hey people, i know that it would be very hard to upgrade these boards as they are actually very good, but i think that taluntain wouldn't mind some suggestions about how to make the boards a wee bit better.
heres my contribution, i think there should be a spell checker for when you are posting a message. what do you all think?

Grate eyedea!

Spell checker is built into UBB I believe. It's an option to have on or off. The only thing is it slows the server down and plus, the majority of us here are educated enough to be able to spell and re-read our posts. That's the best type of spell checker you can have.

Maybe some mods. I like the one that tells you who is logged into the message boards, but that's about it.

Maybe an Advertisement Forum :)

LOL!

Syl...

Yeah! it would be cool to have a place where I could advertise my board! you know! kinda create a community where everyone here are invited but nobody from mine would come overhere! because there's nobody at mine!!

Good idea!!!

LOL(still joking)

great idea syl, i would like to hear what tal has to say about all of this.

Indeed. Spell checking is off here because really, I don't think it's needed here. You have the ability to edit your own posts after you post them, and every time I notice I made a mistake I just go back an edit the post.
If spell-check was on it'd slow the server even more, and it's not the fastest machine on Earth as it is.
About the who's on plugin- just look at the time posted and you'll see.
Happens often that in BG2 forum replies come only minutes after the question is asked.
Nonetheless, if I install that too, I might as well turn it into a chatroom.
But since I'll be opening separate chatrooms in the next few days on the site, there's no need for that. You'll be able to talk to everyone there. ;)

I was wondering, are you able to kick members out? I mean like Hosts in Chatrooms?

Chatrooms on sorcerers.net? There goes my social life. These posts as it is have single-handedly deprived me of many hours of sleep. I don't mind it though, my teachers still talk to me in school when I'm asleep, pretending to be reading the textbook up really close. Hehe most of my teachers are gullible enough too. Anyhow I think that'll be really cool

How does this chat work Sorcerer?

Can you page someone directly who's on the site? I'm looking for a CGI script that lists those on the site on a main page. Kind of like:

Sorcerer's Place Population:

1 user is posting a message
1 user is signing the guestbook
1 user is in games/baldursgate2/downloads

etc.

What would even be better was if you came to the main page of Sorcerer's Place and all you saw were NEWS and LOGIN.

Each and everyone of us would need a Login name and password, which gave us access to the rest of the site. All applications would be sent to Sorcerer or Sylvus where we'd screen those applying.

Much like a BBS system back in the day. Then that CGI script could really be cool and refined to:

Sorcerer's Place Population:

Sylvus Moonbow
Sorcerer
Herf
Blackthorne TA

Then you could highlight each person who is currently on the web site and send them greetings, live chat and the like.

It would be an instant hit.

Syl...

The only problem I see with the news and login only scheme is that I think it would alienate potential new members. I for one lurked for quite a while (all the way through IWD) before I was interested enough to join in the excellent conversations here. If new people can't get the flavor of the place before joining, they simply may not bother...

BTW, I'm honored to be among the few examples you mentioned under Sorcerer's Place Population :)

Oh no. Anyone could sign up. The only reason for having it would be to store those names in a database so it could be accessed to know who's online and on the site. Nothing more.

Syl...

Oh, right, right... I was saying that people may want to check the place out BEFORE signing up and may not bother signing up without having that chance... I'm an example of that... I don't usually bother signing up to a place unless I know I want to be there...

Well, a guest option could be available, for those to log in as a guest. Then when you'd look to see who's online, it would say something like "A lurker is spotted in Sorcerer's Place!"

Syl...

Heh, heh! Sounds pretty good! :)

Nah, Blackthone is right. I myself hate places that first make you sign up before you can access them, only to find out that they start spamming the obligatory e-mail you had to give in a day or so. I have a hotmail account I never use just for those cases.

Sniper, yes, pretty much the same way.

Syl, I know of no such script...
And if there was one, it'd slow the server down immensely, so I doubt anyone'd use it.
Most scripts will analyze server logs which can give you pretty good details about what's going on at the site, but reports are usually made once a day at best.
Server time is never used on such trivia as you describe...

And as for the chat... It will either link to a IRC server or to a private server somewhere. The chatting will be pretty similar to using mIRC, with a little less features, of course.
I'm still trying out some options so I can't give you the specifics yet because I haven't decided which one I'll use. More details soon.

[This message has been edited by Taluntain (edited November 30, 2000).]

*looks blankly* I think i'll just go back to studying accounts! :)

i have an idea, maybe tal could change the margins on the bit that you type in so that it is the same as where the post appears so people could do pictures and stuff, what do you say?

You could use cookies so that you don't have to keep logging in all the time.

Like when your name and password appear when you click on reply/post new topic.

Ah well since pictures are deliberately turned off here I suppose the answer is no.

Why no signitures? (sorry i can't spell)

Run a search for signatures on the BG2 forums and ye shall be enlightened.

[This message has been edited by Taluntain (edited December 31, 2000).]

septic-cookies are already used to remember your username and password, go to your preferences and select "remember my username and password for one year"
tal-no i dont mean actual pics i mean drawings using lines, you know, kind of like this- @--->--- (its a rose!)

Oh, ASCII art. Heh, well I'm not sure why'd you need to have that here.

I know that, what I meant was you could use cookies to automatically log you into the system when you came to the Sorcerers UBB, so it tells you who is online/who is a guest etc...

sory, i misunderstood

first off, this is teh best board, nay the whole site is the best on the net. after thinking over many suggestions, i deem thsi board nearly perfect, i for one would like a spell checker.

i agree egg, but i still would like the margins widened or shortened or watever needs doing, would it really be such a problem to do it tal?

Hmm...interesting...

I would like a spell check as i cant spell signitures to save my life!

oh, i've got another idea, there should be an option so that we know when someone has posted a reply in a topic that we have posted in, like the option you have when you make a new topic only you get emailed when someone posts a reply in a topic that you like! what do you think?

I don't know what you mean by those margins herf...
As for the spell checker... I'll try to come up with something.

what i mean is, you know the place whee you type in your message? well could you please re-size the margins so that they are the same width as where the message appears, can anyone else explain this beter?

Ah, I understand what you want to say now. And well I suppose it COULD be done, but I'd have to edit some core features of UBB for that. Don't know why either...
And besides, it could never be as wide as that because you have all that extra text on the left side.

I'd like a plug-in to see who's on the message boards when I am.

I'd like to see how many registered users the message boards have and a user list too!

I'd like to see a graph for the week and time of day when the most messages are posted and when the boards are the most active.

I'd like that banner removed.

I'd like my user name in colours.

Syl...

Haha! Don't just talk Syl, DO IT!

If you pull all of it off, I will SALUTE you!

It's not in my power.

Syl...

Ah geez. Not again. Some people just don't get it... :rolleyes:

1.) There is no such plugin for UBB. And even if there was, what on Earth would the information who is on at that time do for you? Use IRC or ICQ if you're after instant messaging.

2.) You can already see how many registered users there are. Doh. Check the front page. User list? It's accessible to admins (read, me). Don't know what you'd do with it. Everyone who posts here is registered anyway.

3.) Oh come on. Not feasible.

4.) Sure, pay me for it and I'll remove it. Easy. ;)

5.) You're colorful enough as it is. Wouldn't want to outdo it.

1) It would help me and the other posters know who's online when they are. No instant messages or that kind of silly stuff. More or less to know who we're walking with inside of Sorcerer's Place!

2) Front page I shall check right after this post! Could you make that user list a public html file we can view?

3) Sure it is. Just that no one has thought of it yet to make such a cool graph. I would love to know the high traffic days and hours of this message board.

4) You added that banner yourself did you not? You couldn't remove it yourself?

5) I already know that. But I want my registered name in UBB colours. Can you do this?

Make the S - White
Make the y - Yellow
Make the l - Bright Red
Make the v - Dark Red
Make the u - Dark Purple
Make the s - Bright Purple

The Moonbow can stay the same. It would be very nice to have, after all, being over 1,000 posts should be rewarding!

Syl...

1.) Check the time when the message was posted and you'll know who's online then. As if that made any difference. I still don't know WHY would this information be of any use...

2.) Nope... And even if I did make a html listing, new people register every day so it'd be a bit pointless.

3.) No it's not. Prove me wrong.

4.) I added it for a reason. Or do you think it's there just so that you can ***** about it? It doesn't bother anyone else.

5.) In not so many words... No.

Bleh. It already is rewarding. If it wasn't for my boards here you'd actually have to do some REAL work at your company. This way, you can keep yourself entertained throughout the whole day. ;)
And besides, the fact that you've got almost 1100 posts only proves that you've got waaay more time on your hands than everybody else. (Me included).

Wish I had a job like yours where I could hang around my favorite web community all day long. :D

1) I know you're online right now, but that's it. By going to one CGI script page, I could easily see everyone online. There are those who idle and make a home in Sorcerer's Place even when they're not posting.

2) Not really. You have a CGI script that runs everytime someone applies, which updates the .htm file by adding their name to the bottom of the list. This way the full user list is always updated. The list could even have user statistics on it.

Sylvus Moonbow From Sorcerer's Place 1,100 posts Last post on 01-03-01

All the users could have that! Too cool and informative!

3) Get a graph and that will prove you wrong because everyone would love the idea of being able to look at the statistics of the forums.

4) Actually, I'm not the only one it bothers. On the Anti Sorcerer's Place Forum boards that only a select few are invited to, we all complain about it. Seriously, it would be nice to be somewhere on this site without any bloody adverts. They're so annoying!

5) Why not? Do you know how COOL it would look having Sylvus in colour?

Actually, there's not much I can really do when I'm parcing data because it bogs down my system. I can't even have SETI running at work when I'm doing so. Posting or doing text work doesn't lag so that's why I post a lot during the day. Sometimes the data takes a good 10-20 minutes to parce and if it has errors, fixing it and then parcing it again. It adds up on bad days but that only means so do my posts to help everyone here!

6) There isn't a six, but how about a TOP 10 POSTER OF THE WEEK RATING? How awesome would that be! Or statistics showing your posting percentage vs how many times you visit the board? TOP 10 ANTI SOCIAL POSTERS!

I think you need to embrace the new age of message forums and add a little more community to the already existing one.

Syl...

Yawn. Sure, sure.
When I'll have nothing better to do your list will certainly be something I'll consider. Until then, I have a few months worth of stuff that I want to do before that.

Anyway, if everyone got what they wanted I'd be driving a BMW and living in a mansion and have someone else run the site for me.

But damn, life's not fair eh?

You know you want to do it to make Sorcerer's Place #1!

Syl...

I like Syl's ideas...especially the statistics ones...

Hey why don't we have a sought of clan thing where we split into 3 smaller communities inside one big 1? The small communities do not affect anything...its just like clans you join when you r gaming...howabout it? And from those clans you get additional titles

Sorcerer's Place already is number 1, mon.
Don't you forget that.

Damn straight.

Amon-Ra

You just gotta love it when the two moderators argue on the boards. Adds a certain disfunctional flavor to Sorcerer's Place, don't you two think?

Ugh.
The word disfunctional in connection with Sorcerer's Place just doesn't sound right.

I don't think Sorcerer wants to provide for his people! He doesn't mingle with you guys like I do. I know what the people want! I am your voice if you want something to be done because out of all the registered posters, I'm the only one who can keep bugging Sorcerer without being banned ;)

As He-Man would say,

"I have the power!"

Syl...

POSTERS OF THE BOARDS UNITE! :D

Sorry, I got caught up in all the excitement!
LOL!

Would that make Sorcerer Skeletor?

Top 10 Posters of the Week? Please not that! Can't you imagine the amount of garbage we'd be forced to sift through? Without posted stats, people generally stick to relevant comments. If posting becomes a contest, we'd be seeing nothing but bumps, one-liners, and other such waste. We'd be flooded with juvenile posts like: "Are you still a virgin?" or "I can't stand Power Gamers!" Just seeing the no. of posts under each users name is enough info.



[This message has been edited by Darien Noella (edited January 05, 2001).]

So I should remove that post where I asked who still was a virgin then? LOL!

:)

*BUMP*

Syl...

All of you are weak!

None of you have the power to stand up for yourselves! Do not let others talk for you as the they will have the edge of bending you to their power. Stand up and voice your own opinions on what the Palace (I prefer that to place) needs and does not need.

I think that the lighter blue should be toned down a bit, I am feeling tired and it makes my eyes hurt. Just a little calmer.

Darien, well said. My opinion exactly.

Tal-Untain, and the Masters of the Universe!
*grin*

I mean the lightest blue, the box at the top of the page that says Author, Topic:whatever the topic is etc.

its still making my eyes hurt.

I have this amazing solution for your problem...
It's called Closing One's Eyes.
Another favorite: Look the Other Way.

Or don't look at the bright blue thingy at all...

but when one closes ones eves they type kuje rgiuf! Actually, its ok during the day, but its stinging when your tired and its late.

well septic u got ur wish, the blue is now green and doesnt fit in with the style of the board and now looks like a piece of mouldy ****!!!!
i vote for tal to change it again to a better color!

oh, i have another idea, you know when u get the email notification but when u go through that to the forum (not the post) the folders are never red?? the only way to get the red folders that point out a bnew post is to go to /community then /view all forums or all forums or something, if you go to message boards then straight to the forum you want you wont get the red folders!!!
if this makes any sense tal then please fix it!!!!

oh and anothe rthing, you know the drop down box where you can decide what topics u want to see, i.e.
show topics from the last 20 days
show topics from the last 10 days

wel i think there should be an extra choice of-
show topics since my last visit

i know the red folders show that but this would be so much easier!

That's a great idea href but unfortunatly it's not an option in UBB. Your idea would have to be sent to those who write UBB, not Sorcerer himself.

Now for the suggestions I made, they are simple add-ons to an already existing program which could easily be added.

But I really do like the idea of "New messages since your last log-in"

UBB could definatly use that.

Even better would be a flag that tagged all messages that are new since your last log in that had you posting in them!

Syl...