Notable features of the software (vBulletin) engine of this forum

[FlyOnMelfisWall]

I'm still learning about vBulletin, but several user features seem notable and welcome upgrades from the previous forum:

1. The post composition window offers a "what you see is what you get" mode by default so that coded changes you make to text (bold, font color, italics, etc.) are shown immediately as you compose. If you prefer, you can toggle to the old-fashioned plain text window via the text icon (two contrasting capital letter "A"s) in the extreme upper right of the extended window.
2. vBulletin has much more powerful and flexible searching tools, which is why I'm now more comfortable creating a lot of different forums. (Several members had requested a dedicated episode forum for each episode, and I will be implementing that in the near future.) You can search a single forum, a category of forums or the entire site and can do so in advanced search mode if you like.
3. There is a "similar threads" feature, which is very useful for posters and moderators alike because you can -- surprise -- get a listing of threads in other forums that cover similar issues to the current thread. That allows convenient topical access and topical merging by a moderator when appropriate. Look for the "similar threads" listing at the very bottom of the screen while viewing any thread.
4. vBulletin utilizes subforums (to an infinite level, although two or three will do nicely here.:-)) This allows for convenient, hierarchical access to forums from the front page while still minimizing visual clutter.
5. On the latter issue, please note that near the upper right area of each forum category on the front page is a toggle switch that enables you to collapse or expand an entire category of forums. Not interested in the forums at the top in "This Thing of Ours"? No problem (assuming you read all forum rules and guidelines already!) Collapse the category via the toggle switch and it now consumes only one line on the front page.
6. Beside the pop out search tool is a pop out menu for other tasks within a forum or thread (mark forum read, post new thread, show printable version of thread, etc.) One of the options is "subscribe to forum" (or thread). Despite the association with email digests or notification of new posts, its real power lies in the ability to configure a forum "portal" customized to your personal interests and discussion preferences. You can pick and choose which forums to display and which threads (if any) are to be culled from the heap and hilighted on your user Control Panel. You can then bookmark the link to your CP, and now, everytime you login, the first thing you will see is your customized view of the Chase Lounge.
7. You are not limited to the default look of the forum. If you want an entirely different, simpler layout, go to the bottom left and chose from the available styles. I only have two to start but will be adding more as time permits me to edit them.

These are just some of the new features. Please investigate and play around with all the other goodies that may be tucked away in vBulletin.

[Splishak]

Originally Posted by FlyOnMelfisWall

You are not limited to the default look of the forum. If you want an entirely different, simpler layout, go to the bottom left and chose from the available styles. I only have two to start but will be adding more as time permits me to edit them.

I'd just like to say that I find the "Conventional" style (drop down box in lower left part of screen) to be so much whiter and brighter than the default style, that I prefer to use it because I find it so much easier to read. Of course, that is a personal choice and everyone may have their own preference.

I'd like to recommend to all members that they try it and see how they like it.

[Splishak]

One really nice feature that I like and would like to recommend to everyone is the terrific set of editing capabilities on this forum - so very much nicer than the old forum. Fly surely did make an excellent choice in moving from the old style to the vBulletin style.

One easy way to begin to explore the nice editing capabilities is to see how Fly has done some of her posts. It is such a nice easy way to learn - almost like looking over her shoulder.

Just go to the main page of this forum and select: Request a Sitdown, then click on Fly's first post "Notable features of the software (vBulletin) engine of this forum". That will show you the end result of the post. It is a list of several items. Isn't it great to be able to produce a list like that? Considering that the software automatically takes care of all the numbering and formatting, I think it is really nice. How is it done? You can see how Fly actually did it by clicking on the "Quote" button.

You see something that looks like this?


------------------------------------------------------------------------


<QUOTE=FlyOnMelfisWall]I'm still learning about vBulletin ...
<LIST=1]
<*]The post composition ...
<*]vBulletin has much more ...
</LIST]</QUOTE]


That is how Fly actually entered her post (except that I used the "<" instead of the "[" to prevent formatting and enable you to see what the original post looked like) (unless she knows of some automatic technique that I don't know?). This is how you post a list of things and the board will automatically take care of all the formatting for you - all the numbering - isn't that super?

Now, here is the finished product. Note how the board actually incorporated those editing codes to produce the beautiful polished formatted result:


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by FlyOnMelfisWall

I'm still learning about vBulletin ...

1. The post composition ...
2. vBulletin has much more ...

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Of course you don't actually want to post the quotation, so after you are finished looking, just close the window or hit the "Back" button to get out.

Note that you don't have to start a list with the number "1". You could start it with an "A" and the board would then use "A", "B", "C", etc.

But this is a great technique to see how other people have created posts. If you ever see a nice looking post that you would like to duplicate the format, this is a great way to see how they did it.

Now, I just need to find a way to post the help file instructions regarding these editing instructions so that you all can see it quickly and easily - hopefully by clicking on a single button or entering a single instruction.


OMG!!! I just discovered the most amazing thing! I started out by entering a list using the format that I assumed Fly had used - namely ...

<LIST=1][*]This Case is Closed[*]Profit and Loss
</LIST]But I'm using "<" instead of "[" so that I can show you what it almost "really" looked like. But then, when I tried to edit it, the board had removed all my editing codes and inserted the "what you see is what you get" equivalent. I did change my default editor to WYSIWYG so that may be the reason. But this is just so amazing because I no longer have any idea how to get back to the original format. This is not a huge problem or anything. But it is just so interesting to think about how to deal with this.

My. My. This board is so much more advanced and has so many more features and options than the old one. I'm just loving it to bits.

ETA: I later found out how to see the original format. There is a button in the upper right corner of the editing window in the two advanced editors. It has two "A"'s in it - one much bigger than the other". This is called "Switch Editor Mode" and it lets you switch from the input to the output WYSIWYG.

[badabellisima]

Hey Everyone- i just realized i have been missing tons of incredible posts and i feel so dumb!! For some reason, the new un-read latest posts aren't showing up in bold font like they used to, so that i can easily notice that i have some un-read posts or threads to check out. i'm not sure how long this has been going on, so i have to go back thru and pick thru individual episode threads, etc. And-- the threads are not sorting by date of last post, so old ones are higher up the chain tha new ones from 2009 buried down the column. Surely this can be fixed!? It used to be where latest posts migrated to the top, and i didn't know it changed, so i wasn't paying attention to lower threads down the column that weren't bolded.

Does anyone know if i need to do something to fix this? i use the ""conventional" skin mostly- sometimes earth tones, because i have had a ard time seeing the contrast black&white of the "fusion" skin. But when i switch to Fusion- i still am not seeing the new posts in bold. Is there some better way to make sure i am finding all un-read posts? i have lots of catching up to do!

Okay- i just logged back in , and now my two newest posts are bolded as though unread, but not other posts that are un-read and that i still have not gotten to. And other new post are just made today are not bolded. What is up with this? Do i need a new computer??

[Detective Hunt]

This style of forum usually does an automatic look at when the last time you were on the forum. if you come on and don't read a bolded thread, likely it won't be bolded the next time as it assumes you have looked through what has been offered. The way I look at the forum, the sub-forums with new posts show an arrow and I can easily see what has recently been commented upon.

[FlyOnMelfisWall]

Yeah, like DH said, the forum utilizes a cookie that is stored on your computer and updates itself after every visit. As far as I know, it counts as "new" any posts time stamped after you last left the forum, and those threads will be the ones in bold on the first page and within the thread listings for each forum on your next visit.

The other part is VERY strange, since, no matter when you last visited, the sort order for threads in a forum should be stickys and threads with latest activity, in that order. Each user has the option in their control panel of changing that default sort order, and I suppose it's possible that somehow your default setting got changed unintentionally or accidentally through some forum malfunction.

I will see from my admin panel if I can access those forum defaults for your account and report back. Otherwise, make sure you are logged in and just go to your own control panel to see if you can change that setting.

[FlyOnMelfisWall]

bada, I had nothing available to me in the admin panel that addresses this issue. My advice is to delete your forum cookie and log back in, starting a new one.

Here's a link on that:

http://thechaselounge.net/faq.php?fa..._clear_cookies

Beware that these procedures apparently will delete ALL your cookies, which you may not want to do if you visit a lot of sites with logins, since you'd have to redo all those. To selectively delete just your chase lounge cookies, try looking in C:\Documents and Settings\Your Account Name\Cookies if you use Internet Explorer. If you use Mozilla Firefox, go to Tools>Options>Privacy Tab>Show Cookies. You should find a folder full of cookies under "thechaselounge.net". Hilight that folder and remove.

Hope this helps.

[badabellisima]

Thanks Fly- i'll let you know. Definitely the "bolding" of the font is not happening. Maybe my Norton is blocking that cookie repeatedly?... i'll let you know how the fix went.