Board Upgrade [Now Finished!]

Taluntain · Tue, 29th Apr '08, 6:16pm

I'll be starting the board upgrade mentioned in SP Happenings shortly. During the upgrade, the boards will be closed for posting, and once I turn them back on, THINGS WILL NEED TO BE FIXED. The board styling etc. will need to be redone, so please be patient while all that is sorted out.

Thanks you for your understanding, and I'm sure you'll love all the extra new features that we'll be introducing.

Taluntain · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 12:02am

And we're back! There were some bumps along the road so it's taken much longer than it should have, but what can you do...

It'll take me a while to get everything back to normal, but most of it should already look familiar. With this board upgrade, we've got a ton of new features. Not all of them are active yet, but I'll be looking into them gradually and enabling what isn't yet soon. Here's just a small list of new (mostly) user-end additions:

* Thread tagging
* Search cloud / tag cloud
* Thread prefixes
* Reciprocal friendships between users
* Public visitor messaging on profile pages with 'conversation' feature
* User picture galleries with user comment facility
* User-created social groups with invite only and moderated membership options
* Extended member profile pages
* Customizable member profile pages with admin-controlled styling abilities
* Inline editing of custom user profile fields
* Lightbox viewer for attached images
* Notices system for navigation bar
* Multiple human-verification systems including reCAPTCHA, image verification and Q/A
* User change history
* Social bookmarking integration

The quickest way to delve into most of this new stuff is to go look at your profile. There is now a link to your profile on your username in the top right corner, where it says "Welcome, USERNAME." Clicking on the USERNAME will bring you to your profile. From there you can add friends, picture albums, see who's visited your profile, edit your details, etc. For Myspace and Facebook users, this should be familiar territory.

The board FAQ has been completely rewritten, so you can find answers to most of your questions and explanations of the new features there. I'll also be providing more information here later on.

For additional new settings and options, check your User CP!

Have fun checking out the new features.

*Kitrax* · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 12:43am

Holy mother of upgrades! This is too much to take in....system...error....ERROR..........

*Splunge* · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 3:30am

I didn't see any mention of the psychic upgrade.

*Kitrax* · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 7:58am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splunge

I didn't see any mention of the psychic upgrade.

I guess no one made the necessary brain donation. Since you're still nagging about it, I suggest you do the honors...but we all know there's nothing in that massive cavern between your ears except dusty old cobwebs.

Urithrand · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 9:50am

Yay, I can appear to have friends! It's almost too much to take in!

*Aldeth the Foppish Idiot* · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 2:56pm

Excellent features! I've already uploaded several photos of my baby to a photo album. I, of course, would encourage everyone to have a look. He's only the cutest baby ever! (IMHO opinion, of course. And yes, I realize the inherent bias in my statement.)

Trellheim · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 3:43pm

While these features are nice, what I really need is a board upgrade that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.

And I'm supposed to have friends now?

Taluntain · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 4:35pm

I've made a separate thread for profile promotions, so I encourage everyone to promote their profiles there.

The Great Snook · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 5:54pm

When I have a chance, I'm going to have to create "The SP Conservative" group. Although, it may be a small group.

dmc · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 6:08pm

Depends on your area of conservatism, Snook. I consider myself fiscally conservative, but that's about it.

Erod · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 7:59pm

Interesting features, although the usefulness of some is a bit questionable. The profile picture album system feels quite clumsy. Something similiar to how Coppermine works would be great.

Taluntain · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 8:21pm

You can't have everything in the first version, it's going to get better with time.

Harbourboy · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 8:32pm

Hang on, does this mean that SP is turning into . . . Facebook?

Will we be able to send Vampire bites to each other soon as well?

Taluntain · Wed, 30th Apr '08, 8:48pm

That'd be pretty much in keeping with the theme...

Klorox · Thu, 1st May '08, 12:34am

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Snook

When I have a chance, I'm going to have to create "The SP Conservative" group. Although, it may be a small group.

I'm in. Is that a South Park user-name?

Disciple of The Watch · Thu, 1st May '08, 2:59am

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... all those new functions add a lot of weight in the conspiracy theory of SP hiding a dating site....

Taluntain · Thu, 1st May '08, 4:50am

Thinking about starting a new social group? Please read this.

Barmy Army · Thu, 1st May '08, 9:32am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taluntain

Thinking about starting a new social group? Please read this.

Ooh, very cliquey.

*Aldeth the Foppish Idiot* · Thu, 1st May '08, 3:10pm

I notice that in the firends list, instead of showing pictures of the avatar, as I expected, all I get are qustion marks in the boxes. Is this how it is supposed to work, (I can't imagine it was planned that way), or is this something that a later upgrade will address, or am I just doing something wrong?

Taluntain · Thu, 1st May '08, 4:19pm

The questionmark image is something that I'll be fixing shortly... it's to do with how we've done avatars/portraits to date. It's worked fine for display only in basic profiles and in posts, but I'll need to redo it differently to make it look proper for all the extended profiles now.

*Loreseeker* · Thu, 1st May '08, 7:15pm

Taluntain: I just noticed that I have two identical photo albums on the profile page. I only made one. I visited profiles of Kitrax and DotW, same thing, doubled albums.
Is this a temporary glitch that will be fixed, or do I just delete one of the albums and it's business as usual?

Thank you.

Taluntain · Thu, 1st May '08, 7:27pm

Sorry about that, looks like we've hit a bug there. I'm looking into it. Please leave everything as it is for the time being.

*Splunge* · Thu, 1st May '08, 7:42pm

Question about "Friends" (the Board version, not the TV show). What are the implications of being a designated friend? Can I have different communications with them? Am I able drive their car? Access their bank account? Force them to buy me dinner?

Or is it just a way to let someone know that you think you have a kind of relationship with them that you don't neccessarily have with everyone else?

The reason I ask is that I've had a few requests already, but I don't actually like any of them. However, I accepted their requests so as to lull them into a false sense of security, and I now want to know ASAP how I can exploit those friendships.

Taluntain · Thu, 1st May '08, 8:13pm

Check this FAQ entry for more info.

Basically, friends are just an extension of contacts. Whereas contacts are just one-way, friends are reciprocal. Certain permissions can be enabled or disabled on a contact or higher status only. For example, in your profile options, you may limit the usage of visitor messages on your profile to just moderators and your contacts. The same goes for viewing of any given picture album you have.

Tue, 29th Apr '08, 6:16pm	#1
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	Board Upgrade [Now Finished!] I'll be starting the board upgrade mentioned in SP Happenings shortly. During the upgrade, the boards will be closed for posting, and once I turn them back on, THINGS WILL NEED TO BE FIXED. The board styling etc. will need to be redone, so please be patient while all that is sorted out. Thanks you for your understanding, and I'm sure you'll love all the extra new features that we'll be introducing.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page! Last edited by Taluntain; Wed, 30th Apr '08 at 12:02am.

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 12:02am	#2
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	And we're back! There were some bumps along the road so it's taken much longer than it should have, but what can you do... It'll take me a while to get everything back to normal, but most of it should already look familiar. With this board upgrade, we've got a ton of new features. Not all of them are active yet, but I'll be looking into them gradually and enabling what isn't yet soon. Here's just a small list of new (mostly) user-end additions: * Thread tagging * Search cloud / tag cloud * Thread prefixes * Reciprocal friendships between users * Public visitor messaging on profile pages with 'conversation' feature * User picture galleries with user comment facility * User-created social groups with invite only and moderated membership options * Extended member profile pages * Customizable member profile pages with admin-controlled styling abilities * Inline editing of custom user profile fields * Lightbox viewer for attached images * Notices system for navigation bar * Multiple human-verification systems including reCAPTCHA, image verification and Q/A * User change history * Social bookmarking integration The quickest way to delve into most of this new stuff is to go look at your profile. There is now a link to your profile on your username in the top right corner, where it says "Welcome, USERNAME." Clicking on the USERNAME will bring you to your profile. From there you can add friends, picture albums, see who's visited your profile, edit your details, etc. For Myspace and Facebook users, this should be familiar territory. The board FAQ has been completely rewritten, so you can find answers to most of your questions and explanations of the new features there. I'll also be providing more information here later on. For additional new settings and options, check your User CP! Have fun checking out the new features.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 12:43am	#3
Kitrax SPS Account Holder Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!? Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Age: 25 Posts: 7,110 Blog Entries: 11 Rep Power: 20	Holy mother of upgrades! This is too much to take in....system...error....ERROR..........
	__________________ Life's short - play naked!

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 3:30am	#4
Splunge SPS Account Holder Bhaal’s financial advisor Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: In hiding after Bhaal became Lord of Murder when I had him put everything into subprime mortgages. Age: 49 Posts: 5,147 Rep Power: 23	I didn't see any mention of the psychic upgrade.
	__________________ I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering. - Steven Wright

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 9:50am	#6
Urithrand SPS Account Holder News Editor Mind turning the light off? It plays havoc with my complexion. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The Vale Of Aldur Posts: 1,185 Rep Power: 7	Yay, I can appear to have friends! It's almost too much to take in!
	__________________ If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly.

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 2:56pm	#7
Aldeth the Foppish Idiot SPS Account Holder Mod Reviewer Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Froggster Champion! Gold Miner Champion! Tubin Champion! Worm Catcher Champion! Join Date: May 2003 Location: MD Age: 35 Posts: 8,008 Rep Power: 27	Excellent features! I've already uploaded several photos of my baby to a photo album. I, of course, would encourage everyone to have a look. He's only the cutest baby ever! (IMHO opinion, of course. And yes, I realize the inherent bias in my statement.)

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 3:43pm	#8
Trellheim The Dreadful Bear Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Finland/Luxembourg Age: 18 Posts: 1,451 Rep Power: 6	While these features are nice, what I really need is a board upgrade that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators. And I'm supposed to have friends now?
	__________________ Pay no attention to that man behind the post.

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 4:35pm	#9
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	I've made a separate thread for profile promotions, so I encourage everyone to promote their profiles there.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 5:54pm	#10
The Great Snook Gems: 26/31 Latest gem: Diamond Join Date: May 2003 Location: West of Boston MA Age: 42 Posts: 2,294 Blog Entries: 15 Rep Power: 16	When I have a chance, I'm going to have to create "The SP Conservative" group. Although, it may be a small group.
	__________________ You are the king of cop-outs. - Anon

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 6:08pm	#11
dmc SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Moderator Speak softly and carry a big briefcase 3 Card Poker Champion! Asteroids Champion! Balloon Shoot Champion! Bumper Golf Champion! Falldown Champion! Hexxagon Champion! Plumber 2 Champion! Rotations Champion! Towerball Champion! Tournaments Won: 2 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 4,175 Rep Power: 17	Depends on your area of conservatism, Snook. I consider myself fiscally conservative, but that's about it.

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 7:59pm	#12
Erod Gems: 12/31 Latest gem: Moonstone Eastend Arrows Champion! Join Date: May 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 496 Rep Power: 5	Interesting features, although the usefulness of some is a bit questionable. The profile picture album system feels quite clumsy. Something similiar to how Coppermine works would be great.

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 8:21pm	#13
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	You can't have everything in the first version, it's going to get better with time.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 8:32pm	#14
Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Join Date: May 2003 Location: North Harbour Posts: 12,251 Rep Power: 20	Hang on, does this mean that SP is turning into . . . Facebook? Will we be able to send Vampire bites to each other soon as well?

Wed, 30th Apr '08, 8:48pm	#15
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	That'd be pretty much in keeping with the theme...
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Thu, 1st May '08, 2:59am	#17
Disciple of The Watch Preparing The Coming of The New Order Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: What? Age: 26 Posts: 6,381 Blog Entries: 7 Rep Power: 12	Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... all those new functions add a lot of weight in the conspiracy theory of SP hiding a dating site....
	__________________ Horrible memories of days w/o cursing. Nothing worst than a bunch of elderly woman who can't STFU.

Thu, 1st May '08, 4:50am	#18
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	Thinking about starting a new social group? Please read this.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Thu, 1st May '08, 3:10pm	#20
Aldeth the Foppish Idiot SPS Account Holder Mod Reviewer Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Froggster Champion! Gold Miner Champion! Tubin Champion! Worm Catcher Champion! Join Date: May 2003 Location: MD Age: 35 Posts: 8,008 Rep Power: 27	Question Marks instead of Avatars? I notice that in the firends list, instead of showing pictures of the avatar, as I expected, all I get are qustion marks in the boxes. Is this how it is supposed to work, (I can't imagine it was planned that way), or is this something that a later upgrade will address, or am I just doing something wrong?

Thu, 1st May '08, 4:19pm	#21
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	The questionmark image is something that I'll be fixing shortly... it's to do with how we've done avatars/portraits to date. It's worked fine for display only in basic profiles and in posts, but I'll need to redo it differently to make it look proper for all the extended profiles now.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Thu, 1st May '08, 7:15pm	#22
Loreseeker SPS Account Holder A believer in knowledge Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: In the shadow of a Walnut tree Age: 23 Posts: 1,301 Rep Power: 4	Taluntain: I just noticed that I have two identical photo albums on the profile page. I only made one. I visited profiles of Kitrax and DotW, same thing, doubled albums. Is this a temporary glitch that will be fixed, or do I just delete one of the albums and it's business as usual? Thank you.
	__________________ Need a problem solver? Think hammer. Doesn't work? Think bigger hammer.

Thu, 1st May '08, 7:27pm	#23
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	Sorry about that, looks like we've hit a bug there. I'm looking into it. Please leave everything as it is for the time being.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!

Thu, 1st May '08, 7:42pm	#24
Splunge SPS Account Holder Bhaal’s financial advisor Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: In hiding after Bhaal became Lord of Murder when I had him put everything into subprime mortgages. Age: 49 Posts: 5,147 Rep Power: 23	Question about "Friends" (the Board version, not the TV show). What are the implications of being a designated friend? Can I have different communications with them? Am I able drive their car? Access their bank account? Force them to buy me dinner? Or is it just a way to let someone know that you think you have a kind of relationship with them that you don't neccessarily have with everyone else? The reason I ask is that I've had a few requests already, but I don't actually like any of them. However, I accepted their requests so as to lull them into a false sense of security, and I now want to know ASAP how I can exploit those friendships.
	__________________ I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering. - Steven Wright

Thu, 1st May '08, 8:13pm	#25
Taluntain SPS Account Holder Founder Alpha and Omega Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Ramazith's Tower Age: 27 Posts: 17,976 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 35	Check this FAQ entry for more info. Basically, friends are just an extension of contacts. Whereas contacts are just one-way, friends are reciprocal. Certain permissions can be enabled or disabled on a contact or higher status only. For example, in your profile options, you may limit the usage of visitor messages on your profile to just moderators and your contacts. The same goes for viewing of any given picture album you have.
	__________________ Join the Sorcerer's Place page!