the previous version, this can be toggled on and off by the profile owner. In the version, this is done by clicking the X in the corner of the block.

6 - Follow/Message member

These primary buttons enable others to follow the member (if enabled), and send a new message inline, without leaving the page.

7 - Member’s content

Previously, browsing a member’s content was handled by the search area of the community (though links were available in the member’s profile and hovercard). We felt this wasn't the best place for it, though. After all, a member’s content should be available in their profile.

That's what this button does. It switches the profile view to 'content browsing' mode, where you can see everything the member has done. It's smooth and buttery, and because it all loads dynamically, it feels like a true part of the profile.

8 - User's 'Nodes'

A node is a fancy developer term for content containers that a member creates themselves, like gallery albums (as opposed to forum categories, which are created by the admin). In the new version, a member’s 'nodes' are shown right on their profile page, making it easy to find more interesting content from the member.

9 - Status feed

The status feed from the previous version is of course still present, and the interaction is all inline without leaving the page.


Embeddable Content

The previous version supports "My Media", which enables you to share other content from within the community by using the "My Media" button on the editor. While this works, it has a few shortcomings:

• The styling of the block isn't really designed for each type of content it might show
• Members have to click the My Media button, then browse for the item, when they probably already know the URL they want to link to
• Not all content types are supported; e.g. you can't use My Media to link to a topic.

We wanted to make sharing existing content much easier. "Embeddable content" is our solution.

How to use it

To embed content from elsewhere in the community, here's a step by step guide:

• Paste a link to it

That's it! When you paste a link to almost any kind of content, whether it's a forum topic, gallery album or more, it will automatically embed a small preview of the content, designed specifically for that content. In order to not disrupt an existing paragraph of text however, the embedded block won't be used if the link is surrounded by text. Embedded content only shows if the link is pasted on its own line, giving you more control over your post.

Embedded content can be used anywhere as you'd expect, including posts and comments, but also status updates, and so on.

 

Messenger

Years ago, the messenger system on other websites was much like email - you sent one message at a time, with little continuity between messages. We were one of the first, on the entire of the web, to introduce what we called "personal conversations" - a sort of "private topic" between invited members - it was a really exciting idea back then.

For this update, we wanted to really focus on the experience of using the messenger - making it super fast and easy to compose, navigate and participate in conversations.

We recognize that when members send a new message, it is often as a response to content read. You can now send messages in place without disrupting your flow. We have improved all aspects of sending, receiving and managing messages and are confident these changes will make communicating with other members in private simpler and faster. And the whole messenger works and looks great whether you're on a desktop or on your phone!

 

We hope you like the new features.  We’ve spent a tremendous amount of work on this update.  Take some time to kick the tires, try them out, and familiarize yourself with the way things work.  I expect there will be a small learning curve, but after you get the hang of things, you will really enjoy the new forums!

Thanks!

Glenn

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How to See the Desktop View on Mobile Devices

[Josh Smith]

I like it, Glenn.  There are a couple things I might change, but that's only because I'm used to vBulletin.

Good job.

Regards,

Josh

[A-Jay]

Best update so far

Really Good.

Thank You

A-Jay

[Montanaro]

Looks good so far and should be a big improvement for mobile which i appreciate as i dont have laptop.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Welcome to the future! Going to take some getting used to, but I trust you guys.

[papajoe222]

Hats off to you. I'm well aware of the time you and the mods put into the site and hopefully some of the changes you've made will also speed things up for you and make keeping this the most informative bass fishing, information sharing site around.

[iabass8]

Really like the desktop upgrade.

edit:mobile looks to be fixed now. Much better

[lanzbass]

Looking Lot's Better Glen   Thanks  

[Fishing Rhino]

Usually, these changes throw me for a loop.  Takes a while to get used to them.  

My first thought when I just connected to the forum was, "Ooooops, here we go again."  But it only took a few minutes to realize that the changes in the appearance were mostly cosmetic, such as the circular avatars.  I know the changes go much deeper than that, but the basic navigating seems to be unchanged.

I'm glad the "switch" in the "task bar" at the top of the page which disabled the editing features is gonzo.  It was located right where I clicked to open a page and automatically disabled the editing options.  Took a while, until someone pointed out that I needed to turn the editing on by clicking on that switch.

I also had to click "enter" twice to start a new paragraph.  That has been changed to a one click does all.

As for the appearance, the changes are minor, and have not left me flummoxed until I adapt.

The new site is noticeably faster, but the old site was still faster than most of the other sites on the 'net.

Historically, when Glenn has made an upgrade, there have been a few hiccups during the changes in format. 

So, kudos to you Glenn.  This change did not leave me scratching my head while adapting to the new site.  There may be some head scratching down the road, but so far, so good.

[Hurricane]

Mobile version is good.. 

[Sam]

Looks nice.

You all did an excellent upgrade.

Congrats to Glenn and his IT people for continuing to help us communicate with each other.

A great Christmas present to us all!

[Montanaro]

Only issue with mobile is load speeds compared to previous version.

[BassinLou]

Very fresh look.... like any thing new there will be learning curves. It will take some time to adapt but we'll get the hang of it quick. 

[Bankbeater]

I like it.

[jbw252]

Although most people resist change, I think that the BR upgrade was needed.  It looks fresh & sporty.  Thanks Glenn for making BR the best site on the web.  Kudos to all the moderators & IT folks behind the scene.  I hope everyone has a safe & joyous holiday.  Peace.

[Sprocket]

Wow!  Should be good.  I thought I was in the wrong forum for a minute.

 

SE Kansas grass grower

[Toeshots]

Looks great! Love the fact that you can add a picture straight from your phone's library.

I only have 1 question - In the mobile version, is there a way to get back to the main index from any place on the forum? Like if I'm reading a thread do I need to navigate back through each subforum to return to the main forum page? Not a big deal at all, but just curious if I am missing it somewhere because I know the previous version had this.

[Jigfishn10]

10 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Best update so far

Really Good.

Thank You

A-Jay

I can't agree more. I've been here since 2010 and have seen a few updates to this site and I think this one takes the cake.

[K_Mac]

Nice job Glenn. As an old guy, it will take me a while to figure out all the new features and get used to the changes. I have just about figured out how a smart phone works so I should be good to go.

[Preytorien]

I like it! Thanks guys! This is the best site out there!

[Mike L]

38 minutes ago, K_Mac said:

Nice job Glenn. As an old guy, it will take me a while to figure out all the new features and get used to the changes. I have just about figured out how a smart phone works so I should be good to go.

Agree...

If I mess something up don't everybody get mad at me !

 

Mike 

[Cody21w]

It's sad to say but honestly if he made the site terrible in every way, I'd still be on here every. single. day.. lol i like the new look. thanks!

[tander]

It will take some time to get use to it but I believe it will be for the best. Thanks to Glenn and everyone who works on the site.

[grampa1114]

I like it....Nicely done guys!!!

[Styx]

Thanks Glenn.