[El Scorcho]

Hello, folks. As you can see, there have been a few changes around here today. I'd like to detail a few of those for you.

First and foremost, the board has finally been upgraded from phpBB2 to phpBB3. For the users, this doesn't mean a lot but it changes things significantly for moderators and admins. There is a lot more flexibility in terms of our ability to assign permissions, moderate forums and generally run the board. This is ultimately a very good thing.

The main new feature I think most of you will be interested in is the ability to have friends and foes. If you view a user's profile you should find links to mark them as a friend or foe. If you mark them as a foe, their posts will be hidden from your view from that point forward. If you mark them as a friend, it adds them to your friend list. You now have the ability to PM groups and your friend list. For a full comparison between phpBB versions 2 and 3, please see the following link:

http://www.phpbb.com/about/features/

Also, there's a new theme. (What? You didn't notice?) It's very different than our old one, so I realize that not everyone is going to like it. However, I hated the old one. (Sorry if you were friends with it.) So, I took this opportunity to change it since I had to get a phpBB3 compatible theme anyway. The banner will likely change as those more creative than I have time to work on it. So, if that's your main beef, hold on for now. Otherwise, get used to it. This is where we are right now.

For now, we've also lost a couple of features. phpBB3 took a step back and doesn't allow HTML in posts. This mostly means no embedded videos for now. I'm working on that.

Also lost for the time being is the mobile version of the site. It will come back, but I had to temporarily get rid of it to do the necessary database upgrade to support the new version of the board software. Keep your pants on and it'll be back before you know it.

I'll let you folks find the new features. I'm sure I'll be making some minor tweaks and changes going forward. If you find anything wrong or have any problems, please let me know.

[rueful]

the only problem I have is that you cant really tell whats an old topic as opposed to new topic, etc.

[El Scorcho]

The icons next to the topic change when they are updated. You just can't see that right now since no one has posted since the upgrade.

Also: Dates are listed next to topics. As always, the "view new posts" and "mark forums read" links are your best friends.

[rueful]

haha i see that now. sorry im retarded

[RagingTireFire]

Any chance of getting different skins? I don't mind the rest but the red-out is killing me.

[El Scorcho]

I don't mind the rest but the red-out is killing me.

You mean the alternating shades of red behind the posts?

[01LUGrad]

Don't....like....change....

Something to do with having Hope and Change shoved down my throat for too long.

Maybe I'll get used to it, but I feel like I am a visitor right now.

----the fun part was that I cliked save instead of submit and then spent a few minutes trying to find my message. That didn't help me feel any better.---------

[RagingTireFire]

I don't mind the rest but the red-out is killing me.

You mean the alternating shades of red behind the posts?

That and the red text. It's really hard on my attention span. The skin thing is something I've seen on the VMI board where you can choose a look of the board based on your own preference and it doesn't affect anyone else's view.

[Liberty4Life]

One thing, and maybe I'm just noticing it now... but the content part of the site seems to be a bit narrower (is it 800 px?)

[Liberty4Life]

One thing, and maybe I'm just noticing it now... but the content part of the site seems to be a bit narrower (is it 800 px?)

Also, is it possible to see who has befriended / foe'd me?

[jcmanson]

I like the fact that we are using school colors. Other than that, I'll have to get used to it.

[flamesbball84]

One thing, and maybe I'm just noticing it now... but the content part of the site seems to be a bit narrower (is it 800 px?)

yes, it is rather narrower. makes for a lot of "wasted" blue space on the side, especially for people with widescreen monitors...

[El Scorcho]

One thing, and maybe I'm just noticing it now... but the content part of the site seems to be a bit narrower (is it 800 px?)

yes, it is rather narrower. makes for a lot of "wasted" blue space on the side, especially for people with widescreen monitors...

Yes, it's a fixed-width theme.

I have a widescreen monitor and don't have a lot of blue space on the side. I also don't make every window I have open the full size of my screen. I find that it wastes space.

We can go back to the old theme if everyone really wants to. I thought it was horrible, though.

[flamesbball84]

One thing, and maybe I'm just noticing it now... but the content part of the site seems to be a bit narrower (is it 800 px?)

yes, it is rather narrower. makes for a lot of "wasted" blue space on the side, especially for people with widescreen monitors...

Yes, it's a fixed-width theme.

I have a widescreen monitor and don't have a lot of blue space on the side. I also don't make every window I have open the full size of my screen. I find that it wastes space.

We can go back to the old theme if everyone really wants to. I thought it was horrible, though.

i like maximizing my internet windows since most of them aren't fixed width, that way i can make better use of the wide space on my screen. normally when i'm on the internet, the only other things i have running are in the background like my music or IM, so I don't really need my internet to be windowed. of course I will if I'm using word and researching on the internet, then i'll do a split screen to prevent having to alt tab a million times. also with the site being fixed width, unless you have a pretty fairly sizable screen or on a really high resolution, then you have to scroll left and right a bunch if you do a vertical split because then the window will be smaller than the fixed width...

[Sly Fox]

I really like the software upgrade and the virtual ignore 'Foe' feature. Not sure I am ready to make a call on the look of the site yet. My initial reaction wasn't pleasant toward the eagle. But I'm willing to give it a try.

As for the skins/themes, that is something worth pursuing.

[SuperJon]

My initial reaction wasn't pleasant toward the eagle. But I'm willing to give it a try.

That's exactly what I was going for. I just wanted to do something stupid and cheesy and, well, that's what ya got. That's why Scorcho said we'd change it when someone creative came up with something, well, creative.


And no, that does not mean the party in hell banner is coming back.

[El Scorcho]

The banner will likely change as those more creative than I have time to work on it. So, if that's your main beef, hold on for now.

My initial reaction wasn't pleasant toward the eagle. But I'm willing to give it a try..

I'll tell you guys what you can do. You guys find a better phpBB 3.0.5-compatible theme and customize it for the board. Or, find and pick 2 or 3 other themes you want as choices. I've been asking for two years for someone with PHP and design experience to create a custom theme for FlameFans. No one stepped up so this is what you got. I'm not a designer. I just modified what I thought was a decent theme (given the options) and had SJ throw together a temporary banner because the other theme SUCKED. It wasn't fixed-width, sure. But everything else about it was terrible.

I spent nearly 9 hours upgrading this board and customizing the new theme today and all of you replied just to complain? Thanks.

[flamesbball84]

The banner will likely change as those more creative than I have time to work on it. So, if that's your main beef, hold on for now.

My initial reaction wasn't pleasant toward the eagle. But I'm willing to give it a try..

I'll tell you guys what you can do. You guys find a better phpBB 3.0.5-compatible theme and customize it for the board. Or, find and pick 2 or 3 other themes you want as choices. I've been asking for two years for someone with PHP and design experience to create a custom theme for FlameFans. No one stepped up so this is what you got. I'm not a designer. I just modified what I thought was a decent theme (given the options) and had SJ throw together a temporary banner because the other theme SUCKED. It wasn't fixed-width, sure. But everything else about it was terrible.

I spent nearly 9 hours upgrading this board and customizing the new theme today and all of you replied just to complain? Thanks.

I like everything but the fixed width - never have liked it anywhere, it's not just this site. Some stuff I like better (colors, banner, can only quote three posts in a reply to name a few) and others I'm just content with. Overall I think you did a good job.

[Th3rd]

personally i like the new board, its a really good change. just thought you would like to know scorcho

[SumItUp]

Good job Scorcho.

I like the change. This has been a year for change and I finally found change that I can appreciate.

I like the eagle too.

[Sly Fox]

I make one comment about the eagle and all the praise was disregarded. Let me try again ...

I'm jazzed about the upgrade and all the work that was involved in making it happen.



I will keep previously stated thoughts in regard to my initial reactions to the eagle to myself henceforth.

[Liberty4Life]

I'm sorry Scorcho. I do like the look of the new board. It was wrong of me to harp on the negative.

[Rooster Cogburn]

wow. I step away for a day and the whole world changes. Nice look Scorchy

[01LUGrad]

Sorry for coming off like an whiny middle schooler. Thanks for the work you put in. You deserve a serious raise. Let's say 2x your current monthly income from this site. Deal?

In regards to the eagle, would I be correct in assuming that we can't use official school logos like the old eagle mascot?

------
Off topic here, but I really want them to make a plain white fitted hat with the old bird on it. There are tons of other variations out there, but that's the hat I really want.

[Sly Fox]

That assumption would be correct. We need to work with concepts that are in consistency with LU but not in violation of their trademarked properties.