What happened to the button to collapse the right sidebar with?

[Frag Maniac]

This button was my only means of seeing threads full width, since the "Collapse sidebar by default" option in Preferences doesn't work.

Am I missing something here, is there another way to collapse it manually now?

 

[Colif]

I did notice that wasn't there just a while ago

@SHaines any ideas?

 

[Colif]

Its not really an arrow? its more 3 little dots that should be next to the Post Thread button but aren't

sample from another Future forum which does have choice, its missing here

 

[CParsons]

I did notice that wasn't there just a while ago

@SHaines any ideas?

This is a little inside baseball for most folks, but the collapsing of the sidebar was identified as one of the issues that is affecting how Google looks at the site and how it ranks us within Google search results through something they call Web Vitals. More specifically, the Cumulative Layout Shift. Due to that, we've had to disable it for now. @Frag Maniac, you should still be able to use the Toggle Width option in the lower right to see threads full width if I'm understanding your usage correctly.

 

[Colif]

I guess Google can't downrank people for having collapsible left hand columns since they use the same layout on Youtube

Thanks for letting us know

 

[Frag Maniac]

This is a little inside baseball for most folks, but the collapsing of the sidebar was identified as one of the issues that is affecting how Google looks at the site and how it ranks us within Google search results through something they call Web Vitals. More specifically, the Cumulative Layout Shift. Due to that, we've had to disable it for now. @Frag Maniac, you should still be able to use the Toggle Width option in the lower right to see threads full width if I'm understanding your usage correctly.

Well PC Gamer forums uses the exact same forum software, and their button to collapse the sidebar is still visible and still works, and to Colif's comment, yes, it's 3 dots.

Can you be more specific than "lower right", because I see nothing that says Toggle Width, and I even did a page search for it after looking a while.

I just hope this Google thing doesn't mean it stays this way.

 

[Colif]

i know i posted about Toggle width here but speaking of PCG, its where I got screenshot from and its also where you find explanation of Toggle width - https://forums.pcgamer.com/threads/using-the-pc-gamer-forum-features.1664/#post-3978

 

[CParsons]

Well PC Gamer forums uses the exact same forum software, and their button to collapse the sidebar is still visible and still works, and to Colif's comment, yes, it's 3 dots.

Tom's forums get more regular traffic so they are being used for the testing to ensure it works. Bit of A/B testing.

Can you be more specific than "lower right", because I see nothing that says Toggle Width, and I even did a page search for it after looking a while.

The two arrows toggle the site width.

 

[Frag Maniac]

That's strange, because this is what the lower right of the page looks like to me, and it's like this no matter whether I use Incognito mode, or regular Chrome, or with or without my VPN enabled. Same with PC Gamer.

 

[Colif]

do you have browser in full screen as menu isn't there if you have it reduced

if i run it half screen it doesn't show menu

but if I run it full screen, it shows

seems it gets pushed off the screen in a thinner aspect. It depends on width of screen, i can make it appear and disappear just by making browser window wider. PCG is the same.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Actually it's not there on my laptops but it is my desktop. Auto displays based on resolution and or screen size maybe? Laptop is 15.6" 1080p and desktop is 32" 1440p. 99% sure ( without looking ) I don't see it on my older Dell either that's 15.6" 1366x768.

 

[Colif]

nice if it showed in settings somewhere but thats beyond what maybe admin can do if its not an option there already.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

It's the same on other Future sites as well so it might be a xenforo thing.

 

[Colif]

It's the same on other Future sites as well so it might be a xenforo thing.

I did assume that was the case.

I don't know if they can't place it in another spot on page so it doesn't disappear when screen is reduced.

 

[Frag Maniac]

do you have browser in full screen as menu isn't there if you have it reduced

if i run it half screen it doesn't show menu

but if I run it full screen, it shows

seems it gets pushed off the screen in a thinner aspect. It depends on width of screen, i can make it appear and disappear just by making browser window wider. PCG is the same.

Yep, I always run it (and any forum) in fullscreen at 1080p, which is native for my display, and that's what that clip I posted was cropped from after pasting the entire print screen into Paint. I mean the page zoom is even set to 100% in Chrome.

 

[Colif]

it may not show on 1080p screens then?

most of admin use 4k monitors, they may not have ever noticed.

 

[Frag Maniac]

it may not show on 1080p screens then?

most of admin use 4k monitors, they may not have ever noticed.

Come on, has it really gotten to the point where we need 4K displays just to get forum software to work properly? Not sure that even makes sense.

 

[Colif]

I am not suggesting that, its just possible admin didn't notice it because they all use bigger screens.

I don't know if its anything that can be fixed. I don't have any control over how forums appear beyond the posts on it.

cparsons is better placed to reply to that.

 

[CParsons]

Come on, has it really gotten to the point where we need 4K displays just to get forum software to work properly? Not sure that even makes sense.

No, I don't use a 4K display but I do use a 2K one. My smallest monitor however is 1920x1080 and it shows fine for me so I'm not really sure why it wouldn't be showing on your 1080p monitors. It's just something with the skin that is being used for Xenforo. It offers a responsive UI and that is part of it. I'm looking into if there's a way to change the size at which button disappears.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I'm looking into if there's a way to change the size at which button disappears.

Thank you, hopefully it can be fixed.

 

[Colif]

Another admin led me to believe you all had them, although that was a few years ago.

 

[Zerk2012]

This button was my only means of seeing threads full width, since the "Collapse sidebar by default" option in Preferences doesn't work.

Am I missing something here, is there another way to collapse it manually now?

Go to settings then preferences in your account.

EDIT I see you found it I just new it their never tried it.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Well guys, I've been waiting patiently and hoping this will be fixed, but still the sidebar persists, even though I have preferences set to collapse it. Again, I don't have this problem on PCGamer forums, which uses the same base forum software.

Is it too optimistic to hope this will ever be fixed? I mean the 3 dot button always appeared before in the upper right corner of the page, but then it disappeared a little over 3 months ago.

 

[Colif]

Chris is a busy guy, he may have forgotten

I'm looking into if there's a way to change the size at which button disappears.

it might come with a software update we meant to be getting soon.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Chris is a busy guy, he may have forgotten

it might come with a software update we meant to be getting soon.

OK, great, thanks for the heads up.