Ever since yesterday, the forum uses your Twitch username and avatar picture. Go to your Twitch account settings and change the avatar there. (You need to be logged-in on Twitch for this obviously).
This discord is nice. I've gotten some good help there. The only problem is that as far as I know there's no search function for past subjects. So you're limited to getting help there if someone happens to be on who knows the subject.
There's a search field in the upper-right corner (lower-right corner on mobile). Contrary to popular belief, new users to get access to chat discussions which happened before they joined, so you can search for older topics after all.
If you couldn't find something, then it's probably because you used the wrong search terms. I got the best search results by searching for just one word, and check every search entry. It's better than nothing.
ya sure he's still listening, guys? he arrived, ruined our site, and left..
If Mr.Flamegoat never would've shown up after the initial announcement, that might be correct. But he did talked to us, including creating this feedback topic.
A while ago he said that everyone at Curse is busy. Even if he had the time and knowledge to change things on this website all on his own, he still needs the ok from upper management.
I'm sure the 5 or so other software engineers on this forum agree when I say that this is not a simple or fast matter to resolve. Good things take time, so please be patient.
While I'm at it, here are some links to resolve the two biggest issues at the moment: Use the classic skin to change the color scheme, and use Google search as a workaround for the sometimes buggy forum search option.
As for the front page design criticisms, I still stand by my statements that it's good, because personally I like it a lot. But I do want to reiterate that I 100% understand the feelings that it's not the correct fit. Don't misunderstand! I'm by no means saying anyone is wrong - I don't get paid enough to start those kinds of fires :D
Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, but we're a forum-centered community, not a content-centered one. (I mean, content is important as well, but just bear with me here for a minute).
On websites like Minecraft Curseforge, the focus is no doubt on uploading add-ons (as creators) and downloading add-ons (as players). The forum there serves as a troubleshooting forum, plus a general discussions forum.
But SC2Mapster's forum is HUGE. You said so yourself when trying to carry-over the database.
A lot of people are asking for help with the editor, show their work-in-progress, discuss news about all things Blizzard etc., and do so a lot. Creators and players are talking a lot to each other, especially since everyone can use the Starcraft II editor themselves (we're all familiar with the tech to a degree).
This is different from the Minecraft website where not everyone has the knowledge to create add-ons himself, and thus is just fine with browsing the add-ons and downloading them. Even if they do seek help in learning the ropes, they won't necessarily find any tutorials there, and instead go to other websites.
That is one advantage SC2Mapster has - we're THE place to go for learning how to create content in Starcraft II (at least in the English-speaking world I suppose).
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Being a community with a strong focus on a forum, we also need a frontpage that focuses on the forum, and not necessarily on the content.
Or rather, instead of emphasizing the individual add-on entries, a topic discussing said add-on makes more sense because people can leave feedback.
In the past, we used the news to showcase upcoming or just-finished projects. Each news topic also had a link to a corresponding forum topic, thus ensuring that people will engage in the community.
That's why it was ideal when the news were being shown at the top before – and why them being at the bottom now is so bad.
Again, it made sense on the Minecraft website because it's just maintenance stuff and the like, but on SC2Mapster we use the news as a form of showcasing new projects.
People checked the front page in the past to see if anything of interest was happening in the forums (without checking every subforum manually). That's why having things like "5 Most-Recent Topics" and "Current Events" are important – and why their lack in the frontpage now is so bad.
The "Popular Projects" field is bad because due to the low content output we have (at least compared to Minecraft I suppose), chances are that it'll rarely, if ever, change. Just like Bilxor said, this thing will be an ad for Mass Recall for all eternity (which isn't a bad thing, it's a great project) but that precious spot out of six will forever remain locked.
But the issue here isn't how the algorithm works - it's that the promotion process is automated. The moderators and/or admins are better at finding projects worthy of being featured, and show it on the frontpage.
Bottom-line, we need a frontpage that supplements the forum, that is an extension of the forum so to speak.
Keep the rewards program and "browse projects" tabs if you must, but something has to happen.
New visitors have no clue as to where to look, because nothing points towards the forum where the real action is at. They'll just download Mass Recall and call it a day.
-----
Anyway, that's enough wall of text for this year. I do know that it's Christmas, so I wish you a good time! But hopefully this post will help you understand where we're coming from when it comes to the frontpage.
Please keep in mind that it's been less than 24 hours since the new forum/website went online. Back in the day when I would try my hand at installing my own forum software on a server, it would look just like this as well, default layout and all.
They had to carry over the database and establish the new system. Stuff like that never goes easy.
Also, it's like three days til Christmas. Cut them some slack guys. Not everything will be fixed within the remainder of 2016.
If LucidIguana is working on a Stylish template to address the color scheme issue, and most of the bugs like the search bar not working get addressed, I can live with it.
Things like the front page will probably take longer, but Rome wasn't built in a day either.
PS: That Pacman loading symbol is the best thing ever!
Nice change,but that white background everwhere is hurting my eyes so hard..
I feel the same way. It is quite a strain on my eyes to look at white backgrounds (or black backgrounds with white text for that matter) on my monitor. The former SC2Mapster layout was great because it was neither too bright nor too black/dark.
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Ever since yesterday, the forum uses your Twitch username and avatar picture. Go to your Twitch account settings and change the avatar there. (You need to be logged-in on Twitch for this obviously).
Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, but we're a forum-centered community, not a content-centered one. (I mean, content is important as well, but just bear with me here for a minute).
On websites like Minecraft Curseforge, the focus is no doubt on uploading add-ons (as creators) and downloading add-ons (as players). The forum there serves as a troubleshooting forum, plus a general discussions forum.
But SC2Mapster's forum is HUGE. You said so yourself when trying to carry-over the database.
A lot of people are asking for help with the editor, show their work-in-progress, discuss news about all things Blizzard etc., and do so a lot. Creators and players are talking a lot to each other, especially since everyone can use the Starcraft II editor themselves (we're all familiar with the tech to a degree).
This is different from the Minecraft website where not everyone has the knowledge to create add-ons himself, and thus is just fine with browsing the add-ons and downloading them. Even if they do seek help in learning the ropes, they won't necessarily find any tutorials there, and instead go to other websites.
That is one advantage SC2Mapster has - we're THE place to go for learning how to create content in Starcraft II (at least in the English-speaking world I suppose).
-----
Being a community with a strong focus on a forum, we also need a frontpage that focuses on the forum, and not necessarily on the content.
Or rather, instead of emphasizing the individual add-on entries, a topic discussing said add-on makes more sense because people can leave feedback.
In the past, we used the news to showcase upcoming or just-finished projects. Each news topic also had a link to a corresponding forum topic, thus ensuring that people will engage in the community.
That's why it was ideal when the news were being shown at the top before – and why them being at the bottom now is so bad.
Again, it made sense on the Minecraft website because it's just maintenance stuff and the like, but on SC2Mapster we use the news as a form of showcasing new projects.
People checked the front page in the past to see if anything of interest was happening in the forums (without checking every subforum manually). That's why having things like "5 Most-Recent Topics" and "Current Events" are important – and why their lack in the frontpage now is so bad.
The "Popular Projects" field is bad because due to the low content output we have (at least compared to Minecraft I suppose), chances are that it'll rarely, if ever, change. Just like Bilxor said, this thing will be an ad for Mass Recall for all eternity (which isn't a bad thing, it's a great project) but that precious spot out of six will forever remain locked.
But the issue here isn't how the algorithm works - it's that the promotion process is automated. The moderators and/or admins are better at finding projects worthy of being featured, and show it on the frontpage.
Bottom-line, we need a frontpage that supplements the forum, that is an extension of the forum so to speak.
Keep the rewards program and "browse projects" tabs if you must, but something has to happen.
New visitors have no clue as to where to look, because nothing points towards the forum where the real action is at. They'll just download Mass Recall and call it a day.
-----
Anyway, that's enough wall of text for this year. I do know that it's Christmas, so I wish you a good time! But hopefully this post will help you understand where we're coming from when it comes to the frontpage.
Please keep in mind that it's been less than 24 hours since the new forum/website went online. Back in the day when I would try my hand at installing my own forum software on a server, it would look just like this as well, default layout and all.
They had to carry over the database and establish the new system. Stuff like that never goes easy.
Also, it's like three days til Christmas. Cut them some slack guys. Not everything will be fixed within the remainder of 2016.
If LucidIguana is working on a Stylish template to address the color scheme issue, and most of the bugs like the search bar not working get addressed, I can live with it.
Things like the front page will probably take longer, but Rome wasn't built in a day either.
PS: That Pacman loading symbol is the best thing ever!