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Forum Upgrade... Coming Soon Friday, September 22, 2006

#1 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 22 September 2006 - 01:18 PM

There's an upgrade to the forums coming soon. The upgrade will include a number of new features and fixes. For those of you interested in what the new features/fixes will be, here's a rundown taken directly from the Invision site:

New Features in Invision Power Board 2.2

Invision Power Board 2.2 contains a huge selection of new features ranging from low-end code improvements to new features designed to enhance your community involvement. New features include:

Personal Profile Portal
Invision Power Board 2.2.0 has a totally redesigned portal page with the following features:
Friends list - manage your friends for easier PMing, to see if your friends are currently online and display your friends on your profile
Profile comments - allow visitors to leave comments on your profile. You can set to moderate all new comments before they're shown.
Recent visitors - recent visitors are shown on your profile.
Your content - show your recent posts / blog entries / gallery uploads on your profile
Personal statement - add a short bio for others to read
Member rating - rate other members
Set your gender
Easy access to edit your location, age and IM details

Note that you can optionally switch back to the old "classic" profile view in the ACP.

New Text Editor
New Style
The text editors, both standard and rich text (WYSIWYG) have been completely rewritten to make them more intuitive and faster to load. Clutter has been reduced with the new dynamic menus.

Switch
You can now switch between the rich text editor and the standard editor without the need to reload the page or visit your User Control Panel.

New Attachment System
Upload without the reload
IPB 2.2 has a new attachment system that enables one to upload attachments without having to reload the post screen. The new attachment area is directly below the text editor.

New Style
The attachment system has had a complete overhaul and is now styled along side the new text editor

Monthly Directories
IPB now saves uploads in a monthly folder, making FTP directory listings much easier.

Extensible
The new system is extensible via the attachments plug-in system. There is now one central attachments repository and plug in modules define space allowance and rendering options.

New Thumbnail Design
Attached image thumbnail previews now have information above and below the thumbnail offering original file size and original dimensions.

Inline message system
Invision Power Board has an on-the-fly message system to confirm actions taken place. This is an important new part to the user interface especially when using ajax when it's not always apparent that an action has taken place.

Guest Posting "CAPTHCA"
Under Tools & Settings, Security & Privacy you can now specify whether you would like to require guests to input a random image code when they post to prevent "spam" and automated postings in forums where guest posting is allowed.

Ability to control username characters
Under Tools & Settings, Security & Privacy, you can now specify which characters are allowable in a username. If you leave this setting blank, IPB will use it's own internal formulas.

Hint: For only alphanumeric character usernames, set this to "a-zA-Z0-9"

Additionally, there is a setting to control the error message that will be displayed if the user uses invalid characters.

Ability to set "Unblockable" PM groups
You can now control which groups cannot be "blocked" in the personal messenger system. The setting can be found under Tools & Settings, Personal Messenger Setup.

Ability to set groups who can override "Inbox Full" error
You can now control which groups can still send a message to a member even when their inbox is "full". This setting can be found under Tools & Settings, Personal Messenger Setup.

Control group download permissions
Just like the per-forum, per-permission masks settings for uploading files, you can now control which permission masks can download attachments on a per-forum basis. This can enable you to show guests that an attachment exists in a topic, while not allowing them to download the attachment.

Separate Forum and Category Management
In the ACP, it has been reported by some new users that the forum and category management was a tad confusing for first time users. As a result, we've split off forum and category management, and streamlined the overall process of adding a new category. Likewise, we've added a notice that will appear on categories that do NOT have any forums assigned to them. Additionally, you need only apply "Show" permissions on categories, so we've made the permission management for categories much easier and quicker to manage.

Disable anonymous login
You can now completely disable anonymous login in your ACP. Just set the option under Tools & Settings, Security & Privacy and users will not be able to login anonymously.

Updated CAPTCHA
Due to the increasing rise of spam bots flooding forums that allow guest posting, and the increasing capabilities of scripts to bypass CAPTCHA protection by parsing the image for the registration code, our CAPTHA output has been updated to make it harder for scripts to read the CAPTCHA code IPB generates (when using GD2).

Per-Forum Capability to remember sort options
There is now a checkbox under the forum sorting options in each forum allowing you to select your preferred sort options, and have these options be remembered when you leave the forum and come back (or when you read a topic and return to the forum, for example). This option uses a cookie to remember your individual selections.

Link Whitelist/Blacklist Options
IPB 2.2 introduces link whitelisting and blacklisting. With this setting you can specify which domains (using wildcards) you CAN or CAN'T link to. Of course you can only use one or the other at any given time. The settings apply to both links and images, anytime the BBCODE parser is used. For example, you could whitelist the following:

CODE
http://*.mydomain.com*
http://www.myfrienddomain.com/images/*


or you could blacklist your competitors:

CODE
http://*.somecompetitor.com*


You could use this to stop linking to images on sites like photobucket, or files on rapidshare, as an example.

Minor Requested Enhancements/Changes
The following are not necessarily new features or bug fixes, but are changes commonly requested by members implemented in 2.2:

1. The category a setting is in is now indicated in the search results when searching for settings in the ACP
2. Guests are blocked from viewing poll results when members are required to vote before being able to see the results of a poll
3. The setting "prune registrations after [x] days" now operates from the task manager (as opposed to being kicked off only as new members register on the board).
4. The calendar you are viewing is now included in the breadcrumb (navigation) bar
5. The link to "Manage validating users" was added back to the admin page providing quick/easy access to the validation queue
6. IP addresses for users in the validation queue are now clickable, performing an IP lookup for you
7. Some rewording of the permission mask area has been done to help clarify what permission masks do and what their functions are
8. Multi-check boxes have been added to the permission ask area (just as they are in the per-forum global permissions) to make managing permission masks easier
9. Better reporting when saving template changes - if the template saves but cannot be written to disk you will be notified, for example.
10. The "Merge concurrent posts" setting is now set to 0 by default (disabled) - this is to avoid confusion by many new users as to why their posts are merging.
11. The query to pull cache stores now included in the SQL debugger output.
12. Per-member setting "open quick reply automatically in settings that allow it" now saves in the database instead of in a cookie to remain persistent
13. Subscript, superscript BBCODE added (with clickable buttons), and "unlink" button added to the RTE to easily allow you to unlink a link
14. Ability to globally enable/disable group signatures (useful for debugging purposes)
15. Added some additional debugging capabilities for the Subscription Manager
16. Only one email will be sent for topic notifications until you visit again, unless you have your email setting set to send the full post in your topic notifications (in which case you will get a notification for each new post)
17. Forum warn notification emails now will appear to come from the board outgoing email address instead of the individual member's email address
18. Forum read markers now updated via AJAX
19. Added a do_delete database driver method
20. Added group by support to database driver files.
21. Search link now has a context sensitive drop down box. If you're in a forum you can search directly in that forum otherwise you can perform a global search.
22. Modified top navigation area with subtle separators to break up the links into cleaner sections
23. Enhanced 'mini-profile' drop down when clicking on an author's name in topic view or when reading a PM. This drop down includes the member's photo and current rating

Topic Rating via AJAX
When rating a topic your submitted rating will be sent to the server via AJAX allowing you to save your rating without having to refresh the page. Additionally, you will now be able to see two more pieces of information when viewing the rating menu drop down: total number of ratings, and your individual rating.

Multi-choice polls + Ability to create a 'poll only'
Admins now have a setting in the ACP to allow and/or disallow members to create a poll as a "poll only" (disallow other members from replying to the poll, but still allow them to vote). Members who have permission to post in closed topics will still be able to reply to the polls, just as if a topic was locked.

Additionally, you can now create multiple-choice polls. There is an additional checkbox next to the question line(s) in a poll form so you can do this on a per-question basis (e.g. - you could have one multiple choice question, and one single-choice only question).

Log Pruning Task
There are settings to control which tables you would like to prune, as well as a task setup to run weekly which will prune tables based on those selections.

Calendar - Ability to set week start as "Monday"
Many users have requested the ability to format the calendar so that the weekday starts on a Monday instead of the traditional Sunday. This is a common weekday starting point in many countries/religions.

With IPB 2.2, there is a setting in the Calendar/Birthday's configuration to switch the board to a Monday start week. Existing events and data are not affected by making this switch if the administrator decides to do so.

Auto resizing of large linked images
Posted images are automatically resized on-the-fly if they are larger than the available screen width of the browser. Clicking the image displays it full size in a pop-up window. Each reduced image has information above stating how much reduction has taken place and the dimensions of the original image.

Ability to set default editor
Admins can now set the default editors members will use when they first register (or when a new member account is added via the ACP). The setting is found under User Profiles.

Ability to reset password by email or username
If the login type is 'username' a second field on the reset password screen will display to allow a user to reset their password by their email address. That is, they can enter their email address (i.e. if they forget their username) and the process will proceed as normal.

For more information, check out the pre-release notes here: http://forums.invisi...howtopic=226814
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#2 User is offline   Deepsycher Icon

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Posted 22 September 2006 - 01:30 PM

I have a concern, "Disable Anonymous login."

I feel a need for that privacy. I can't see any harm on people login on invisibly.
Can you not disable it?

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 22 September 2006 - 01:30 PM

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#3 User is offline   Spoon Poetic Icon

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Posted 22 September 2006 - 03:11 PM

I also have a concern: Member ratings.

This could create so many problems; I've seen it on other forums. It can be hurtful. This shouldn't be a popularity contest. Could we maybe... not have that part of the update?

However, the rest seems cool. smile.gif
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#4 User is offline   Deepsycher Icon

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Posted 22 September 2006 - 03:31 PM

I found it. My understanding is that people can ruin other member's reputation by their own personal opinions on their profile. "I don't like you" So everybody else gets to hear about it in ratings. I can see it prevailing negative attention and end up in the style of a biased Weakest Link game where couples work together to vote off one person except it ends in devaluing and humiliation on who is the best person to talk to. Correct me if I am wrong here.

I mean some people might think twice about posting but it doesn't suit everybody who does think twice but someone else has a grudge against them maybe by the way they write or a subject they oppose.

QUOTE
3. The setting "prune registrations after [x] days" now operates from the task manager (as opposed to being kicked off only as new members register on the board).

Does this mean that member accounts get erased after not signing up for a certain amount of time?

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 22 September 2006 - 03:58 PM

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#5 User is offline   Otal Nimrodi Icon

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Posted 22 September 2006 - 06:16 PM

QUOTE (Spoon Poetic @ Sep 22 2006, 04:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I also have a concern: Member ratings.

This could create so many problems; I've seen it on other forums. It can be hurtful. This shouldn't be a popularity contest. Could we maybe... not have that part of the update?

However, the rest seems cool. smile.gif



I agree completely. That would make new people think "Wow, look, X is higher rated than me. I'll go hide my head in shame." And never come back.

And that would make me sad.gif

This post has been edited by Otal Nimrodi: 22 September 2006 - 06:20 PM

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#6 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 23 September 2006 - 11:32 PM

Well for both of those things they are optional. The option to disable anonymous login exists but it does not have to be used. I can't think of any reason we would disable it here.

The same option exists for member ratings. As far as I can tell the member ratings are not really that visible. I can't really see any reason to not have them but they can quite easily just be turned off if we dont' like the feature.

The pruning feature is a good thing. If someone signs up and doesn't validate their account in x number of days, that user's account will be deleted. This is a good thing considering that most of the 'people' that do that are not actually people but spam bots instead.
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#7 User is offline   Slade Icon

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Posted 25 September 2006 - 08:54 PM

I third the motion that the member rating thing is icky and will result in some silly vandalism of members and such. The last thing we need are downvoters and upvoters here. *grimaces*
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#8 User is offline   Deepsycher Icon

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Posted 25 September 2006 - 09:01 PM

If that is turned on then I see a possibility of there being some biased weakest link contest to vote people off.

I thought the pruning feature was to delete members off if they didn't sign on for an x amount of days after they validated their accounts.
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#9 User is offline   SimeSublime Icon

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Posted 27 September 2006 - 08:13 AM

I'd fourth the motion on disabling member ranking. Just look at how annoying it is when people think high post count = popular.

On a similar note, I'd be a bit wary of visible friends lists as well, but perhaps I'm just paranoid.
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#10 User is offline   Gobbler Icon

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Posted 27 September 2006 - 08:47 AM

The visibility option is solely for those who are really paranoid - I've yet to see a social-engineer who's that much interested in statistics regarding whether or when a member is online on a particular forum, but...

... I can't argue with you popular guys with your high post counts...

... yet.

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#11 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 27 September 2006 - 09:00 AM

Once again, the member rating thing is optional. It doesn't HAVE to be turned on. However, it's not an endless vote that can be manipulated. Each user would have one vote. If Slade thinks I am worth 1 star and Gobbler thinks I'm worth five stars, that's it. They could change their votes later but each person can only think a certain 'ranking' about a certain member at a time.

As for the anonymity thing, again that is also optional. I must admit that I think the anonymity thing is kinda dumb. If you're online making twenty posts in an hour then people know you're online whether you show up in the member list or not.

Also, if you're posting in an online forum viewable by anyone on planet Earth with internet access and you don't want people to know about it then you may want to consider the conflicting priorities between your habits and your preferences.
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#12 User is offline   Gobbler Icon

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Posted 27 September 2006 - 09:18 AM

That definitely deserved five stars, Mr. Chefelf. biggrin.gif

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#13 User is offline   Deepsycher Icon

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Posted 27 September 2006 - 09:55 AM

Paranoid I maybe... but not brought on idealistically and not concerned whether people know I am here in that way.

Unless users have a choice of not to be rated still as for member ratings I could see it leading into giving people what they want to hear just to be popular. I don't want that optional tendanacy to instigate personal opinions that are negative onto me.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 27 September 2006 - 10:00 AM

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