Recent Posts thread, viewable on HOME screen?

[Skidjit]

Oooo! I just had an idea. Every time I get on my site, the first thing I do is scroll all the way to the bottom to view who all has logged in within the last 24 hours. Then I immediately click to see RECENT POSTS link.

I'd love to know if it's possible instead of having to click the recent posts link, to have it fully viewable on the home page? I mean, as if it were in a container all of it's own, similar to a category. But where we have boards listed under a category maybe have the recent posts scrollable right there?

Would something like this be a template modification or would it be something to request as a plugin?

I do realize that what I'm asking for is most likely going to be a huge task to make this possible.

And I'm ok if it can't be done.

It's just something I think would be handy and cool.

[Kami]

The closest you'd be able to come is the last updated threads plugin, or ask if a similar plugin can be created for recent posts. You can't fully replicate the page via templates as it doesn't exist as a variable available on the home page.

[Skidjit]

Phooey. Well I tried.

Oh yeah. I think I tried out the recently updated threads plugin. When I did that, I had in my mind, back then, that I was adding the posts, not the thread titles.

To me, it's the posts (or the actual conversation) that will catch my members eyes more than just the thread topics. Well, that's just for my members though.

Thanks Kami

PS. To anyone who has the ability, if this is something that could be a plugin, feel free to move this thread over there for me please. Thanks.

[Kami]

Yeah I get you! Sorry it's not a more favourable response.

[Kami]

Skidjit

I've been thinking about it and I'm not entirely sure this can be done as a plugin either. My knowledge of plugins is lacking but the only way I can see this happening is to essentially replicate the entire "recent posts" page (through an iframe for example) and I don't think we are allowed to call that type and/or amount of information from the server through anything we do (hence it being on an entirely separate page we cannot modify).

Tagging Chris, since I'm not sure if it'd be worth creating a plugin request.

[Skidjit]

Really, it was a thought. Something cool. When I decided to make a post asking, even then I figured I might be asking for the impossible. So really, it's ok. I'm just one of these people who believe, there's no harm in asking or you'd never know what's possible.

Even if someone were to move it to the plugin request area, most likely, I feel they will tell me the same thing you have.

And to be honest, if this were to be a headache for anyone to attempt to tackle, I would not want that for anyone.

Thanks Kami your information is indeed helpful.

ps. Come to think of it, I have a vague memory of Todge being the one who created the plugin for recent threads, that you mentioned earlier. It seems like he said it was not possible. But I was not sure if it was only for his plugin or for what I was imagining here for this request.

[Kami]

Yeah, todge is the author of that plugin. I seem to recall something similar as well, but honestly I'd stick around and see if Chris replies. It could be a simple solution for all I know, I'm a theme creator not a plugin author :xx

[Skidjit]

Can you imagine using this on your themes? Oh, im not giving up. Tomorrow morning when staff begins their shifts, they will be able to respond. They know everything there is to know. Plus if its not something available to us now it might could be food for thought for v6 or v7 etc.

It's been a long day. I'm turning in for the night. Thanks for your comments Kami Having someone respond even with an opinion, is helpful in its self. Goodnight. ?

[Kami]

Oct 3, 2016 18:59:37 GMT -8 Skidjit said:

Can you imagine using this on your themes? Oh, im not giving up. Tomorrow morning when staff begins their shifts, they will be able to respond. They know everything there is to know. Plus if its not something available to us now it might could be food for thought for v6 or v7 etc.

It's been a long day. I'm turning in for the night. Thanks for your comments Kami Having someone respond even with an opinion, is helpful in its self. Goodnight. ?

Honestly, no I cannot imagine using this on my themes. I run primarily roleplaying communities, and in the RP community our method for tracking what posts to reply to is entirely different. :X I'm not saying this doesn't have its merits, but unless I was doing a theme on request for a forum that already used this or wanted to start using it, I wouldn't design anything including it.

Good night, hopefully someone with more expertise on this end of things can weigh in soon.

[Chris]

As Kami mentioned, using an iframe to display a different part of the forum is not allowed and  any plugin created to prefetch that data would basically be doing the same thing or something similar such as XHR which too is disallowed for the same reason. I too like viewing recent posts at times just to get a sense of what "hot topic" is currently being discussed, but what I usually do is add a separate browser toolbar bookmark that takes me directly to that page if I don't want to scroll down.

If you want easier access on the homepage for everyone (not just you) some alternatives might be adding a menu at the top of the page ( in forum settings > navigation ) that would then be a click away without having to scroll down or as I've seen a few other forums do, move the info center to the top of the page in the homepage layout. Another option would be to create a custom page that includes the recent posts widget and then set that custom page as your forum's homepage.

[Skidjit]

OH OK. Chris I thought Kami said it's not possible the way things are designed. But if it's possible, yet not allowed, I don't want to try to do something that could mess my site up or get me into trouble somehow.

It's not really the scrolling that I'm trying to do away with, but making my members have to click to another page, when half of my members go to that link right away. Some things are only viewed from the home page and I thought if we had a container that housed only the recent posts, that would be cool. I mean, one click to sign onto the site, and you have it all right there.

I think the other half of my members are bookmarking certain threads to their computer and missing the rest of the site, things I know they would be interested in. One member requested more than once for a favorite thread to be reopened. As a surprise, I reopened it two months ago, and they still have no idea it's opened.  

 

Ah custom pages. I love that idea, I just get lost trying to figure out how in the world to work it. I gave up more than once trying to do it. I have no idea what a widget is, but on that page, it tells you to put one there. I think my HUGE problem back then, was I had in my head that the custom page was actually a way to change the layout of the whole site's home page. When I finally figured out I was not redesigning the ONE HOME page, but just a random page. I gave up. Obviously, I'm still very green on tech stuff. I'm learning a little more every day. But if you are saying I might could accomplish this by creating a custom page, I'm certainly going to give it another try. Thanks.

....

Here's a thought. We don't use our shoutbox. I'll bet there's still no way to redirect all of our recent posts to be viewed in that is there. Sorry to be throwing out there random thoughts. 

 

[Kami]

For clarification: what I was saying was not possible was using templates to accomplish what you are asking. There is no variable available to display the recent posts page in its own container on a home page, which is what you asked for.

I was dubious that it could be done with a plugin because of the way it would necessitate requesting information from the PB servers, hence tagging Chris to confirm my suspicions.

The reason I did not suggest alternatives is because I figured if you wanted the recent posts page to display in the home page, you would not be satisfied with essentially just linking to another page.

While Chris's idea of using a custom page to display recent posts has its merits, I don't see how that is different from your members clicking on the link proper and getting redirected to the actual recent posts page. If you ask me, having a link in your menu (or duplicating the link variable and placing the duplicate higher in your home page template to be visible immediately) would be more logical options. I believe the recent posts widget has a maximum # of recent posts it can display anyway, so you'd wind up having to go to the actual page regardless.

[Skidjit]

Yeah I think I've tried to bite off more than I could chew. I'd rather not have site issues. Sounds like it's better to leave things as they are. Thanks really.

[Kami]

Oct 5, 2016 6:51:28 GMT -8 Skidjit said:

Yeah I think I've tried to bite off more than I could chew. I'd rather not have site issues. Sounds like it's better to leave things as they are. Thanks really.

I do think that linking to the recent posts link higher up on the page can help. Like I mentioned in your support thread having that reminder box in your templates would be useful and you can use that to link to the recent posts page. Something like:

"Don't forget to check out the rest of what the site has to offer! Check out the most RECENT POSTS and interact with your fellow members!"

[Skidjit]

Kami Chris

The only thing I worried about, if I move the recent posts link up higher on the home page, that no one would feel the need to scroll down and see the rest of the home page. Sounds like I was thinking wrongly.

I'd like to do as you both suggest. I just need a little more elaboration on how to set up the templates this way please.