Topic Description not showing in Forum Views (Classic)

[Theseus]

Using the Classic skin I am no longer getting the Topic Description showing up when looking at a forum. If I change to another lige CycleChat or CycleChat Light it is there.

OK, this feature may not have been on the old system and a true retro "Classic' skin would not include it, but it can be useful and I would prefer to see it come back if at all possible.

 

[Shaun]

I removed it to add some consistency to the forum view page. Some topics had the description, some didn't and I removed it to even out the topic lines to see how it would work.

I'm going to make a number of changes in the coming months to "thin out" the site as there's really too much going on at the moment - too much all on the screen at once; I want to consolidate the navigation, remove some of the buttons and replace them with simple text links, remove/hide non-essential things that aren't used all the time, and get back to basics - then review it and see what we actually need adding back in. I want to try and get the focus back onto the conversation. I don't want to do away with the bells and whistles ... lots of people like them. Just reduce the impact of them on the main core of the site, which is the forums.

I've pretty much completed the server-based work and am confident it is now stable and running reasonably fast, so I want to shift focus to the layout and de-clutter it as best we can. Personal commitments have slowed progress somewhat in recent weeks, but the plan is still there and I'm working on it where I get chance.

I've also been inspired by a new forum software that's written by the original vBulletin guys - www.xenforo.com/community. Once you use it for a while, you realise how the simplicity of it makes it quite a pleasure to use. I'd like to get back to that for CC.

I'll keep you all posted.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[661-Pete]

Problem is, many people (including me) have been using the 'description' to spread out the topic title between two lines, make it more readable. If you hide the description the title may no longer make sense.

I've also been inspired by a new forum software that's written by the original vBulletin guys - www.xenforo.com/community. Once you use it for a while, you realise how the simplicity of it makes it quite a pleasure to use. I'd like to get back to that for CC.

If that's a coded signal for a possible return to VBulletin or something like it, well, no time's too soon, as far as I'm concerned! I admit to not being a big fan of the new software.

I want to consolidate the navigation, remove some of the buttons...

errr... like the 'Top' button, for instance?

 

[Shaun]

I don't have any immediate plans to change the software, no, however I do recognise that the layout has a multitude of options that were previously not present and they need re-arranging and managing better.

The layout is "busy" and needs tidying up and simplifying so that the focus is on the content - much like the xF layout (which is why I gave it as an example ... ).

I've put the description back into place for now since it's still available when creating a new thread so ought to be displayed. I just wanted to see what it looked like without it.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Theseus]

Lovely, thanks.