We all spend so much time on NeoGAF, yet some us will go months or even years without knowing some of the time-saving tips and tricks buried within the functionality of the forums. I figured it'd be good to have a thread dedicated to sharing some of tricks that are lesser known, especially to new members.
I'll start us off:
General Tips/Tricks
Chrome Extensions and User Scripts
If you use any modern web browser that supports user scripts, you have the ability to add some very helpful functionality to the default NeoGAF experience. If you use Google Chrome, you have even more options at your disposal.
Here are some user scripts that any card-carrying GAF Gold member can't live without:
I'll start us off:
General Tips/Tricks
- Clicking the orange GAF logo to the left of a thread with unread posts will take you directly to the last post in the thread. I didn't know about this handy little feature until today, which is partly what inspired me to make this thread.
- If you look to the links at the top of the forum, you'll see one that says STORE in bold. Many may not have noticed yet, but there are a ton of user-designed NeoGAF t-shirts for sale through this link. These are sold at-cost by EviLore, so this is just being offered as a way of spreading the word and representing our community. They are fitted shirts, and there are a ton of awesome designs by GAF member dreweyes among others.
Chrome Extensions and User Scripts
If you use any modern web browser that supports user scripts, you have the ability to add some very helpful functionality to the default NeoGAF experience. If you use Google Chrome, you have even more options at your disposal.
Here are some user scripts that any card-carrying GAF Gold member can't live without:
- NeoGAF: Quick Quote, Reply, and Edit (by hateradio) - This user script alone will add tons of useful features to GAF that you won't be able to live without. Such features include: a Quick Reply box at the bottom of every page, strikethrough/highlight/spoiler buttons in the reply box, keyboard shortcuts for bolding and italicizing text in your posts, the ability to quote multiple posts easily without having to copy/paste, and the ability to edit your posts without leaving the page. This is a script designed by a GAFer, and it shows. Absolutely essential.
- YouTube Me Again! (by hateradio) - Here's another brilliant user script from one of our own. This adds a simple but highly convenient feature: embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos. It will automatically convert any video link to an embedded Flash (or HTML5) video within the post, and it even gives you controls for re-sizing and otherwise customizing the embedded player.
- NeoGAF Live Thread - This extension adds a small button at the top and bottom of every page that acts as a toggle for its "Live Thread" functionality. When enabled, new posts will be automatically added to the current page every 60 seconds (or at your request, if you're impatient) without refreshing the entire page. If the posts spill onto the next page, Live Thread will simply combine the next page with the current one, allowing the new posts to just continuously flow down the page. This extension makes following a fast-moving thread (|OT|'s) much easier and will give your F5 button a much needed break.
- NeoGAF Smilies - You new members are too young (in GAF years) to remember, but this forum was once home to a pair of gloriously evocative smilies. and
were only a click away from adding some visual levity to your posts. Alas, good things don't always last forever, and the smilies vanished without warning one day. This extension brings back that bygone feature, allowing those of us who remember to carry the torch for future generations. Just don't abuse the feature, because bans for using smilies post-removal have occurred in the past.
- NeoGAF User Highlighter - Last, but certainly not least, we have the user highlighter extension. This allows you to add a highlight color to your posts, threads, and quotes, making it much easier to track down your contributions to GAF. There is also a less customizable, but still very functional User Script equivalent for you Firefox and Opera users.
- NeoGAF Image Upload - Another invaluable time-saving extension. This adds an "Upload Image" button to the reply box. Just click the button, select an image from your computer, and then click OK. The image will be uploaded in the background, and the link with the appropriate tags will be added to your post.
[*][B][URL="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ebmlhehgnbpoklgfpihdjmeiicljjnlj"]NeoGAF Keyboard Shortcuts[/URL][/B] - Every power user knows how much faster you can get things done with a handful of helpful keyboard shortcuts. This extension comes with a plethora of shortcut keys that will have you blasting through the forum with ease. With this installed, you can pretty much navigate GAF without hardly ever having to use your mouse at all.
[/LIST]
[B]Update:[/B] As spindashing pointed out, there are Greasemonkey equivalents for Firefox for most of these Chrome extensions:
[quote=spindashing][list]
[*][url="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/78817"]NeoGAF Live Thread[/url][url="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748/"]
[*]NeoGAF Smilies[/url] ([b]Note[/b]: Because this script uses innerHTML to replace text, it may break other scripts, like YouTube Me Again! Disable it if that's the case.)
[*][url="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/77218"]NeoGAF User Highlighter[/url]
[/list]
[url="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748/"]
It goes without saying, but before you add these things you need to download Greasemonkey first.[/url][/quote]
[B][U]User Styles (skins)[/U][/B]
NeoGAF is as clean and functional as Internet forums come, but you might eventually tire of the same old look. If you want to give your GAF some extra polish, check out these user styles:
[LIST]
[*][B][URL="http://userstyles.org/styles/55077/neogaf-pro"]NeoGAF Pro[/URL][/B] - For the more sophisticated GAFer. Created by GAF member [B]sky[/B], this skin adds a little polish and elegance to the site. It's nothing drastic, but the subtle changes are pleasing to the eye. A few drop shadows and rounded edges can go a long way.
[*][B][URL="http://userstyles.org/styles/13125/neogaf-re-gaf"]re:GAF[/URL][/B] - Another homegrown user style, re:GAF was created by none other than [B]hateradio[/B]. This one changes the look of the site a little more drastically, swapping out images and changing the entire color scheme around. If you want a totally unique look for GAF, this might be a good choice.
[*][B][URL="http://userstyles.org/styles/56218/neogaf-pro-dark"]NeoGAF Pro Dark[/URL][/B] - Due to popular demand for easier night-time viewing, GAF member [B]sky[/B] created this dark version of his Pro theme. While it doesn't play as nicely with the User Highlighting scripts/extensions as the standard Pro theme, this is equally as elegant and great for GAF'in in the dark.
[/LIST]
[B][U]The Web App[/U][/B]
If you have a smartphone and have tried reading NeoGAF in a mobile browser, you have probably had a less-than-ideal experience trying to navigate these beloved forums. No worries, though. Once again, a GAF member (ckohler) came to the rescue and developed an elegant solution for viewing and contributing to NeoGAF from your cell phone.
[LIST]
[*][B][URL="http://www.secondapps.com/neogaf"]The NeoGAF Web App[/URL][/B] - While there is no native iOS or Android application for NeoGAF, this web app is optimized for mobile browsers to give you an experience very similar to using a native app. Simply go to [url]http://www.secondapps.com/neogaf[/url], bookmark that baby, then add a shortcut on your homescreen. This is an invaluable GAF resource from which many of us get a ton of mileage.
[/LIST]
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I know the Web App and most of the user scripts/extensions already have their own threads, but I think that Junior Members especially can benefit from a one-stop resource like this. I look forward to hearing some more tips from you all, since I'm sure there are some I still haven't discovered.
[B][U]Highlighted tips/tricks submissions:[/U][/B]
[quote=Yoshichan]Use 100 posts per page, change it in the settings.[/quote]
[quote=RubxQub]You can view the NeoGAF memberlist here:
[url="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/memberlist.php"]http://www.neogaf.com/forum/memberlist.php[/url]
From there, you can do an advanced search that allows you to list everyone by join date or post count. I used to do it to keep track of who the heavy hitters on GAF were and track my own position in the overall posts counts.[/quote]
[quote=weekend_warrior][b]User CP -> Edit OPtions -> Set 'Default Thread subscription Mode' to "No Email Notification"[/b]
Now when you post in a thread it will automatically appear under your subscriptions tab and you won't have to go digging around to re-find threads you posted in before.[/quote]
[quote=Griffith]The hidden text thing still works. (Hide text from unregistered users, aka "lurkers.")
It's [email=Insert hidden text here][/email*] Just remove the *[/quote]
[quote=Dice]Two more great scripts to add with it not mentioned in the OP:
[url="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/70184"]Post Image Rescale[/url] which is fantastic in threads like the kpop fanboying or PC screenshot thread.
[url="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/93896"]Block Individual Avatars[/url] which is not as needed since we disabled animated ones, but still good sometimes.
Oh, and sometimes google search still doesn't do well enough as you need if you leave it to the site in general. If you have a massive thread you want to search through, you [i]can[/i] put the URL of a specific thread and google will search every page of only that thread.[/quote]
[quote=lunchtoast]Didn't see it mentioned here yet but both skins mentioned in the OP have mouse hover for spoilers, and there's also a stand alone app on userstyles here
[url="http://userstyles.org/styles/17340/neogaf-highlight-spoilers-on-mouse-over"]http://userstyles.org/styles/17340/n...-on-mouse-over[/url][/quote]
[quote="ScOULaris, post: 35042762"]Sorry to bump an old thread, but I just came across a new trick that I'd like to share.
Apparently you can still avatar quote easily without having to re-host the image. All you have to do is right-click on the avatar, select "Copy Image URL" (in Google Chrome), and then paste that URL into your message with [IMG] tags wrapped around it.
Even though the URL is for a php script, it will still show up properly as an image in your post.
[img]http://asset3.neogaf.com/forum/image.php?u=57953&dateline=1322006872
See? Works like a charm.[/quote]
