i wanted to share two small ideas for new features to add to these message boards that i feel would improve their function & user-friendliness. they're minor on paper, but i think they would add a lot in practice!
1. the ability to preview posts before submitting them
a QOL feature to help users avoid unseen errors with post formatting, find typos, or just to see what their post will look like before submission.
the timeframe to edit a post after it's published is very short (about a day i think) and one-time use, which is understandable with the fully-moderated system. the ability to preview posts before submitting it would help avoid the trouble of a user writing a post, it publishing with an error, and having only one chance to fix it -- but only if they do so within the small timeframe editing is allowed.
2. a feature to insert images (of reasonable size) into posts
another QOL feature that could help users who prefer to use visuals to explain things (a picture speaks a thousand words). an example is to showcase in-game bugs that are easy to see but hard to explain.
it should be easy for moderators to remove images before approving the post, if they have to.
also removes the need for users to try sharing images via off-site links, which risks breaking the code of conduct (if the link is even allowed through)
3. ability to make the post editor (the "text box") bigger
the "text box" that you write a post in is quite small. this would be a simple feature, one many text editors have, to stretch the box you're writing inside of longer if needed. this way, users don't have to scroll to see all that they wrote, improving visibility and usability.
that's it! i hope these ideas are worth considering. im not sure when the last time was that any of the forum functions were changed or added to (besides adding the housing section, or when emojis were added?). still, i hope its not too much of a stretch to think new features could be added someday.
feel free to add your own ideas for new or improved forum functions if you'd like! thanks for your time
