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HTML or BBCode: Which should we use?

DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
edited March 2016 in Site Resources
Due to a change in the way Vanilla handles things, we've been forced to make a decision between HTML and BBCode.

HTML has the advantage of allowing you to do just about anything you could do with a website. It's primarily useful for advanced users.

BBCode is a more standardized message board formatting system; it's designed to be author- and reader-friendly, but that also means it's more limited in the types of things it allows you to do.

I'm going to let this simmer for about a week, and then we'll make a decision based on the results of this poll and the discussions that follow.

Right now we're using BBCode because that was the most popular in our previous poll, but nothing has been finalized yet. Try out BBCode, see if you like it, and then vote below. No matter what we use, the formatting bar that you see at the top of the reply box will be staying where it is.
  1. HTML or BBCode: Which should we use?136 votes
    1. HTML
      52.94%
    2. BBCode
      47.06%
lolienSCARY_WIZARDSssiksseilor[Deleted User]kaguana
«13456

Comments

  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    I prefer BBCode to avoid both intentional and unintentional problems.
    Avenger_teambg
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    I'm not sure I understand my own vote, but what I know is that the new forum controls are causing very annoying headaches for all of us who like to post no-reloads and minimal-reloads. So, I was trying to vote for "Go back to the old way, PLEASE".
    Arunsun
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    I'm not sure I understand my own vote, but what I know is that the new forum controls are causing very annoying headaches for all of us who like to post no-reloads and minimal-reloads. So, I was trying to vote for "Go back to the old way, PLEASE".

    Unfortunately we can't go all the way back to the old way, due to the changes that Vanilla made. We're reporting the bugs as we find them, but if what you want is <i> and [ spoiler] in the same post, those days are (perhaps sadly, perhaps happily) over.
    BelgarathMTH
  • argent77argent77 Member Posts: 3,431
    I like both systems. HTML gives you more freedom, but it can also distract readers from the actual message you want to convey if you overdo it. That's why I vote for BBCode.
    AstroBryGuy
  • SilverstarSilverstar Member Posts: 2,207
    Used the Hand of God to determine my vote, since both are equally valid choices for me... meaning I rolled a d6. HTML won.
    mashedtatersjackjack
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    I prefer the HTML only because it gives more freedom for advanced users.
    [Deleted User]lolienjackjack
  • AstroBryGuyAstroBryGuy Member Posts: 3,437
    I'd prefer BBCode or Markdown.

    I'm fine with HTML - if we can ban rainbow text. It's the BLINK tag of the 21st century.
    jackjack
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited March 2016
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    Post edited by [Deleted User] on
    BillyYankAstroBryGuylolien
  • AbelAbel Member Posts: 785
    HTML offers more options (not that I use them but I like knowing I can do something I'll never do) and it's not that much more complicated than BBCode. Gives good practice too if you ever need to make a website.
    JuliusBorisovIthualjackjack
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768
    BBCode is fine for a forum, full html is overkill.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    BelgarathMTHlolien
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    My reason for voting for this is that it appears to be more stable - I have not seen someone accidentally break a thread yet since BBCode was implemented.
    [Deleted User]FinneousPJlolien
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768
    I have to admit I'm pretty biased toward BBCode. I've been hanging out on forums since they were called "web boards". I can type BBCode without even thinking about it.
  • Sylvus_MoonbowSylvus_Moonbow Member Posts: 1,085
    edited March 2016
    I'd prefer BBCode or Markdown.

    I'm fine with HTML - if we can ban rainbow text. It's the BLINK tag of the 21st century.

    *gasps!*

    How dare thee!
    mashedtaterswubble
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited March 2016
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    AstroBryGuyFinneousPJYamcha
  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    Anduin wrote: »
    I prefer the HTML only because it gives more freedom for advanced users.

    I am looking at it from the other perspective. The new bar on top makes it easier for newer users to share links, upload pictures and format their posts. All the basics are covered in a neat and orderly bar right above where text window.

    One just has to stroll through a meme thread on here to see how complicated the old system was to figure out. Yes there are informative posts explaining how to do things, but one must have to know it exists.

    Many forumites come on here just to look for answers regarding a particular place they are stuck in the game. They don't have the time to figure out how to make an uploaded image display properly.
    lolien
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    I don't really care either way.

    BUT: Whatever you do, keep the the comment Code Menu! I *hated* the old way of looking for the editing thread, copy/paste the code and edit the whole thing accordingly just to post a Bhaal damn message! :#
  • AstroBryGuyAstroBryGuy Member Posts: 3,437
    edited March 2016
    Troodon80 wrote: »
    I'm fine with HTML - if we can ban rainbow text. It's the BLINK tag of the 21st century.
    You mean this?

    :p

    AAUUUUGGGGHHHH! My eyes! :wink:

    Actually, yes. WIth my glasses, chromatic aberration makes the different colors bend different amounts. So unless I have my head perfectly level and looking at the screen dead-center, the colored text does not share a single baseline and the kerning will be off.

    If I move my head side-to-side (to look at my second monitor), the "mea" drift away from the "n" and it starts to look like "You mea n ths?" with a really small space between "You" and "mea". Also, the i and s in "this" appear on top of each other (to the point where it looks like a "s" with a dot over it.

    If I tilt my head downward, I get three baselines. Upper one for red letters ("Yo" "n" "th"), middle for yellow letters ("u" "i"), lower for blue letters ("u" "mea" "s?"). Tilting my head up gets the opposite effect (but I down is the more frequent direction I look, usually the "chin in hand for pondering" pose as I read).

    So, yeah, I'd love to see rainbow text go they way of the BLINK tag and the dodo bird.
    lolienmashedtatersYamchaBillyYank
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Not sure. I'm getting used to the new format. My only complaint is that sometimes uploaded images get out of order if they're uploaded in a group. But my favorite part about the new format is that uploading multiple images at once is now possible.
    lolien
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited March 2016
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    lolienAbel
  • prairiechickenprairiechicken Member Posts: 149
    More options the better. Also basic things that arw supported in bb is easy enough in html
    [Deleted User]lolien
  • SCARY_WIZARDSCARY_WIZARD Member Posts: 1,438
    BBCode, because I can say "BBbbblttlflblblcode" when I say it.
    mashedtaters[Deleted User]
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    Well...right now it looks like my vote is the tie breaker that will decide the future of this website...

    24 vs 24... 50% vs 50%... The future of forums.beamdog.com in the palm of my hand...

    Abstain! Hah!
    Actually, you don't want my opinion, anyway. I don't know the first thing about whatever the heck @Dee said.
    [Deleted User]jackjackGozeta
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    mashedtatersAbelBenArledge
This discussion has been closed.