Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Upgrade!

This is topic Upgrade! in forum Incoming Hail at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flare.solareclipse.net/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/217.html

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

It's been a while since I've introduced any new features, so I figured it was about time to do so. [Smile]

The two most important new features are the Quick Reply box now present at the bottom of each post, and the new ability to subscribe to topics while you're replying (using the full reply form).

If you'd rather not use Quick Reply, you can turn it off by editing your profile/preferences. The My Profile page and Edit Profile pages have been given a facelift as well. The Quick Reply preference is at the bottom.

From the My Profile page, you can now view all of your current topic subscriptions, then remove them if you desire. (Trivia: Baloo, of all people, has the most subscriptions, at ~650.)

A few other things that you'll want to note:

New URL format - it's designed to attract the attention of search engine spiders. Don't worry, all the old links you may have around will still work.
You can now search multiple forums at once, and seach by public name rather than user number
There's a "Remember Me" checkbox on the login form now, so you can optionally choose to be logged out at the end of your session.
Certain forums will now show a minimum number of posts by default. Currently only this one forum uses this ability.

There are a handful of features available on the admin side of things as well, but those will mostly bore you. [Wink]

One bug to look out for... I think I have it squished, but I'm not 100% sure. Please let me know if you suddenly become logged out at the end of your browser session if you came here after the upgrade. If you do get logged out, just log in again... it should not occur again after that.

Comments?

[ October 13, 2003, 12:35 PM: Message edited by: Charles Capps ]

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

*sigh* The logout bug is still present. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :

Awesome! I was hoping that the subscription management options already part of OpenTopic would be making their way over to UBB.classic... [Smile]

I don't always make use of the quick-reply feature, but it's pretty handy on occasion. And since it's right here, I think I'll use it more. The reason I never use it on OpenTopic is because the complex inline-popup display never appears in the proper place on the screen. With this, it's right there on the screen and ain't moving!

Many thanks, Charles! [Cool]

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

I noticed this and wondered how long it had been here and I hadn't seen it.... I am glad it is new, and not something I've missed for a month....

Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :

Oddly, I get this crap when I try to update my preferences:

quote:
Sorry, you have attempted to register with an email address that has been banned. Please feel free to email us at %%BBEMAIL%% if you have any questions.

to quote another Flareite:
....the Fuck!?

Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :

IE6 on WinXP Pro, I get:

"posted 0 2_3"

For all dates of all posts, from ever and ever.

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

UM, go update your profile. Just scroll down and submit.

Jason, are you trying to update your email address?

Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :

Yeah.
I tried that when I tried to un-subscribe to the "Quick Reply".
I never signed up for (or was banned) with my hotmail address.
Strange.
My E-Mail address listed was back when I suffered at the claws of bellsouth.
It's no longer valid.

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

Hotmail addresses are forbidden... change the email on record to the email provided by your ISP.

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

What's the catch with using "Quick Reply"?
I mean, what sets it apart from the full reply form?

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

I think you just don't get all the smiley crap and UBB Code cheats. And whatever other options are down there. I never use anything but the "close topic" option.

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

Indeed. [Smile]

Oops!

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Oh, well, at least HTML still works. . . Nice one, Charles!

Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :

Hey, is it true all searches return 0 results?

I tested it with "enterprise", and I can't imagine there are no posts with that word...

Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :

Yah, same here. Zilch returns in any forum for any given word. I only get results when I search directly by member number or PDN.

Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :

Same here, no results at all for Wolf 359. Which is definitely impossible....

Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :

The quick reply has all the same features, text-wise, as the normal reply page, it's just integrated into the actual thread page for greater convenience.

The only thing the full reply page has that the quick reply doesn't is the checkboxes for reply notifications, the signature display option, and the disabling of smilies.

(I mean really... does anyone actually USE those buttons to get the UBB code? I never thought it was THAT hard to remember!)

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

I'll be able to look into the search problem shortly... I think it's probably just our index.

Posted by deadcujo (Member # 13) on :

Whee

Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :

That's a pretty spiffy new control panel. [Smile]

Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :

Found another bug!

The Preview Post link is kaputt.

(and the 404 page is still in the very old black colorscheme! wow!)

Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :

That's funny... I remember using the post preview just this morning, and it worked fine. And I just double-checked with this post, both on the quick-reply and the full form -- both of them displayed just fine.

I think the problem might be on your end, Harry. It's probably that wonderful IE cache again... [Wink]

Posted by Weird Al (Member # 1134) on :

hey Charles, the times in the directory are messed up

code:

Weird Al - Member # 1134, October 09, 2003  
Jan - Member # 1133, blank , 20-100  
ProfKSergeev - Member # 1132, blank , 20-100  
Dangerous-online - Member # 1130, blank , 20-100  
Vox - Member # 1129, blank , 20-100

Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :

quote:
Originally posted by MinutiaeMan:

It's probably that wonderful IE cache again...

I use Firebird, thank you very much [Razz]

I just realized Preview does work on new replies, but not in Edit Post.

Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Harry:
I use Firebird, thank you very much

Ah, sorry. I should've known you'd have more sense than to use IE. [Wink]

(I do like your taste in browser, though. I still use Camino/Mozilla on occasion myself, though I generally have Safari as my default now.)

One other really nice touch I thought I'd comment here to indicate my appreciation -- if you start typing into the quick reply form, then change your mind and decide to use the full reply page and click the "Full Reply Form" button, the UBB software will preserve what you've already typed and automatically insert it in the text field for you. Nice touch! [Smile]

Posted by Capped in Mic (Member # 709) on :

one thing i'd suggest is to leave the sig off automatically for the quick reply feature, even if i leave it automatically checked 'on' in the standard reply form in my preferences.

but what does that matter really good job on the baord am i rite guyz lol

Posted by Weird Al (Member # 1134) on :

Uhh, one big bug IMHO is that fact that even after unsubscribing to this thread, I still get the emails [Embarrassed]

[ October 13, 2003, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: Charles Capps ]

Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :

I like the quick reply, BTW.

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

The search is fixed in the code, as is the odd missing dates on the Directory page... when the version number says 0.173 instead of 0.172, the fix has been uploaded.

Al, are you using the unsubscribe link from the email? I'm able to change your subscription status by editing your message, so THAT part works...

The state of your signature and the disable graemlins links is preserved from your preferences, Captain Mike. [Razz]

Posted by Weird Al (Member # 1134) on :

I was unsubscribing via the page in my profile, and it showed it gone

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

OKay, thanks, I'll look into that.

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

Fixed in 173.

Posted by Weird Al (Member # 1134) on :

umm... I still seem to be getting the emails, and I can't edit my posts, so I'm unsubscribing via this post *hopefully*

Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :

BTW, I liked the old topic overview (when posting a reply) more than the squashed frame it's in now. Any chance of changing it back, so I don't have to scroll my butt off constantly? B)

Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :

or at least have the condensed, 1 page overview. This is just the complete thread in an iframe...

Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :

I quite like the new version.

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

The iframe turns on when the topic has more than 25 replies. Previously, the topic review just turned itself off.

Most boards run with the iframe on. We normally run with it off here to keep pageviews down. But as I anticipate most people using the quick reply form, I figured that the extra iframe from time to time won't be too much of an issue.

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

I think it's great, you have much better overview and can click on links through it and everything.
And you don't miss any text just because the filed is more condensed, so...

On another newt, why is "Incoming Hail" suddenly locked in "Show all existing threads"-mode?

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

Because I told it to. [Smile]

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

Seems like a pretty good reason to me....

Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :

The Preview Post link on the edit form is still broken...

Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :

Works fine for me, makes a nice little pop up window...

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

Yeah, I uploaded the fix for that and over a dozen other problems last night.

Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :

Charles, I just encountered that random logout problem that you mentioned a couple days ago. I was posting earlier this afternoon, and when I just visited Flare a few minutes ago, I was logged out! (This never happens, I've got the persistent login cookie set, plus Safari is great at remembering the preferences like that.)

Just thought you should know it's still floating around.