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Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
https://forum.specialattack.net/viewtopic.php?t=5016		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  [SpA]Spikespiegel [ 05 Mar 2009, 13:24 ]
Post subject:  Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
So SaintK, demm and I are having a discussion that is getting heated up. So now I want to ask all of you wheter you prefer your forum in a fluid design (scalable by window size) like this one, or a forum with a fixed width, like phpbb.com's own forum

The arguments are as follows:
Against fluid: The design doesn't match the overall website theme. Readability is VERY poor, when you have to go from a line in one end of the screen and then hit the next line at the other end of the screen. People with large resolutions suffer alot from this. The overall aestehics is poor.
Against fixed: There will be too much unused space on either side of the forum. SaintK has impaired vision, and cannot see the tiny forums (according to himself :P)

(I am very biased in this matter, so if anyone else can come up with arguments, I will add them to this post)
Author:  sebas [ 05 Mar 2009, 13:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
You should change the last option Spike, it's a bit confusing as it seems you're asking which one we dislike, not prefer. :)
Author:  [SpA]Spikespiegel [ 05 Mar 2009, 13:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]sebas wrote:
You should change the last option Spike, it's a bit confusing as it seems you're asking which one we dislike, not prefer. :)
Better ? ;oD
Author:  sebas [ 05 Mar 2009, 13:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Hahaha, awesome! :lol:
Author:  [SpA]SaintK [ 05 Mar 2009, 13:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
My problem is that when i am on my 22" WS i find it incredible silly to read a forum which is 1/4th of my actual screen. Even worse it gets when i am behind my 17" laptop, then i get a tiny tiny forum to look at.

As i said, i don't mind the new forum, but i do think that the left nav. bar needs to be removed when accessing the forums.

Me would be happy, and afail large screen owners would aswell, cause it would still be fixed with plenty of space at both sides of the screen.
Author:  [SpA]Spikespiegel [ 05 Mar 2009, 13:48 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]SaintK wrote:
My problem is that when i am on my 22" WS i find it incredible silly to read a forum which is 1/4th of my actual screen. Even worse it gets when i am behind my 17" laptop, then i get a tiny tiny forum to look at.
But one of the benefits by having a fixed width, is that the forum will look the same in all resolutions. That you get a tiny forum on your 17" just tells me that you run a wayyy too high resolution on that 17", and in that case it's your own bloody fault :P
Author:  sebas [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
You can also just zoom in and have FF save that setting for the forum if the text is really small. :P
Author:  [SpA]SaintK [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
I don't use FF.
Author:  sebas [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
:<
Author:  [SpA]Johnny [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Definitely with fluid width , looks just right on my LG 22" WS :P
Author:  [SpA]SaintK [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]Johnny wrote:
Definitely with fluid width , looks just right on my LG 22" WS :P
I think you voted fixed, or did u vote earlier and just posted now? :P
Author:  [SpA]Spikespiegel [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Image

That wasted space is soooo much nicer looking than some proper, intentional space, I can TOTALLY see your point about wasted space, Saint!
Author:  MikeDH [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
What is it now?

I'm on 22" and i've never had a problem with wasted space, everything seems to scale nicely.

If those posts were longer they would spread out wouldn't they? They do here.
Author:  [SpA]Spikespiegel [ 05 Mar 2009, 14:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]MikeDH wrote:
What is it now?

I'm on 22" and i've never had a problem with wasted space, everything seems to scale nicely.

If those posts were longer they would spread out wouldn't they? They do here.
If the posts were longer, they would still look better with a fixed width.... Take the example below.... Both pictures are of the same text, the first is with fluid width and the second is how the text would look with a fixed width.

Image

Image

(sorry about the photobucket scaling).

Truth is that the second example is much more appealing to read, even though both contain the exact same text!
Author:  [SpA]Mr.green [ 05 Mar 2009, 15:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
There is a tie so exiting :) . I voted the first option.
Author:  namelessone [ 05 Mar 2009, 15:13 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Fluid with max-width set :18
Or enable 2 themes and let the users choose ;)
Author:  [SpA]Johnny [ 05 Mar 2009, 15:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]SaintK wrote:
[SpA]Johnny wrote:
Definitely with fluid width , looks just right on my LG 22" WS :P
I think you voted fixed, or did u vote earlier and just posted now? :P
I certainly voted for fluid, yeah i first voted then ( after some thinking) posted my argument :lol: :P
Author:  ditch [ 05 Mar 2009, 15:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
namelessone wrote:
Fluid with max-width set :18
+1
namelessone wrote:
Or enable 2 themes and let the users choose ;)
+1

P.S.: And stop arguing about wasted space, unless you're using a proper tiling window manager!
Author:  Nonoice [ 05 Mar 2009, 15:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
namelessone wrote:
Fluid with max-width set :18
Or enable 2 themes and let the users choose ;)
Like he said. It shouldn't be that difficult to leave it openish.

Optimize the layout for one of the choices and have to other option optional. May bee fuxed up because its not 'supported' but still available.

BTW. I'm all in favor of a fixed with.
The content your content should be the main goal and the way it is shown should be supportive of that. I'm reading this on a 24' and i lose the line number when reading longer texts.
Shorter line lengths are easier to read. That for instance why a paper has columns and is not page wide lines. Add this the amount of content (images/movies) post have it is best to keep lines shorter: Otherwise you end up with lots of white space on your page.

Again: leave the option open for ppl to select their own (unsupported) width and everybody is happy.
Author:  Timmeh~ [ 05 Mar 2009, 15:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]Spikespiegel wrote:
[SpA]MikeDH wrote:
What is it now?

I'm on 22" and i've never had a problem with wasted space, everything seems to scale nicely.

If those posts were longer they would spread out wouldn't they? They do here.
If the posts were longer, they would still look better with a fixed width.... Take the example below.... Both pictures are of the same text, the first is with fluid width and the second is how the text would look with a fixed width.

Image

Image

(sorry about the photobucket scaling).

Truth is that the second example is much more appealing to read, even though both contain the exact same text!
Agree with that it's a lot less annoying to read. But I think both have their ups and downs and it totally depends on the monitor of the user which they prefer. And considering the large amount of ppl visiting this forum, there's a large difference in screen sizes as well.
Think the option to choose is the most logical way to go (as said above 8D)

And Saint, I really advise to use FF. It's soooooo much safer and user-friendly. But most of all the safe part is really important x)
Author:  [SpA]SaintK [ 05 Mar 2009, 16:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
No worries, my pc is safe ;)
Author:  [SpA]Scatterbrain [ 05 Mar 2009, 17:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
umm... fluid is far better, even though I'm using a 22" screen. also, I tend to find that if it's fixed then it tends to bug too easily when large pictures are posted

also, if you really don't want the page the fill the whole of your screen, just go into windowed mode and resize to what you want, and it'll resize automatically anyway, text line width and all.
Author:  [SpA]Blackhawk [ 05 Mar 2009, 17:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Is everybody running his browser in fullscreen mode? :shock:
Author:  [SpA]cookye [ 05 Mar 2009, 17:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
yep
Author:  [SpA]Baal Kagan [ 05 Mar 2009, 17:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]cookye wrote:
yep
yep
Author:  [SpA]Cpt.Awesome [ 05 Mar 2009, 18:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]Blackhawk wrote:
Is everybody running his browser in fullscreen mode? :shock:
you arent??????
Author:  [SpA]Minimoose! [ 05 Mar 2009, 19:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Some people like fluid, so keep it like it is and the people who don't like it could run it in a window (I do anyway). Or we could just have another theme which has a fixed width which you can select if you're a registered user, I think this idea is the best and other people have suggested it :|
Author:  Endtro [ 06 Mar 2009, 00:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
Fixed width but make the forum less wide, maybe the same width as the banner at the top of the screen, or even the same width as the main site blog area. Because reading this long ass line is silly.
Author:  [SpA]Blackhawk [ 06 Mar 2009, 10:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
[SpA]Cpt.Awesome wrote:
[SpA]Blackhawk wrote:
Is everybody running his browser in fullscreen mode? :shock:
you arent??????
Noes! My screen runs on 1600x1200 (CRT yay!) so I run it most of the time windowed to get quick access to other stuff.
Author:  quitschbo [ 06 Mar 2009, 13:23 ]
Post subject:  Re: Question for everyone: Which do you prefer?
fluid is great cause it could scale in both ways wider and smaller.
but i demand a smaller min width cause i always have a scrollbar at the bottom for horizontal scrolling,
that sucks tbh. :x
and why does someone want to run a browser in fullscreen mode, thats wasted space of the desktop.
i have a 22'' monitor and need space beside the browser for my two 80x24 consols.
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