Be careful messing around with default settings.

[Queentoshi]

Explore the plenty options on the forum but be careful adjusting default settings that you do not understand especially as a newbie. I tampered with some setting on my account some time ago, my screen orientation started looking weird and different from the normal.

The normal forum orientation is from Top first page (for the OP) and bottom (to see the latest post) for topics that have just one page, and from Top first page (for the OP), forward (or next page), and then bottom of the last page (to see the latest post).

My orientation changed to Top first page (for the latest post) and bottom (to see the OP) for topics with one page, and to Top first page (for the latest post)



 
and forward (next page), and then bottom of the last page (to see the OP).


 


I just could not get comfortable with it, and I have been looking for a way to get it back to looking normal. I would have asked for help, but I wanted to see if I can figure it out by myself, and YES! I FIGURED IT OUT! I know it is not such a big deal for some people, but because I knew how difficult and how long it took me to figure it out, I do not want some other newbies and people who do not know that they are not supposed to mess with some default settings on their account to be in the shoes I was, I just wanted to give an example by sharing my story, my problem, and how I fixed it. Someone will learn from it for sure.

To solve this problem

My orientation changed to Top page (for the latest post) and bottom (to see the OP) for topics with one page, and to Top first page (for the latest post) and forward (next page), and then bottom of the last page (to see the OP).

I went back to the "look and layout preferences" and unchecked the "Show most recent posts at the top" option and confirmed it by clicking "change profile".



Very simple right? but that took me time to figure out and may take some newbies time to figure out too, just like other settings if they tamper with the default settings on their account.

As a newbie, if you mess with the default settings and it makes your forum experience uncomfortable, you may be discouraged from coming back to the forum when you log out, and that will cost you the knowledge you are supposed to get from this forum.

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[Cantsay]

There’s one quote I think will fit into this situation ”One man’s meet is another’s poison”.

It’s true that when you’ve been using the default settings for a long time and then toggled with some settings that disrupted the default settings, it will become a little difficult to operate but for some those new settings might be more preferable for them than the default settings.

When it comes to the layout, I don’t really bother about it except when it comes to the part that has to do with my security or privacy for example; making your email address public for everyone to see, that’s the part I won’t advice any newbie to toggle with until they finally get to know the risk behind exposing their email to public community.

[hd49728]

That setting is useful if you join  Mega thread like Wall Observer.

With other threads that should die after a few pages, that setting is not much helpful.

Lastly I feel it is useful for users who don't mind to read OP and first several questions to catch ideas of OP, why the thread created and whether there are answers to OP already posted in first posts.

Jumping directly to most recent posts and answering those posts is not good.

[aioc]

Jumping directly to most recent posts and answering those posts is not good.

I would not even mess with the default setting but if I do an experiment I'll take note of my last setting so I will have no problem going back to it it's a bad idea not to check the main discussion, sometimes discussion stray but we should go back to the main essence of the discussion.
I wonder who among us had a different setting from the default setting, the setting makes us comfortable with the discussion.

[348Judah]

Explore the plenty options on the forum but be careful adjusting default settings that you do not understand especially as a newbie. I tampered with some setting on my account some time ago, my screen orientation started looking weird and different from the normal.

There's nothing bad in trying to explore the forum to know how the functions works on some particular commands but I will always say this that whenever you enter or press something, try to know how you enter into it so that you could also know the exit route out of it, when we press something and a specific function gets activated, we should be quite aware of what we press that led to the result of what we are seing, this will help us in getting out of it, but when we don't know how we gets into something, leaving it becomes inevitable for us.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

There is a popular saying that whatever you don't know about is your master at that moment. And sometimes we make mistakes to learn; if you had not tampered with that setting, maybe you would not have learned or even created this topic, but now, I have learned something from you and someone else might have too, it is just good to explore the forum, and if you experience some difficulty, you can definitely ask questions and you will be guided on what to do. That is one good thing about the forum.

[lionheart78]

It is advisable to record all the changes we made when messing around with the default settings, it is much better to have the record or screenshot of the default setting before we started to modify it.  This way we can always revert to the original settings when something unwanted happens to the interface.

Most newbies do not bother to modify the default settings since the forum is as good as it is.  Anyway, this is a good reminder and at the same time, a tutorial to those who want to touch the forum settings.

[robelneo]

It is advisable to record all the changes we made when messing around with the default settings, it is much better to have the record or screenshot of the default setting before we started to modify it.  This way we can always revert to the original settings when something unwanted happens to the interface.

The SMF default setting for users is the best setting for users to get the best experience in a discussion community but when you advance the forum setting can be adjusted to suit your needs or based on your preferences like if you are annoyed by the many avatars and banners that are displayed and you only want discussion you can adjust the setting for the avatar and signature not to show up.

Most newbies do not bother to modify the default settings since the forum is as good as it is.  Anyway, this is a good reminder and at the same time, a tutorial to those who want to touch the forum settings.

Even long-time users will not bother to modify the default setting there is no need to because the default setting is the best setting for SMF users and you only modify it based on your preferences.

[_BlackStar]

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to how forum display including ignoring some boards - ignoring some users - changing light mode to dark mode and possibly not showing the signature and avatar. That's all up to each user - but I agree that beginners shouldn't redesign that simple view too quickly before they learn a lot about it.

I've been using this simple forum for several years since 202 - but so far haven't changed anything in terms of its appearance, except to take advantage of some of the features it offers.

[sheenshane]

IMO, let it be into default rather than having mistakes in exploring the forum.
If you're a newbie might be good but if you'd already established your account seems valuable to you, I don't.

The BPIP browser extension also has many features that you can open aside from the forum features.
IMO, this isn't a necessary feature if you read and understand the OP's topic first before interacting discussion.

But anyway, thank you for sharing this.

[jrrsparkles]

It depends as long as they understand how to revert it back if they don't like but for us like old folks we used to the system for years so we may not change the way how it looks all of a sudden but it is really possible for a real newbie if I am not wrong.

Sometimes I wish there could be a reset to default settings like the feature so in case if we messed up something and can't really take it back then it can be a life savior but as far as I know, there is no such.

[Saisher]

Sometimes I wish there could be a reset to default settings like the feature so in case if we messed up something and can't really take it back then it can be a life savior but as far as I know, there is no such.

Only the admin has a reset to default settings, for users, you just have to check and uncheck, and the default setting has only one check

Return to topics after posting by default.

You just remember this one as the only one that has a check and you are good to go.

[Asiska02]

Sorry you have to go through all this hassle to make the forum settings for your account back to is default again. All those places you entered to temper with the default settings, I don’t think I have gone there before since I joined the forum. I only go to places where I need to change something that is required of me at that time.

Making changes to the forum default settings can be very difficult to adapt to easily since you’re already used to the default settings. Although, if a newbie have made the changes in their early days in the forum, they might get use to it and the default settings won’t be suitable for them to use again.

I just believe how the forum setting is designed should be suitable for everyone to use, it is easy to navigate and has a friendly interface.

[BIT-BENDER]

The default settings which is also the original setting can never get you into mess. Default settings is that which the site, forum, application, device owners or team had certified sufficient or accurate enough for anyone to make do with, but we all have individual preference so there is always an opportunity to change it, but personally anything I don't understand fully I don't tamper with the default settings on that, this has kept me safe

[alastantiger]

I can imagine both the initial confusion and further confusion when your screen orientation changed. I bet that's not what you expected. Logining out and in would have restored it back to its default settings.

Whatever device or platform I am on, I always approach the settings with very extra caution. Thanks for the heads up anyways.

[SatoPrincess]

I have never bothered to change the default settings, aside from changing email & password, I really don’t go to my account settings that much. I’m already used to the forum as it is, I get the same experience on mobile and desktop (using a pc to browse the forum is much easier though). Now that I think about it, I never tried using the dark mode feature even though all my mobile apps is in dark mode. That’s how bad I’m hooked on the forum’s default settings.

[Mpamaegbu]

Very simple right? but that took me time to figure out and may take some newbies time to figure out too, just like other settings if they tamper with the default settings on their account.

I understand the big brother role you're trying to play there by guarding newbies. That's great but don't you think it's better for them (everyone of us, actually) to know where things are, than not know at all? I'm one of those who like to tweak things around to find out where they're so I don't get lost around them during an emergency. However, to do that successfully I first of all take note of where they're before tampering with them. Sometimes, I take pictures of them before venturing in. It helps that way in case I get confused way in.

There’s one quote I think will fit into this situation ”One man’s meet is another’s poison”.

It's actually, meat. "One man’s meat is another’s poison."

[icalical]

If that happened to me, I would also be confused how to fix that, I don't know if such feature is actually exist. I also have similar experience when I missed-click and I ended up changing my setting for Quick Reply, I accidentally remove the quick reply box from the bottom of my screen, I sort of panicked, and I need about 1 hour to fix the setting. I barely touch the setting other than Profile Information to change signature and avatar ever since.