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General discussion

Another wave of featuresTO BE implemented in the forums

Jul 15, 2004 4:30AM PDT

I don't currently have an ETA of deploying these new forum enhanced features, but I just wanted to give you all a heads up of what we are currently working. I will post an annoucement as soon as I know a solid release date. So please do NOT ask when these will be deployed, I will let you know.

These are the enhancements and fixes as follows:

1. Member profile pages (Get to know you fellow community members)

2. Contact other members via emails (kinda sorta, but not like private messaging, but you will be able to email other members directly from the forums without sacraficing your privacy.)

3. Cookie based Read and Unread message indicators (different colored arrows to indicate Read and Unread discussions and messages.)

4. 7 layer deep limitation will be revamped to 12 layers. 12 layers should be enough to complete a short debate or how-to, anything longer than 12 layers is a waste of bandwidth Wink)

5. Cobrand mixing of help.com forums and reviews forums fixed (no more confusions, "there's no place like home")

6. Finally some advertisement banners in the forums to support them (I know it was great not to have any, but the forums have been starving ya know Grin)

Discussion is locked

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It's fixed now Lee by adding http:// before www
Jul 29, 2004 10:19AM PDT

The instruction says
(Enter URL only; e.g. www.cnet.com) Grin but it should entered with http://

Happy

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Got it Donna, I'm creating a list of fixes
Jul 29, 2004 11:38AM PDT

thanks!

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And then...................
Jul 29, 2004 10:15AM PDT

HTML code is not possible (yet?) in "Favorite Quote" area but it is possible in Biography area.

TY

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Unfortunately, most likely not because of the risk of script
Jul 29, 2004 11:23AM PDT

kiddies and malicious codes...

maybe one day... got keep hoping Happy

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I understand Lee. I made a mistake
Jul 29, 2004 12:45PM PDT

I'm talking about BBS codes not HTML codes but my keyboard typed HTML codes Wink Silly

The "Favorite Quote" area does not allow BBS code (?) while in "Biography" area it's possible Happy

Thanks!

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Gotcha, maybe in the future, I will note this.
Jul 29, 2004 1:01PM PDT

Thanks!

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(NT) (NT) TYVM Lee!
Jul 29, 2004 1:19PM PDT
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A Bug already, Lee
Jul 29, 2004 7:32AM PDT

The messages read aren't being marked as read. I just tested this in the SE forum by reading the only three messages posted to a thread and none of them were marked as read when I refreshed the main page.

TONI

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It's working, a little delay but working... are looking at
Jul 29, 2004 7:34AM PDT

the arrow or the text?

Message marking will be by the color of the arrow and not text bold and unbolds.

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Well
Jul 29, 2004 8:43AM PDT

the messages are NOT being marked as Read so you can't tell what you've already read anymore at all. The only change I can see is that there is a small colored arrow next to the main/original post in a thread to indicate if there are read or unread or new posts to it. BAAADDD for people who are color blind and can't tell the difference....at least if the messages themselves would mark as read, you could tell from the shading that you aren't re-reading something you've already read. Otherwise, the only thing you have left as an option is to click the 'next unread' and hope to hell the software really knows you haven't read it once.

When it first showed up, I thought the read messages were showing up in black type instead of a lighter shade of blue. I didn't realize that only shows for the one you are currently reading like before. Darn.

Grrrrrr........

TONI

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Re: Well
Jul 29, 2004 9:01AM PDT

Good point, and if it can't be changed, maybe the arrows can be made larger.

JR

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(NT) (NT) Definitely will consider the size change...
Jul 29, 2004 9:05AM PDT
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Re: (NT) Definitely will consider the size change...
Jul 29, 2004 11:11AM PDT

Locked thread Moderator CNET editor


Lee, I just logged back in and I don't have any icons listed except the aboveSad No more marked read, No arrow saying what has been readSad
Is there something I need to do to correct this?
Glenda

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After posting the above......
Jul 29, 2004 11:13AM PDT

all of the icons are backHappy This is too weird they come and goSad
Glenda

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It may take a few seconds to load... because it has
Jul 29, 2004 11:22AM PDT

to cache all the page for you as an individual user.

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Re: It may take a few seconds to load... because it has
Jul 29, 2004 12:42PM PDT

Thank you, Lee. When I have problems I always assume my PC is at faultHappy

Glenda

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(NT) (NT) PLease. I find myself leaning toward the screen.
Jul 29, 2004 4:49PM PDT
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Arrow size and color - PLEASE!
Jul 29, 2004 11:26PM PDT

I'd like to see a much bigger arrow with a much brighter/high-contrast color for unread messages. How about bright red, the same color as the 'NEW' tag? Flashing? My eyes were never great and they're not getting any better. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Dan

.

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Re: Arrow size and color - PLEASE!
Jul 30, 2004 1:58AM PDT
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Re: Arrow size and color - PLEASE!
Jul 30, 2004 4:36AM PDT

You're not alone, Dan!

I also wish to register my request for larger (MUCH larger) arrows, and more contrast between colors, if possible. These are bad to try and see.

--Cindi
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email the mods

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No promises right away, but I will do my best to increase
Jul 30, 2004 6:25AM PDT

the arrow sizes.

Thanks for all the feedback.

-Lee

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IMHO
Jul 30, 2004 1:01AM PDT

The new forum feature...
2. Contact other members via emails (kinda sorta, but not like private messaging, but you will be able to email other members directly from the forums without sacraficing your privacy.)

is cool. I think all moderators and members who wish to receive personal messages should enable this feature UNLESS they do not want to be bothered by co-members or co-mods Wink and/or mailbox storage space is an issue but hey Yahoo, gmail or hotmail offers huge space.

It's really private because the email address of the sender does NOT appear as the sender. The sender need to add his/her email address in his/her message if s/he requires/need a response.

Did a test a by sending an email to myself Grin

It was sent in few seconds - gmail.com got the message:

Subj: Message from a CNET Member

Message:
**Please do not reply to this e-mail. Replies to this email address will not reach the CNET Member. If you would like to contact this member, please return to the CNET Forums and click on this particular member's user profile and click on the "Email this member" button, if the button is unavailable on their profile page, the member has opted not to receive any emails from other members.**

Thank you for participating in the CNET forums and/or talkbacks. One of your fellow members has a message for you:

{Message is here}

@Lee, thanks again for this very useful feature!

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Re: IMHO
Jul 30, 2004 1:43AM PDT

Nice feature but does not work for me. Sent two messages to myself this morning. Although the screen indicated message sent neither ever arrived.

Am unable to login using Mozilla 1.7 and neither do the new icon legend (including next unread) and arrows on the left side of the thread show (blank). IE 6 seems to be ok except for the e-mail feature.

Never any problem previously with either browser. It seems CNet is forcing everyone to login to benefit from the new features... if I cannot login using Mozilla, the features are of no benefit. I suppose non-members will be unable to browse and have benefit of tracking where they have been. Sad

Just information,

Glenn

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Mozilla mystery solved...
Jul 30, 2004 2:05AM PDT

The problem involved cookie management. After searching the blocked cookies list "reviews.cnet.com" was deleted and accpeted on next login. Appears to solve the problem. Tracking cookies appear to be required for login.

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Re: Mozilla mystery solved...
Jul 30, 2004 2:10AM PDT

Cool!

How about the instant message? Haven't receive your test messages?

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Re: Mozilla mystery solved...
Jul 30, 2004 2:23AM PDT

Donna, I have not tried messenger. Sent you trial e-mail moments ago. Anxious to see if it works. Wink

Glenn

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Re: Mozilla mystery solved...
Jul 30, 2004 2:27AM PDT

Got your test email message Glenn Happy

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Lee, about Visitors, Guests, Browser types....
Jul 30, 2004 2:35AM PDT
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Alt Tags for Read / Unread / New Post / Lock ?
Jul 30, 2004 2:39AM PDT

1. Would it be possible to change the Alt Tags texts as follows:

Number of characters (i.e. length) fixed. Example 4

"Read" replaced by 4 spaces (NIL)
"Unread" replaced by "Unrd"
"New Post" replaced by "NewP"
"This thread has been locked by the moderator" replaced by "Lock"

Reason: After "Mark All Read" (action that any regulars will do), the Read threads will show the Alt Tags as blanks. So, only New, Unrd and Lock will be displayed, thus the page will display less cluttered.

2. Alt Tags don't show on IE based browsers, deliberately programmed or not. Mozilla and FireFox do show them.


As a collateral note, for a non image browsing, this version is worse than the before one.


Cetin


Trying to unweave, unwind, unravel
And piece together the past and the future,


T. S. Eliot

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Lee, Small glitch on viewing a profile
Jul 30, 2004 2:47PM PDT

If a user will try to view the profile of any person FROM the search results, profile page is not shown.

Example: Did a search for all posts made by Lee Koo.
Results: http://cma.zdnet.com/texis/forums/search.html?q=&qt=&p=Lee+Koo&a=&b=&fi=&f=1&o=d&m=10

Another example: Did a search for a keyword "cnet"
Results: http://cma.zdnet.com/texis/forums/search.html?q=cnet&qt=&p=&a=&b=&fi=51&f=1&o=d&m=10

Clicking on Lee Koos' name or anyones' name will direct the browser to Advanced Forum Search page instead of Lee Koos' or anyones profile page.

Noticed the above today. Please ignore if it was reported/discussed before.

Happy