[Rollercoasterider]

I am considering changing the theme/skin of our forum so that it will better match the view of the main site.
This is part of a larger project and so I am not doing this immediately. Changing the theme here is just a small portion of the larger project; I'm working on a few smaller pieces at once right now.

I will likely have to have it custom built...
So I am interested in hearing from you.
What sort of features would you like to see here at the forum? Go all out and tell me your
ideas from simple to  wild.
Some things may not be theme related and be about modifications/plugins instead, but I am often surprised at how themes are more than just about the external design.

An example of simple design related ideas I have is colour defaults, (I especially will request colours to match the main site), custom header image, top menu other than the forum specific menu.

Another simple idea might be to request side widgets. We could then list Meet-Ups here and maybe even get them off the main thread list--and they would be easy to find without making the sticky thread list too long.
Another side widget could be used for new important topics or popular threads...give me some more ideas regarding these! This thread is a good example of something that could go in a side widget--right now I may sticky it, but I'd rather have sticky topics for MLC-specific stuff rather than business and other periphery.

An example of wilder ideas might be topic icons: I would love it if you could all sort the thread list by topic icons--in case you wanted to see a specific topic type thread at the top--rather than being sorted by most recent posts. I don't know if that is too difficult or if it is something that is about the theme.

[willitgetbetter]

Hi. Thank you for asking.

I would like a way to find a member's current thread by name. Now I go to search and look up name and then click on their posts. It is in date order, but you can't tell whose thread it is that they posted on, theirs or another persons, without reading it. Maybe there is a way to have the owner of the thread's name underneath.

Also, maybe a way to "follow" a particular LBS and be notified via email or something. Especially helpful for newbies. We all like to read Stayed and other veteran's posts.

And I think I speak for us all in saying you have changed so many lives by creating this forum. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[LearningIamOk]

I think Willit has a good suggestion. I would also like to be able to locate a particular poster's threads. I become frustrated trying to find their personal one as opposed to ones that they have posted on.

Overall, this is an easy to navigate site. Would it be possible to have different colors on the story book logo for the different contact types? That way people can follow similar sitches to their own and how others are dealing with the crazy.

[Rollercoasterider]

I would like a way to find a member's current thread by name. Now I go to search and look up name and then click on their posts. It is in date order, but you can't tell whose thread it is that they posted on, theirs or another persons, without reading it. Maybe there is a way to have the owner of the thread's name underneath.

Great idea--there are two parts to this and one we can do now. I already have a tutorial for finding a specific user's threads. That shows how to find ALL topics started by someone (for which you have permission to see). The downside is that it does not know the difference between story threads and topics--so showing a topic icon with the search findings would be something to add to the list.

The second part is general search. And YES, that can be difficult as it is. I too would love some easier ways of searching--like a calendar could pop open and you could choose specific dates if you are looking for a post that you know was written sometime between two dates--cause the how many days ago function is silly--if I'm searching for something from about 3 years ago or something from June 2012, I don't want to calculate the number of days. Silly. And again, that doesn't show poster or icon and those are important pieces of information as well. Great idea.

In addition, I would like all topic icons to match the icon to the first post--as it is now individual posts can have their own icon and they default to the board default and not the thread starter icon; they either don't need to show an icon, or simply need to mirror the starting icon.

Also, maybe a way to "follow" a particular LBS and be notified via email or something. Especially helpful for newbies. We all like to read Stayed and other veteran's posts.

This is available now...BUT there is something buggy with it, We have a notification button and it works for many, but ironically I am one of the one (few or many I don't know) for whom it does not work. But I recommend you try it. Then make sure you have notifications set-up to email you through your profile.
Now I think that button is thread or even board specific--so you can be notified when there are new posts on a certain thread or board--the board option is important for moderators who can then see when we have posted something on the moderator board. It would be nice if the system could recognize a person's current story thread as their's--and past one's as well and maybe automatically add a post with a link to the new after a thread is locked and new one started and add a link to the bottom of the first post of the new with either the last thread or all story threads--perhaps this could be an option in the profile to choose to list all or only the most recent. To do this the system would need to recognize icons as having meaning--right now it doesn't know that we apply meaning to them. So you could follow a specific person (since the notification function doesn't work for me, I don't know if this is something it can already do) by their posts on their thread or when anyone posts on their thread or by when they post anywhere...that would be cool.
I need to learn to make video tutorials for all this too!

Would it be possible to have different colors on the story book logo for the different contact types? That way people can follow similar sitches to their own and how others are dealing with the crazy.

I can create more story icons--that part is easy. But right now that might be too confusing--especially for newbies.
I think the way to do it would be to eliminate the user groups I created (as a test) a few years ago for contact types and instead have it as part of the profile. Then the profiles would need to be synched to posting and an individual's icon could default to their contact type--the only story option would be their contact type. That would be pretty cool--because when I created those user groups my real vision was to have something that made it clear without having to click through to their profile. That's what the badges mod was for, but unfortunately it was buggy with other mods and as it works now can only show one badge--that of the primary member group. It would be nice if some of that profile information showed up on the side profile we see in every post--but not too much to make it glutted or confusing.

Awesome ideas and you have got me listing more..this way I have my thoughts and yours to provide to a designer when I get that far.

[Anjae]

My suggestion is, whatever you do, keep it simple.

One of the best things about the board is that it is simple. And has colours that do hurt, or confuse, the eye.

The main site has floating menus, I'm not much of a fan of those and they are probably not very good for mod duties.

[OffRoad]

Nothing that takes forever to load, please. I am so frustrated that so many sites now take twice as long to load as they did five years ago.

Keep it ad free, if possible.

I like the current way I can change the colors on the site to suit myself.

I'd like some more smileys.

Thank you for asking. 

[Tsunami]

This may be against FB copyright laws, but a way to note an excellent informative post, like a rating.  I'm thinking a "like" button, but that is my concern regarding copyright laws.

I've just encountered a gentleman who has been through MLC, wow, the information he has been sharing is amazing.  I have shared one of his posts with a long time friend here on the site, they appreciated his comments, felt it was very insightful!

He is presently reviewing the article section here to see if what it says aligns with his experience.  I had already shared site information with  him; he hadn't read the articles at that time, but what he shared was 100% correct with RCR's information, just worded differently.

Hopefully we will speak again when he finishes his review this weekend. I will encourage him to post his story, he is a kind, wonderful person who would be more than willing to help others.

However, unlike most MLC'ers, he sought help and has worked through a lot of his issues.  I feel everyone would be very impressed with this gentleman.

[Thunder]

Hi RC,

I was wondering if there could be a way of reading my replies under My Messages?  I can read messages sent to me but I don't see my reply back to them, after I send it.  Sometimes it's confusing because they will reply back a few days later and I have to scramble my brain trying to remember what I said.

Does that make sense?
Like when you reply to an email you can scroll down and see what you originally wrote.

Other than that I love the site.  Very user friendly!   

[OldPilot]

Hi RC,

I was wondering if there could be a way of reading my replies under My Messages?  I can read messages sent to me but I don't see my reply back to them, after I send it.  Sometimes it's confusing because they will reply back a few days later and I have to scramble my brain trying to remember what I said.

Does that make sense?
Like when you reply to an email you can scroll down and see what you originally wrote.

Other than that I love the site.  Very user friendly!   

You need to check the save to outbox when you send a message, you can change it to always check the box in your settings.

I can help you if you can not figure it out.

[OldPilot]

Hi RC,

I was wondering if there could be a way of reading my replies under My Messages?  I can read messages sent to me but I don't see my reply back to them, after I send it.  Sometimes it's confusing because they will reply back a few days later and I have to scramble my brain trying to remember what I said.

Does that make sense?
Like when you reply to an email you can scroll down and see what you originally wrote.

Other than that I love the site.  Very user friendly!   

You need to check the save to outbox when you send a message, you can change it to always check the box in your settings.

I can help you if you can not figure it out.

I just changed it for you, send me a PM to test it out!