Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:11 pm

Thanks for the feedback - as a free community style website / forum, there are some limits to the ability to replicated a commercial paid service.

Tapatalk was discussed regularly in the forum feedback section and the nature of the change and restriction of the tapatalk service meant that I was not able to push notifications to tapatalk users. With the change, two threads were created to announce this.

The forum no longer requires third party apps for access on smart phones... and even better, I was not happy with the tapatalk injection of content and ads which I feel unethical considering I specifically disabled these for the forum - aiming for a balanced integration of 'non-interruption' cycling relevant advertising.

The reason for not emailing all members is that the hosting service is at capacity and I am still working on the migration to a service which can better handle the size of the website and deliver speedy content. Presently, the site is under substantial load from bad bots. This is in progress now.

In short, consider the hundreds of hours I spend as volunteer, an effort which is fuelled by passion to create a great cycling community. While most of the requirements and wishes of members are accommodated, it is difficult (time, money) to perfectly satisfy everyone all the time.

With the fantastic support of the moderators to keep the forum ticking smoothly, be rest assured that I am continuing to work with the interests of the community first.

Cheers
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby 39x25 » Wed Apr 27, 2016 12:59 pm

Thanks Christopher..

I'm a tapatalk devotee and do visit this forum at lot less now since the change.

We do appreciate the time and effort you put into this site. I do understand the trouble tapatalk causes to many forums with their requirements with experiences on other sites.. so understand the decision to cut it.

As another have said.. the timeline/newest post to oldest view is a default view for many of us and it would be great if you could implement or at least consider this on the forum as an option for the future.
This would make alot of tapatalk users happy and able to spend time on this wonderful resource.

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Wed Apr 27, 2016 2:30 pm

Thanks for this - on my list.
I checked in with tapatalk was got a confirmation that ALL advertising settings (from tapatalk) were off, though this had no effect on the reality that I was seeing ads from tapatalk anyway.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby Kalgrm » Wed Apr 27, 2016 3:43 pm

39x25 wrote:As another have said.. the timeline/newest post to oldest view is a default view for many of us and it would be great if you could implement or at least consider this on the forum as an option for the future.
This would make alot of tapatalk users happy and able to spend time on this wonderful resource.
G'day 39,

If you click on your account settings in the heading of this page, you'll be able to modify your board preferences. Within that, you can edit display options so that the newest posts in a thread appear first. That might be what you're after.

cheers,
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Wed Apr 27, 2016 7:41 pm

Here is a screenshot from within the User Control Panel - let me know if you are successful adjusting (and let me know the settings) so that we can share with other readers.

Image
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby 39x25 » Sat Apr 30, 2016 3:04 pm

Sorry not quite what I was describing.
The view is called timeline in Tapatalk..
All the most recently updated threads are listed from newest to oldest across all subs. Not just the sub you are in.

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby hiflange » Sun May 01, 2016 10:39 am

My favourite too. You're looking for "view active topics"; search.php?search_id=active_topics

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby find_bruce » Sun May 01, 2016 1:31 pm

Two other views from forum tools you might find useful are

View new posts search.php?search_id=newposts
&
View unread posts search.php?search_id=unreadposts

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby DaveQB » Mon May 02, 2016 9:06 am

gabrielle260 wrote:Maybe I missed it but I did not get any warning at all that Tapatalk was being retired. I have been trying to log in for a week or more - there is no message, no notification, no nothing.
I had the same experience. I was thinking there was a connection issue and so just kept checking. After about 4-5 days I figured I should check the site and then I found out.

Ah well, what are you going to do....
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Mon May 02, 2016 2:51 pm

Can someone post or email me a screenshot of the timeline view.
While have tapatalk and an account, it is playing games and showing no forums.

All of the views - read, unread and active topics are available from inside the forum tool menu.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby ianganderton » Mon May 02, 2016 6:04 pm

AUbicycles wrote:Can someone post or email me a screenshot of the timeline view.
While have tapatalk and an account, it is playing games and showing no forums.

All of the views - read, unread and active topics are available from inside the forum tool menu.
Image

Well that was a pita
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby ianganderton » Mon May 02, 2016 6:08 pm

The 3 views I use most

Timeline- shows all threads by last post no matter whether you've read them or not. Makes it easy to find a post you have recently read but not interacted with. No view currently replicates this

Participated - same as my posts

Subscribed - lists in timeline style by last post. No current view I've found replicates this

Worthy of not is that in all views taping anywhere on the thread listing takes you straight to the last unread post. The current design is difficult as the icon is tiny.
NOT sent from tapatalk

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Mon May 02, 2016 7:47 pm

ianganderton wrote:Timeline- shows all threads by last post no matter whether you've read them or not. Makes it easy to find a post you have recently read but not interacted with. No view currently replicates this
Might be tricky - but first to understand as I never used this on Tapatalk.

Essentially it has the thread title and below it, an excerpt from the last post. Is that right?
What is the criteria for a Timeline post - is it a post you participated in or subscribed to?

ianganderton wrote:Participated - same as my posts
Available in the menu Forum Tools > My Posts
ianganderton wrote:Subscribed - lists in timeline style by last post. No current view I've found replicates this
...As of phpBB 3.1, bookmarking is more like subscribing to a topic. You can be notified when a bookmarked topic is updated. Subscribing, however, will notify you when there is an update to a topic or forum on the board. Notification options for bookmarks and subscriptions can be configured in the User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”.

In the notifications - you get to see any activity.

ianganderton wrote:Worthy of not is that in all views taping anywhere on the thread listing takes you straight to the last unread post. The current design is difficult as the icon is tiny.
With this forum software - it is the default format to click on a thread and start at post one.
If you click on the date of the last post (which is listed in the overview) you get straight to the last post.


----

One thing I should note - I do want to understand all of the requests though this forum is not aimed as an evolution of tapatalk, rather tapatalk was an addition and had other functionality. To build there are some considerations, whether it is required, whether it is, whether it is realistic, how long does it take to build and how hard will it be to upgrade following each of the modifications.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby ianganderton » Tue May 03, 2016 8:35 am

AUbicycles wrote:
ianganderton wrote:Timeline- shows all threads by last post no matter whether you've read them or not. Makes it easy to find a post you have recently read but not interacted with. No view currently replicates this
Might be tricky - but first to understand as I never used this on Tapatalk.

Essentially it has the thread title and below it, an excerpt from the last post. Is that right?
What is the criteria for a Timeline post - is it a post you participated in or subscribed to?

ianganderton wrote:Participated - same as my posts
Available in the menu Forum Tools > My Posts
ianganderton wrote:Subscribed - lists in timeline style by last post. No current view I've found replicates this
...As of phpBB 3.1, bookmarking is more like subscribing to a topic. You can be notified when a bookmarked topic is updated. Subscribing, however, will notify you when there is an update to a topic or forum on the board. Notification options for bookmarks and subscriptions can be configured in the User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”.

In the notifications - you get to see any activity.

ianganderton wrote:Worthy of not is that in all views taping anywhere on the thread listing takes you straight to the last unread post. The current design is difficult as the icon is tiny.
With this forum software - it is the default format to click on a thread and start at post one.
If you click on the date of the last post (which is listed in the overview) you get straight to the last post.


----

One thing I should note - I do want to understand all of the requests though this forum is not aimed as an evolution of tapatalk, rather tapatalk was an addition and had other functionality. To build there are some considerations, whether it is required, whether it is, whether it is realistic, how long does it take to build and how hard will it be to upgrade following each of the modifications.
The key difference between tapatalk and this current design is that the whole user interface of tapatalk was optimised for touch screen mobiles (large buttons for accurate selection, key options did not scroll off the screen, tap and hold menus for editing etc etc) . Yes this new design reformats itself for viewing but that is far from the whole story, it's feels fundamentally that it is very much optimised for use with a big screen and mouse (lots of detailed options easily to hand that require the accuracy of a mouse and layouts that make the most of large screen real estate). As a result there are certain aspects of the forum that are very frustrating for mobile users (all this is only my opinion of course so feel free to disregard!!)

My take at the moment is that actually reading the forum is ok. I've adapted to looking at unread posts and my posts most of the time. There are frustrations with this though. The views don't show the last post info (who and when) or how many posts. The icon for selecting first unread post is tiny and requires concentration to select it. I guesstimate I select the link to the first post around 10% of the time.

For readers there are some things that could be done based on the size of the buttons (eg page numbers) that would help. As a suggestion I would look at the size key board buttons are for the correct sizing for this kind of thing on a mobile device. Same for the link to first post icon

Actually contributing is a very frustrating however. The whole user interface is fundamentally flawed I'm afraid. The only real option for a mobile user is a simple text based one like this one. This is why I haven't quoted your post and answered your specific questions. It's just too clunky

I really wish I could be more positive about this subject. I understand the issues around maintaining a forum as I have done it and I could see tapatalk not playing fair in lots of ways including advertising.

Based on what I have read recently on this my understanding is that approx 30% of Internet users now use a mobile device as their primary access. I can see from my own usage changes how this affects things. It's really interesting.

Based on all this my conclusion is that if you want to include that 30% (and undoubtably growing) of mobile users as active participants (not just lurkers) in this forum then there is a lot of work to do on the UI. Time line view is actually the least of your worries.

I am more than willing to help. I do have experience as a manager of forums and ecommerce solutions so completely understand the issues but code turns my brain to mud and while I can recognise good design when I see it I'm no designer.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby rodneycc » Tue May 03, 2016 2:41 pm

The old Timeline function and the New Posts section is fairly close to the same functionality. I'd just like to see that last post section in there as well on the posts in the mobile version and also some guideline parameters around how long the topic/thread stays in there once its been read or if its linked to your last login how long the posts stay. I understand it might be difficult to have all posts in time order listed that ever existed but what would be nice is maybe 24hours worth of all posts in time order in the New Posts Section (or its own section called Timeline) and then after that you can access the posts you haven't already read in the Unread posts section. To me that would be an OK scenario. Cheers.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby queequeg » Wed May 04, 2016 11:55 am

Just to chime in with others who were also Tapatalk users. Previously about 95% of my access to the forums was on my iPhone with Tapatalk. With the new interface it is far too clunky to use.
I can read stuff, but replying or contributing is just too much mucking about. Tiny icons to click, and some items like the Page Number icons go off the side of the screen and can't accessed (no scroll function to get to them).
As a result, my daily usage of the forums has dropped by about 90%.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Wed May 04, 2016 12:56 pm

There will be some updates to the BBcode buttons. For the icons - thanks for reporting this as well - I will look into improving this.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby silentbutdeadly » Thu May 05, 2016 2:28 pm

ianganderton wrote: My take at the moment is that actually reading the forum is ok. I've adapted to looking at unread posts and my posts most of the time.
Yep. I used to browse BNA using TT on a tablet. And I've adapted the same...by selecting unread posts plus by reording threads so that the latest post is shown up top rather than scrolling through. The major pain with this approach is that, when in Unread Posts, the Forum Tools drop down does not have a 'Mark Forums Read' option...so its a two step operation to do so by going back to the Home screen.
ianganderton wrote: There are frustrations with this though. The views don't show the last post info (who and when) or how many posts.
I've found this to (and on a tablet!!). However, the 'solution' is to turn the tablet to landscape orientation. Suddenly, the post info comes back. But the site is so screen greedy that this view only gives you about a half dozen threads...so much scrolling is required. And the 'buttons' remain tiny.

So as with others...my time spent here has become limited and infrequent since it happens (mostly) only when I'm using a desktop machine...
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby ianganderton » Thu May 05, 2016 4:32 pm

silentbutdeadly wrote:the 'solution' is to turn the tablet to landscape orientation. Suddenly, the post info comes back. But the site is so screen greedy that this view only gives you about a half dozen threads...so much scrolling is required...
Unfortunately this doesn't work on my iPhone 6s :(
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby Dezza » Sun May 08, 2016 6:22 pm

My 5c worth Christopher.

iPhone access is just plain hard for me. Tapatalk wasn't great but it was good for a short of time user.

Not knowing about the change was a let down only because your running the forum so well means I expect a high standard of comms!

Last, I find LFGSS on the iPhone pretty good, pretty easy, has a Today view and generally I can find what I want.

Ok I hate technological change with an incremental intensity. But these changes are hard going. I'm going back to desktop viewing, so about 50% less.

Cheers

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Mon May 09, 2016 9:18 am

Good point on incremental change - a strategy I prefer. This was however not a possibility.

Tapatalk didn't give me the option of properly notifying members - so I was stuck with in forum notification. I would have prefer a direct notification and letting tapatalk members know.

Regarding timing, as a community forum I did a lot of test runs - we have a comparatively restrictive hosting package so it is always a big job doing tests and changes. For minimum impact I try and do these after 10pm and it was an all-nighter. There is more to go (lot of hosting stuff) and it is about timing and energy.

I have covered a lot of the surrounding issues - so I get that tapatalk had some nice features however for a comparatively small audience, to provide a duplicate viewing experience, tapatalk requires too large an ongoing time investment and I disagree with some of their fundamental changes which do not work in the favour of the site and community.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby gabrielle260 » Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:49 am

Wow!
It is, I think, a comment on the useability of the forum that I have only just discovered the conversation continued substantially after my post. In between times I have accessed the forum via laptop and phone briefly a couple of times for old times sake.
Has anything happened to improve things? Has useage/traffic/readership declined and if so, by how much?

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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby RonK » Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:33 am

I doubt it. Most of the regulars have adapted and are still posting away with dummies remaining firmly in place. :lol:
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby AUbicycles » Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:05 am

Whether it is change for the better or worse, charge is hard. Tapatalk have not been that awesome, they noticed we stopped and asked why - I answered and heard nothing. Then later I can another email from a MD who asked and I resent my courtesy email - some of my items such as advertising were challenged but I know that if I turn tapatalk advertising off, but use the software and still get their advertising - it is not working as it should be.

In anycase, traffic is good - site is running faster since the move to the new server.

While I have compelling reasons to justify the change - if the new look forum isn't for you - that's ok. I put in a lot of time make specific updates and adding features for members.
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Re: Tapatalk Retired - No Longer Available for this Cycling Forum

Postby Ferrovelo » Fri Aug 05, 2016 8:13 pm

silentbutdeadly wrote:
ianganderton wrote: My take at the moment is that actually reading the forum is ok. I've adapted to looking at unread posts and my posts most of the time.
Yep. I used to browse BNA using TT on a tablet. And I've adapted the same...by selecting unread posts plus by reording threads so that the latest post is shown up top rather than scrolling through. The major pain with this approach is that, when in Unread Posts, the Forum Tools drop down does not have a 'Mark Forums Read' option...so its a two step operation to do so by going back to the Home screen.
ianganderton wrote: There are frustrations with this though. The views don't show the last post info (who and when) or how many posts.
I've found this to (and on a tablet!!). However, the 'solution' is to turn the tablet to landscape orientation. Suddenly, the post info comes back. But the site is so screen greedy that this view only gives you about a half dozen threads...so much scrolling is required. And the 'buttons' remain tiny.

So as with others...my time spent here has become limited and infrequent since it happens (mostly) only when I'm using a desktop machine...
How do I access the unread posts view? Can someone educate me?
Thanks

Edit, never mind, found it.

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