Meet the New Forum!

[doc]

Well, after thinking there was just no way to import everything, I found a way. So welcome to the new forum, now with all old content!

All users and posts are preserved, but passwords will need to be reset. Click on the "I forgot my password" link to have a new one sent to you via e-mail.

Any problems with the new forum should be directed to the WebMaven.

[Robert_Moriyama]

At least mine was.

Now, let's see if I got my avatar image to work...

Yup, it's there. Apologies to anybody whose monitors, video cards, glasses, contact lenses, or pets may have been damaged by exposure to this image. It could have been worse -- it could be a RECENT picture.*

(*Subtract some hair; add some age-related spots; turn the sideburns mostly white; subtract about 0.5 chins (I actually lost about 10 pounds since this picture was taken.))

[Robert_Moriyama]

Here's another wrinkle (mentioned elsewhere, but this seems like a better place for it):

How does one access PMs that were moved to 'storage' in the YaBB forum? Obviously this is not something that the weary WebMaven would want to do on behalf of the remaining 200-plus members... not that all 200-+ would HAVE any PMs in storage... so one would hope that this is something that can be enabled ONCE for anyone affected.

Oh -- and while I congratulate everybody on their prescience (especially those born after 1970), I guess there is no easy way to change the "Date joined" to reflect the actual dates people registered with the YaBB forum... it isn't even an accessible field when you edit your profile.

(Rob -- put down that screwdriver. Careful! You could put an eye OWWWWWWWWwwwww)

RM

[doc]

Here's another wrinkle (mentioned elsewhere, but this seems like a better place for it):

How does one access PMs that were moved to 'storage' in the YaBB forum? Obviously this is not something that the weary WebMaven would want to do on behalf of the remaining 200-plus members... not that all 200-+ would HAVE any PMs in storage... so one would hope that this is something that can be enabled ONCE for anyone affected.

At some point, I can probably make the old forum accessible again for a brief period. it actually imported all of my PMs, so probably anyone who *didn't* do anything with them still has them.

Oh -- and while I congratulate everybody on their prescience (especially those born after 1970), I guess there is no easy way to change the "Date joined" to reflect the actual dates people registered with the YaBB forum... it isn't even an accessible field when you edit your profile.

I'll look into it. It's not really high on my list of things to do, though.

To give everyone an idea of how arduous this was, I had to install a *third* forum package, convert everything in YaBB to THAT forum, and then convert it from that forum to this one. It's not that the bear danced well, but that it danced at all.

Also, I owe a huge public apology to Nate, who had been working tirelessly to move the Flash Fiction archives over to the new board. I didn't realize that my import would wipe out everything that was already on the board, and I erased several hours of his efforts. :(

I'm still doing some work on here. I've put in a couple of hacks to discourage the spammers, and added some new BBcode options. Also, the RSS feed for the forum will need to be updated. I'll edit the sticky post with the new address, but here it is for any of you who are using it:

http://www.aphelion-webzine.com/forum/rss.php

I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding during this transition.

[kailhofer]

Also, I owe a huge public apology to Nate, who had been working tirelessly to move the Flash Fiction archives over to the new board. I didn't realize that my import would wipe out everything that was already on the board, and I erased several hours of his efforts. :(

I know it wasn't done on purpose. It *was* three evenings of work, but it's gone now. That's life.

I realize that since the posts weren't lost, a flash archive is less important now, but I still think it was a good idea and a potentially valuable resource for Aphelion. It was pretty cool to see all those stories the way they were, formatted for this forum, divided by challenge, & split into separate messages so authors can link to their individual story (with their byline on it). I have rose-colored glasses about it, but it seemed like it was becoming a spot people could stop and read just for the sake of reading fiction.

Is there way to make a subforum another level down? Something that could fit inside Fun and Games (or Writing Challenges, whatever it's to be called)? Since they're still around, it really shouldn't warrant the level it was before in the forum that never was. Maybe security levels won't allow that. It's really not my bailiwick.

[area]BTW--what's the difference between an announcement thread and a sticky one in terms of how it works?[/area]

[doc]

I realize that since the posts weren't lost, a flash archive is less important now, but I still think it was a good idea and a potentially valuable resource for Aphelion. It was pretty cool to see all those stories the way they were, formatted for this forum, divided by challenge, & split into separate messages so authors can link to their individual story (with their byline on it). I have rose-colored glasses about it, but it seemed like it was becoming a spot people could stop and read just for the sake of reading fiction.

I agree an archive is an excellent idea. The question becomes: Should it be a part of the forum, or should the stories be formatted and archived as part of the story archives? The original purpose (from *my* pov) of the monthly contest was to draw more people to the forums, and hope that when people come for the contest, they'll stay for the commentin'. It's hard to say exactly how well that has worked, but the contest itself has been a huge success in its own right, thanks greatly to your efforts.

Is there way to make a subforum another level down? Something that could fit inside Fun and Games (or Writing Challenges, whatever it's to be called)? Since they're still around, it really shouldn't warrant the level it was before in the forum that never was. Maybe security levels won't allow that. It's really not my bailiwick.

Unfortunately, I don't think it supports nested forums like that.

[area]BTW--what's the difference between an announcement thread and a sticky one in terms of how it works?[/area]

I think that Announcements go on the top of the list, above stickys. Other than that, none.

[kailhofer]

I agree an archive is an excellent idea. The question becomes: Should it be a part of the forum, or should the stories be formatted and archived as part of the story archives? The original purpose (from *my* pov) of the monthly contest was to draw more people to the forums, and hope that when people come for the contest, they'll stay for the commentin'. It's hard to say exactly how well that has worked, but the contest itself has been a huge success in its own right, thanks greatly to your efforts.

Thanks.

One has to post before you can send a PM, so technically, you have to comment first, but maybe they only commented so they could flash. I think it's safe to say that there's a lot of overlap between commenters and flashers. It's something many regulars seem to like, so keeping them happy and involved is a good thing.

I guess about the archives... In the story archives would be great. I mean, really, that would be wonderful (as long as there is a way to find them). But from my POV, if these stories have to leave the forum, will the work be done? If they're in the forum, I know they'll get done because I'd do it myself. If they're outside, someone else has to do it, and that's just more work for that person.

Is there a way to put some kind of skip down to a point link inside a forum message? So that we could put some kind of index that you clicked on to take you to that point, like the FAQs are. If there is, all we'd need is a sticky in the Fun and Games that was read only for all like you planned before. Then I could post all the stories in that same sticky, and then keep updating the index message. I could even keep every story in its own message for authors to link to.

What about something like that?

[kailhofer]

I'm probably going to be chipping in to help on this project sooner or later. I agree that it would be great for the flash stories to enter into the permanent visible body of Aphelion Greatness. Because of the unique format and context of the Flash stories, would we want the archived version to eventually have a capsule summary of the theme it was written under?

Tao "More Stacks!" Phoenix

You probably didn't see the way they were before the archive was deleted. What I did was post a description of the challenge, the sample, then the entries for it. I had split each of the challenges into their own folder.

Obviously, if it be decided they're all to be in a sticky, then there couldn't be subfolders, but if we can do the jump to links, then they can still be in their own posts.

Can the security of a single folder be different from the rest?

Also, something that's a mildly annoying: Can the color of 'new posts' or 'not visited' be same on all levels? On the main screen, new is an orangy-yellow icon. Inside, red is new and orange is not new. Also inside the text for a thread already visited is yellow, but not visited is orange, which is opposite, IMO. I keep clicking on old links as I try to get used to things.

[kailhofer]

If I do this right...

sample link for an index, taking you the Reluctant Superhero Challenge

• sample sublink for an index, taking you to the list of authors for that challenge

Yes! What do you know. I can be taught.

Anyhow, I did this as an example of how I think a sticky archive could work. If this index message was the first, then all I'd have to do is keep putting links to all the challenges and stories in this one message thread as they are re-posted. The individual stories for that challenge would be where the sublink is. No big mess, no special separate forum, but a spot for all the stories to go in a cohesive, logical, easily-to-link-to order.

How about that? Would that be ok?

[kailhofer]

Does anyone else get the thing where they have to log in twice??

Maybe this is a Firefox 3 issue, but I enter my user & pass, but I'm still not logged in. It says that I'm on at the bottom of the main page, but on top it still wants me to log in. At that point I still can't post or read PMs.

Then I log in again, and then I'm finally given the option on the top bar to log out if I wanted or read PMs.

I've tried doing other things & looking at other pages, thinking maybe something wasn't updating, but it stays that way until I do the second log in.

However, a single logout works.

I'm using Mac OS 10.4.11. It works correctly in Safari.

[Robert_Moriyama]

Does anyone else get the thing where they have to log in twice??

Maybe this is a Firefox 3 issue, but I enter my user & pass, but I'm still not logged in. It says that I'm on at the bottom of the main page, but on top it still wants me to log in. At that point I still can't post or read PMs.

Then I log in again, and then I'm finally given the option on the top bar to log out if I wanted or read PMs.

I've tried doing other things & looking at other pages, thinking maybe something wasn't updating, but it stays that way until I do the second log in.

However, a single logout works.

I'm using Mac OS 10.4.11. It works correctly in Safari.

If it's a Firefox 3 issue, it must be Mac-specific -- it seems to work all right for me (Windows XP SP 3).

RM

[kailhofer]

It keeps getting more weird. I read Robert's post, stopped to check a question I had for myself on the "series" page, then clicked to the forum again... and I wasn't logged in on the top bar anymore (but was at the bottom of the page).

I clicked back in page history to when I read Robert's post. There, I was still in. I clicked to reply, and it's letting me do it, and says I'm still logged in at the top now when the page reloaded for entering this message.

I fail to understand these things.

[Megawatts]

I like the new look, but my name has changed from Megawatts to

Georgebutto! I wish I could get it bact to megawatts!

[kailhofer]

Are the smilies going to be turned back on?

I mean, my profile says to always allow, and they're available when you post, but it says they're turned off in the left corner, so I assume it's not just me.

Obviously, if there's a problem, they don't really need to be there... Just curious.

[doc]

I like the new look, but my name has changed from Megawatts to

Georgebutto! I wish I could get it bact to megawatts!

I've changed it back to Megawatts. You'll have to log in with that name now, of course. :)

[Robert_Moriyama]

Are the smilies going to be turned back on?

I mean, my profile says to always allow, and they're available when you post, but it says they're turned off in the left corner, so I assume it's not just me.

Obviously, if there's a problem, they don't really need to be there... Just curious.

I just tried including the red-faced 'oops' smiley at the end of a post re: omitting a story from the Short Story index -- it just inserts the string ':oops:' rather than the graphic. Not sure where the 'Options' are controlled -- I suspect it's a top-level administrator function.

[doc]

Are the smilies going to be turned back on?

I mean, my profile says to always allow, and they're available when you post, but it says they're turned off in the left corner, so I assume it's not just me.

Obviously, if there's a problem, they don't really need to be there... Just curious.

I just tried including the red-faced 'oops' smiley at the end of a post re: omitting a story from the Short Story index -- it just inserts the string ':oops:' rather than the graphic. Not sure where the 'Options' are controlled -- I suspect it's a top-level administrator function.

This should now be fixed.