Site Features
garreth — Wed, 09/16/2009 - 15:04
As some of you know, I'm a Drupal developer/themer/consultant. Drupal is the content management framework that runs this website. It's incredibly powerful with features limited only to our imaginations.
Now, like the car mechanic whose own car is crap, Downfallguild.org has been pretty neglected. I'm reaching out to you guys for some ideas.
First, something we have in the works: Downfall is about to get a "Raids" section of the site that not only gives us a heads up display about every raid we have, but shows members of that raid, upcoming scheduled raids, raid leaders, latest boss kills and mascot images. People starting up 10-man raids will be able to start up their own groups, with their own areas to discuss their raid issues.This ties into the our upcoming "character" system that allows us to associate our toons with our site accounts. A little bit of this can be seen here: /wowarmory
Now, what I'd like to see from you guys: Ideas. Heavy site users like Saedo, Kwondre, Knoppix and others, I'd like some input about what you guys would LIKE to do on the site. Blogs and forums are fine, but could we do more? A better tracker by chance?Have you guys seen featuers on another site that you'd like to see emulated here?
I'd like you all start here: http://drupal.org/project/modules?filters=drupal_core:87&solrsort=sort_title%20asc. That's a list of all the modules available to Drupal that are compatible with our version. Do you see any modules that stand out as being badass and something that would benefit our guild/raids/new-site-users?
Please no "I want ice cream sprinkled with diamonds and a pony" posts, only legitimate input. Thanks for your help. Let me know if you have any questions about Drupal!


You know what would be
saedo — Thu, 10/22/2009 - 01:25You know what would be nice. If you can mouseover the recent comments, and it'd have a tooltip popup that tells us where the comment resides, title of the thread basically. So we wouldn't be clicking into threads we don't wanna see or something.
CSS and Javascript are now
garreth — Wed, 10/21/2009 - 02:39CSS and Javascript are now compressed and optimized on the site, should load faster.
Also, the advanced text editor should work in IE. Turns out IE has a bug where it can't handle more than 30 CSS includes per page. Our site had WAAAY more than 30 ;) We're down to four-ish now. Should work great now.
Next up: new raid system with a direct tie into the new calendar.
Also, testing image insert (that little camera image in the editor bar):
Thought this interesting
Vulk — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 12:38I accidently typed downfallguild.org into google rather than the address bar, and say this:
http://www.websiteoutlook.com/www.downfallguild.org
downfallguild.org Estimated Worth: $5511.5 USD
Interesting, very interesting! /cheer Way to go G
I'm actually planning to sell
garreth — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 13:15I'm actually planning to sell this off to spammer, malware and keylogger companies the moment we break $6k. Fuck yall!
Screw selling it to them, get
Dufe — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 16:27Screw selling it to them, get some webkits and make the $$ yourself! Go go gadget credit card fraud!
I don't know what the
Dragon — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 05:32I don't know what the possible cause might be behind this G. But lately I've noticed most new threads that people make are appearing as doubles. Including peoples comments in response to them.
I see alot of this too.
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 10:36I see alot of this too.
Do you all see this all the
garreth — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 10:47Do you all see this all the time? Does it come and go?
Holy fuck it just got worse,
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 10:56Holy fuck it just got worse, 5x post...
And I see it all the time.
Dump your cache and check
garreth — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 10:57Dump your cache and check from multiple browsers with empty caches.
Dumped my cache in IE8 this
Knoppix (not verified) — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 11:13Dumped my cache in IE8 this morning dumped it again and I am still seeing it.
Hopped on Firefox, cleared the cache, not logged into the site saw a double post from you aout helping Aidin, AND once I logged in all the 3x 5x 2x posts came back.
I am having a feeling this has to do with the groups you are assigning them too?
Known issue, I'm going to try
garreth — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 11:23Known issue, I'm going to try the "distinct" fix in mysql: http://drupal.org/node/583170
I don't see it. Screenshot
garreth — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 09:55I don't see it. Screenshot for me!
I can't seem to make posts
saedo — Tue, 09/22/2009 - 18:01I can't seem to make posts using Chrome. I'd hit send. It'd refresh, nothing happens though.
I'm using chrome 3 right now,
garreth — Tue, 09/22/2009 - 21:16I'm using chrome 3 right now, and everything works.
I'm not having any
Elapsed — Tue, 09/22/2009 - 18:11I'm not having any difficulties posting with the latest beta of Chrome, didn't try when I was using the regular one
http://www.google.com/landing/chrome/beta/
they actually have Skins built in now too
So what's the deal with
saedo — Tue, 09/22/2009 - 11:54So what's the deal with posting stuff in Full HTML format, then when you go back to edit it, the editbox's background is all black making it hard to see text?
I haven't configured the html
garreth — Tue, 09/22/2009 - 11:57I haven't configured the html editor yet. It's on the pile.
I would be glad to help!
Vitriola — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 08:49Here are some quick thoughts I had which I hope are the kinds of things you are seeking.
1. When you have a new message, there is a link that says "click here to read it". I would like this so that, when I click there, I can read it. What happens now is that it just takes you to the message section. I would like it to go directly to the message.
2. On the tracker section, there is a link to "my recent posts". I would like that to show me "my recent posts". Currently I only get an error.
3. In the "recent comments" I would like for the title of the post to also show which thread it applies to as well as who posted it.
4. When I get to a page and click a link to go to the next spot, sometimes I see a random image that I want to examine. If I am not fast enough, the next page shows up. When I go back, there is a different image. I would like for that image to persist. The new random image should be applied to a new page. Going back should show what was there before. IMHO
5. I would like to be able to edit any post I have made. You could make it like wiki where the history is available, but sometimes a clarification or just fixing typos is a good idea.
6. The section on the right ("upcoming events", "Recent comments", "Active forum topics", etc.) would be better as an expandable frame. I like that the idea of collapsing and expanding as desired. It makes it all seem 'cleaner' to me.
7. I would like raid threads to have more continuity. A raid, it seems to me, goes from its beginning to its end. We currently need to go back to previous raid days to look at follow up comments and find the parses. I would like a raid to be in one thread. Perhaps the expandable frames could be used to show stuff for particular days and one for just the parses but having it all in one place seems an easier UI.
8. Adding to #7, I would like the raid signups to be for the space of the raid. e.g. If there were check boxes for the days all in one place, we could check all the boxes at once to say we are going to be available. Chasing down each day with several clicks works but, with the slow server times, it is cumbersome.
9. Also, on the subject of raid threads, there can be trivial posts for a raid night. e.g. Gotta work late. etc Then, there are more important posts like "this is the strat we will be trying out tonight". If there was a frame that let us view what we most needed, that would be helpful.
10. Each posting on a thread should have some kind of marker so that it is easy to add a link to that particular post should we want to do that. Currently, we need to reply, copy the URL, go back and paste. It works but it is clunky.
11. It would be nice to have some way to delete specific items in a lengthy PM thread. Currently, we need to go through several steps just to delete one of the posts. I would like to be able to just select in checkboxes all the lines I want to delete, hit delete, confirm and be done.
12. I would also like more control over the form of the text in posts: font, size, color, underline, strike through, etc. (Bold seems to work.)
13. In the spirit of the add on that says who is locked to what, could that add on send info to the site and post here?
edit: "I want ice cream sprinkled with diamonds" poop! But the pony is still ok, right? :)
1. When you have a new
garreth — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 10:561. When you have a new message, there is a link that says "click here to read it". I would like this so that, when I click there, I can read it. What happens now is that it just takes you to the message section. I would like it to go directly to the message.
Won't be putting this in. The system is set up in case you have multiple message and is more of an alert to "HEY! DO SOMETHING!"
2. On the tracker section, there is a link to "my recent posts". I would like that to show me "my recent posts". Currently I only get an error.
3. In the "recent comments" I would like for the title of the post to also show which thread it applies to as well as who posted it.
Won't be putting this in. The recent comments block is supposed to just be a feed of activity coming out of our site. If you want that titles, just go to /tracker.
4. When I get to a page and click a link to go to the next spot, sometimes I see a random image that I want to examine. If I am not fast enough, the next page shows up. When I go back, there is a different image. I would like for that image to persist. The new random image should be applied to a new page. Going back should show what was there before. IMHO
No. Think before you click. Or, use a browser with aggressive caching that doesn't send a refresh to the page upon the "back" button.
5. I would like to be able to edit any post I have made. You could make it like wiki where the history is available, but sometimes a clarification or just fixing typos is a good idea.
Working on this right now. Where have you posted that you cannot edit your post? I'm trying to track down the module responsible for these issues.
6. The section on the right ("upcoming events", "Recent comments", "Active forum topics", etc.) would be better as an expandable frame. I like that the idea of collapsing and expanding as desired. It makes it all seem 'cleaner' to me.
You can now go to the "My Controls" area and choose to disable a few blocks. If I get some positive feedback on it, I'll enable that features for more blocks. However, if you disable the upcoming events block and then complain that you did not know of an upcoming raid I'm going to kick you in the nuts over the internet.
7. I would like raid threads to have more continuity. A raid, it seems to me, goes from its beginning to its end. We currently need to go back to previous raid days to look at follow up comments and find the parses. I would like a raid to be in one thread. Perhaps the expandable frames could be used to show stuff for particular days and one for just the parses but having it all in one place seems an easier UI.
There is currently a system we're building to make this more cohesive. Think "Attach raid parse link to raid" after the fact. We'll always allow comments for a raid, of course. It's just up to us to place pertinent information about that raid where it needs to go. This also gets into the whole "how to thread comments" discussion which I don't even touch by saying "Everying can change the way their comments thread by going to the bottom of a comment thread and adjusting the options there.
8. Adding to #7, I would like the raid signups to be for the space of the raid. e.g. If there were check boxes for the days all in one place, we could check all the boxes at once to say we are going to be available. Chasing down each day with several clicks works but, with the slow server times, it is cumbersome.
Working on this, but I could use help from you guys from researching what combinations of modules can achieve this by starting here: http://www.drupal.org/project/signup. Look through the issues list and let me know what others have done to achieve this functionality.
9. Also, on the subject of raid threads, there can be trivial posts for a raid night. e.g. Gotta work late. etc Then, there are more important posts like "this is the strat we will be trying out tonight". If there was a frame that let us view what we most needed, that would be helpful.
There won't ever be a "frame" but I think there's a module out there that will let you collapse superfluous comments on a per-user basis using javascript. Help me find it.
10. Each posting on a thread should have some kind of marker so that it is easy to add a link to that particular post should we want to do that. Currently, we need to reply, copy the URL, go back and paste. It works but it is clunky.
We can get around this by placing the comment area embedded at the bottom of a thread instead of located on a separate page. I prefer the separate page since it reduces page overhead on the thread. You could just open multiple tabs, of course. However, this a module called Advanced Forum Kit that gives a bit of this functionality.
11. It would be nice to have some way to delete specific items in a lengthy PM thread. Currently, we need to go through several steps just to delete one of the posts. I would like to be able to just select in checkboxes all the lines I want to delete, hit delete, confirm and be done.
Not happenin'. Start a new mail if you'd like to thin out a long PM. Or, you know, just catch someone in vent.
12. I would also like more control over the form of the text in posts: font, size, color, underline, strike through, etc. (Bold seems to work.)
I need a definitive list of the markup people want and I'll enable it.
13. In the spirit of the add on that says who is locked to what, could that add on send info to the site and post here?
No. Well, not until Knoppix and I get some funding ;)
I wish there were more hours
Knoppix (not verified) — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 11:42I wish there were more hours in the day, I would love it if the human body could function with no sleep.
Not a good idea! I have
Vitriola — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 11:49Not a good idea! I have great dreams and I would miss them. Besides, I expect that, if we did not need sleep, they would just work us twice as hard for the same pay. Sleep is good!
A better way to post images
Ewiges — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 13:42A better way to post images into posts would be nice. Right now large images just cut off.
Example, this is fine (on most resolution)
But a larger image like this wil just cut off (don't think everyone knows about rightclick, view image)
Wiges...really? All this time
garreth — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 14:24Wiges...really? All this time and you haven't figured out how to do this? Can someone please show him how.
That does involve upload a
saedo — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 14:55That does involve upload a pic rather than hotlinking it. Though I guess you could fiddle with the width/height instead.
But you lose the
Ewiges — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 15:30But you lose the resolution... I know you can scale it down, but that ruins the point of a large image. You can still right click and view it, but a lot of people don't.
For example, the image I posted... you can now NOT read all the words. Even a simple 'click to enlarge' would be nice. Or maybe even a magnify glass in the upper left cornor.
Wait, so let me get this
garreth — Fri, 09/18/2009 - 15:41Wait, so let me get this straight:
You want a large image to scale down and fit within the READABLE AREA of this website, and then are disappointed that it is now as small as the READABLE AREA of the website? You can always wrap your image in a link to the source image if you REALLY want an OFF SITE image to show up full size.
I, too, would like to be both an astronaut and a millionaire and a porn star at the same time.
Most of the time I do link
Ewiges — Sat, 09/19/2009 - 03:24Most of the time I do link the source of the image... but since you ASKED for my IDEAS, I gave them. Now you can ridicule me for giving my thoughts on how I'd like images to work, or you can accept my thoughts then decide whether to work with them or throw them out.
I'm active on several forums, and I like the way they do images. I posted the two main ways in my previous post. I really don't understand what "I, too, would like to be both an astronaut and a millionaire and a porn star at the same time." is all about? Was my comment too complicated for you? Its simple really. You either have the reading area enlarge to incorporate the image, or you shrink the image and give easy access (either clicking anywhere on the images, or clicking a magnified glass icon) to enlarge the image.
I am not the droople expert. I do not know if droople can handle this (seems like it would), but I see this on a lot of forums and I like it, it seems nifty and convenient.
I'm showing you that you can
garreth — Sat, 09/19/2009 - 14:31I'm showing you that you can set the dimensions of your images. Click the little tree in th reply box to get started.
Lorem ipsum, Dolor sit amet,
Ewiges — Sat, 09/19/2009 - 15:15