The new forum is open for users to preview and provide feedback. Almost all of the new functionality is working. A lot of this new stuff relates to the forums new multilingual abilities, but there are a few features for everyone as well.

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Ability to post in any language in our language database. The forum is almost 98% multi-lingual capable and even the forum names and descriptions can be translated into the 9 language interfaces the site currently supports.

2. Users can set a temporary language to browse or select a group of languages they want to be able to see posts in (this is independant of the language you select for the sites "interface".

3. For each forum with "groups" you can now select the groups you want to see (or not see) and those preferences will be saved when you visit next. The pagination feature now works on the group pages as well so you can go beyond page 1.

4. Specific group moderators can be set for unique groups.

5. Focus Forums now display the busiest groups during the past day.

Some of you may not think much has changed. Most of the changes are beneath the surface and related to doing the multi-lingual functions.

So...use it...test it. Give me feedback. If English is not your native tongue than by all means go make posts in your native language and start the fun. Personally I think this will be a great boost to the sites international usage if we can attract even more people from all over.

Okay you have read long enough (or did you skip to this link??)...

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index

Have fun,
Jim

I like it! It looks better now and creating a topic is a breeze.

One thing I must comment on, where's the topics and posts column on the right hand side? I also haven't spot the "new post" check on each of the forum if ever there is a new topic/posts

Thanks Shonen,
The initial forum page is not 100% finished. I may add back some kind of latest topic and poster for the forums below the focus forums. This page is cached for anyone viewing english posts so there isn't any easy way to do the recently posted to feature.

I will be re-doing the latest posts page as well and I think this new version will give you a better place to see what forums have new posts.

I have to admit I am a little disappointed. I get 8 replies on my test post in Chinese but only one person of 50+ reads for this one? Grumble grumble....

I can't fix bugs or make improvements without input folks.

Thanks,
Jim

Jim, I like it better than the one we've been using. It's simpler, easy to read, and provides more eye candy. Navigation is a breeze.
When will this one be implemented? Soon I hope.
Another thing, the sooner it is used, the sooner the replies and bug complaints will come in.

I have to agree, the new forum is certainly an improvement. Would it be possible to add the whole list of subjects into each forum box? Just to show new users the whole range of subjects covered and to allow one click access to all of them.

Martin,
As some of the forums have quite a few sub-groups, it's kind of a balancing act to keep the whole thing displayed in a way that won't seem to "over-loaded". That is why I did the groups display for only the focus forums. Also these lists will change every day based on the level of activity in each group.

Thanks for the input guys!

Ken - I agree. I will make the needed updates to the Latest Posts page and take the whole thing live.

Cheers,
Jim

Hi Jim

I think the SquarkBox forum is excellent. The big plus point, for me, is the facility to select multiple group interests in a category - it's a really powerful feature.




I wonder whether it would be possible to have a scrollable list to allow access to all the groups from the main page. Alternatively, once someone has saved their personal group selection within a category, maybe these could be the items displayed on their "personal" main page...

All the best

Rowan

Jim,

Small glitch,

In the new forum the multi-language selection does not seem to work.
I selected Dutch, Germen and Englich but can only see the Dutch postings.

I even tryed to select the main language (left button) as English but everything stays Dutch

Ronny...are you talking about lastest posts page or the regular forum. Latest Posts is not working with the multi-lang yet. Otherwise...try using the restore defaults and then reselect the three. It has to be all three at once using the CTRL key.

I checked and it's working for me.

Jim

Ok... the new look is going fine. Ofcourse I have to familiarize myself into it. No problems somehow, however, the only thing that makes me want the older one is the "new posts/topic" check mark. I believe this is going to happen sooner or later. Good work!!!

Hi,






Also not working for me.

Now to check - Latest posts - we must go forum by forum ?



PS - Now it's working fine. Log out, clean all cookies, log in again and now it's ok.