Upgraded Software

[SomeSailor]

I've downloaded the first of several likely maintenance upgrades to this new software. We were running version 4.00PL1 and are now at Rev 4.01.

They fixed some 200 of the major bugs reported, so this hopefully will clear up some of the issues we were having and the next rev is due out in 2-3 weeks.

Lemme know if you come across anything strange.

- mike

(First thing I've noticed is the SMILIES ARE BACK!)

[2859er]

Hi Mike,
I noticed that when I access the site without logging in the top toolbar includes these option buttons Home, Forum, Blogs, What’s New, Gallery, BOC, Marine Weather, Craig’s List. But when I login as a member these toolbar buttons don’t show up: Gallery, BOC, Marine Weather, Craig’s List.

I deleted all of the cookie files, but get the same results.

No big deal, but I thought I would let you know.

[SomeSailor]

Thanks. I think I fixed that. The problem is probably 150 other had that same issue and no one noticed it. :)

[2859er]

Yep, all of the buttons show up on the tool bar now.

[SomeSailor]

Thanks for the heads up. Sometimes it's hard to see what's wrong from other peoples perspectives. It's important when people notice something that they let me know. :)

[Go Aweigh2452]

Mike, I hear the usage issues by us mortals. We are building a new forum using Stargate and set up a coupld of accounts depending on permissions so we can "test" how our new portal looks, feels and reacts...

[SomeSailor]

It's not so much about the ability for me to build "test" accounts, but having to see the forum from so many different perspectives. Like the missing buttons... you'd think someone else would have noticed it? :)

Does everyone see them now?

[Go Aweigh2452]

Actually, they may not even see this post f they have not relogged on today after the software upgrade... Most of the buttons are available to be seen w/o logging on and even the latest posts are visible...

[SomeSailor]

This problem has been there all along. The fix was in a piece of XML I added after the initial install in December.

I think you'll see that you're limited to 5 or so posts without having to log in. (or at least that should be the way it works) ;)

I'll likely turn off access to some of those buttons as well (to guests) to encourage folks to log in.

[Tedster]

Ok here is my only gripe, I log-on click the save box but everytime I come back I have to log-on. This is the only site I have to re-log on to after saving the info.

[SomeSailor]

You need to clear your cookies Ted. Once you do that. it'll work fine.

[Tedster]

Ok but I deleted the my favorite link and resaved the link and that did not do it. So what now, tell me in full detail, I'm not a IT guy you know.

[SomeSailor]

Ok. "Cookies" are what the software uses to keep your password and other details stored (last time here, what posts you read, etc). When the software is looking, it's not recognizing the cookie that is stored in your browser.

Do you use Internet Explorer? This spells it out for ya:

How to manually delete cookie files in Internet Explorer 8



Exit Internet Explorer 8, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
Do one of the following:

In Windows Vista, click Start Collapse this imageExpand this image
http://support.microsoft.com/library/images/support/kbgraphics/Public/EN-US/VistaStartButton.jpg
, type inetcpl.cpl in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER
In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.

On the General tab, click Delete under Browsing History in the Internet Properties dialog box.
In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click to clear all of the check boxes except for the Cookies check box.
Click Delete.

To verify that the cookie files are deleted, follow these steps:

Exit Internet Explorer 8, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
Do one of the following:

In Windows Vista, click Start Collapse this imageExpand this image
http://support.microsoft.com/library/images/support/kbgraphics/Public/EN-US/VistaStartButton.jpg
, type inetcpl.cpl in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER
In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.

In the Internet Properties dialog box, on the General tab, click Settings under Browsing History.
In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box, click View Files. This opens the folder where your cookie files are stored.
In the folder that you opened in step 4, verify that there are no .txt files.

How to manually delete cookie files in Internet Explorer 7



Exit Internet Explorer 7, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
Do one of the following:

In Windows Vista, click Start Collapse this imageExpand this image
http://support.microsoft.com/library/images/support/kbgraphics/Public/EN-US/VistaStartButton.jpg
, type inetcpl.cpl in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.

On the General tab, click Delete under Browsing History in the Internet Properties dialog box.
In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click Delete Cookies.
In the Delete Cookies dialog box, click Yes.

To verify that the cookie files are deleted in Internet Explorer 7

Exit Internet Explorer 7, and then exit any instances of Windows Explorer.
Do one of the following:

In Windows Vista, click Start Collapse this imageExpand this image
http://support.microsoft.com/library/images/support/kbgraphics/Public/EN-US/VistaStartButton.jpg
, type inetcpl.cpl in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.

In the Internet Properties dialog box, on the General tab, click Settings under Browsing History.
In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box, click View Files. This opens the folder where your cookie files are stored.
In the folder that you opened in step 4, verify that there are no .txt files.

[Go Aweigh2452]

I understand that... and use firefox for everything except MS updates since MS will not allow other browsers to access the updates page...

[Apperloo]

Ok here is my only gripe, I log-on click the save box but everytime I come back I have to log-on. This is the only site I have to re-log on to after saving the info.

Ya me too with exp 7. Tried everything , deleting cookies, passwords and also reinstalling 7. (I did try it with 6 before the install and worked fine)
Got so fed up I went back to Mozilla.

[tolly28]

I'm now seeing all the buttons under the header, unlike before! Sweet! Looks like you fixed it!

[SomeSailor]

Congrats.

Hey, on another note don't panic over any Google ads running across the top and bottom. I opened up the AdSense portion of the board and want their crawlers to come through and get a diagnostic pass.

[voyager]

I have not really tested much of anything here yet but if I can I would like to make a suggestion. As an old newspaper advertising guy I find my eye bouncing all over the place and have to concentrate on what I am looking at. So I am not reading much of anything right now. So is there a way to increase the contrast between things. Maybe darken the headers so they stand out, something to delineate so it does not all blend together? We used to have a rule, people read left to right, up and down and color moves the eye through the copy.

[SomeSailor]

Thanks for the feedback Paul. I'll certainly take a look at changing that. This is the first release (actually now the 2nd) of a major revision, and they're set for another in 2-3 weeks. That will stabilize it hopefully and make modding colors and applying styles easier. Also, with this new software everything is done through hundreds of variables called "stylevars" and as I get more familiar with them, then style changes will be more consistent. I'll try to get some time for it. :)

[voyager]

Mike, maybe just changing things so it is black on white? For the heading with at least a four point (or more difference in the type size) between heading and topic on the page we see when we are looking at posts. I am not sure if I have labeled thing right but when you log in and look at posts the heading and the subject need to be differentiated, something to set them apart. Right now everything looks blue, same as green means go, red means stop, blue pacifies, black on white is what people are taught to expect. So it is just how they are used to seeing things.



And without starting a war, I am not going to switch to firefox to get rid of ads and all the rest of the stuff. My admiral and kids have enough truoble with things the way they are.

[SomeSailor]

Mike, maybe just changing things so it is black on white? For the heading with at least a four point (or more difference in the type size) between heading and topic on the page we see when we are looking at posts. I am not sure if I have labeled thing right but when you log in and look at posts the heading and the subject need to be differentiated, something to set them apart. Right now everything looks blue, same as green means go, red means stop, blue pacifies, black on white is what people are taught to expect. So it is just how they are used to seeing things.

I'll sure take a look at that. It's not as simple as just selecting colors though. This is all done via styles, and each change is reflected across the whole site. I'll look at making some of those changes.

Also... don't sweat Firefox versus IE. The ads have nothing to with either.



And without starting a war, I am not going to switch to firefox to get rid of ads and all the rest of the stuff. My admiral and kids have enough truoble with things the way they are.[/QUOTE]

[2859er]

I noticed the darker blue heading bars, they look good.

[SomeSailor]

Yeah... I'm reading up on the StyleVars and trying wade through them. There are literally hundreds of them and they all control different stuff.

If you find any that are totally offensive... let me know. I also bumped the font size up a bit for us old guys?

[voyager]

It is already a lot easy to read. I like it.

[Go Aweigh2452]

Feels a lot like Easter...

[Fred P]

I like it. I would give you an A+.

Fred P..................

[SomeSailor]

Yeah... The hardest part is just finding out what variable controls what. I need to keep the changed colors different enough that they stand out against the last ones so I can tell if it did what I thought it would. I'll tone them down a bit later. There's 143 pages of variables to sort through. :)

[Go Aweigh2452]

So there are no standard packages like ProSilver or SubSilver2 that I use on another new portal I am just testing? I know mine is different and I am using the stargate portal protocol but I thought they all had standard styles to select from?

Either way, the colors are better now...

[SomeSailor]

It's a lot more than the old I was running. This has a built in content management system (CMS), blogs, and forum all built into one package. Very nice from an admin point of view.

Next time you're replying to a post... check out the 'Topic Review' below your editor... very slick.

[Go Aweigh2452]

We have an administration control panel that is similar. Come a long way from the first phpboards... looks really nice Mike... a lot of work but it looks great...

[Tedster]

Yup more color and brighter............better!