cplusplus.com Wishlist Thread, March 2014
I invite the community to contribute suggestions for improving this site and its forum.
Older versions of this thread:
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/lounge/121202/
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/lounge/98565/
My two suggestions:
1) Change the default "new thread" contents in the Beginners sub-forum to:
The reason for this suggestion is that I think beginners are confused by the current default contents.
They do not know what "code" actually means and so they discard the code tags altogether.
2) I'll shamelessly quote myself:
[code std=c++11]constexpr int i=5;[/code]
Older versions of this thread:
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/lounge/121202/
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/lounge/98565/
My two suggestions:
1) Change the default "new thread" contents in the Beginners sub-forum to:
Write your question here.
[code]// Hello World example program
#include <iostream>
int main()
{
std::cout << "Hello, World!" << std::endl;
}
[/code]
|
The reason for this suggestion is that I think beginners are confused by the current default contents.
They do not know what "code" actually means and so they discard the code tags altogether.
Write your question here. [code] Put the code you need help with here. [/code] |
2) I'll shamelessly quote myself:
| Catfish666 wrote: |
|---|
| Make it so that there's an option to mark the C and C++ code as being of a certain standard. |
[code std=c++11]constexpr int i=5;[/code]
| Note: this code was written in the C++11 standard. <link> |
constexpr int i=5;
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If they change the default "new thread" they should make the
extremely large and bold font since half the threads have that in their first post.
| Write your question here. |
support for other languages in the code tags. the ability to see posts more than 5 back. multi nested quotes. live chat would be cool too
closed account (z05DSL3A)
I would still like to see something similar to the 'My topics' link that shows posts that have had no response yet.
| support for other languages in the code tags. |
No. On a C++ site, the only language code tags should support is C/C++. You start supporting more and it invites programmers from other languages to come, forcing the admin to make forums for other languages. Ultimately making the URL a lie and requiring more tutorials for other languages and a new domain.
| the ability to see posts more than 5 back. |
I don't quite get this one.
| multi nested quotes. |
No, look at gamedev.net to see how that can become abused.
| live chat would be cool too |
IRC is about as live as you will get.
| Canis lupus wrote: |
|---|
| I would still like to see something similar to the 'My topics' link that shows posts that have had no response yet. |
I have to agree with that as I've seen too many topics go unanswered. Problem is that I don't know if it was from users not knowing the answer or not seeing it.
| Catfish666 wrote: |
|---|
| The reason for this suggestion is that I think beginners are confused by the current default contents. They do not know what "code" actually means and so they discard the code tags altogether. |
Either don't know or don't care. I addressed this just a second ago in another thread. Some editors, like Geany, when you say File->New(with Template)->main.cxx you get a file with a license comment header and then:
|
|
You don't have to use the code, which makes me wonder if the users don't see the sample code tags and think it is just that, a sample, and not a requirement so they ignore it and post it without tags.
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| No. On a C++ site, the only language code tags should support is C/C++. You start supporting more and it invites programmers from other languages to come, forcing the admin to make forums for other languages. Ultimately making the URL a lie and requiring more tutorials for other languages and a new domain. |
| I don't quite get this one. |
because it makes it easy if you want to reference a thread someone made a while back. sure you could use their username + keywords from the thread, but it could waste your time and pick up other threads
| No, look at gamedev.net to see how that can become abused. |
| IRC is about as live as you will get. |
Change code tag icon to something more recognizeable. Like simple code text.
Add some kind of note to the right of text field above format buttons, tellling about code button.
Add some kind of client-side script which will try to detect code without code tags and ask you if you intended to post it without code tags when you press submit.
Add some kind of note to the right of text field above format buttons, tellling about code button.
Add some kind of client-side script which will try to detect code without code tags and ask you if you intended to post it without code tags when you press submit.
| Little Bobby Tables wrote: |
|---|
| the ability to see posts more than 5 back |
I use the search function for this, usually in another tab with my browser.
Some Ideas of my own:
When the OP makes a reply, could we have "Original Poster" text in the banner of the reply. Sometimes handy to remind one of who the OP was when there are lots of replies. Other sites do this, namely the LinuxQuestions programming forum. They don't seem to get many C/C++ questions, so I feel I can get away with mentioning a "competitor" site.
Change the name of the General Programming board to Advanced Programming. I feel this is misinterpreted: General might imply that anyone can post there. I am sure there will be debate about what the difference between them is, but hopefully it will
Could we have volunteers to be moderators? Of course applicants with suitable maturity & commitment to the time involved to be approved by twicker. They could start out with simple authority to move posts to the appropriate board say.
Have the "Using Tags " article stickied to the all the boards - especially the Beginners board.
With code tags, it seems that no matter what encouragement is given, newbies are still likely to not do the right thing, but maybe we could add: "Your code should look like this". Also put more prominent text explaining what the Format: menu does
With the Articles page, could there be a compact table of contents as well as the categories?
Could the Links to the Reference, Articles & Tutorial be made larger & more prominent, at the top of the page - rather than the left side? Hopefully this might help with them to be noticed, beginners sometimes seem blissfully unaware that they exist, or perhaps it is the psychology of: "I want an answer now".
| I use the search function for this, usually in another tab with my browser. |
| When the OP makes a reply, could we have "Original Poster" text in the banner of the reply. |
+1 i am constantly scrolling back up to the top to see who op was
also, it would be nice if we could have like a [ link] tag. thats more for prettification though. it just looks a lot cleaner and less distracting if i could post this:
Here are some (this is where the link starts) linux voip (this is where the link ends) client
rather than:
here are some linux voip clients: http://www.google.com/search?q=voip+client+for+linux&surl=1&safe=active
| TheIdeasMan wrote: |
|---|
| Change the name of the General Programming board to Advanced Programming. |
I agree the General board should be renamed to Advanced too. The only debate that could be brought up is what constitutes the difference between beginner and advanced topics.
| Little Bobby Tables wrote: |
|---|
| just because something can be abused doesnt mean it shouldnt be used. a user could abuse a high post count and make a lot of nonsense threads. |
There is no need for it though. If I reply to Catfish666, and you are replying to my comment to him, then there is no need to embed both comments. If you have something to say to Catfish666's comment I replied on it is a better policy to quote him and reply and then quote me after and reply to my remark.
| TheIdeasMan wrote: |
|---|
When the OP makes a reply, could we have "Original Poster" text in the banner of the reply. |
That would be okay, but I don't care who asked so long as I am answering the OP question.
| TheIdeasMan wrote: |
|---|
| When the OP makes a reply, could we have "Original Poster" text in the banner of the reply. |
I would suggest to also use a different color for the posts, in addition to the tag.
On this forum, after a post gets reported it has a faint red background.
Similarly, the OP posts could have a faint yellow background, which in my personal opinion would look very stylish.
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closed account (N36fSL3A)
But then it would look like a reported post. Maybe a faint blue background?
| But then it would look like a reported post. Maybe a faint blue background? |
That was what I originally had in mind, but then I figured it would interact badly with code snippets in the same post. Also reported posts are red, not yellow.
@Catfish666
I like your idea, but I would say not yellow nor blue. Red is for reports as you said, but yellow may be interpreted as that person has a warning on him for spam or such and make new users ignore his posts. Faint blue, as Fredbill suggested, wouldn't work because it could run the risk of making the post header need changed and some of the tag boxes need changed so not to clash with the OP background.
Other problem is, if it is too faint, it would be no different than having a white background.
That change is extremely minor in appearance, but if done could require a large color scheme rework for it to look right and functionable.
I like your idea, but I would say not yellow nor blue. Red is for reports as you said, but yellow may be interpreted as that person has a warning on him for spam or such and make new users ignore his posts. Faint blue, as Fredbill suggested, wouldn't work because it could run the risk of making the post header need changed and some of the tag boxes need changed so not to clash with the OP background.
Other problem is, if it is too faint, it would be no different than having a white background.
That change is extremely minor in appearance, but if done could require a large color scheme rework for it to look right and functionable.
> I think we're on to something!
We certainly are. We now know for sure how garish and juvenile a programming site can be made to look.
We certainly are. We now know for sure how garish and juvenile a programming site can be made to look.
| BHX Specter wrote: |
|---|
| The only debate that could be brought up is what constitutes the difference between beginner and advanced topics. |
Yes, I said the same when I mentioned it, but I don't think it will matter - the idea is to encourage beginners to post in the beginners section. If we do have some volunteer moderators then they will just have to use reasonable discretion.
Anyone with thoughts about the moderators?
| MiiNiPaa wrote: |
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| Nor red, nor yellow, nor blue does not cut... GREEN! |
Green is good, & has my vote ! But before everyone gets carried away with the colour thing, we were going to have "Original Poster" text in the banner as well.
Some other sites allow colour formatting of text in replies as well.
Not to mention signatures (limited to 4 lines), and reputation counts.