32 replies to this topic

[ped]

Hi folks

Well, it seems the transition to the new software has been easy for some, less so for others. Whilst I know that the proportion of you having issues is small, I though it would be a good idea to update you and let you know where we are.

First of all, the 'notifications' (little icon next to the envelope in the top right hand side of the screen) shows a notification every time someone replies to a thread you have 'followed' (either by posting in a thread, starting a topic or clicking 'follow' in any topic or forum).

It SHOULD behave in a way which shows one notification for the update, i.e 'Tom and 5 other people have replied to...'. At the moment, it doesn't. This is the software's fault, and we are waiting on an update to fix it. For the time being, you might as well turn them off if it bugs you (like if you have notifications for a really busy thread) until we fix it.

Email notifications are apparently similar, behaving in the same way (several emails). This too will be fixed. I have turned off email notifications by default in your 'settings' tab so they shouldn't bother you for now. I just have emails for PM's, personally - the new system lets you read the PM in the email so you don;t have to open the website if you're on a mobile, for example.

'View new content' area!

It's the new name for the 'view new posts' bit. And it's much better.

On the old site, if you posted a thread and it fell down the forum, it would be hard to find again unless you manually bookmarked it in your browser. In the new 'view new content' area you can filter to show threads in different ways. Most importantly you can display 'threads I have participated in' which is like a list of threads you have posted in. You can go to the first unread post in these threads by clicking the star icon next to the thread title.

Click the orange bars on the left hand side of the 'view new content' area to play around. To de-activate the filters, click them again.

Mobile version

The mobile version of the site was OK but because of the problems with notifications and the like, we disabled it and have allowed the full site to display. Soon, we will have a dedicated mobile site which hatches our theme which works nice and quickly on mobiles and let's you read your PMs and view the forum. You will also have the option to view the full site, should you wish.

Attachments

We had some problems using Amazon servers (or something) for attachments so they kept on breaking. We should have fixed this any time now so they should work fine.

Browser problems

It's very difficult to answer why one person's screen has a button in a different place, and it will take time to test the forum on different platforms. If you see something weird, please report it. More about this later.

Calendar

Will be installed soon

The theme's too bloody bright!

Well, it's not easy to change, unfortunately. I can't afford it at the moment and if you think about it, and look at the size of the white area, it's the same as looking at MS word. Not too bad, really. The old forum was white too, probably whiter, on balance. Sorry if you don't like it, I hope you'll get used to it. One day we'll have another option perhaps but it's not a top priority.

Why did we upgrade, anyway?

A good question, and totally valid. The problem was that the old forum was becoming a nightmare to manage with it's older system of spam filtration and other things I don't understand. The upshot is that mods were banning hundreds and hundreds of spoof accounts every day and we simply had to upgrade to the latest and most secure software.

What if I have a problem

Please post a thread in the site issues area. Have a look first to make sure you aren't repeating anything which we are already aware of. As soon as you post the problem, we'll be aware of it and will be working on it, so don't be dismayed if it looks like you're being ignored.

Speed

We are doing well at the moment, after a shaky start (see Amazon problem above). A server upgrade will be necessary soon to secure this speed for the foreseeable but it's a big jump financially and after paying for the upgrade and giving HMRC all my money I haven't got much available. I think we have something like 2/3 of capacity left so it's nothing urgent. I'll start washing the neighbours car and start shining shoes.

Thanks

Finally, a word of thanks. I know some people HATE change, and it's never easy to please everyone. I have had lots of messages of support from members who have really helped give me (and the team) a bit of a boost. Please be patient and hang in there. We'll do it.

ped

[wateroftyne]

Cheers, Ped & co.!

[EssentialTension]

There often isn't enough appreciation of what is being done to keep this site operating. So well done Ped and the rest of the team.

[nottswarwick]

Indeed. It's a free site, I think we should all be grateful.

FFS, it's not rocket science to use and I for one think it is LOADS better - one of the best platforms out there.

Thank you :-)

[Marvin]

nottswarwick, on 21 September 2011 - 07:18 PM, said:

Indeed. It's a free site, I think we should all be grateful.

FFS, it's not rocket science to use and I for one think it is LOADS better - one of the best platforms out there.

Thank you :-)

Exactly. Nail and head thingy

[BB3000S]

The new look has started to grow on me, and many of the new features are great!
Good work!

[arsenic]

Just to add my thanks to Ped and the rest of the mods.

The upgrade was smooth enough, and the problems are being worked on - OK, bugs and issues with the software are reliant on the company providing solutions.

All in all, I think this is a result.

[Paul S]

Yup - top job.

Quick question - anyone know where the Wiki is?

[arsenic]

Paul S, on 21 September 2011 - 07:42 PM, said:

Quick question - anyone know where the Wiki is?

No link on the site now, but exists here http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/

[nottswarwick]

To add to the detractors on here we also have folk on Facebook thinking the world has ended as that has changed a bit too.

Come on folks embrace the change lol

[Blademan_98]

It is a great job well done Ped and team.

Keeping the site free keeps it alive.

I think that all of the users of the site should show a bit of appreciation.

[Marvin]

nottswarwick, on 21 September 2011 - 07:50 PM, said:

To add to the detractors on here we also have folk on Facebook thinking the world has ended as that has changed a bit too.

Come on folks embrace the change lol

Facebook is different

[nottswarwick]

Not really in the sense that it's free and you are not obligated to use it

[Paul S]

arsenic, on 21 September 2011 - 07:46 PM, said:

No link on the site now, but exists here http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/

Ah, great, thanks.

[Doctor J]

Well done to Ped and the team, I think the new features are a big step forward. Thank you very much for all your hard work.

[Hamster]

Apart from Ben, none of the 'staff' here are really wizards when it comes to all the tech stuff that makes the board work. We're all learning about the new features at the same rate as everyone else, and understanding how to give advice about how to optimise individual settings.

I for one think it's fantastic, as the new spam filters mean that I don't spend up to 2 hours a day sifting through the new registrations which we've been doing since January. Now I have time to actually read the forums and enjoy the place once more!

[grumble]

>Now I have time to actually read the forums and enjoy the place once more!

Selfish b*st*rd ! Get back on your wheel and keep the site running, enjoying the site is purely for us (non-) paying members

[dmccombe7]

Liking it a lot.
Lot of effort by the team so well done.

One small query though with regards the For Sale sections.
Why not have a button that allows the OP to delete the post when the item is sold.
That way it saves important storage space.

Just a thought.

All the best.
Dave

[EssentialTension]

dmccombe7, on 25 September 2011 - 03:36 PM, said:

Liking it a lot.
Lot of effort by the team so well done.

One small query though with regards the For Sale sections.
Why not have a button that allows the OP to delete the post when the item is sold.
That way it saves important storage space.

Just a thought.

All the best.
Dave

Because many of us want to see a record of what sold for how much etc - it's a good guide to pricing and to what might sell and how fast.

[dmccombe7]

EssentialTension, on 25 September 2011 - 03:40 PM, said:

Because many of us want to see a record of what sold for how much etc - it's a good guide to pricing and to what might sell and how fast.

Valid point.
Hadn't thought about that.

Cheers for reply.
Dave