I like this forum just like it is.
Not the great on IOS. When posting, Apple emojis don’t work right. Not mobile friendly.
This forum is not compatible for uding with Tapatalk app. The user interface feels dated and inferior to other forums run by more modern forum engines.
The content is however more valuable. In my opinion, the content and the community friendliness are what keep BLF forum popular. I like it better than CPF forum and flashlight sub-reddit.
I like the look and feel of this forum, and the colors are easy on my almost 50 year old eyes. I don’t post very often because I can usually find the information I need by using the search feature. As others have stated its a bit of a pain posting pictures using a smartphone, especially if you want to post more than one. But for the zero dollars it cost to be a member I can’t complain.
I have always felt welcome here since my first post and this is a great community to be apart of.
Honestly, it’s pretty good.
Very efficient, works well even on mobile devices.
The only thing that would make it better would be a gray mode, so it would be easier on the eyes at times.
I don’t know much (anything, really) about software, so my thoughts are worth less than a penny. That said, it works fine for me. My first thought when I read this though, was the same as djozz’s. I really wish we could post images directly.
I like it, nice and easy (simple)
If you use chrome browser on a computer try Dark Reader in the chrome web store, its
good for grayscale backround here on blf.
it is different from other forum platforms, but totally usable, i have no complaints
I think it is just a shitshow that BLF does not even support HTTPS. I know there were already many threads about this, but it is just a no go in 2020 to use unencrypted cleartext logins. Additionally, it does hurt SEO-optimization, which in return results in lower advertisement earnings for Mr. Admin.
I’m more than fine with it as is. It loads very fast, doesn’t eat up bandwidth, and is as well organised as it needs to be. Posting images is indeed a bit of a nuisance, and we don’t get any emojis, but as Ben Croshaw once said, that is flicking boogers at a perfectly solid core.
About Tapatalk: totally unnecessary. Some 80% of my browsing is done on mobile, and the format and functionality work very well, TYVM. In fact, I’m posting this very reply out of my Moto G5.
This should be etched in stone.
Even at work, they’re pushing new machines, new versions of Winsucks, etc., and I’m always one of the last holdouts, pretty much forced at gunpoint to “upgrade”. Why? BECAUSE CRAP BREAKS, that’s why. And then I gotta waste untold hours trying to “fix” things afterward.
Also, one thing I noticed about most web “upgrades” is that they now require javascript be turned on to do anything. That’s sheer laziness on the part of the “developers”, and it makes the whole experience a dog. Instead of a page loading quickly, it takes forever while everything slow-loads in bits’n’pieces, it’s blocky, unresponsive, filled with lag, you have no idea if the page is hung while it’s waiting for the retarded little facebook/pinterest/twitter/other logos to load in a retarded in-the-way sidebar, and everything just turns to $#|+.
GB? Broken. AX? Broken. UPS? Broken (whoever designed/included that “assistant” popup should die a horrible fiery death). Even trade-rags have such a huge difference with js turned on vs off. Off, you get a nice clean article, ’though now usually without any inline images loaded. On, and you get hideous background images, popups, sidebars, all sorts of pure CRAP that pollute the page and make it impossible to just read the damned thing in peace.
Plus, with all the bloat (both source and cpu cycles), it becomes just painful to try to load a page on older equipment. When you hear the fan revving fullspeed all of a sudden, everything else locks up, then get a “This script is unresponsive… end it / wait for it / what?” popup, oh, that’s so much fun.
Sites that require js to do anything, I’ve largely abandoned, and use only if I have to, and then, only on certain machines that don’t croke when you try. Any phones, etc., that use browsers like Midori (zero js support) are effectively locked out from those sites. No great loss, usually, but sometimes, on rare occasion, you’d actually want to suffer through it just to see something. but can’t.
All that said, if “upgraded” forum sw were to require js just for basic functionality, I know I’d be gone (except maybe in readonly mode), but dunno how many others would, whether by choice or necessity.
I quite like the look of the forum. Blues look good. Functionality is adequate but there are some features I’d enjoy having such as:
1. A more smartphone friendly layout (already mentioned)
2. Option to include the content of posts/messages in email notifications
3. A quote button for the first post in a thread
Directly uploading images to the server sb uses has large costs; storage space and bandwidth used. Each image takes disk space to be stored and each time a user views a forum page all the images on that page are downloaded from the BLF server to the viewers’ device. Lots of bandwidth gets used as users click to view. Probably not possible with the budget sb has.
I’m pretty much a happy camper the way it is. I would like a darker color background but I dislike tinkering to do custom things, especially as I use three systems; PC, android and ios, depending where I am.
Can neither agree with above nor below.
I browse with my smartphone as a rule, and take great care with my software. It pays to use a custom ROM, preferably rooted, and always configure my device to use the web in a close to desktop way, reducing dpi and enforcing zoom among other things:
Can also remove the status bar in a flash, as can be seen on the right.
Of course I realize that I'm a very particular and picky user.
Agree. Gray mode? You know man, just dial the brightness down a bit. ;-)
Maybe a few basic forum themes (different color combinations) selectable with a click/tap on a button at the bottom of the page would be nice. ECF, for example, has a few themes easily and quickly changeable. Check by clicking/tapping over “ECF” down left on the default theme's blue bar.
I have to agree with that point of view concerning nowadays' stupid quick software development. G00gl€, for example, is releasing a major version of their Chrome browser each month, at least on Android, along with a few minor versions. That's crazy, a girl's napkin lasts more than that. And sucks what they're doing to the browser, even despite its very very good in many aspects.
Forced updates suck, too. This is where custom ROMs make a difference, no annoying update notices/notifications and no forced updates.
This remembered me of a web article titled “Why do I hate Javashit”, from a (Polish?) computing science professor I read ≈5 years ago. Can barely recall a thing (Necromedia Flush The Toilet LoL!), but it was very :-D funny.
I still have the web address of the (now non working) page: http://galaxy.eti.pg.gda.pl/katedry/kiw/pracownicy/Jan.Daciuk/personal/JavaShit.html
Pity it's lost. 
WayBackMachine to the rescue:
If you ever need to cover costs, I’d suggest a small fee per image posted (whether the image appears in a comment or in a .signature file)
I’m guessing images add a lot to the computation required to make things appear.
And if I’m wrong, forget that suggestion and figure out what does eat up resources and make a subscription to help cover costs.
Text, fortunately, is cheap.
I think the admin has done a great job keeping the forum running smoothly. I think the desktop experience is great, and the only suggestion I have is enabling https. I do wish the template was mobile friendly, but I’d probably spend even more time here if that was the case.