AS
Asa
Admin
Thanks for all the constructive comments so far! I've wanted to reply to this thread for a while but have been pretty busy until now. I appreciate that things like the too busy messages are annoying - they're as annoying for me as a visitor too! Unfortunately as has been mentioned, this site resides under a 'shared hosting' account - effectively the same place as "my first website" style ones! The reason is simply cost - I would love to put this on dedicated hosting but it's just not viable. Thanks to various offers over the years, hosting is actually secured with the current company until January 2007 but I fully intend to look around the middle of next year on bringing the site back home with a UK host. www.1and1.co.uk seem fairly respectable and certainly provide a
much
quicker connection time than UK visitors having to go to the US then Canada as is currently the case. Having the hosting in Europe I'm sure will make a significant difference.
Regarding the software I don't think phpBB is particular slow or bad at what it does. If vBulletin was really a significantly superior product then of course I'd go for it but I really don't see much difference and I'd be far happier hacking phpBB's code which I've looked over in the past couple of years than starting again. To be honest I'd really like to write my own forum software - unique to the site. That way I could include a lot of additional features/quirks which members (and mods) would appreciate.
Shoehorning things like mock ratings into phpBB is one thing but building it in as part of dedicated code for a mock forum would be much better. The Profile section could be overhauled making it more appropriate to a TV based forum with things like the return of Profile Xtra, list of all downloads per topic (great for overdosing yourself on video downloads!) and things like that - every little detail could be made with the TV Forumer in mind. And the coding could reflect that - starting from scratch would lead me more inclined to go down the standards route and try things like CSS layouts etc.. The only problem is the time constraint. Writing enough of the bare bones (viewtopic/viewforum/homepage/posting) is a serious undertaking and I just don't feel I'd have the time. But never say never I suppose!
The design is maybe a bit overboard. The introduction of Flash was more a case of 'because I've suddenly learnt how to' more than anything else which is probably not the best justification! With me, it usually gets to a point where I've overloaded the page too much and will therefore strip it back over time. Overall I think the layout is pretty practical though
In response to the moderation I make a decision as best I can. Rob and James approached me about the gig and have been excellent since day one and I appreciate their help greatly. The mod vote was an attempt to give everyone a chance to have a say who should become a mod but I didn't want to go down that route again the last time. Charlie is doing exactly what has been asked of him and I'm very grateful. I obviously don't want to see this place turn into some nanny state forum but I also don't want to see it go to the dogs. There's a thin line and I'm sorry a few persistent individuals are that against what one mod is doing (or what general opinion think he's doing!)
Merry Christmas one and all...
Asa
Regarding the software I don't think phpBB is particular slow or bad at what it does. If vBulletin was really a significantly superior product then of course I'd go for it but I really don't see much difference and I'd be far happier hacking phpBB's code which I've looked over in the past couple of years than starting again. To be honest I'd really like to write my own forum software - unique to the site. That way I could include a lot of additional features/quirks which members (and mods) would appreciate.
Shoehorning things like mock ratings into phpBB is one thing but building it in as part of dedicated code for a mock forum would be much better. The Profile section could be overhauled making it more appropriate to a TV based forum with things like the return of Profile Xtra, list of all downloads per topic (great for overdosing yourself on video downloads!) and things like that - every little detail could be made with the TV Forumer in mind. And the coding could reflect that - starting from scratch would lead me more inclined to go down the standards route and try things like CSS layouts etc.. The only problem is the time constraint. Writing enough of the bare bones (viewtopic/viewforum/homepage/posting) is a serious undertaking and I just don't feel I'd have the time. But never say never I suppose!
The design is maybe a bit overboard. The introduction of Flash was more a case of 'because I've suddenly learnt how to' more than anything else which is probably not the best justification! With me, it usually gets to a point where I've overloaded the page too much and will therefore strip it back over time. Overall I think the layout is pretty practical though
In response to the moderation I make a decision as best I can. Rob and James approached me about the gig and have been excellent since day one and I appreciate their help greatly. The mod vote was an attempt to give everyone a chance to have a say who should become a mod but I didn't want to go down that route again the last time. Charlie is doing exactly what has been asked of him and I'm very grateful. I obviously don't want to see this place turn into some nanny state forum but I also don't want to see it go to the dogs. There's a thin line and I'm sorry a few persistent individuals are that against what one mod is doing (or what general opinion think he's doing!)
Merry Christmas one and all...
Asa
JA
I saw that.
[Post removed by mod - No need to swear at a member, even if you do feel they are posting rubbish.]
"Must have been a push n an arf"?
Good grief. Could one of the moderators not be the one to decide when someone is posting rubbish and maybe speak up?
Then we wouldn't be punished when we do it.
I wish I hadn't said anything.
It appears he was right (except about his tw6ttish comment about Sophie).
Gavin Scott posted:
Jaimé Alexandéz posted:
I noticed soon after I had a forum ban from the Newsroom for telling some immature little five year old to f*ck off because they were posting tripe. This never happened in the days of more tolerant moderators did it?
Let me guess... someone used the "Report a Post" button. Brilliant.
Let me guess... someone used the "Report a Post" button. Brilliant.
I saw that.
Jaimé Alexandéz posted:
marykate posted:
well done Sophie - must've been a push n a arf !! Don't hurry back tho as there's a fab standin who, according to the papers is rating viagra and has got me watching!! My guess is Sophie to do the one o'clock, Nat to do the six and who cares who presents breakfast as now Nat's left no-one watches it.
seasons greetings !!
seasons greetings !!
[Post removed by mod - No need to swear at a member, even if you do feel they are posting rubbish.]
"Must have been a push n an arf"?
Good grief. Could one of the moderators not be the one to decide when someone is posting rubbish and maybe speak up?
Then we wouldn't be punished when we do it.
I wish I hadn't said anything.
It appears he was right (except about his tw6ttish comment about Sophie).
TV
Well this is a rather selfish post not connected even slightly to anything before it, but anyway.
I got an email thingyo about a PM four days ago, and now have a you-have-one-new-message just today, but still no PM.
Do I have to wait another four days for it to arrive -- does it happen to anyone else? Only I don't get PMs very often as nobody loves me so I would hate to think there is one I have allowed to escape.
I got an email thingyo about a PM four days ago, and now have a you-have-one-new-message just today, but still no PM.
Do I have to wait another four days for it to arrive -- does it happen to anyone else? Only I don't get PMs very often as nobody loves me so I would hate to think there is one I have allowed to escape.
AJ
Shock! Horror!
Has it not been obvious that there has always been a BBC Bias on this website?
Just learn to live with it - everybody else does.
Matrix posted:
There does seem to be a current BBC bais, I think we'd agree. I refer, of course, to the image on the homepage which has, for sometime now, being the BBC logo...
And on that nugget.
And on that nugget.
Shock! Horror!
Has it not been obvious that there has always been a BBC Bias on this website?
Just learn to live with it - everybody else does.
AS
If you ever see that particular image, it means the rotating image script has basically bust. I'll go have a look...
Asa
Admin
Matrix posted:
There does seem to be a current BBC bais, I think we'd agree. I refer, of course, to the image on the homepage which has, for sometime now, being the BBC logo...
If you ever see that particular image, it means the rotating image script has basically bust. I'll go have a look...
MA
If you ever see that particular image, it means the rotating image script has basically bust. I'll go have a look...
Cheers Asa.
Asa posted:
Matrix posted:
There does seem to be a current BBC bais, I think we'd agree. I refer, of course, to the image on the homepage which has, for sometime now, being the BBC logo...
If you ever see that particular image, it means the rotating image script has basically bust. I'll go have a look...
Cheers Asa.