Simple Machines Community Forum

SMF Development => Feature Requests => Applied or Declined Requests => Topic started by: Ali_ on December 06, 2019, 12:53:38 AM

Title: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Ali_ on December 06, 2019, 12:53:38 AM
Hi Devs,

I am hoping this will reach your eyes, as I think my feature request might be useful to many.  Currently I am using a mod (simplePortal) that provides the ability to have a landing page for my forum.  This landing page only shows the most recent threads (not simply posts) posted in, from various boards in my forum.  That's the main reason I use it is that I have so many boards/categories that users find it a hassle to look for new posts in various areas, they'd rather scroll the landing page to see what's been posted, and by whom.  My recent threads list looks as far back as 2 weeks.

The problem is the following, although this mod works amazingly well, the landing page is slow to a crawl when I have even just a handful of visitors.  I have a feeling that the database isn't designed to allow an effective way of retrieving the most recent threads/posts in your forum (specified boards).  I am not really certain what it is, but it's terribly slow and notice the database (using htop command on linux, and mysql_admin) peaks when I have the landing page (specifically with recent threads/posts) active, it otherwise purrs like a kitten.

Would the dev team please consider adding a feature to allow a landing page with the most recent threads/posts from specified boards listed in blocks (like in simplePortal), or at least permit mods like the one I mentioned to list those threads/posts effectively without slowing the site to a crawl.

One caveat is that it would be great if the recent threads/posts would be listed without a limited date/time range of 1 or 2 days, meaning it would simply display the last given X number of most recently active threads regardless of how active your site might be.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Arantor on December 06, 2019, 02:33:57 AM
I can tell you now the answer would be no. The problem with doing it is evaluating all the permissions across all boards while doing it and you'd have to redesign SMF to make this less painful.

It's just not valuable enough a feature in the broader use case to spend the dev effort on.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Illori on December 06, 2019, 05:17:34 AM
maybe you need to reconsider how many boards you have to make it easier for your users to actually use them and navigate them.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Arantor on December 06, 2019, 06:35:42 AM
Or whether SMF is the right package if that's what you're going for, Vanilla may be better suited.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Deaks on December 06, 2019, 07:10:40 AM
Should also mention that their is nothing from stopping mods authors from doing that if they wished however none have for a good reason.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: vbgamer45 on December 06, 2019, 07:27:13 AM
I use this mod on my forum hosting sites
https://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2682
I modified a little bit. Shows recent posts for today. You can customize the time by editing the code I made some changes and in your case you would need to add some extra conditions to display only certain boards.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Biology Forums on December 06, 2019, 01:59:57 PM
I used to have a configuration similar to what you're seeking. I don't recall it being slow for me, so it could be your server. Perhaps they purposely stunt the amount of resources available to you. This can definitely be done with SMF with a bit of coding and SSI functions.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Kindred on December 06, 2019, 02:04:51 PM
and it will be incredibly resource intensive - so, on a shared host, with any sort of active forum, this may indeed detrimentally affect the server resources - even without a host that "purposefully stunts the amount of resources"
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Arantor on December 06, 2019, 02:09:39 PM
Kindred, you're wasting your time. You know how everything we know is wrong because one person disagrees with us based on their experience and everything we know on the subject is just wrong, never mind our experience or knowledge or how relevant it is.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Biology Forums on December 06, 2019, 02:45:32 PM
Quote from: Arantor on December 06, 2019, 02:09:39 PM
Kindred, you're wasting your time. You know how everything we know is wrong because one person disagrees with us based on their experience and everything we know on the subject is just wrong, never mind our experience or knowledge or how relevant it is.

That's because you are wrong. You don't have to be sour whenever someone thinks differently
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Arantor on December 06, 2019, 03:00:40 PM
My job here is done, I guess, virtually every debate I've had with you had turned into assertions that you know better than I do. On that note, good bye. I don't use SMF any more, and now someone has asserted their capability to replace me, I have no reason to return.
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Kindred on December 06, 2019, 03:51:26 PM
It's not about an echo chamber or public answering questions.

There is no problem with people outside the team answering

Except, as usual, Biology Forums/StudyForce....   you are just plain WRONG -- and yet you claim knowledge that is contrary to 1 experienced person who has been support and PM for this project for years and 1 former developer who has literally recoded at least half of the original code.

You can claim whatever you want...   but our experience with the system and the codebase trumps your personal implemenation and non-professional observation

You offer "free ideas" - sure... but when we tell you that your "free ideas" are wrong, you don't have the knowledge, experience or authority to insist "no I'm right and you're wrong" while you stomp your feet...


Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Biology Forums on December 06, 2019, 09:15:04 PM
Here we go again, an echo chamber of bad ideas. You both literally respond the same way -- makes me wonder if you're the same person... 😒

Anyway, long-story short, it is possible to do what you're asking. Don't listen to twiddle-dee and twiddle-dum
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Biology Forums on December 06, 2019, 09:19:44 PM
LOL someone deleted my previous post!!!

What a waste of time this place
Title: Re: Global list of Recent posts/threads
Post by: Kindred on December 07, 2019, 10:22:20 PM
We never said it was not possible.  We said it was a really bad idea