Forum display question

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AluminumHaste
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:13 pm

Forum display question

Post by AluminumHaste » Wed Oct 05, 2011 1:27 pm

Is there a way to make the forum not suck for widescreen monitors? Why is it such a common practice that web forums use only the middle of the screen and have these HUGE bars of wasted space on the side?

Example:

Image

See how much space is wasted? I really don't get it, do the people who make these forum designs work on 1024x768 monitors? I know Wolfire didn't make this board and I looked in the control panel but I can't seem to find it. I could just be missing it however could somebody point it out?

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kehaar
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Re: Forum display question

Post by kehaar » Wed Oct 05, 2011 1:47 pm

I'm guessing they chose to make it so it doesn't suck to look at it on an old-format screen... and for that I thank them, since 'til this year that's all I had.

I still look at forums at work on old school monitors, and one of 'em is set up for wide screen. I have to constantly side-scroll to read posts, and big epic mountain bike pics often run 1/4 off the screen.

I assume they could install a button that would switch the format back and forth, and I wish the mountain bike site would do it. For Wolfire, I'd way rather they spend all their time and money working on Overgrowth!

SamW
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:08 am

Re: Forum display question

Post by SamW » Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:57 pm

I don't know why you would want to read text that spans across the entire screen. Keeping text together makes it easier to read. Instead of using your widescreen monitor to increase your neck and eye strain, why don't you make your browser half screen, and stick something else, or another browser on the other side? Also you can just scale everything to fit your window size.

Basically there is an ideal width of around 80-120 characters before reading things become less ergonomic. Why don't you have wide books? So designers tend to stick to that, and sometimes enforce it.

That reminds me, I have to stop sitting so close to things I am reading.

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learn_more
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:32 am

Re: Forum display question

Post by learn_more » Thu Oct 06, 2011 2:20 am

answer: greasemonkey

Code: Select all

// ==UserScript==
// @name           wolfire-wide
// @namespace      Global
// @include        http://forums.wolfire.com/viewtopic.php*
// ==/UserScript==

GM_addStyle( "#wrap{ width: 100%; padding: 0px; }" );
GM_addStyle( ".jmid{ width: 98%; padding: 0px; background: #aaa }" );
quick script i whipped up, should work

AluminumHaste
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:13 pm

Re: Forum display question

Post by AluminumHaste » Thu Oct 06, 2011 12:05 pm

Cool I'll give that a try.

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learn_more
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:32 am

Re: Forum display question

Post by learn_more » Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:12 am

did it work as you wanted?

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