Every day, there are so many new posts and threads I have to list through several pages to see them all.
The good news: Scirra is so popular!
The bad news? It is increasingly difficult to keep a track!
Especially since "New posts" breaks the posts into categories, with all new posts in General coming first, only then "How do I" and then Bugs. the more important posts are buried on subsequent pages. Some help requests end up getting overlooked.
Perhaps it is time to reorganize things a bit to accommodate for the increased traffic?
A few suggestions:
- condense the search results (especially new posts), so that more threads can be shown on the same page.
- allow the user to specify how many posts/threads they want to see on the same page.
- polish up the markup language. It is a bit unsightly to see /size tags being replaced with /font whenever you edit posts, which looks weird since the first size tag is not replaced. Also, allow in-line placement of URL and image tags. They keep jumping to the end of post whenever you add them. It's kind of a pain to deal with whenever prettying your own posts up.
- favorites. Let the user specify which forum categories he wants to see more than others. A simple toggle-able icon or checkbox next to category or thread would bump it up on the page. Kind of like a sticky, only on client side.
- Clearer contrast between read and unread threads/posts. In fact, I don't think the "read/unread" system is working properly at all.
in any case, Scirra has to keep up with traffic and so does its technology. Right now, it feels amateurish, while Scirra is maturing and needs a more professional image. Forums are no exception!
Just my couple (diamond laced) cents. :)