Forum not compatible with Safari (Mac OS X browser)

[Nahee_Enterprises]

The subject pretty much says it all, from what I have seen posted in other groups and lists around the Internet.

Apparently people are having difficulties in viewing this Forum, due to it showing each posting with only one line visible for reading.

Also, if those people are not put off too much at this point and decide to actually join as a member, they are having problems just going through the signing up process.

The following post is from the UseNet Newsgroup news:sci.fractals :

Glenn Andreas wrote:
>
> I found a work around after some investigation
> - turns out that the support board that SMF
> runs works fine with Safari (at least the
> visibility problems), so in theory it should work.
>
> So once you manage to register (which had problems
> unto itself), you can go to your profile and change
> the "Look and Layout Preferences" to "SMF Default
> Theme" and you'll be able to see the entire posts...
>

Should this be looked into so that the Forum is not losing possible Members ??

[matera]

Woh, that's bad!!!  But if it's only a bug in the default theme, it can be fixed quickly enough.

[heneganj]

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?action=search2;search=safari

I'm rather at the mercy of SMF.

[matera]

At the mercy of Apple, I would say. They should fix the browser

But if the theme is causing a lot of the problems, it might make sense to change the default theme in order to lessen the dificulty for potential new members. One can dress up a theme based on the SMF default (or whatever works best for all browsers) so that it looks enough like FF.

Some of those search results are not relevant. *shrug* I'm doing a little research elsewhere, might get some insight into what the other half (or 5%, or whatever) sees.

One reason I do my own forum themes is that I see so many display problems with those designed by IE users *chuckle*

[Nahee_Enterprises]

Laura H. Haglund ("Matera the Mad") wrote:
>
>    But if the theme is causing a lot of the problems, it might
>    make sense to change the default theme in order to lessen
>    the dificulty for potential new members.

Which is why I wanted to bring it up to everyone's attention, hoping a fairly easy solution could be implemented.

>
>    One reason I do my own forum themes is that I see so
>    many display problems with those designed by IE users

Yes, it is a shame that people do not realize that all browsers are not created equal (nor do they all support the "special tags" designed just for a specific brand).  This is something I greatly stress to students I teach at my monthly seminars:  Always test web pages/sites out using a number of different browsers, and preferably using various release levels of them as well.

[matera]

Yes! I'm glad you brought it up. I don't frequent many other fractal (or math!) web-hangouts, but I do belong to a number of other forums where I can ask for advice from any resident Mac users. That has been helpful in the past.

Edited to add - an illuminating comment:

I'm on Mac OS X 10.4.8 using Safari 2.0.4 and had no problems at all with Firefromthesky or Simplemachines.

However, I did see what they're talking about in Fractalforums. There the page looks normal, avatars are seen, and the message box looks of normal size, but only one line of message content can be viewed, but if scrolled my mouse wheel whilst over the top of the message the rest of the message would come into view, one line at a time.

And I think my software is as current as last week at least.

I am running a test, asking anyone with a Mac to view three forums - this one, mine, and SMF's. There may be other problems with older versions of Safari, but it would seem that the Electron theme is the main hurdle.

edit2 - screenshot:
http://zencelticdragon.250free.com/ftp/fractalforums.jpg
All the way from Australia, but it's not upside down lol

[gandreas]

Up until yesterday, you use to be able to change the board template (in the Profile > Look And Layout Preference), which allowed Safari users to use the "stock" SMF theme, which worked fine.

As of today, that option is gone, and the theme has been switch back to the forum default, making it once again impossible for Safari users to reliably browse the boards...

Investigating further, if you run the w3 validator (a link to which is in the little badge at the bottom right of center), you'll see that this page is not, in fact valid, with a bunch of problems having to do with tables being screwed up, which is the most likely problem - so we can't even blame the problem on Safari not working right, it definitely appears that it is the theme template itself that is incorrect.

[heneganj]

I recently disallowed theme changes because I am about to set up advertising on the site.

I have now reset this setting so you should be able to change themes again. This means advertising will have to be implemented on extra themes (I will probably delete all other themes apart from this, and the default).

My stats indicated only around 1% of users are using Safari, so while a trivial change is all that is needed for them to read the board, then I'll do it.

[matera]

When you get to 3000 members, that's thirty dissed people. Possibly twice that or a lot more, since some will simply not even bother to try to register. You don't know what you're missing if you don't know it's missing. Discrimination (and that's what it is!) hurts the discriminator. How do you know that none of those people who prefer a different operating system and a different web browser are worth having as members? Flexibility on the web never killed anyone yet.

[Nahee_Enterprises]

Jason Henegan wrote:
>
>    My stats indicated only around 1% of users are using Safari....

Those stats are most likely low due to Safari users having viewing problems.  If things were not so difficult for them, then the counts might be much higher.

[heneganj]

Points taken.

[Sockratease]

You can edit basic colors in the default theme's CSS file and create a "new" theme that is nothing more that a modified color scheme.

That alone can add a unique feel to a forum.  The one I operate uses a black background with brightly colored text (pink, green, yellow, white...).

This would still be the default theme, but would not look quite as generic.

I'm in the process of making new buttons for the whole place too.  But I give them the same file names as the old and just back up and replace the images.

I even use fractal reflections in the text!

Here's an example or three:

   

I have modified the default theme, and my MAC users have no complaints. I just backed up the CSS file before doing anything.

I use Version 1.09, but 1.1RC3 should have the same functionality here.

I can help with the CSS if you like.

I found problems with every theme I tried to install, but modifying the CSS file and replacing images worked flawlessly!

EDIT:

Another point of interest is that 1.1RC3 stands for Release Candidate 3 of Version 1.1!!

This software is known to be buggy and is offered with that disclaimer!

Consider "Downgarding" to 1.09 if you want software that has "Gone Gold" and runs bug free (or you can expect more bugs to crop up regularly!).

[matera]

I already advised a makeover of the default theme, and volunteered myself lol. I have created quite a number of "skins" for SMF, including one ridiculously graphics-bloated fractal theme (just as a fun exercise). The Electron theme has buggy code, as do many of the non-standard ones.

[heneganj]

What would be required to modify the default theme exactly (in appearance) as this present one?

[Sockratease]

What would be required to modify the default theme exactly (in appearance) as this present one?

I can tell you exactly for Version 1.09 of SMF, but I have never seen 1.1 RC3's CSS File.

You'd likely need extensive trial and error, but it is routine.  If you can handle the math for fractals, this would be Easy!

The key is to make a copy of the default theme first, then go modifying!  Always Back-Up!!

It seems you have help here who know 1.1, so I'll just wish you luck.

If you want to post the CSS file, I'll compare it to the one I made and see how close they are.