Scrolling banner text ([move][/move]) no longer works

[WillLem]

Example - see the bottom of this post. The BB code isn't working as expected.

However, in this post it is working.

EDIT: I'm happy to fix this myself if someone can point me in the direction of the code, and let me know how to apply changes once they've been made.

[Silken Healer]

If I had to guess why the old post still works, is because prehaps it was due to the forum upgrade, and that old post had already parsed the BB code into the HTML <marquee> tag. Hopefully [move] can be added as the

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[tt] tag was. I wonder if there are any other missing BB code tags since the forum upgrade.

[WillLem]

Hopefully [move] can be added as the

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[tt] tag was.

Yes, I imagine so. Does anyone know how to access the site code? I'd be happy to sort it out myself if anyone can point me in the right direction.

I wonder if there are any other missing BB code tags since the forum upgrade.

I haven't noticed any except [move], but if we can get that one sorted I'd be happy to keep on top of adding any others as well.

[Silken Healer]

You're not an administrator of lemmingsforums.net so I don't think you can.

[Silken Healer]

Also

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[tt] wasn't coded in, it was an SFM add-on. Not that coding it in wouldn't work though.

[Simon]

Please consider alternative formatting. Make the text bold, or make the text big, or put a little image next to your link.

move is on the list of deprecated tags. It works only in old posts, and only when you don't edit them. To re-enable it, it would take either a one-line fix in Load.php, lines 404-406, or a plugin.

Moving text is bad UI. The text is temporarily invisible, it's distracting, and the links are hard to click. Don't use it. I agree that it's dumb when move stops working when you edit posts, but take it as an opportunity to replace the move with more accessible formatting.

Example - see the bottom of this post.

Here, ditch the move outright. The link by itself stands out fine!

-- Simon

[WillLem]

Please consider alternative formatting. Make the text bold, or make the text big, or put a little image next to your link.

Duly noted, I'll certainly consider other methods of highlighting text whether or not [move] is reinstated.

Here, ditch the move outright. The link by itself stands out fine!

Well, at the moment I have no choice unless I don't need to edit previous posts!

I'd suggest putting it back if it's such an easy fix. Better to have the choice to use it sparingly than not have it at all.

[Silken Healer]

Needless to say this is just my opinion, but I quite like [move] and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. You can use overformatting on any tag, I'd be sad if we didn't still at least have the option to use it.

[namida]

[tt] had very good use cases to justify bringing it back (so much so that, had I been aware of SMF 2.1 breaking it prior to upgrading, I would have not proceeded with the upgrade without a solution for it). [move] doesn't. Yes, it "looks cool"... the first few times you see it. Eventually it just becomes annoying, having to wait for the text to scroll onto screen, and to try and read it while it moves.

It won't be coming back.

[namida]

Yes, I imagine so. Does anyone know how to access the site code? I'd be happy to sort it out myself if anyone can point me in the right direction.

The source code is available here: https://bitbucket.org/namida42/lemmingsforums/src/master/

You'd need a web server to run it on - it's not quite the same as a language like C# that you can just compile into an EXE and run. One option is to use a free (or paid but cheap) hosting provider - if they offer MySQL and PHP, it'll almost certianly work. You could also set up a web server on your own PC; this can be done on Windows but generally, using Linux is preferable for anything relating to web servers in most cases. Simon likely uses Linux as his primary operating system; in my case, I use a Linux VM for offline development work.

How to initially set up the database when forking from the code is... actually a very good question. The code there is kind of provided with the assumption that anyone who intends to work with it has access to an existing database backup. This is obviously true for myself and Simon, but not so for you. This is something I need to look at at some point. It can likely be done by using stock SMF 2.1.4 to initially set up the database, then switching to LF code, running AddHooks.php, and going from there.

[WillLem]

It won't be coming back.

That's a shame. Since I use it sometimes, I hope that you reconsider this if it's an easy enough fix. Ultimately though, I understand that you pay to run the site and manage it yourself, so I respect that it's your decision to make.

With that said, since the topic is still open, I might as well put my argument forward.

You'd need a web server to run it on ... It can likely be done by using stock SMF 2.1.4 to initially set up the database, then switching to LF code, running AddHooks.php, and going from there.

I probably won't go to that much effort to get a single feature reinstated. As a last resort, sites such as this can generate scrolling text, albeit with slightly less seamless results:



Furthermore, since the above is produced as an image (as opposed to pure text), it is in fact more appropriate when used as a clickable link; it's not necessary to wait for the text to appear or click it as it's moving, instead the entire image can be clicked at any time.

Even so, it would still be far more preferable for scrolling text to be a site-integrated feature if possible - no need to resort to third-party alternatives, no need to host the image, smaller-sized posts.

Yes, it "looks cool"... the first few times you see it.

It's not about whether or not it looks cool, it's about its usefulness as a feature. In a post that might already have several links, pictures, spoiler tags, etc (such as a pack release or engine update post), a scroller can be useful for highlighting something incidental but important.

I'm happy to consider some alternatives, but scrollers are a particularly good go-to that are somewhat reminiscent of the Lemmings UI.

Eventually it just becomes annoying, having to wait for the text to scroll onto screen, and to try and read it while it moves.

I suggest that it comes down to how it's used: short sentences (less than 10 words) and a reasonable speed (difficult to gauge, admittedly, but it clearly shouldn't be too slow or too fast; there's a sweet spot) constitutes tasteful, acceptable use of scrolling text. Since it's in the poster's interest for the text to be readable, chances are that it will be used appropriately most of the time.

Perhaps some restrictions could be placed on it? A maximum number of characters, a minimum/maximum speed?

[Mindless]

scrollers are a particularly good go-to that are somewhat reminiscent of the Lemmings UI.

Notably, the text in the marquee in Lemmings doesn't contain anything of critical importance.

Marquees have been widely recognized as providing a bad user experience on the web for a long time now.  Their only value at this point is providing some nostalgia for the mostly-static-punctuated-by-animated-GIFs web that was.

[WillLem]

Their only value at this point is providing some nostalgia for the mostly-static-punctuated-by-animated-GIFs web that was.

Probably not worth bringing it back then. I doubt there'll be much call for it on a Forum dedicated to a retro video game, populated by people who are particularly interested in the quirky, the odd and the nostalgic.

Oh, wait...

[Silken Healer]

Their only value at this point is providing some nostalgia for the mostly-static-punctuated-by-animated-GIFs web that was.

Probably not worth bringing it back then. I doubt there'll be much call for it on a Forum dedicated to a retro video game, populated by people who are particularly interested in the quirky, the odd and the nostalgic.

Oh, wait...

This message is genius and I love it. If Karma existed again I would +1 this message 10000000 times.

[namida]

I might add that it's not just SMF that has deprecated this; the underlying HTML tag is considered deprecated too. It may not even work in some browsers anymore.