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View Full Version : A Few Requested Refinements



Boswell
02-26-2007, 10:29 PM
From your input, I've done (or at least attempted) a few changes:

1. When you post your first message and thereafter for a while, you're a "Member" - no more of that "Junior Member" crap.

2. You should be able to post an image in your signature but do it as an [IMG] function not HTML, which won't work. Try to keep your image in your sig small, if you would. We're holding back on avatars for the time being.

3. I've increased the posts per page from 10 to 20, so I hope that helps.

I really want to express my incredible thanks (and relief) for the universally positive comments we've received by this change. We always want to do what's best for this site and your reading of it (and we've shared so many of your concerns and frustrations). Thank you for your patience through this transition, and we're grateful that our speeding up of the process has been so warmly received.

cbarry
02-26-2007, 10:38 PM
Thank you Boswell. It's wonderful to have someone so dedicated running this site. I love Duke Basketball Report. I can't even imagine going through a day without visiting your website.

KUDOS!!

mapei
02-26-2007, 10:42 PM
You've totally earned it, Bos.

crazie4duke
02-26-2007, 10:43 PM
Thanks once again! We all feel like kids in a candy store today with the new board system up and going!

SeattleIrish
02-26-2007, 10:47 PM
I'll miss seeing Jason Evans listed as "Junior Member" :D

Love the new board; I've read DBR for many years but have rarely posted because I never wanted to take the time to figure out the blasted format (odd, considering i was a daily reader).

Well done, gentlemen.

s.i.

Bob Green
02-26-2007, 10:47 PM
Once again I'll say great job! My productivity at work has taken a big hit today (it wasn't that impressive to start with).

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

hurleyfor3
02-26-2007, 10:50 PM
Awesome!

I wonder whether we can do something fun with the user designations. Also, how about a category in our profile specifically for any Duke affiliations? "Trinity 'XX", "Fuqua 'YY", that kind of thing.

throatybeard
02-26-2007, 11:29 PM
I asked Boswell that a little while ago. He said yes, moderators can change the byline under a screen name. I'll help you out as soon as I figure out how to do my own.

gep
02-26-2007, 11:35 PM
Boswell and the DBR staff... there is absolutely no need to thank US... in fact, we are the ones to be thanking you folks... and even apologizing for some of demands and impatience while you folks were dedicatedly trying to improve this site... and, you did WONDERS. This is just GREAT.

Chard
02-27-2007, 01:47 AM
Ah, this is more like it.

throatybeard
02-27-2007, 06:20 AM
I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Jumbo clearly has, though, because his byline says "moderator." How'd you do it, Jumbo?

Boswell
02-27-2007, 08:03 AM
Awesome!

I wonder whether we can do something fun with the user designations. Also, how about a category in our profile specifically for any Duke affiliations? "Trinity 'XX", "Fuqua 'YY", that kind of thing.

As requested, I've added a new line in User Profiles for "Duke Affiliation" - class year, a parent, an employee, etc.... Just go to "Quick Links," then "Edit Profile."

CMS2478
02-27-2007, 08:11 AM
Yes, thank you very much for your hard work!!! I am fairly new to the board, but I love this format, it so much easier to work with then the other one..........GREAT JOB GUYS!!!

Boswell
02-27-2007, 08:27 AM
I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Jumbo clearly has, though, because his byline says "moderator." How'd you do it, Jumbo?

Go to the moderator link I emailed you, sign in, click on "Users" on the left side, then "Search for Users." Do a search for yourself and then you can change and save your User Title.

mullslaw6383
02-27-2007, 10:05 AM
Thanks for all the hard work guys. This really is the best Duke site out there on the web.

Carlos
02-27-2007, 10:49 AM
I'll miss seeing Jason Evans listed as "Junior Member" :D

s.i.

Really though, how long would that have lasted anyhow? A day? An hour?

DankeShane
02-27-2007, 11:05 AM
I have a question - what's the deal with the "group memberships" that I see in profiles. Is a group something a mod would create, i.e. the Official Paulus Fanclub, and they send out mass private messages or something to anyone that wants to be a part of this group? Just curious how that feature works.

JH22255
02-27-2007, 11:45 AM
Great job!

blazindw
02-27-2007, 11:46 AM
How do you set up an IMG function so that your image shows? Mine is only showing the link to the photo.

Virginian
02-27-2007, 12:04 PM
You guys rock!

Clipsfan
02-27-2007, 12:12 PM
Throaty, looks like you figured out how to change your byline...nice choice, btw.

Tommac
02-27-2007, 01:11 PM
Thanks for the new board system. It looks really good but will take some getting used to for the more casual poster.

Tommac

Boswell
02-27-2007, 01:28 PM
I have a question - what's the deal with the "group memberships" that I see in profiles. Is a group something a mod would create, i.e. the Official Paulus Fanclub, and they send out mass private messages or something to anyone that wants to be a part of this group? Just curious how that feature works.

Yeah, that's pretty much how it would work. I've only glanced at the feature and haven't delved into the implementation specifics, but that's the general drift.

Boswell
02-27-2007, 01:37 PM
How do you set up an IMG function so that your image shows? Mine is only showing the link to the photo.

Right above the text box in your reply, in the second line that starts B I U, go to the yellowish box that looks like a moon over two mountain peaks. Click on it, then insert your link in the script prompt that appears, click OK, and you're done.

I'll do it with your link:
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/blazindw/mcrobertsbluesmall.jpg

Ta dah!

blazindw
02-27-2007, 02:38 PM
Oooh, I see how to do it in a post, but I was trying to do that for a signature. Can that be done?

-jk
02-27-2007, 05:04 PM
It's looking great. Kudos!

The only "refinement" I'd still like is a WAP skin so I can use my Blackberry to browse the forums. I use it all the time for the main site, and it works quite well there.

The Blackberry Forums site is a great example of a WAP BBS. You can find it at http://wap.blackberryforums.com - but you can only see it if you have a wap browser (on a phone) or an extension to your browser. If you create a user ID, you can set all sorts of parameters.

Thanks again for the major upgrade to the BBS!

-jk

Turtleboy
02-27-2007, 05:11 PM
As requested, I've added a new line in User Profiles for "Duke Affiliation" - class year, a parent, an employee, etc.... Just go to "Quick Links," then "Edit Profile."You can also get there from "User CP" (for user control panel.)

Boswell
02-27-2007, 06:45 PM
Oooh, I see how to do it in a post, but I was trying to do that for a signature. Can that be done?

Yes, you should be able to do an image in your signature. I've set that option but did limit the size to 500 pixels wide by 100 pixels tall. That might still be too large for many people, but let's see how it works out.

Son of Jarhead
02-27-2007, 09:31 PM
In the words of my 12 year-old... "Coolio!"... I feel like a kid on Christmas with a new toy! Great job guys! :cool:

One thought that just came to me while checking in on the different boards here... with only one thread currently on the Lacrosse board, when can we fold that back into the off-topic board???

twisterduke81
02-28-2007, 08:25 AM
Thank you thank you thank you
I love my DBR

BluBones
02-28-2007, 10:58 AM
I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Jumbo clearly has, though, because his byline says "moderator." How'd you do it, Jumbo?

Must.
Salute.
Wit.
Of this.

Pacer
02-28-2007, 11:12 AM
Other vBulletin boards I visit have the ability to "view new posts since last visit" and to "mark all posts read". Will you add this feature here?

- Pacer

throatybeard
02-28-2007, 11:16 AM
Avatars are working now. Yay!

Bylines, hmmm. I've changed from "Ornery Southern Galoot" as Boswell had me, to "Member" and then to "Active Member" just in the last few.

DankeShane
02-28-2007, 11:22 AM
Other vBulletin boards I visit have the ability to "view new posts since last visit" and to "mark all posts read". Will you add this feature here?

- Pacer

This answers half of your question:

http://img.waffleimages.com/379f059275e1088309c00769fd71636a15b65963/bbs1.jpg


Avatars are working now. Yay!

Where did you get that??

Boswell
02-28-2007, 11:35 AM
Avatars are working now. Yay!

Bylines, hmmm. I've changed from "Ornery Southern Galoot" as Boswell had me, to "Member" and then to "Active Member" just in the last few.

I've Galooted you again. I don't know why it changed. I didn't change it, and Julio's not at his computer.

Also, I have no earthly idea how you got an avatar. I went into the administration site, and it has avatars turned off. Hmmm, maybe it's not for moderators. I'll have to check it out.

Update: Yep, moderators have the ability to use avatars. I suppose we should allow either everyone or no one to use avatars.

civileng68
02-28-2007, 12:43 PM
Yeah, that's pretty much how it would work. I've only glanced at the feature and haven't delved into the implementation specifics, but that's the general drift.

Bos, as an owner of a site also using VBulletin, I can tell you that the board system is simply amazing. There's enough options in there to keep you busy for weeks!

You can really do about anything you want.

Rich
02-28-2007, 01:05 PM
...would be an excellent refinement. It was very useful on the old boards.

Boswell
02-28-2007, 01:22 PM
...would be an excellent refinement. It was very useful on the old boards.

Since I basically don't know what I'm doing with a lot of these features, here are the options I have, so if any experts can chime in, I'd appreciate it:

1. Inactivity/Cookie Based - once a user has been inactive for a certain amount of time (the value of the session timeout option) all threads and forums are considered read. Individual threads are marked as read within a session via cookies. This option is how all versions of vBulletin before 3.5 functioned.

2. Database (no automatic forum marking) - this option uses the database to store thread and forum read times. This allows accurate read markers to be kept indefinitely. However, in order for a forum to be marked read when all threads are read, the user must view the list of threads for that forum. This option is more space and processor intensive than inactivity-based marking.

3. Database (automatic forum marking) - this option is the same as a previous option, but forums are automatically marked as read when the last new thread is read. This is the most usable option for end users, but most processor intensive.

Thanks in advance!

-jk
02-28-2007, 01:46 PM
Since I basically don't know what I'm doing with a lot of these features, here are the options I have, so if any experts can chime in, I'd appreciate it:

1. Inactivity/Cookie Based - once a user has been inactive for a certain amount of time (the value of the session timeout option) all threads and forums are considered read. Individual threads are marked as read within a session via cookies. This option is how all versions of vBulletin before 3.5 functioned.

2. Database (no automatic forum marking) - this option uses the database to store thread and forum read times. This allows accurate read markers to be kept indefinitely. However, in order for a forum to be marked read when all threads are read, the user must view the list of threads for that forum. This option is more space and processor intensive than inactivity-based marking.

3. Database (automatic forum marking) - this option is the same as a previous option, but forums are automatically marked as read when the last new thread is read. This is the most usable option for end users, but most processor intensive.

Thanks in advance!

Personally, I'd prefer the second or third option (more the second than third), and definitely not the first. I frequently leave DBR open on my computer, and I'd rather it not guess that I want to mark things read that I haven't actually read yet.

-jk

Pacer
02-28-2007, 01:58 PM
Right now, I notice that in the thread listing view, threads with new/unread posts are bold compared to those without... So, that's a good start...

I like the boards where the thread listing view also presents a button at the end of each thread title that allows me to jump to the first unread post within that thread...

(I realize that this would likely be dependent upon tracking the post readings, and as such is a level beyond what Bos is discussing above.)

-jk
02-28-2007, 02:07 PM
I like the boards where the thread listing view also presents a button at the end of each thread title that allows me to jump to the first unread post within that thread...

That's already there. On the topic lists page (the one that shows all the subjects), there's a little arrow just to the left of the subject that'll jump you to the first post you haven't yet read. If you open a message with using it, within a message topic, there's a "View First Unread" link at the upper, left corner of the messages.

-jk

Pacer
02-28-2007, 02:51 PM
Indeed it is... (just not where I'm used to finding it..) Thanks.