57 replies to this topic

[Joshua]

• New users must go through a validation phase after they register. This should cut down on fake accounts and spammers.
• First stab at calendar. The weekly recurring events are up.
• Created a Moderators group. Moderators can edit posts, move them around, pin them, close them, and basically slice and dice them anyway they see fit.

Errata:

The calendar isn't as good as I hoped. For example, while you can set up recurring events, you can not pull them out of the recurrance list as a standalone event. This makes it difficult to say who the DJ or lesson instructors are on any particular day.

Some features in the calendar have been improved in IPB 2.0 (we're using IPB 1.2 right now), hopefully this issue has been too.

Edited by Joshua, 19 April 2005 - 03:25 PM.

[scowl]

This is looking a whole lot like the Vancouver B.C. forum. They probably use the same code for their calendar.

[scowl]

And I noticed that their calendar also has no events in it other than birthdays and one-time events like their exchange. It must not be able to do that very easily.

[voilsb]

This is looking a whole lot like the Vancouver B.C. forum. They probably use the same code for their calendar.

They use the same BB software.  They actually use a slightly previous version (1.2 Beta).

IPB is, unfortunately, not Free Software.  Because of that, I can only install the version that's included in my hosting plan, or pay ($70/yr or $200 for life, for all versions) to install my own version.

The option exists to install phpBB (the software which Yehoodi and SwingDJs runs) instead of IPB (the lindyhopper.ca software), but there are bunches of pros and cons to such a change.  I'll leave it up to those who end up most active which route to take.  If they want to install a newer version of IPB, it might be best to wait till someone decides to front the bill, either for installing it here (swingout.voils.net), or preferably, swingout.net itself.

[Joshua]

The calendar isn't as good as I hoped. For example, while you can set up recurring events, you can not pull them out of the recurrance list as a standalone event. This makes it difficult to say who the DJ or lesson instructors are on any particular day.

Some features in the calendar have been improved in IPB 2.0 (we're using IPB 1.2 right now), hopefully this issue has been too.

Looked at the IPB 2.0 demo - the recurrence problem has not been solved. phpIcalendar solves this issue but it's different software. We'd lose the birthday integration as well as the upcoming events listed at the bottom of the front page, both are things I'd like to retain.  

I'll probably just kluge this, going forward, by tagging each recurring calendar event with an Upcoming block at the end, like this one:

CODE

Upcoming:
1/1 Lesson: Abbie, DJ: Bertha
1/7 Lesson: Charlize, DJ: Deirdre, Eduardo

It's not graceful but I don't see any better options.

[swingbozo]

This isn't phpbb? If, and that's still if, something like this moves to swingout we'll be using phpbb - read "free." I can gaurantee you that.

[Joshua]

This isn't phpbb? If, and that's still if, something like this moves to swingout we'll be using phpbb - read "free." I can gaurantee you that.

*sigh* you might be right. I do like IPB, it's really nice from the admin perspective. I suppose I'll just  have to install phpBB and check that out, too.  

Ah well, now is definitely the time for experimentation.

[thor]

For example, while you can set up recurring events, you can not pull them out of the recurrance list as a standalone event. This makes it difficult to say who the DJ or lesson instructors are on any particular day.

you could add another non-recurring event on the same day that just has the DJ name.

[Joshua]

For example, while you can set up recurring events, you can not pull them out of the recurrance list as a standalone event.

you could add another non-recurring event on the same day that just has the DJ name.

This would work for displaying DJs and instructors. It breaks down when an event is called off. In that case, we'd have two events:

1. Recurring event: DJ'd music at Foo Bar!
2. Standalone event: Foo Bar closed for Kwanzaa!

The problem is what happens when a user clicks on the Recurring event instead of the standalone. That's right, they end up completely unaware that the event was called off.

Maybe we can ask the IPB developers add phpIcalendar as a module. That program Does The Right Thing, the great majority of the time.

[thor]

sounds like you probably have a Perl connection or two to the guys that wrote this bulletin board software...  

[Joshua]

sounds like you probably have a Perl connection or two to the guys that wrote this bulletin board software...  

I've been known to hack a little Perl.  

[Joshua]

This is IPB-1.3. They're up to 2.02 or 2.03 by now. Here's the featurelist upgrade for the 2.x line:

Major Changes From IPB 1.3

[ACP] Rewritten templating system
[ACP] + New improved editor
[ACP] + New improved layout and logic
[ACP] + New CSS caching methods
[ACP] Unlimited Sub Forums
[ACP] Mail queue to allow bulk mail to be sent
[ACP] Ability to have members in multiple groups
[ACP] Task Manager to automate processes
[ACP] System Settings: Add custom settings
[ACP] System Settings: Search system settings
[ACP] System Settings: Quick revert on customized system settings
[ACP] Import / Export XMLarchive Emoticon Packs
[ACP] Import / Export Badword filters
[ACP] Import / Export Custom BBCode
[ACP] Rebuild Tools: Rebuild Post Content
[ACP] Rebuild Tools: Rebuild Post Usernames
[ACP] Rebuild Tools: Rebuild All Forums
[ACP] Rebuild Tools: Rebuild All Topics
[ACP] Rebuild Tools: Rebuild Image Thumbnails
[ACP] New attachments manager:
[ACP] + Attachment Stats
[ACP] + Attachment Search / Delete
[ACP] + Attachment extensions / Mime-types

[GLOBAL] Relative Dates
[GLOBAL] Online forum users shows who is posting a new topic
[GLOBAL] Online topics users shows who is replying to the topic
[GLOBAL] Skin chooser on each page
[GLOBAL] Neater quick stats with collapsable main stats
[GLOBAL] Read topics stored in database
[GLOBAL] Option: Log in with name or email address

[TOPICS] Multiple attachments with auto-thumbnail generation
[TOPICS] Online/Offline user indicators in posts
[TOPICS] Multi-Quote- ability to quote more than 1 post at a time
[TOPICS] Ability to search in topics
[TOPICS] Ability to bypass the bad word filter
[TOPICS] Threaded mode view
[TOPICS] Linear plus mode view
[TOPICS] Skin dependent team icon images (optional)
[TOPICS] Skin dependent emoticons (optional)
[TOPICS] Skin dependent mime type images
[TOPICS] View all topic attachments in one window

[MODERATION] New in-line moderation (forums)
[MODERATION] New in-line moderation (topics)
[MODERATION] Merge Posts
[MODERATION] New easier to use multi-page split topic
[MODERATION] Move Posts to another topic
[MODERATION] Multi-delete posts
[MODERATION] Make posts invisible (unapprove) or visible (approve)

[SEARCH] Full text searching improvements
[SEARCH] Optimized with better search result display
[SEARCH] New Find all members topics feature

[MEMBERLIST] New search & filters tool in member list
[MEMBERLIST] New name 'quick jump' facility

[POSTING] Ability to attach files to polls when starting
[POSTING] Ability to perform mod actions when starting polls
[POSTING] Improved basic Mozilla editor (text at cursor)
[POSTING] Ability to put attachments inline with the post
[POSTING] Custom BBCode

[PM] Ability to attach files to a PM
[PM] Ability to show CC users
[PM] Message count for each folder
[PM] Improved new PM notification

[UCP] Avatar resize now with GD image compression
[UCP] Photo resize now with GD image compression
[UCP] Ignore user feature

[Joshua]

The latest news:

• Have shell access to swingout.net and permission to hack about.
• Started building cvs(1) and screen(1) at swingout.net, two tools that we'll need going forward.
• Got a pirated copy of the IPB 2.0.0. source code so I can look through it. No, I'm not going to install it. We're going to do this by the book.
• The IPB guys say that email control is a feature they're working on. This is the email-BBS gateway that's been under discussion. They write: "We do not currently support incoming email to the board but we are working on it as an often requested feature."
• I've learned that IPB 2.0.0 doesn't allow one to override recurring calendar events either. I've sent an email to Invision that demonstrates the problem, discusses it, and provides a solution.
• More calendar events added, the Dec 4 Lily show, both Johnny Martin days. Two of the locations on the venue listing are now linked to the maps (Shilo Inn, Bacchus). Click on either and a new window will open with a map to the place.
• Changed new user validation to send the user and email. It used to require that I manually click every new user. We can revisit this once we choose a board. For now, I'd rather not deal.
• Checked out several other BBS's. Current rundown follows:

Boards under consideration:
IPB-2.0 (IPB-1.3 in testing at http://swingout.voils.net )
phpBB-2.0.11 (in testing at http://fallendevil.com/phpBB/ )
vBulletin-3.03 (to be tested)
SMF-1.0 (to be tested)

Boards ruled out: NeoBoard, Phorum, UseBB, OpenBB, iBulletin, XMB, Nuke.

[Joshua]

I just noticed another IPB-1.3 bug. At the bottom of the main board webpage, there's a a "Board Statistics" box. It shows "Forthcoming Calendar Events within the next 7 days", which are pulled from the calendar. Right now, it only shows the Tigard Grange.

What's going on here is that it's only displaying non-recurring events. The Tigard Grange event is the starting event for a new recurrence. I set all of the other recurrences to begin the first week of November.

I haven't checked to see if this bug is still present 2.x or not.

[swing.flyer]

Hey, where'd the fun categories for # of posts go? Ex: "Two Left Feet" and others that are escaping me at the moment...? They were kinda fun.

[Joshua]

Hey, where'd the fun categories for # of posts go? Ex: "Two Left Feet" and others that are escaping me at the moment...? They were kinda fun.

If we can come up with good rankings, I'll bring them back. The movie titles (everything beside "Two Left Feet") weren't a good metaphor.

Got a good metaphor? I'm all ears.

-J

FWIW, www.windyhop.org doesn't use rankings. www.yehoodi.com and www.lindyhopper.ca do.

[kbuxton]

I vote for leaving 'em off

[Joshua]

Corrected permissions for Other Dances and Clothing forums - they weren't permitting Members to post. Thanks Erik, Karissa.

[Joshua]

Whipped up this logo:


Edit: installed now. Had to change some permissions to get access for skin editting. Now that I can tweak the skins, we can have some fun.

[Joshua]

In my new-found delight that I can change the skins, I've replaced the IPB-branded buttons with these quick hacks. These are the buttons that live next to the forums. They indicate whether read or unread threads reside within.

Before:

After:


29 Nov 2004 Edit: the dim button's background transparency wasn't working. Resaved with the row4 color, #e4eaf2, as the background instead; looks good to me.

[IllEagle]

We should totally put a main section up for ride-sharing! That would be SO handy.. I'm driving up to Seattle every other weekend for one thing or another, and I always run into at least two other Portlanders I had no idea were going.. it would be so community-hippie-portlandlike if we all drove around with each other everywhere

[Joshua]

Carpooling could be filed under Events in For'n Parts. We could add a subforum if the traffic warrants it.

[IllEagle]

Yeah, let's do it! I'll start posting right away. A subsection would be good, since people drive hur and thur enen when no events perse are going on

[pdxrob17]

Outstanding suggestion on the carpooling forum!!  I will be on this constantly, since I don't own a car and sometimes end up renting a Flexcar to Northstar ballroom and other venues and events.

Great work guys!

[pdxrob17]

How about an "I saw you" section?  Like in the Portland Mercury.  Where people can post a message trying to figure out who they danced with the night before.

~R

[swingbozo]

How about an "I saw you" section?

Oh great, now I have to go around hearing about what I did the night before.

You: wearing a tie, reeking of gin and stumbling around mumbling the words to some Frank Sinatra song at BossaNova last Tuesday.
Me: follow you dropped repeatedly. I felt the magic, did you? Coffee?

[Joshua]

How about an "I saw you" section?

Oh great, now I have to go around hearing about what I did the night before.

You: wearing a tie, reeking of gin and stumbling around mumbling the words to some Frank Sinatra song at BossaNova last Tuesday.
Me: follow you dropped repeatedly. I felt the magic, did you? Coffee?

It's on there now.

Chance Meetings
Me: gin & damp shoes. You: vision in red. Coffee?

The byline isn't as good as Tim's by a longshot. Got ideas for one with a hint of brevity?

[Peldone]

This is wonderful.  This is one of the coolest boards that I have seen.  I love the big pictures.  Now I have to get me one of those.

-Brian

Have you Experienced Balboa
Willie and Lila January 2005
www.dancemode.com

[scowl]

Did someone suggest a section for posting pictures?

[Joshua]

Did someone suggest a section for posting pictures?

I'd like to see this but I don't believe that either voils.net or swingout.net has the bandwidth allotment to support this.