Tips for using the new forum

[scott]

Hi Fletcher,
If you have a half completed post and don't want to submit it, simply don't press the submit button. You can just close the browser to end your session or click on any links on the top nav bar to go somewhere else. Or you can just type a new url into your browser and leave the site that way.

In any case, if you do any of the above, your half completed post will be lost. If you want to save it to work on later, just select all the text you've written so far, press CTRL-C to copy, then create a new text document on your computer and press CTRL-V to paste.

To avoid problems, I generally write my posts (long ones, anyway) in a text editor such as Microsoft Word (just be sure it is just a plain text file and not a .doc file). This allows me to take my time in composing the post, and also provides a spellchecker. Then I simply paste the text into the message body of my post when I'm done...

-Scott

P.S. an update to my last post in this topic... member ranks are based on absolute posts amounts and are working correctly. One day I might try to fix the bugs related to the percentage formula, but it is a low priority for me now...

[Fletcher]

Hi Scott,

Could you reactivate 'View Posts since last visit' on the opening page. I liked that facility a lot. It's available but only when you drill into the system which takes time. Hoping you can obligue :-)

-fletcher

[scott]

Hi Fletcher,
I have been doing a little redesign on the site and as you might have noticed have implemented a "dashboard" for logged in users. That functionality is still available, I just moved it into the dashboard on the forum index page.

When you log in you should see something like:

Welcome back Fletcher
Private messages: 1 new, 2 unread
There are 11 new posts since your last visit


Just click on the number ("11" in this case) to see new posts since your last visit. The dashboard also has links to watched topics, unanswered posts, your posts, and some other stuff...

Please let me know if you have any problems.

Thanks,
Scott

[MrTim]

I don't have a problem per se, just more of a preference.
Could you please put back the "View Posts from previous x Day" box? I find it more useful than "New Posts since last visit", especially as it is still listing them from Feb! (You can probably tell from that that I don't use that feature!)
Thanks,
MrTim

[scott]

Hi Tim,
That facility is also still available on the upper right of the forum index and at the bottom of each forum and topic.

There is currently a bug where the "posts since last visit" link is actually returning all of your unread posts. I will try to fix that tonight. When I'm done there will probably be 2 links on the dashboard, one to view posts since last visit and one to view all the unread posts.

Thanks,
Scott

[Fletcher]

There is currently a bug in the "posts since last visit"

Hi Scott,

There appears to be a bug in my "posts since last visit" counter (twice as many as actual) when I log on. Is it generic (can you fix it ?) or local in nature (how do I fix it) ?

cheers -fletcher


EDIT by Scott:
Hey Fletcher, sorry I dropped the ball on this. Are you still having this problem?

[scott]

Hi All,
Just a quick note to let everyone know that I just implemented two new features here on the board:

1.) Now you can view multi-page forums, topics, and searches on one page if you wish (note: they may take a while to download). Just click the "View All" link to the right of the pagination links. Then click "Show pages" to go back to the paginated view.

2.) Full-featured spell checker. Now you can spell check your posts before submitting them. Just click the "SpellCheck" button under the posting textarea...

Enjoy!

Thanks,
Scott

[Fletcher]

Thank Scott for Spell Checker ! Never learnt to spell correctly & it's difficult proof reading your own mistakes.

-fletcher

P.S. Tried to spell check this. Says checked 18 words found 2 words to be corrected BUT they were not identified. When I tried to back out was dumped from the site ?!

[scott]

Hmmm, that's very strange Fletcher. I have tested it rigorously and not had any problems. Which browser are you using (name and version)?

Also, are you still having problems with the "new posts since last visit" link?

[Fletcher]

Hmmm, that's very strange Fletcher. I have tested it rigorously and not had any problems. Which browser are you using (name and version)?

I just new you were going to ask a technical question :0 Microsoft Internet Explorer v 4.0 on Windows NT

Also, are you still having problems with the "new posts since last visit" link?

No, but I wouldn't mind the "last posts since last visit" being more visible as it tends to be buried on a buzy page, especially for newbies.

P.S. tried spell check again. The page locked up & didn't do the spell check. Tried to exit, wouldn't let me cancel so had to choose End Task which spat me out as per last time. This is what happens each time I attempt to use spell checker.

[scott]

Hey Fletcher, I'm sorry, but I don't even have a way to test IE 4 on NT. I recommend you upgrade your IE version (the current version is 6) and see if that helps.
Thanks,
Scott

[Fletcher]

Thanks for that Scott. I'll give upgrading the dinosaur some thought. Probably I'll just use my trusty dictionary & import from MS Word when I need to, as I've been doing, when the mood takes me. So you'll all get to wince (sp?) at my spelling prowess for a bit longer :7)

-fletcher

[jim_mich]

Fletcher, you sound like me. To check the spelling of a word I use a little old 1987 Franklin Spelling Ace that someone was throwing away. For longer documets I use MS Word. My dinosaur is a 1998 computer running Window 98 with a few upgrades. Scott's spell checker works great with it.

Thanks Scott!

[graham]

Hi Scott , why is it that some threads pages are extra wide and I have to scroll sideways back and forth to read the thread? Not all threads mind you , for example this thread is fine but when I read some of the older threads they are waaay too wide.

I'm using IE6 and my resolution is set at 800X600

Thanks

Graham

[scott]

Hi Graham,
Usually that happens when someone puts a long link in their message and it slips under my radar. If you point me to the topics in question I can fix them.
Thanks,
Scott