Improved News Posting

[Zips]

Originally posted by Sim9@Jun 24 2004, 04:00 AM
Yep, the first of which is a new feature for the devjournals image system. Also helpful for images in news posts ;)

In other news, I found out I've got to get this form re-notorized, so a little more delay in that. I did contatct owners of archive.net & .com today, though :)
Hey Sim... You up for feature suggestions to make news posting easier? That is, if you don't mind taking some suggestions from how CSN does news posts.

I do believe that the big thing they have is how the news posts tie in with the forums there which allows for such things as spell check, url's that are formatted with texthere, things like [break="text for a line break"] which will insert a link that will display the rest of the hidden text upon clicking, some autoformating for bulletted items, etc etc...

Meh I'd go into more detail if I knew you were interested.

[Google]

[Zips]

Well hell, I guess to add onto this.

Auto listing.

IE: First item with a formatted bullet.
Second item
Etc etc...

Crap... the board automatically does it. So just quote my post to see it.

Anyway, you know what it is? It's just integrating the news posting and comments into a new forum section on the boards here. That would allow for the BB codes like [b], [i], [u], [link], [quote] (But this one could probably be excluded unless you change the format from "QUOTE: NAME DATE TIME" to something more basic, but that's nothing important so quote doesn't have to be included.

The [break="Text here"] which then allows for the rest of the news post to be hidden if it's exceptionally long, thusly eliminating the need for the second page to read a full news story.

Also, if the news is integrated into the boards, it'd allow the comments to also make use of the BBcode tags as well as use the avatar, etc etc.

I'm sure my post will come out looking like crap thanks to the open tags I have, but ... we'll see.

[Sim9]

News is *not* getting integrated into the boards, since the news has a number of unique custom things that I don't want to lose. Plus it looks more professional not to have the full news story as part of a forums page. In Archive 2.0, the full news page should look more like CNN.

Otherwise, I do like your suggestions. In the Break, that hides the text until you click on the link. Does it load a new page, or hide it using javascript?

Likely as far as html goes: The link tag will be allowed, as well as bold, italic, underline. Registered users will have edit ability. Smilies will be autoconverted.

Other questions:
1) Do you want a GUI html interface (ala the devjournals one), or the current plaintext one?
2) Do you want to see any additions to the image interface? Popup window with latest 5 uploaded images and quick image insert code?
3) What about QUOTE blocks?
4) I need to add a better system for interviews/reviews/editorials then just the topic system we have now

[Zips]

I think it's javascript... I know it doesn't load a new page (Check out www.csnation.net and look for a news piece that has a thing like:

[bolded text here (155 more words)]

1) It couldn't hurt. May make coding a lot of monotonous things a lot easier over time. If that was added, can manual html be typed into the box still or is it dead set on using the GUI buttons and stuff?
2) ... There's an image interface? For news? Uhm.... :huh:
3) Not sure what you mean by that one. Some quote format like
[quote]Text here[./quote] (minus the period) would yield maybe something like.

<font size=+1>"</font><font size=-1>Quoted text here blah blah blah.</font><font size=+1>"</font>

With maybe a <hr> right above and below the quote? Doesn't really matter there, but the quote bit above is what I use already manually. Bigger quote marks, smaller quote text.

5) (Since you didnt ask anything for 4) How's about something to be done with how the icons push the news item further right for a few lines then the rest of the item is below it? It looks a little ... I dunno... wonky? Maybe a smaller icon the same size or just slightly larger then the title text and right to the right of it?

New HL2 Footage [image right here]
News item right here all formatted to the left hand side without being pushed over.

Either that or instead of a square icon, something shorter in height (Same height as the title text) but wider that has a stylized text thing or something? For some idea on size, look at the "Quote" or "Report" buttons here in the forum on each person's post.

[Insane2757]

Originally posted by Sim9@Jun 29 2004, 02:01 AM
Other questions:
1) Do you want a GUI html interface (ala the devjournals one), or the current plaintext one?
2) Do you want to see any additions to the image interface? Popup window with latest 5 uploaded images and quick image insert code?
3) What about QUOTE blocks?
4) I need to add a better system for interviews/reviews/editorials then just the topic system we have now
I have no opinion on the GUI or HTML, although the HTML one loads faster on my 56k. Not that anyone cares.
Yes.
Those would be nice, if you included a "QUOTE FOR NEWS ITEM" link in each news post (that only admins see).
Yes.
Off the top of my head: Maybe make the icons for "HTNET", "HL", "Site", "NWN", and "Misc." actually go for anything?

[Sim9]

The icons can be used to filter the news. Look at the bottom of the news page. ;) These icons SHOULD link to that, instead of having to scroll down and click Additionally, we need an icon for Unreal, Hardware, and other random things (ideas?).

Zips, check out the devjournals interface; a button is on the right to let you access html. Try it out sometime, and let me know what you think :)

I also see you've found the image interface, good work :) It probably needs some streamlining for news purposes though.

I checked out the csnation's quote blocks (that's what I meant), and also the "read more" part. The javascript hide will be no problem, the method is already used in random places on the site.

How about icons that are their current sizes, still below, but on the right, so they don't push text over? Partly integrated as part of the topic line, but overhanging a line or two for effect?

[Zips]

You'll have to show me what you mean for the icon thing... Why keep it down a line or two? Wouldn't that just make the main page spaced out over time?

Eh maybe....

And yeah, the image thing needs tweaked. For one, it's not even included in the main news posting interface. Have a link in the main news posting interface which will pop up a window featuring options with the following:
... Screw it, just look at the screenshot for a kick ass image uploading method. Yeah it's CSN again, but it's uber-simplified.

http://zips.fuckthatsite.com/idea.jpg

As for an icon for Unreal/UT, will this work?
http://zips.fuckthatsite.com/uticon.jpg

[Sim9]

I do like that icon, and I'll try and get it up soon :D

Probably the image utility would be a button, that when clicked would launch a small popup window (Or unhide something on the newspage). The tool would contain the last 5 titles of images uploaded into the image system. Upon clicking, it would generate the code to place the image at the cursor position in the news textbox.

How valuable would the following be:
1) Small thumbnail next to each image title in the window
2) One click uploading of images, instead of going through the image upload system (like in your screenshot)
3) Uploading of images by URL

[Zips]

All very important.

It'd be nice if the system autogenerated the proper HTML that would generate a small, say 200x162 thumbnail of the image, and would make that thumbnail a link to the larger one.

All done automatically.

[Sim9]

That's exactly what I meant :P

It would have to be some variation of the devjournals system, but I'm sure it could be streamlined, and a URL option added. :)

[Zips]

Awesome... So where are these features at? I expected them done last Thursday! :P

[Sim9]

lol :lol:

I just got my tools back, so I need to get to work :D