Posts/messages, nodes/forums etc

[Jashugan]

I don't get it...

You seem to be changing the traditional terminology for no other reason than to be different. Have you ever heard the old saying "if it isn't broken don't fix it?".

I'm not complaining, I just think it's weird that the terminology contradicts itself within xenforo - for example it says "new posts" at the top of the board, not "new messages", and when you save a node it says "forum saved", not "node saved". (these are just a couple of examples, there are other places where seperate terminology is used to describe the same thing too).

I mean are they 'nodes' or 'forums', 'posts' or 'messages'? Make your mind up! Personally I prefer the traditional terminology, But I don't really care, just pointing it out.


Edit: Could this post possibly sound any more OCD? :/

 

[Amaury]

It's not that confusing once you get used to the terminology and realize that nodes and discussions are the holders for forums, posts, and other things. See this post from Jeremy:

Page = Node, Link Forum = Node, Category = Node
Thread = Discussion, Article = Discussion (if a developer made it)
Profile Post = Message, Post = Message, Blog Entry = Message.

Its flexible and can include others. This doesn't imply that developers take advantage of it.

 

[Jashugan]

Thread = Discussion, Article = Discussion (if a developer made it)
Profile Post = Message, Post = Message, Blog Entry = Message.

Random users are supposed to 'get' this?

And like I said, if posts are 'messages', then why are they referred to as 'posts' in places?

 

[Amaury]

Random users are supposed to 'get' this?

And like I said, if posts are messages, then why are they referred to as 'posts' in places?

It's not that hard a concept to grasp. You've just got to stop and think.

 

[Jashugan]

You've just got to stop and think.

Are you new to the internet? Since when do people stop and think?

 

[mistypants]

To my knowledge, regular users don't see the word 'node' anywhere on the frontend. It's used within the ACP in XenForo because of how flexible the node system is -- because a node can be a category, a forum, a page, etc. Messages and posts are rather interchangeable, imo, and nothing that will cause confusion -- those that have used forums before will catch on, and those who haven't I imagine would understand.

If you find it confusing or concerning, you can pretty easily change the phrases.

 

[Amaury]

To my knowledge, regular users don't see the word 'node' anywhere on the frontend. It's used within the ACP in XenForo because of how flexible the node system is -- because a node can be a category, a forum, a page, etc.

Yup, so that's one confusing area regular users won't have to deal with.

 

[Jeremy]

As Maru already quoted me, I won't go in depth.

It's new posts instead of new messages because the search query only returns posts and not all types of messages (of which, there can be a multitude).

 

[Jashugan]

Ok, just so I'm clear on this...

So in XenForo, "posts" are still posts (as in forum 'posts'), but 'messages' is an umbrella term which covers all messages posted site-wide? (such as the afore-mentioned blog posts).

So does this mean the forum messagecount (in the postbit), isn't actually a (forum) postcount, it's a messagecount, which not only includes forum posts it includes 'messages' posted in non-forum areas?

I'm more confused now than when I started this thread tbh... (and new members are automatically supposed to 'get' this?)

 

[Jeremy P]

I don't get it, is it an apple or a fruit?

But yeah, messages and nodes are terms that include things like posts and forums, but aren't limited to them. That's all there is to it really.

They might not get it automatically, but it can be explained in one simple, easy to grasp sentence.

 

[Amaury]

So does this mean the forum messagecount (in the postbit), isn't actually a (forum) postcount, it's a messagecount, which not only includes forum posts it includes 'messages' posted in non-forum areas?

No, those count only posts you've posted in threads.

 

[Jeremy P]

It used to, but it was changed early on by popular vote.

https://xenforo.com/community/threads/should-profile-posts-contribute-to-message-count.3982/

 

[Jashugan]

If "Messages" (the messagecount in the postbit) only include forum posts, then it should be called POSTS.

It's basic logic...

 

[Jeremy P]

Well, I do agree with you on that one, maybe it went overlooked when they made the change above.

 

[Jeremy]

If "Messages" (the messagecount in the postbit) only include forum posts, then it should be called POSTS.

It's basic logic...

It doesn't only include posts. In the default software, it does not include posts. However, the framework used for messages has a flag for increasing message count. I have at least one add-on I've written that increases message count for messages posts

 

[Code Monkey]

I've always seen it as a Node is a category for many things that only admins see. A forum is always a node but a node is not always a forum. It's a hierarchy of possibilities with Nodes at the top. It's like the hand from which stems many fingers.

 

[Biker]

We Linux users have been using nodes for ages.