Modern Vespa

Just to be clear, the new search isn't quite done -- I am still working on improving performance when filters are in place. I've got some ideas there, and in fact I am currently watching the logs, waiting for a slow reindex of the entire website to finish in the background.

But I'm starting to wonder what the Next Big Thing I should be working on might be. MV is built on a creaky architecture, and there are still lots of places where it more than shows its age.

I have a few ideas, and I think I know what most of you will probably say here, but rather than guess, here's your chance to tell me what your biggest MV annoyance is.

Please try to confine your answers to things that are in my power to fix, likely within the forum software. I can't make that one member you hate stop posting until they actually do something egregious.

Image search/gallery please.

Can you elaborate on that? What features would it have?

I'd like at least to see what I have uploaded image wise. Perhaps not the ability to stalk others via what they have uploaded though.

^^^^
This, please, please, please. I must have many, many images that are duplicated in the database because I have no means of finding the first instance and copy/pasting it into a new thread - often years later. The U-bolt clutch-holder would be one example...

Okay, understood. It's not a small ask, but I guess I did open it up to suggestions.

Also, I'm not super bothered by the duplicates (any more). But you're right in that it would be nice to know what you've uploaded.

I'd like to upload an optional avatar thumbnail. Keep the auto-generated thumbnail as a default.

Interesting idea!

As perfect as my avatar is I suppose I could be open to alternate versions of it's perfection.

Honestly for what MV is it does a good job of it. Search IS the feature that needs the most attention as far as finding what you are looking for. Many folks come here when they need help with an issue, This is already being worked on (thank you) and I suppose maybe adding a feature where query fields can be added with a plus button would be handy for many. Basically the advanced search feature for those that do not know how to use advanced queries.

Maybe have the opportunity to build out the profile page a little more. Give the member an opportunity for a brief bio or riding style?

How about the option to note if the member is mechanically inclined, wanting to learn.. set in their ways..? This might give people responding the chance to be a bit more understanding when crafting a reply.

Another wish is to have 'Mark All Read' at the bottom of the sub-forum index alongside 'New Topic". I know I mentioned it before many years ago, and it was there for a while but you removed it as part of 'tidying up' at one point. However, I find I sometimes have to scroll right back to the top to do this. Not so much on a computer (PC, laptop or whatever) as they have 'Home' and 'End' keys, but on a smartphone it gets old very quickly.

Thanks for asking! I have no idea how hard any of these are.

• wysiwyg editor - I think you've told me in the past this was a major effort
• Inline image posting with images from my computer
  • this may already be possible and I just don't know how to do it.
  • I know I can add attachments but they show up at the end of a post
  • And if I add images from other website I know I can post them inline with the [Img] tag
    
• "List" button in the editor window to insert lists into a post, like the buttons that provide bold text, italic text, img, quote, URL...
  

Another forum I frequent has a pretty nice editor. Maybe there's some ideas that can be gleaned from it: bmwst.com

If you did none of the above, I'm still pretty happy with the forum interface.

BTW, I thought you retired! Miguel

His perfectionism

I also like the idea of being able to see images I've uploaded in the past. I know it would only go so far back, if it's even reasonably doable, but it would be helpful. There have been occasions where I know I've posted something that would be helpful to reference for someone else, and I know I included an image... but I've made enough posts that even looking through just my own may not actually narrow things down enough, and I certainly don't remember the titles of other's posts that I've added to. I doubt I'm the only one.

The ask for a way to search past uploads and also to have an alternate avatar thumbnail both point in the general direction of a profile overhaul, as it happens. Which isn't where I was expecting this thread to go, but c'est la vie.

Jim, I've just rolled out a new feature, just for you. Try it out! When you're at the bottom of a page on your phone, touch the menu bar (likely just a display of the current time these days) at the very top.

Did it scroll up to the top of the page?

Listing "topic author" next to the name of the person who starts a thread all the way through each thread. Sometimes it gets confusing as to who asked a question once a "debate" starts in the responses.

Bob

That's an excellent suggestion, Bob. I've seen that occasionally on other forums.

You're right that these two are both a major effort, but it's kind of where I was leaning anyway. The tricky thing is that they really are tied together, so I have to solve both simultaneously. I fear this is not double the work but work-squared. I'll check it out. Ultimately, the right editor will depend on how well I can integrate it into the existing forum. There's one I have in mind that I like a lot, but it might have too many advanced features, making it difficult to integrate and also intimidating for some subset of our users. This is retirement! The pay is terrible, but at least I enjoy it. I get to do the parts I really like (writing code) without the parts that I don't like (going to meetings, hitting deadlines, playing stupid corporate games, and so on).

'Fraid not. Android 12. Duckduckgo on Dolphin, iphone pretence.

Don't spend any more time on this unless you get bored, OK?

How about a toggle to dark mode so I can read MV in the middle of the night without waking up the missus? It gets hot hiding under the comforter!

I did briefly roll out a dark mode for MV, and IIRC the feedback was quite negative.

Not so much a fix, but an idea. With better search, indexing comes to mind. Not thinking about the feasibility here, but it would be nice to have a page that lists different scooter models with subcategories pointing at relevant threads with discussion for such things as suspension, exhaust, variator and so on. This would seem more of a human driven indexing, but that could be very valuable.

I see the value, but I am definitely not in a position to sign up for human indexing. There's just so much data in our database.

This strikes me as something that the wiki can (or should) be used for, though. It was always the intent that the wiki should take advantage of the many-hands-makes-light-work principal, but in practice, very few people make edits.

I checked. They are using some variant of CKEditor, though I'm not sure which version. This one is already on my list of potential editors.

Thankful 🙏 for MV as is but some images disappear over time on Wiki and old threads

A dedicated NSR forum?

Generally speaking, the only images that disappear are the ones hosted on external photo hosting sites. This is a common problem, and it's why I strongly recommend that people upload photos to MV instead of hosting them offsite.

We have had a couple of small glitches and have lost a small number of images that are hosted on MV, but the numbers are very small.

That's not something to fix, per se, that's just forum organization. It's been discussed many, many, many times, and it is 100% off the table.

Plus the obvious… The ability to make polls.

That functionality was removed a long time ago. The main reason is that people (usually relative newbies) would post really stupid polls, like

• Should I paint my bike?
  • Yes
  • No
    

Ultimately, it was only rarely used for things that actually warranted a poll. So I nuked it.

This was the best poll ever:

[NSR] Oatmeal Cookies: Raisins or Chocolate Chips?

Are titles still assigned to members? Might be because I'm using an iPhone but I don't see them anymore?

Bill

Yes. Titles are automatically assigned based on post count. Custom titles are occasionally given to members, depending on whether they do something awesome, or something dreadful, or simply bribe a moderator.

On a phone, you have to click the "details" text in the author detail section of each post. A panel will drop down with additional information about the poster.

Thank you! I hadn't noticed the "details" dropdown.

Seen it done with a simple visual solution on other forums. Just add an "op" overlay banner to the thread creators icon on each post in that thread they created.

ftfy
I didn't take the time to search, but I seem to remember him pushing the limits of your patience on this subject. Much like the absurdly and ridiculously and hilariously numerous nested quotes.
Man, I miss him and his whacky sense of humor.