user profiles

Rickey Otano

New member
I was wondering if user profiles would be highly customizable. In vb it has to few options does not have the ability to say which way you want your profile block floated, and the limited design makes them all look the same and does not let users express there creativity. It also lacks a widget system or app system were users profiles can have there own app/widget on it. Would this be a consideration for XenForo?
 
Good questions, the social features from 3.8 of vB are quite interesting and used by our users. I am interested in advertising register features such as personal social profile, including what we like to think of as widgets.
 
Do you mean customizable by the user him/herself? Style customization isn't something that's planned (for now?). Hadn't really though about widgets/blocks, but I'm not sure how feasible that is. The app structure for FB, for example, is really complex, and it does also rely on a centralized user system. I suppose that'd just be similar to installing an add-on (plugin).
 
Do you mean customizable by the user him/herself? Style customization isn't something that's planned (for now?). Hadn't really though about widgets/blocks, but I'm not sure how feasible that is. The app structure for FB, for example, is really complex, and it does also rely on a centralized user system. I suppose that'd just be similar to installing an add-on (plugin).

I might be old school, but I don't see a great need in extremely customizable user profiles. TBH it'd be a waste of resources to me.
 
Users really like it. They want to have their own identity on the forums, a reason to call it their home. Custom colors on their profile, and ordering (and turning off) boxes and ability to talk to users on it, while displaying their posts and stats, etc .. it creates return traffic and social feeling. I find it quite important.

Just my input :)
 
Users really like it. They want to have their own identity on the forums, a reason to call it their home. Custom colors on their profile, and ordering (and turning off) boxes and ability to talk to users on it, while displaying their posts and stats, etc .. it creates return traffic and social feeling. I find it quite important.

Just my input :)

+1
 
Users really like it. They want to have their own identity on the forums, a reason to call it their home. Custom colors on their profile, and ordering (and turning off) boxes and ability to talk to users on it, while displaying their posts and stats, etc .. it creates return traffic and social feeling. I find it quite important.

Just my input :)

I have to agree. It adds some fun for the user and some identity. :)
 
Users really like it. They want to have their own identity on the forums, a reason to call it their home. Custom colors on their profile, and ordering (and turning off) boxes and ability to talk to users on it, while displaying their posts and stats, etc .. it creates return traffic and social feeling. I find it quite important.

Just my input :)

+1

Agreed, user's love this kind of customization, though it would be better again if it can be user group permission controlled - that way it can also be used as an incentive.
 
I might be old school, but I don't see a great need in extremely customizable user profiles. TBH it'd be a waste of resources to me.

Same, I don't really use user profiles on forums much, unless I'm looking for something a user has posted and I'm going through their profile to get the "Find posts by this user" link :D
 
Users really like it. They want to have their own identity on the forums, a reason to call it their home. Custom colors on their profile, and ordering (and turning off) boxes and ability to talk to users on it, while displaying their posts and stats, etc .. it creates return traffic and social feeling. I find it quite important.

Just my input :)

+1
 
I did not think so many people would respond to this. I mean it would be an addition to were they can pick certain aspects of there profiles that they can control the style of. Maybe at least allow them the possibility to use an id instead of a class for profile blocks so that each block can either be uni-styles or have its own style applied to it inline in the div container or have it so it checks if its customized, then is yes does it have its own id specified if yes show id instead of class. I dont really see how having a widget system would be uber complex, I've personally never wrote one but I imagine it wouldn't be to hard. I remember a old vbulletin custom mod were they implemented a profile widget system. http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=183559 having such an option in a net were social aspects are a must would really in my opinion be a key selling point since social media is very popular, the more social a forum is the better. People will want to have twitter integration widgets, videos in there profiles, mp3 players etc... This way the admin can select the widgets per group or if someone makes a shop mod the shop could have buyable widgets. If the plugin system is all then possibly a way to specify the plugins type, perhaps some built in plugin types which would allow easy sorting from the plugin manager were plugins can be grouped by there type with the ability to add new plugin types and require no hook knowledge. That way the type can be profile-block and then have the option for users to be able to sort the blocks listing in there profile.
<xf: plugin-specs type="profile-block" active="0" />
this could save having to knows hooks because the default types would map to certain hooks and admincp wise would allow you to know were the plugin is working at. Just a suggestion if app/widget system is out of the question.
 
Do you mean customizable by the user him/herself? Style customization isn't something that's planned (for now?).

That's too bad...it's actually one of the reasons why I might switch one of my sites from IPB back to VB since VB is putting custom profiles back.

Here's a thought:
What if the base core didn't include things like custom profiles and other social network features. But, the Xenforo team had a lot of additional addons you could purchase and add to your community. So things like custom profiles, gallery, blog, extra social networking features, etc. that many will suggest can be purchased and added to communities that need those. Or one social network addon that included all the additional social network features in one. Instead of relying on the mod community for every other additional feature that VB and/or IPB already have in stock...just a thought....a thought to satisfy those who want light and those who want more....
 
That's too bad...it's actually one of the reasons why I might switch one of my sites from IPB back to VB since VB is putting custom profiles back.

Here's a thought:
What if the base core didn't include things like custom profiles and other social network features. But, the Xenforo team had a lot of additional addons you could purchase and add to your community. So things like custom profiles, gallery, blog, extra social networking features, etc. that many will suggest can be purchased and added to communities that need those. Or one social network addon that included all the additional social network features in one. Instead of relying on the mod community for every other additional feature that VB and/or IPB already have in stock...just a thought....a thought to satisfy those who want light and those who want more....

I don't know what the technical or other (business and so on) benefits are to offer everything in 1 package, but I really like your idea. I never installed any mod/plugin on my vBulletin powered platform, exactly because of the fact that they are not officially supported/developed.
 
That's too bad...it's actually one of the reasons why I might switch one of my sites from IPB back to VB since VB is putting custom profiles back.
I am really confused. I can make my profile over at ip.com look really different. Could you, or anyone, post a link to a customized user profile?
 
I love this

I am really confused. I can make my profile over at ip.com look really different. Could you, or anyone, post a link to a customized user profile?

I never looked seriously at Invision, but I sure very much do like this:

Shades-20100217-162317.png


(To XenMods: This posting is not meant to promote Invision. I post this screenshot to share what I like in general (and it happens to be in Invision) and hope to see in XenForo. If this is not okay, please let me know and I will edit the posting)

I think the above example just look beautiful. Not only that, but they've found the perfect balance in my opinion between letting the user giving a personal touch to their profile and at the same time remain the usability of the profile. You see, all the input fields and other sections on the rest of the user profile UI are untouched, making the interface itself recognizable/looking and working the same on every single user profile. They allow what Facebook doesn't allow: a custom background (with a really nice transparent bar at the top apparently) and they disallow what makes sites such as Myspace horrendous to watch and use. Simply, a perfect balance that works really well. I hope XenForo can give us this.
 
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