Inevitable Software Upgrade.

[Rennhack]

Remember that software upgrade I keep talking about... and even trying to implement and failing... then having to restore a backup...

Well, it's GOING to happen. -- Eventually.

I have hired some temporary help to get our site's Frankenstein monster of mish-mash software code straightened out.

ETA is about a week from now. Maybe two weeks.

What we are updating:

* Banner Ad server (security updates, you'll notice nothing.)
* Photo Gallery Software (mostly security updates, uploading and editing pictures might be better too.)
* Message Board (This is the main update we are focusing on.  The current version is 1.1, the new version is 2.0 and has been in development for 5 long years.)  It includes many changes, yet will retain the current feel and operation.  New features include:

    * WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) post form - What does this mean? Most people are familiar with word processing applications such as Microsoft Word. This is similar to that, when you format text you get to see the text actually change in the post form.  Even when you copy/past into the form, it retains the original formatting.

    * Personal Message Rules - Think of this sort of like an email filter system. When an incoming personal message sent to you meets a specific criteria that you set, you can either apply a label to the personal message or delete it altogether. So for instance if you wanted you could have any personal message sent by a member in the group "Administrator" with somewhere in the subject the text "[Important]" to be applied a special label.

    * More Personal Message Display Options - In previous versions of our forum you could only view personal messages in an anchor like system where a list with the subjects of the personal messages would appear at the top and then clicking on one of the subjects would anchor you down the page to the corresponding personal message on that same page. All personal messages would appear on the same page. This option still exists, but now you can view personal messages one at a time, as well as in a conversation format, where replies made to a personal messages can be shown together.

    * Viewing a member's posts, topics and attachments - In previous versions of our forum you could only view a list of all the posts a member has made. The new version takes this a step further, allowing you to view a list of the topics started by the member (not the replies made to topics), as well as a list of attachments the member has added to their posts. All of these lists can be viewed by going to a member's profile.

    * Configure how many posts to show per page - What used to be a global forum wide admin setting can now be individually configured by the user. The user can select in their Look and Layout section of their profile from a list of numbers for how many posts to show per page inside a topic as well as a separate setting for how many posts to show per page when viewing the listing of topics made inside a board.

    * Notification digest - Previously you could only get notified of replies to topics you subscribed to either; instantly, that is, immediately as the reply was made, or instantly but only for the first reply made. The new version adds two new options into the mix, which are getting notified of all topics you are subscribed to in a daily manner, as well as an option to only be notified weekly instead.

    * Ignore List - Yes, at long last, we have an Ignore feature!  The previous version of the software had a way to ignore PMs from specified members; The new version extends this functionality to forum posts as well.  Go to Profile -> Modify Profile -> Personal Messaging and add usernames to the Ignorelist: box.  From them on, posts made by those users will be replaced by a note reminding you that you have that member on your Ignore list, with a link you can click on to display that particular post if you want to.

    * Moderation Functionality Changes - In the past, warnings given by moderators would all have to be tracked by hand.  Not any longer.  When a warning is given now, the moderator will raise a "warning level" to the member being warned.  If a member's warning level reaches a certain threshold, his or her posts will have to be approved by a moderator before they appear on the board.  If the warning level goes even higher, the member will be "muted" (prohibited from posting) until the warning level goes down again.  The warning level will go down automatically by a certain amount every day that the member doesn't receive a new warning, so eventually it will return to below those thresholds and the member can post freely again... all without further moderator intervention.

    * Ignore Boards -  Not only can you ignore users, you can ignore entire parts of the message board, like the Navy Section. Or the No Holds Barred section. 

    * Enhanced Forum menu -  There is a new theme, and new menu/navigation changes.  It will look mostly th4e same, but work just a little better.

We typically do these updates once a year, around February, but this year it didn't happen in February.

Potential complications: 

* Custom features in the forum might not be compatible with the new software.
* Login to the quiz software might break - we are working on that now, to try to prevent it.
* Custom theme for forum and photo gallery will require some work.
* Custom scripts for home page feeds (jobs, forum posts, site news, pictures, etc) need to be re-written

Well, you get the idea.  -- So if you see wonky things happening... Don't Panic.

[Marlin]

Does that mean more emoticons? A BS flag would be nice. 

I don't think you can have too many emoticons. 

[Rennhack]

Dooood, I have so many smileys that I haven't bothered to upload, like a icon. Or or



How sad is it that you grown men care so much about these little emo-icons?  If I added just one of those a week, my Karma would double MARSSIM's in no time.

[twinturbo427]

Can we have several levels of ignore?

[Rennhack]

Can we have several levels of ignore?

What do you mean?  Either you are ignoring someone, or you are not.  Just like you can't be 'sorta pregnant'.

[Marlin]

Dooood, I have so many smileys that I haven't bothered to upload, like a icon. Or or



How sad is it that you grown men care so much about these little emo-icons?  If I added just one of those a week, my Karma would double MARSSIM's in no time.

    Thanks, but where is the "Thank You" Smiley 

[Rennhack]

You think I have nothing better to do all day than to surf the net looking for smileys?

[twinturbo427]

What do you mean?  Either you are ignoring someone, or you are not.  Just like you can't be 'sorta pregnant'.

I had a friend who had a friend whose girlfriend was "maybe pregnant" for several weeks.  

Actually, I had written a bit more but was running low on time (hourly day job, bleck) and without time to edit my witicisms;
went for the wholesale edit option.  

[Rennhack]

Well, I never found someone brave enough to upgrade our mish-mash of code.  I'm going to upgrade in the next few days myself, and it will likely break things. Probably just the quiz software, but wonky-ness will ensue while I get things straightened out.  This may mean totally loosing the quiz software.  Whats that saying about breaking eggs to make an omelet?

Remember that software upgrade I keep talking about... and even trying to implement and failing... then having to restore a backup...

Well, it's GOING to happen. -- Eventually.

ETA is about a week from now. Maybe two weeks.


* Message Board (This is the main update we are focusing on.  The current version is 1.1, the new version is 2.0 and has been in development for 5 long years.)  It includes many changes, yet will retain the current feel and operation.  New features include:

    * WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) post form - What does this mean? Most people are familiar with word processing applications such as Microsoft Word. This is similar to that, when you format text you get to see the text actually change in the post form.  Even when you copy/past into the form, it retains the original formatting.

    * Personal Message Rules - Think of this sort of like an email filter system. When an incoming personal message sent to you meets a specific criteria that you set, you can either apply a label to the personal message or delete it altogether. So for instance if you wanted you could have any personal message sent by a member in the group "Administrator" with somewhere in the subject the text "[Important]" to be applied a special label.

    * More Personal Message Display Options - In previous versions of our forum you could only view personal messages in an anchor like system where a list with the subjects of the personal messages would appear at the top and then clicking on one of the subjects would anchor you down the page to the corresponding personal message on that same page. All personal messages would appear on the same page. This option still exists, but now you can view personal messages one at a time, as well as in a conversation format, where replies made to a personal messages can be shown together.

    * Viewing a member's posts, topics and attachments - In previous versions of our forum you could only view a list of all the posts a member has made. The new version takes this a step further, allowing you to view a list of the topics started by the member (not the replies made to topics), as well as a list of attachments the member has added to their posts. All of these lists can be viewed by going to a member's profile.

    * Configure how many posts to show per page - What used to be a global forum wide admin setting can now be individually configured by the user. The user can select in their Look and Layout section of their profile from a list of numbers for how many posts to show per page inside a topic as well as a separate setting for how many posts to show per page when viewing the listing of topics made inside a board.

    * Notification digest - Previously you could only get notified of replies to topics you subscribed to either; instantly, that is, immediately as the reply was made, or instantly but only for the first reply made. The new version adds two new options into the mix, which are getting notified of all topics you are subscribed to in a daily manner, as well as an option to only be notified weekly instead.

    * Ignore List - Yes, at long last, we have an Ignore feature!  The previous version of the software had a way to ignore PMs from specified members; The new version extends this functionality to forum posts as well.  Go to Profile -> Modify Profile -> Personal Messaging and add usernames to the Ignorelist: box.  From them on, posts made by those users will be replaced by a note reminding you that you have that member on your Ignore list, with a link you can click on to display that particular post if you want to.

    * Moderation Functionality Changes - In the past, warnings given by moderators would all have to be tracked by hand.  Not any longer.  When a warning is given now, the moderator will raise a "warning level" to the member being warned.  If a member's warning level reaches a certain threshold, his or her posts will have to be approved by a moderator before they appear on the board.  If the warning level goes even higher, the member will be "muted" (prohibited from posting) until the warning level goes down again.  The warning level will go down automatically by a certain amount every day that the member doesn't receive a new warning, so eventually it will return to below those thresholds and the member can post freely again... all without further moderator intervention.

    * Ignore Boards -  Not only can you ignore users, you can ignore entire parts of the message board, like the Navy Section. Or the No Holds Barred section. 

    * Enhanced Forum menu -  There is a new theme, and new menu/navigation changes.  It will look mostly th4e same, but work just a little better.

We typically do these updates once a year, around February, but this year it didn't happen in February.

Potential complications: 

* Custom features in the forum might not be compatible with the new software.
* Login to the quiz software might break - we are working on that now, to try to prevent it.
* Custom theme for forum and photo gallery will require some work.
* Custom scripts for home page feeds (jobs, forum posts, site news, pictures, etc) need to be re-written

Well, you get the idea.  -- So if you see wonky things happening... Don't Panic.