Admin Announcement Lets Talk About Our Next Style

[Brent W]

Hi,

We have been getting feedback since moving to our new forum software that many are not a fan of our current default style colors and some don't like the layout.

What we want to do is create a new style and have you give us some basic feedback on what you are looking for.

So far the biggest feedback we have heard is that the default style is too dark and not as welcoming. So we will be taking into consideration that and try to come up with a brighter and more welcome color scheme.

Other than that, what are some other issues that you see with our default style that you would like changed.

 

[pdudgeon]

would it be too much of a hastle to try using liturgical colors?
that would give the site a periodic burst of changing color and yet be both consistant and simple to work out initially.
just a thought.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Hi Brent,

For the most part, I'm fine with the style we have now, and I like the added assortment of 'like' and 'agreement' type icons you guys have added recently. I'm also fine with the media connections we have now.

But if it's possible:

I think I'd like to see more than one option for Avatar sizes. Maybe one choice setting for the size we have now, and maybe another choice setting for a bit larger size, one that fills the whole 'white' box on the upper left corner. Or something like that.​

I'd also like seeing an option brought back for nation and/or country icons. I've always enjoyed seeing where people are from.​

Other than that, I can't really think of anything else. CF has always been a great place to hang out, fellowship, and converse.

Thanks for providing a great website!

2PhiloVoid

 

[Lulav]

Thanks for asking!

I am currently using the old CF style which I find enjoyable, calming, and representative of our forums.

I do see the other one when I get logged out and it isn't just that it's dark but it's depressing. That is not a good advertisement or good first impression for those coming here.

I believe we need to keep that same feeling going, using the same color scheme as the original CF blue.

I've found over the years and the many forums I've been on and worked on that this one has kept me coming back over and over and when analyzed I can say that the color scheme is a major factor. I can say this because many of the other forums I've been to have some of the same I've conversed with here so it's not just the people.

Keep it light, we are to be a light in the darkness, not darkness to bring light.

Perhaps you can develop a few or ask some of our membership to help in a contest of sort and then let members vote on it? Participation of membership is always welcome.

 

[rockytopva]

I like the baby blue!

 

[rockytopva]

Too quote a chat transcript from this morning...

"wow my messages from last week are still here, this place really is dead!"

To bring back the chat I would recommend a transcript of the last 5 chats in a module on top of the splash or forum page. So we have two ways to chat...

1. Chat module - A top the splash or forum page (Maybe call it the CB, or chat box) with the last 5 or so chats.
2. Chat room - The whole gamut.

Having a transcript gives us the ability to think of something without commuting ourselves in the chat room. A way to post from the chat module would be nice too. And if things really got interesting you could always go into the chat room and conversate.

 

[alexier]

Yeah I'm ok with this one but I did love the baby blue, def had a calming effect and I actually always identified it with CF...if I was on a different comp I'd know I was on the right site and somehow felt good (I can't explain it haha)

 

[Inkfingers]

Another vote for the old style here (which I am using and is so much less...hard-edged.... than the newer colour scheme).

 

[Paidiske]

One thing - I don't know if this is a style thing or something slightly different - is that I often find myself a bit lost. There are sub-forums within sub-forums, forums in different areas with very similar names, and there are times when I'm looking for something and I can't find it, or don't even know which area it's in (especially when I'm modding in areas where I don't post much). If we could have something like a diagram which maps all the forums, so you can see where they all fit at a glance, I'd find it very helpful!

 

[Radagast]

I'd also like seeing an option brought back for nation and/or country icons. I've always enjoyed seeing where people are from.

I second that. I've been in a few threads where it would have been helpful to know which responses were from the same country as the OP.

 

[Radagast]

One thing - I don't know if this is a style thing or something slightly different - is that I often find myself a bit lost. There are sub-forums within sub-forums, forums in different areas with very similar names, and there are times when I'm looking for something and I can't find it, or don't even know which area it's in (especially when I'm modding in areas where I don't post much). If we could have something like a diagram which maps all the forums, so you can see where they all fit at a glance, I'd find it very helpful!

That's not really a style thing, but we do have too many subforums, and it does confuse/intimidate newcomers.

All those subforums made sense in the old days when CF was much, much bigger, but perhaps we can merge a few now.

 

[Radagast]

I believe we need to keep that same feeling going, using the same color scheme as the original CF blue.

Yes, the old CF blue was much better than the current dismal grey.

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

when CF was much, much bigger, but perhaps we can merge a few now.

1. Some have indicated they are using the old style. What exactly is that, and how might one use it?

2. Why would the forum be much smaller now? Haven't many thousands of people joined since I was briefly here in 2005? Or if they did join, where did they go and what are they doing now and why would they not be here?

 

[Inkfingers]

1. Some have indicated they are using the old style. What exactly is that, and how might one use it?

2. Why would the forum be much smaller now? Haven't many thousands of people joined since I was briefly here in 2005? Or if they did join, where did they go and what are they doing now and why would they not be here?

Hover over you name in the top right hand corner of a page, click on preferences, and select "Old Style" (ignore the "no longer available" comment).

 

[Paidiske]

It's my understanding that many internet forums have seen a drop in traffic since the growth of things like Facebook. Not necessarily that we have fewer members, but the members we have might be less active.

Not sure if that's the only factor here, but it's certainly something I'm aware of elsewhere.

 

[Brent W]

We continue to grow every month. The site is more active than when we took it over, for example.

 

[rockytopva]

We continue to grow every month. The site is more active than when we took it over, for example.

Thank you for the time invested here on CF. I also think that the reason we do well is because we entertain a variety of faiths. I must also say again, the baby blue works best. Blue is a cool and a relaxing color.

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

Thanks for that info, Inkfingers.

I did not know the forum had been taken over, or sold, or something like that. Is there a thread about that?

Regarding the rise of social media, I must say...

On Facebook, for instance, what takes place there is virtually never anything resembling actual discussion or conversation. There is this whole mentality, almost like a sickness it seems, that comments must be short and clipped and often quite vapid (haven't used "vapid" in probably years if not decades). If you deviate from that, some people even seem to have a problem with that. Sure there is some degree of exception, but not much. Even if you are in a "group," it still tends to be predominately like that in my experience.

So the bottom line is - someone please tell me where any real conversation is going on at Facebook. Or have people even largely lost interest in anything approaching a conversation about a topic? Is it happening on one of the other "social media" sites? I don't really use them.

Now, the flip side is, although I've been using forums for years, when I got back here recently I have seen that some people are really looooong-winded. Trust me - I thought I was long-winded, I'm even known for that outside of forums and have been working on improving that for years. But here? Wow. It seems kind of impossible to really read a lot of the threads where there are many really long posts, at least for me. Nonetheless, I personally sometimes find the "ethos" of terseness on FB to be absolutely revolting, even "anti-social."

And yes I do want to know - someone please tell me where there is really substantive discussion happening on social media sites beyond the usual short clipped stuff, usually just humor or a quick rant or statement of approval, etc., happening on FB.

P.S. Hmm, perhaps "vacuous" would be better than "vapid"...

 

[ChristianMatchmaking]

Hover over you name in the top right hand corner of a page, click on preferences, and select "Old Style" (ignore the "no longer available" comment).

Been looking for that now and not finding it. My name is not in upper right either. Also not in the "preferences" menu in User Panel. Does it perhaps not show up in some browsers? I'm using Firefox.

 

[EmmaCat]

For those of us who do not use Facebook, this forum is a lifeline to sanity and love.

All good things
Emmy