Site modernization

[j1CpDjzh]

Couldn't something be implemented to where instead of seeing a thumbnail in the thread it is simply a link (ala http://thecorner.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/09/screenshot.jpeg ) and upon clicking the link it opens a box over the page showing it

I think there's an app like that in the Chrome store called Hover Link? You just hover over the link and the picture pops up. Then again, it'd be nice if it were just a feature already implemented in the site, rather than everyone having to get Hover Link.

[BHX]

I use SwiftPreview, but not seeing anything for Hover Link. Only result for Hover is Hover Zoom for enlarging thumbnails on a site. Though, yes, having these features on site is more helpful than having a thread that lists the different extensions a user can install to do that.

[j1CpDjzh]

Ohh. I don't know what it's called exactly, but I know on my old Chrome account I had something where I could hover over a picture link and it would show the picture?? If I ever am able to get back into the old account, I'll have to see what it's called.

[NUj6URfi]

If we are to do site modernization:

I would not want to see Stack Overflow's posting service. It destroys topics if the 'number one answer' just gets pushed up because people vote for it. Seeing the process and discussion in a topic is important.

I think the look of this site is fine.

We should have moderators.

We should be able to do integrated video and pictures, yet have to get approved by a moderator first.

We should get a spam filter for long posts, links, too many started topics, and repeat posts. I'm not saying don't allow 6 new topics, I'm saying do 4 then submit more, but wait for approval.

We should get signatures as well.

I like the idea of pinging and I also think we should get a integrated IRC client for the site. Only for #cplusplus on Quakenet though.

The PM system should be upgraded and there should be an 'Unsubscribe from Topic' button.

[j1CpDjzh]

I would not want to see Stack Overflow's posting service. It destroys topics if the 'number one answer' just gets pushed up because people vote for it. Seeing the process and discussion in a topic is important.

!! Yes.

I agree with everything you've said except for mods. I don't think there should be moderators (nor pictures). I like how everyone posts at an equal level. I guess to me, it depends on how one would achieve moderator status.

P/S: Instead of having an answer that gets pushed to the top because of rating, I think like you said, it should stay as is, however there could be something where you could rate the replies (without it affecting their placement). With this, there could be a point system (which would be displayed next to your name where your number of posts are ((it would replace that number.))), but this kind of contradicts my previously stated opinion (well, depending on how this idea would be implemented. If it users at a higher rank, than it takes away from being equal. If it's just displayed to show how 'reliable' a persons answers are, or just there like a sticker a teacher would give, then that's different... But then it could be rendered useless).

[Computergeek01]

Instead of having an answer that gets pushed to the top because of rating, I think like you said, it should stay as is, however there could be something where you could rate the replies (without it affecting their placement). With this, there could be a point system (which would be displayed next to your name where your number of posts are ((it would replace that number.)))

I've said this before and I will say it again. If this site turns into some wannabe Reddit clone then I will leave. I enjoy affirmation as much as the next person but I don't constantly need a pat on the head to get through my day. My confidence in my ability comes partially from the fact that I haven't been shamed\flammed off of this board; not from some passive-aggressive anonymous circle-jerk by some basement dwellers who don't even have enough respect to post their handle behind their convictions.

What happens with a voting system is that the correct answers get ignored or buried because they are too difficult for all of the up and coming script kiddies to understand. Meanwhile the easy to use solutions get "upvoted" because more people understand them. This is how misinformation gets started AND how it propagates online. With our current system you can't just scroll down to the highest voted answer, there are no shortcuts. You have to read each one and judge for yourself which user is the most knowledgeable on the topic or which solution is the most appropriate and that is how it should be.

[j1CpDjzh]

I've said this before and I will say it again. If this site turns into some wannabe Reddit clone then I will leave.

I've never really been on Reddit, so I have no idea how it works, but I see what you're saying. I wouldn't want the site to be changed to match something else.

And now that you bring up all of that, I can see how my idea has a lot of flaws in it, and I knew it was pretty imperfect. A voting system is pretty unnecessary, but I was putting it out there just incase there were a way to implement it in a useful manor.

[BHX]

I know we have issues with beginners not wanting to use code tags. We can always do the approach Dream In Code does for their reply screen http://prntscr.com/48jy2i If we did something like that for the new topic screen it would be a lot harder to ignore it ;). Not saying it would curve it, but at least we know it would be a constant reminder to the new user rather than the current new topic screen we have that can simply be erased and ignored.

As for the cloning comments... Problem is that everything we are wanting done is doing just that, making it a clone of an existing site. My ideas would be cloning parts of GD.Net and Dream In Code. Other features are clones of StackOverflow and StackExchange. While we can justify to ourselves why we think the site needs this, in the end, all we are doing is basically wanting to turn Cplusplus.com into a hodgepodge of other website features (which may or may not work).

[Computergeek01]

You misunderstand me BHX, I am not saying that imitating success is in anyway bad. My problem is specifically the type of culture that a site like Reddit attracts where the end goal of every post is some imaginary high score. Even if you don't reorder each post by this attribute, you still end up with people only paying attention to the highest voted submission in a thread. These posts are almost universally the "easy way out" of a given problem without regard to anything outside of the immediate scope of the issue.

Imagine that you comment on a post where a user is having trouble with a common beginner issue like clearing the console screen for his home brew video game. Now being an experienced individual you reply telling the OP not to use the console for video games, it is the wrong tool for the job and it is in fact more work then simply using a library and doing it the right way. At the same time some other user ninja posts your reply with nothing more then system("cls"); and zero explanation. Their solution solves the immediate issue in a fast and easy to use way that the OP can use right now. Your solution takes effort and sounds scary in addition to requiring the OP to completely rewrite the ridiculous pile of code that he has spent all weekend slapping together. You get ignored and the other guy gets the up vote. A few more new users come through and think the same thing, they see that your much longer and technical sounding post got ignored by the last guy because it isn't what they want to hear and they see the easy solution is gathering points by simply appealing to the lowest common denominator. Which post are people going to eventually start thinking is the right answer? Are you able to convince them otherwise before they have a few years under their belt?

I don't dislike Reddit because it's cool not to like popular things. I hate it because I see what it is.

[NUj6URfi]

If we are to clone to website I think we should clone assemblergames.com with the classic cplusplus.com look, plus revised links (theirs are terrible) and a few unique features.

[BHX]

Computergeek01 wrote:

You misunderstand me BHX,..

My sincerest apologies, you are right I had read more into what you were saying. I agree with you on that part completely.