New Features & Updates

[Muhammad]

Here are some details on the new features and updated to the forum we completed this evening:

1) You can now adjust the time display to match your time zone. While the default is EST, you can now change the hours at http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/editdisplay.pl?Cat=#offset ...

For CST enter -1
For MST enter -2
For PST enter -3
For other time zones, enter a +/- number to adjust correctly from EST.

2) Private messages now have a bunch of new options. First, you can save your sent messages in a sent folder. When sending, you can also request a read reciept, and also you now have an address book. You can add usernames to your address book when viewing another user's profile, or when sending a private message.

3) Posting and editing screens now have an 'edit more' option when you are on the preview post screen. Previously, you had to go 'back' to edit your message again. Now, the edit text box is below.

4) Unregistered users can now preview a post before entering it, and also edit the message while on the preview post screen.

5) 'Jump To Forum' box is now sorted in the same order as the main index (now called 'Forum Home').

6) New threads are now marked in bold, in addition to being marked with a yellow folder. Threads with new replies have a yellow folder and a 'new' icon next to the number of replies, and are also marked in bold.

7) Tracking in flat/threaded mode. Previously, the post number and number of the post being replied to was quoted to the right of the message subject in both flat and threaded views. Now provided is a link to the post being replied to in the [re: Username] format. So you can now track which posts are replies to who in flat mode much easier.

8) Minor details and bug fixes. Many small changes to the forum... every file was changed. All changes to better the forum.

9) The forum is now changed over to a style sheet-based design. What this means is we can now offer even more custom display options, only these options will be in the font sizes and faces, and the forum colors. This is controlled by the 'Style Sheet/Skin' option in your display preferences. Currently we only have what you see, but we will be adding (first) different font size skins, and also some color changes in the future. You can simply change from font size, and forum color scheme with your display preferences.

Also, there would be another feature to introduce but there seems to be an interesting problem with it that didn't happen when we were testing. So I'll update when we fix that. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Also, there are a couple of small bugs that I see now and we'll get those fixed also. But one of the main reasons for the update was to fix quite a few small bugs... So a lot of minor details were taken care of.

In addition to what is above, we might also finish the new e-mail notification of posts feature tomorrow. This is a feature to receive copies of all posts made to the forums you select by e-mail.

Thanks for your patience, and sorry for the outage from 7:40-9:00 EST this evening...

 

[Harv]

Holy Cow, Muhammad!!!

I was so busy whining about font sizes, I didn't read this post! As we used to say in corporate America, this is a significant new release of TBN.

If anybody can appreciate what it must have taken to achieve these improvements, it's me. And to merge it in to a live board with so little disturbance is beyond me. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

You guys have become my role models for web site development (and I ain't kidding). Unless you did this single-handed, Muhammad, I would like to personally congratulate all who were involved in putting this site and these recent improvements together.

Way to go, guys (and gals?)! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Thomas]

Muhammad,
Just about a month ago you stated you have some surprises coming our way w/ very little hints.
Your new features are great and a time saver./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Take the weekend off and kick back and relax.


Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[JimBinMI]

Forum Master (Muhammad),

We are not worthy...but thanks for all of the hard work and dedication! It's greatly appreciated! /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

JimBinMI

 

[gordon]

Sorry for the outage

All I can say is that I'm as usual very impressed---Keep up the hard work!!!! That is why this board is growing leaps and bounds.

I do have a question. I like to veiw from past 24 hours and then just used to refresh the view from past 24 hours at the top of the screen. Now it comes up as if I've done a search and have to go back to the main index to have the option of the past 24 hours. Hope it's not gone forever, sure did like that option. Just my two cents.

Thanks to all for your hard work so we can enjoy it, this board gets better by the day!!!
Gordon

 

[Bird]

Very impressive./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Now if I can just find time to keep up with reading all the messages, and learn to use all the features./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Bird

 

[Muhammad]

Gordon,

Yes, we'll be changing abck to the pages that say 24 hours on the top and have the links to 48 hours/7 days on them also. The reason it is in the search form now is that the old search/24/48/7 pages had some bugs in them. So the results are the same as it is now, but it just doesn't have the proper links at the top. We'll get to this today also. Ran out of hours last night. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[gordon]

Muhammad, Thank you VERY MUCH, I was hoping it wasn't gone forever. Once again thanks for all your hard work.
Gordon

 

[gordon]

Thanks Muhammad, you not only gave us the option of past 24 hrs. but past 12 hrs and for us addicts past hour as well. Needless to say you've got the best board going!
Thanks
The colors are great as well!!!
Gordon

 

[roysallis]

Great work Muhammad! These enhancements are a real plus. I especially like the skin options.
On the "Jump to" drop down list how about indicating new messages with the appropriate color based on the user's skin preference? The the user can just scroll down the list for subjects with new messages. This would save a lot of time, especially for those of us that don't have DSL, cable modems, or T1s, when we are looking for new messages.

 

[Bird]

roysallis, I didn't know what kind of work that would take, but I've often thought it sure would save me time if there was a "new message" indicator by the forums in the "jump to" section, whether the number of new messages was there or not.

Bird

 

[Muhammad]

We'll look into this, but I'm not sure exactly what it would involve yet...

 

[ERNIEB]

Muhammad, I really like the new setup on the Preview post. Real easy to check your reply before going on. Good work.

Ernie
"It will be appalling to you to learn, and see herewith inclosed our alarming weakness"
James C. Neill, Alamo commander Jan. 1836

 

[RobS]

Excellent upgrades Muhammad and yet more reasons this is my favorite forum on the web. Keep it up!

Rob

 

[bpence]

I said it once before and I guess I'll say it again: Tractorbynet is just way too cool. As JimBinMi said, we are not worthy.

Thanks......

Bob Pence

 

[MarkV]

Thanks Muhammad, another great job!

MarkV

 

[Harv]

Muhammad -

I'm totally loving the recent improvements to the site. I'm especially pleased with the always-present edit box in the preview windows. It's a great convenience and a time-saver. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I also love the newly added "Past 12 Hours" and "Past Hour" features. It fits right in with the way I view messages and cuts way down on the amount of page rendering my poor old brain-damaged Netscape browser has to do (but let's not go there right now /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif).

There is, however, one teeny issue I would like to throw out there. When I start with the "Past 24 Hour" page and then drop down to the "Past 12 Hours" or "Last Hour", my browser doesn't recognize the messages I have already read.

The reason, as I'm sure you know, is because the URL to those messages contain a bunch of script parameters, including "&Old=12hour" or one of its variants. Since that particular parameter varies, depending on which list you're coming from, the URL's don't match, and the browser doesn't see them as the same message.

I experimented a little, and it seems like that parameter isn't really required for the final message link. So I was wondering if it would be possible to eliminate it from those links, thereby making all visited messages work properly no matter how you got to them. If this breaks some underlying logic structure, I certainly understand, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Probably too much techno-detail for a public posting, but I thought there might be others who have at least made the same observation.

 

[Muhammad]

Harv,

There isn't going to be a whole lot we can do with those URL's right now...

let me break it up:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin...ords=&Match=Entire+Phrase&Old=1day&Limit=1000

Base Url: http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/

Filename: 24.pl

Pull from all Categories: ?Cat=

Pull from all Forums: &Forum=All_Forums

Get all messages: &Words=&Match=Entire+Phrase

From the past 24 hours: &Old=1day

Show all results on one page: &Limit=1000

See, the pages work like search pages, but have some modifications to be recent message pages. So as soon as we chop anything off of that URL, the search gets modified. Remove &Limit=1000 and the search goes to display a default 25 per page.

Well actually now I just thought of a way to get the links to show as visited on all of those pages... brb. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Muhammad]

Ok, nevermind that Harv, I was just dreaming. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif It won't work as I had hoped.

So basically, until we do a complete change of the way new messages are posted, this will have to do. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif The more time we spend making the current method work, the less time we can spend on the real feature needed (new messages since last login in an easier to use format)...

So yes, as soon as we shorten that URL, the page is broken basically. Yep, we have the reasons. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thanks for the comments! I'm enjoying the new features, too! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Harv]

So, you couldn't use something like &Old=Foo or even &Old= as sort of a placeholder? In other words, keep the parameter count the same, but have a consistent value for that parameter on the final links?

Oops! Sorry -- I know I'm poking my nose in too deep here. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif You already said you have your reasons.

Just keep up the fine work you've been doing and I'll quietly enjoy the results. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif