Questions or Issues about the New Website

[s3igell]

Since there isn't a Topic started yet to which we can post specific Questions About or Issues Found With the new Website...

(well, there is now)

[admin]

This Forum Software, like a few others such as that behind AstronomyForum.net, has an apparent problem with Low Resolution Desktops.

 

With Vertical Resolutions under 1024 pixels, the Forum Software miscalculates the "top" of the Forum Entry of Current Interest (or actually calculates it correctly but fails to recognize that the Forum Banner will be drawn atop the first several lines worth).  The end result is that when you jump to a Specific Posting (via the Index or Search or Next Page or First Unread), the top several lines are overwritten by the Forum Banner and the User must Reposition the Page in order to read the Beginning of that Post hidden under the Banner.

 

For example on my Laptop with 1388x768 Resolution and the Chrome Browser Full Screen, the Banner covers the target Posting down to "the Top of the Telescope in Guylain's Avatar image" (or the Shoulders of the default Avatar).

 

This same thing happens on High Resolution Monitors, but the effect is less apparent - especially when Jumping to the Last / Most Recent Post at the Bottom of a Thread.

 

Can you post a print screen?  I may be able to do something.

[s3igell]

Here's a Screen Capture from my 1388x768 Laptop with Chrome Window Maximized, for a page where I simply selected First Unread Post from the Main Forum Directory:

 

[s3igell]

While working to Post the Screenshot above, I found that I was stymied because this Forum Software doesn't appear to accept Tiny URLs.

 

I had to find a way to get Flickr to provide a "Full URL" which ended in an "Image-type" Extension, else I was repeatedly refused to embed an Image whose URL was a "Tiny URL" (https://flic.kr/p/pyAtog).

 

Is there a different approach to embed such Images given this new Forum Software ??

Is there a HELP FILE or USER DOC for this Post Editor ??  It has numerous new Toolbar Items...

[admin]

While working to Post the Screenshot above, I found that I was stymied because this Forum Software doesn't appear to accept Tiny URLs.

 

I had to find a way to get Flickr to provide a "Full URL" which ended in an "Image-type" Extension, else I was repeatedly refused to embed an Image whose URL was a "Tiny URL" (https://flic.kr/p/pyAtog).

 

Is there a different approach to embed such Images given this new Forum Software ??

Is there a HELP FILE or USER DOC for this Post Editor ??  It has numerous new Toolbar Items...

 

Good question, I'm not sure

[s3igell]

LIKE THIS Button appears on Posts which ones self posted...  And it works to raise the LIKE tally...

 

Most Forum Software doesn't allow one to "Self-Like"...

(hmmm...)

[admin]

LIKE THIS Button appears on Posts which ones self posted...  And it works to raise the LIKE tally...

 

Most Forum Software doesn't allow one to "Self-Like"...

(hmmm...)

 

Ummm. there is probably a setting I missed during the configuration.  I'll take a look when I get a chance.

[admin]

Here's a Screen Capture from my 1388x768 Laptop with Chrome Window Maximized, for a page where I simply selected First Unread Post from the Main Forum Directory:

 

 

 

This should be fix now

[s3igell]

Hmmm...

I tried it with a Fresh Google Window, Cleared History and Cleared Cache, but No Joy!!

 

OTelescope_Forum_Low_Res_First_New_Post2 by s3ig3ll, on Flickr

[s3igell]

While working to Post the Screenshot above, I found that I was stymied because this Forum Software doesn't appear to accept Tiny URLs.

 

I had to find a way to get Flickr to provide a "Full URL" which ended in an "Image-type" Extension, else I was repeatedly refused to embed an Image whose URL was a "Tiny URL" (https://flic.kr/p/pyAtog).

 

Is there a different approach to embed such Images given this new Forum Software ??

Is there a HELP FILE or USER DOC for this Post Editor ??  It has numerous new Toolbar Items...

 

 

Good question, I'm not sure

 

I found that this Forum successfully handles FLICKR "Share As BBCODE" for Image Postings, as a straight Copy / Paste into the target Forum Posting.

(One more Solution Found...)

 

And...

 

Multi-Post works Fine!!

[s3igell]

Forum Search - requires 4-char minimum for each Search Word

 

This is a all-together-too-common Issue which plagues the Developers of various Forum Software.

In efforts to make the Indexing Routines speedier, and the Indexes Smaller, they set a rather arbitrary Minimum Word Length rather than manage an Excluded Words List (Articles, Pronouns, Conjunctions, etc).  Unfortunately, in many Technical Forums this Word Length Limit is an extremely Poor Choice, given the propensity for short Acronyms and Device Model Names and Numbers.

Given that the Posting count of this OTelescope Forum will never likely push the Indexing Capacity of the Forum Software, is there a chance that this 4-char Minimum Limit could be rescinded ??

[admin]

I've just reduced it to 2 characters, good point

[s3igell]

I've just reduced it to 2 characters, good point

That will still impact searches for "6D" and "7D" and "Df" and "D4", but Owners of those Highest-End Cameras might just "deserve" a few Difficulties to balance out all the Benefits their Cameras endow them...  

 

For the rest of us, this lowered Indexing Limit is a "Good Thing"!!

 

EDIT:  OOPS!!  Initially read "2 characters" as "> 2 chars".  So, it would appear that even "6D" and "D4" owners are covered !!

[s3igell]

After the Config Change, the Search Page no longer complains about 2- or 3-char Search Strings.  But it doesn't yet return any Search Hits for "70D" or "6D" - both Cameras mentioned by Name in recent Posts (even the one just above).

 

It appears that the Forum will need to undergo it's next Re-Indexing before this Config Change returns any Results.

Is the Re-Indexing Task scheduled on a frequent basis ??  Or does it take Manual Intervention ??

(In either case, I can surely wait a bit before "Needing" any such Search Results"...)

[s3igell]

Sign-In doesn't appear to honor the "Remember Me" setting.

 

Neither the User Name (which I'd expect) nor the Password (which I'd expect not) are remembered from one Login to the Next.

(using current Chrome browser)

[s3igell]

Website doesn't have my Purchase History, although I'm a BYE v3 Premium purchaser.

It did, however, have the rest of my existing Forum information...

[s3igell]

Website Store isn't accepting my BYE v3 Premium Key as my "Coupon" for the Upgrade Price for v3.1 Premium.

 

 

 

Oops! Something went wrong!

[#10X100]

The coupon code you entered is not valid.

 

(And I believe that I followed the "1st line of v3 Key" properly...)

[admin]

Sign-In doesn't appear to honor the "Remember Me" setting.

 

Neither the User Name (which I'd expect) nor the Password (which I'd expect not) are remembered from one Login to the Next.

(using current Chrome browser)

 

This is a browser issue.  I'm using firefox and it remembers it just fine.

 

Regards,

[admin]

Website Store isn't accepting my BYE v3 Premium Key as my "Coupon" for the Upgrade Price for v3.1 Premium.

 

 

(And I believe that I followed the "1st line of v3 Key" properly...)

 

Make sure you cut&paste the coupon correctly.

 

If you have a classic key that was upgraded to a premium key make sure to use your PREMIUM coupon.

 

Make sure you have your account email validated first by clicking on the email you got in your inbox if you just created a new account.

 

Hope this helps.

[admin]

Website doesn't have my Purchase History, although I'm a BYE v3 Premium purchaser.

It did, however, have the rest of my existing Forum information...

 

That is because no one has any purchase history on the new site.  Your purchase history will start from version 3.1 onward.  This is why I'm using coupons based on your previous version of BYE as a mean to acquired your v3.1 upgrade key.

 

Regards,

[admin]

Make sure you cut&paste the coupon correctly.

 

If you have a classic key that was upgraded to a premium key make sure to use your PREMIUM coupon.

 

Make sure you have your account email validated first by clicking on the email you got in your inbox if you just created a new account.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Okay, so it appears that some coupons did not generate and therefor are missing from the database

 

It appears to be isolated to purchases (including upgrades) from July 2013 and early August 2013.

 

I will try to find out what happened and fix it.

 

In the meantime you can contact me to get it in the system sooner rather than later.

 

Sorry for the inconvenience.

[s3igell]

Okay, so it appears that some coupons did not generate and therefor are missing from the database

 

It appears to be isolated to purchases (including upgrades) from July 2013 and early August 2013.

 

I will try to find out what happened and fix it.

 

In the meantime you can contact me to get it in the system sooner rather than later.

 

Sorry for the inconvenience.

I can wait until the AM, as its gotten Clouded Over outside...  

(so, time for a Beer...)

 

I hope that you are Up so Late because you've been out Observing...

(even if it was freezing cold out there...)

[s3igell]

The "Mark Forum as READ" doesn't appear to be working, or at least not retained after a Full Refresh of the Web Page.

 

Similarly, the "Blue Dot" and "Blue Star" markers in the left-hand column of a Forum's Thread Listing don't appear to get Cleared in some cases even after a User has viewed all the Posts in that Thread.

(What is the difference between a "dot" and "star" marker, anyway??  Are "stars" for Threads where the User has Posted??)

[s3igell]

Overall, I really like the Color Palette chosen for the Forum.  

 

It looks like it is well Muted for Browsing while trying to maintain Reduced Lighting to help Preserve Night Vision.

It looks like the various elements and buttons will be decently Readable under a Red Screen or Rubylith Filter.

 

The only real concern is the Reply Editor Tool - which uses a Baby Blue frame and a Stark White Text Box.

Is there anything that can be done at the Website Configuration to select other Colors which are more consistent with the rest of the Color Palette and more compatible with Use in Reduced Lighting conditions ??

[s3igell]

I can wait until the AM, as its gotten Clouded Over outside...  

(so, time for a Beer...)

 

I hope that you are Up so Late because you've been out Observing...

(even if it was freezing cold out there...)

 

Guylain has FIXED this...

(at least to cover my Upgrade...  Thanks)

[admin]

The "Mark Forum as READ" doesn't appear to be working, or at least not retained after a Full Refresh of the Web Page.

 

Similarly, the "Blue Dot" and "Blue Star" markers in the left-hand column of a Forum's Thread Listing don't appear to get Cleared in some cases even after a User has viewed all the Posts in that Thread.

(What is the difference between a "dot" and "star" marker, anyway??  Are "stars" for Threads where the User has Posted??)

 

You see a dot on new posts if you have not participated in that thread, and you see a star on new posts if you have participated in that thread.

[admin]

Overall, I really like the Color Palette chosen for the Forum.  

 

It looks like it is well Muted for Browsing while trying to maintain Reduced Lighting to help Preserve Night Vision.

It looks like the various elements and buttons will be decently Readable under a Red Screen or Rubylith Filter.

 

The only real concern is the Reply Editor Tool - which uses a Baby Blue frame and a Stark White Text Box.

Is there anything that can be done at the Website Configuration to select other Colors which are more consistent with the rest of the Color Palette and more compatible with Use in Reduced Lighting conditions ??

 

Thank, that was my intent with the tamed down color pallet.

 

I have not looked at changing the skin for the editor just yet, will get there eventually.

[s3igell]

This Forum Software, like a few others such as that behind AstronomyForum.net, has an apparent problem with Low Resolution Desktops.

 

With Vertical Resolutions under 1024 pixels, the Forum Software miscalculates the "top" of the Forum Entry of Current Interest (or actually calculates it correctly but fails to recognize that the Forum Banner will be drawn atop the first several lines worth).  The end result is that when you jump to a Specific Posting (via the Index or Search or Next Page or First Unread), the top several lines are overwritten by the Forum Banner and the User must Reposition the Page in order to read the Beginning of that Post hidden under the Banner.

 

For example on my Laptop with 1388x768 Resolution and the Chrome Browser Full Screen, the Banner covers the target Posting down to "the Top of the Telescope in Guylain's Avatar image" (or the Shoulders of the default Avatar).

 

This same thing happens on High Resolution Monitors, but the effect is less apparent - especially when Jumping to the Last / Most Recent Post at the Bottom of a Thread.