Forums running Xenforo 2.2

This will be a short (or at least attempt to!) article with the new features that are now available on the forums.

In fact, this post is now of the article type (more about this later).

Xenforo 2.2 main changes are user improvements, content type, media handling and the improved 'textbox'.

If you would like to read full-featured demonstrations about these new features, you can view Have you seen...?

I'm going to stick to smaller pointers

Richer content types​

Forums can now be much more than just a simple thread.
Depending on the forum node, the administration can set the allowed types of content.

1. Articles are more focused on the 'first' original post, with minimalist controls and a accentuated thumbnail in the overview. It's perfect for content like tutorials, the MCME Times or presentations.
2. Question threads where a user can ask a question, and the question thread type will enable a system with up/down voting the answers people post to that thread. The user or the moderators can mark a reply as 'the answer', which will then be shown directly under the question. Useful for the Getting Help sections! See example: Pineapple pizza
3. Poll threads are threads that have a poll, which most of you are already familiar with.
4. Discussion thread type is what everyone already knows, its the 'classic' system with the main post, replies, ...
5. Suggestions are not really thread-typed, but node typed. This means that people can update threads (instead of posts like in Question). This will mean that the most upvoted threads will appear on the top, like at XenForo suggestions

The admins can chose which nodes offer these extended functionalities (by default it is only discussion and poll), so if you have an idea or suggestion about using these new features somewhere on the board, do tell me.

Better mobile support​

The previous update featured browser notifications or push notifications and this update extends the mobile functionality with PWA (Progressive web application). Easily explained, this means that you can 'install the forums' on your smartphone or device as if it were an application and not within a (visibly) browser.

Depending on the device, since not all devices support PWA, you can receive a notification to install the website 'application' to your device (also sorry Safari and Apple users, since Apple is behind on web tech, they do not support PWA)

Once installed, the application will show notifications and will appear to be as if it were an actual app.

Giphy support​

Now you can directly insert GIF's from GIPHY by clicking on the GIF icon in the textbox!

Lazy loading​

This means that the website, the viewport, will not load completely to your device, it will gradually start to load more content (like pictures, avatars, media types, ...) as you scroll down, this increases the responsiveness of the website and will allow the user to load the site quicker.

Resource Manager changes​

With the 2.2 update also comes the 2.2 version of the Resource Manager we have installed.

Resource Teams

Whereas before a single user had the ownership over a resource, now a resource can be assigned team members, who can all post updates and changes to the resource.
The person who creates the resource will technically still be the owner, he/she can add up to 10 people to the resource team. Deleting the resource can only be done by the first / original user.

Though very technical in nature, admins might be interested in expanding the review system by expanding it with new fields !

Review voting​

Like with the upvoting content types, resource reviews can now also be up or down-voted based on relevancy (or the simple fact you don't agree with what was written).

This can weed out the troll reviews and only display the more interesting ones.
Though we don't really use the review system that much (nor are there resources that get a lot of reviews) it is an interesting system to activate.