I know I'm a little late, but I figured I would officially announce Happy New Year!
As you may have noticed, I haven't been here much this past month / holiday season. Just a lot going on, and so many projects to work on. However, out of many projects, one of my focus' going into this year has been OTz. So. with that said, I want to talk a little bit about what's to come for Off Topicz in 2024.
First, let's talk about the new theme!
Originally supposed to be launched this month as a starting point for Off Topicz 2024. In case you haven't noticed, I launched it a little early. It's not 100% finished, but let's call it a working, functioning "project". It brings so many new features and a newer modern fresh look. I've embraced the latest design trends, and poured creative energy into crafting a theme that not only looks fantastic, but also enhances the usability of the forum. Please, if you notice any issues with it, please let me know! I'm looking for feedback, and areas that can be improved.
So let's get into some of the new features it boasts.
Light & Dark Mode:
It's 2024. It's time to offer both a light theme, and dark theme. I will be building upon this system in the future to better enhance user experience. Such as automatically choosing the theme based on your system preference. However, for the meantime, there is a new icon in the top right navigational corner. A half-moon that will turn the theme dark, and a lightbulb that will turn the theme back to light.
No more will we get eyestrain when browsing the forum late at night
The dark version was meticulously crafted to be pixel perfect.New Action Menu:
The "Last post" from the forum index is no longer seen to both help clean up the look a bit, and to make it a bit more modern. However, you can still get to the last post by clicking on the new gears icon which will bring up the action menu. You can then quickly go to the latest post this way, or now post a new thread right from the home page. I may have ideas to expand this action menu. For now, let's keep it simple!PWA (Progressive Web App) *Full Features Coming Soon
A progressive web app will make a smoother experience for mobile users. It will work almost like a native app on your phone. On mobile, when you open the navigation menu, there will be an option to install the app. This will add an icon to your homescreen for both iPhone and Android users. You can then enable push notifications to allow you to get alerts when you get notifications from the forum. This can be disabled if desired.
Ready to Spy?:
You can now see who else is reading the thread you're on! How creepy ;P Because why not?
I'll be looking for ways to make the community more engaging, and this is just the first thing to be released on the theme.
Thread Reactions:
Be able to see reactions at a glance before entering a thread. Just a quick and easy way to enhance the forum, and add a little something extra. It's the small things you know So the theme is released. What now? What does 2024 have in store for Off Topicz?
I'll be releasing a roadmap soon that details the plans and next steps for the community. Please keep an eye on the announcement section
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