A little info regarding the new software

[Boston Guy]

The new upgrade has created some confusion for some people, as software upgrades often do. I'm creating this thread in an attempt to help address some of the questions that have been asked and also to point out some some of the features offered by the software.

 

First, some of the options available to users, starting at the "Main Conference" -- the place you get to when you first enter the Message Center:

 

Show all folders: Clicking on this link will display all of the folders, including folders that are contained within other folders (like the South of the USA FAQ). Once in that view, clicking on Go back will take you back to the Main Conference.

 

Choose Classic View and Choose DCF View: This link is a toggle switch; if you choose one, it will display the other option at the top of the page and you can switch back and forth repeatedly. DCF View shows more information than Classic View, so your options are to display more items on the page or fewer items with more information shown for each. This option only applies at the Main Conference and one level below it. Once you get into a topic, this option doesn't apply. By far the easiest way to see what it does is to start at the Main Conference and click the link a couple of times to see the difference. Then choose any conference and do the same thing there. I've found, after a little experimentation, that I prefer the DCF View.

 

Expand topics and Collapse topics: This option applies once you're in a conference (or forum), like "The Lounge". Like the previous option, it's a toggle switch and you can turn it on or off by clicking the link at the top of the page. Its effect is immediately apparent -- when off, the topics are listed on after the other; when on, the replies to each topic are displayed underneath it before the next topic is listed. I used to prefer the "expanded" view and viewed M4M in that mode for years. A couple of releases ago, that got really slow and I got into the habit of using "Read New" to view new posts. The new server is a lot faster and it's my strong impression that this upgrade is a bit faster, too. But one of the nice things about the DCF software is that it allows each user to customize how he or she wants to see the messages displayed.

 

View in Linear Mode and View in Threaded Mode: another toggle switch. This one applies to viewing topics themselves. "Linear Mode" shows the messages in the order in which they were posted. For those of you who are familiar with the Atkol forums, this is the message they employ and some people prefer this view. I prefer "Threaded Mode", which groups replies together with the messages to which they pertain, rather than just listing all of the replies one by one, in the order they arrived. Clicking the link back and forth will make the difference clear, especially if you choose a topic with lots of replies.

 

This page is in overload mode - View all This is a new feature that seems to have arrived with this upgrade. One of the difficulties that the authors of bulletin board software face is how to display topics that have lots and lots of responses. There are several issues here -- comprehension, clarity, organization and speed. If you are displaying responses in linear mode (i.e., chronologically), there's no problem at all; just display some number of messages per page and let the users page forward or backward. But most of us like threaded-mode bulletin boards and when you have lots of replies to a topic, you end up with many small threads within the larger thread. By this I mean that many sub-topics can themselves end up with lots of replies, which can also become complex subtopics with lots of replies. We've all seen how large threads can get displayed with topics shifting farther and farther to the right of the page as the software tries to graphically illustrate which message another message is a reply to. Unfortunately, the right margin pops up really soon and frustrates this approach. The new software is providing a feature that I think is really cool, called overload mode.

 

For long threads, it chooses by default to not list all of the messages in each subthread. Instead, it lists the top-level responses to the main question and, after each one, lists a small tree of the messages that were in response to it. This can be confusing at first, because it seems like things are listed out of order. But it's just an attempt to actually make the thread easier to read, and also to allow the software to display long threads really quickly. (We all know how much patience we have for slow page displays. )

 

When you're looking at a page in overload mode, it will say so right after the first item and there will be a link that you can click to View All. Clicking on this link will show all of the topics just like View All always has done.

 

I didn't like Overload Mode at first but I'm getting used to it and can see a big advantage: it really does make long pages come up very quickly and if you're only interested in new stuff at the bottom, it's very easy to get there quickly.

 

Topics Sorted By: This option is provided at the top of each conference (or forum), like The Lounge. It lets you choose the order that you want the software to use when listing the topics. You can choose from Message ID, Topic, Author, Last Updated Date, Replies and Views. I find that I prefer to sort by Last Updated Date. It's easy to see the effect of this option: simply go to The Lounge and click on the different links. You'll see that the topics are displayed sorted in whichever order you choose.

 

As you choose among the options listed above, DCF will remember your choices and use them each time you come back until you change them again.

 

Printer-friendly copy: If you want to print a topic, click this link. The software will display a window that lists the responses to the topic in a format that will print cleanly. However, be aware that the responses are listed in linear mode (meaning they're listed chronologically) -- I think.

 

User Menu. The new software has fixed a bug that existed in the previous version. That bug caused the software not to display any indication that a user had received a "private message" -- a message from one user to another that is stored in the recipients mailbox here at M4M. This is like email except that the message doesn't go to your regular email address; instead, it's kept for you at M4M.

 

A reasonable question would be "why have this feature?" The answer, of course, is that many people who come here might well not want to give out their real email address. The private message function allows people to share messages among themselves without providing a real email address.

 

The problem with the missing flag (it actually looks like a little red flag displayed near the top of the page when you log in) was that there was no indication that a private message had been received. I discovered several messages people had sent me that I had never seen. (Sorry if you were one of those people to whom I never replied!) Evidently, HB had the same problem. It now appears to be fixed.

 

If you are seeing a little red flag waving near the top of the screen when you log in, it means you have new private messages. To check these messages, choose the User Menu link. Then choose the Inbox link. You can read each message by clicking on it. If you want to delete messages, click the box in front of the ones you want to delete and press the "Delete selected messages" button; all of the messages you selected will be deleted.

 

To turn off the little red flag, click on the link that says Click here to mark inbox messages as read.

 

If you want people to send you email addresses at your real email address, you need to provide an email address. Do this in the user menu by clicking on Edit account information. Enter your email address (and a name if you want to) and press the Update button.

 

If you want to provide additional information about yourself for the benefit of other users, you can do this from the User Menu as well. Click on Edit your profile. The options there are pretty clear. Click on Update at the bottom to save your changes.

 

You can also set a fair number of preferences from the User Menu. To do this, click on Edit your preference. One of the things you can do here is decide if you want people to be able to send you real email or not and also if they should be able to send you private messages (see above) as well. I've left both options turned on, although I prefer receiving real email if someone is comfortable providing a return email address.

 

There's an option in the User Menu that I just discovered. I think it's a new option and I think it's a terrific. This is the "Notify via email when you receive a private message?" option. Evidently, when you receive a private message, the software will send you an email alerting you that a message has arrived. This can go a long way toward making sure that we don't overlook private messages that have been sent to us. Obviously, though, we have to provide an email address in order for this this function to work (see above for entering an email address).

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

BG

 

ps: Daddy -- please don't move this to "Daddy's Place". I think lots of people don't view the messages in that forum. Thanks.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

BG,

 

Great MC Software FAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you.

 

I hope HB appropriates this and makes it an addendum to the MC FAQ. A great resource for all of us and a treasure for newbies.

 

>

>I didn't like Overload Mode at first but I'm getting

>used to it and can see a big advantage:

 

Neither did I, it threw me at first, but I'm now of the opinion that this may be the jewel in the crown of this upgrade -- as far as I've yet discovered anyway. The posts pinned to the right margin in long threads made it impossible to determine who was responding to whom without opening the post.

 

>

>There's an option in the User Menu that I

>just discovered. I think it's a new option and I think it's a

>terrific. This is the "Notify via email when you

>receive a private message?" option.

 

It is not new. I have utiliized this in the two previous upgrades. I have found it a great option to utilize, the more so when the the message flag went MIA in the last upgrade .

 

>

>I hope this is helpful.

>

 

Very.... thank you again.

[axebahia]

This is all very interesting, but what precipitated the change? I find the font size to be very small and very hard on the eyes. I also preferred being able to see who was replying to whom up front. That no longer seems possible.

[axebahia]

OK, it seems like my only issue is with the font size. In linear mode, it seems possile to see who is replying to whom as before.

[Boston Guy]

In "overloaded" threads, just click "View All". It will be listed after the first post. You'll then see thread displayed in the old format.

 

BG

[BuckyXTC]

>OK, it seems like my only issue is with the font size. In

>linear mode, it seems possile to see who is replying to whom

>as before.

 

I don't know how it works for people on the Windows platform, but on a Mac, if I want to increase the font size, all I do is type Command + to increase font size, and Command - to decrease. I'm sure there must be a Windows equivalent.

[Boston Guy]

Linear mode actually shows the responses in chronological order, so it won't show who's responding to whom unless the whole thread came in one straight line.

 

I'm not sure if you saw my post below, but in longer threads the new software goes into "overload" mode. It's an attempt to get away from those long series of narrow posts jammed up against the right margin.

 

What happens is that little subthreads are each displayed, one after the other. It's actually kind of cool once you catch on to what the organization is.

 

However -- and this is actually what you are looking for -- in overloaded threads, the software will tell you right after the first post that the thread is in overload mode. Right next to that line is a link labeled "view all". If you click that link, you'll see the familiar threaded view.

 

Regarding font size, if you are on Windows platform, there's something you can try. Use the cursor to click on View in the Internet Explorer menu at the top of the screen. In the View menu, click on Text Size. Choose a larger option from the ones listed.

 

This should increase the font size for you. You may need to reduce it again when going to another application or browser window, but it's just a couple of clicks to increase/decrease the size.

 

Hope this helps.

BG

 

And, by the way, regarding why this was necessary: the older software had bugs and was starting to get dated. Keeping business software up to date is usually a good idea. This new version solves several of the errors we were seeing with the old software, adds some neat new features and seems to me to be much faster.

[Guest fukamarine]

>OK, it seems like my only issue is with the font size. In

>linear mode, it seems possile to see who is replying to whom

>as before.

 

I'm running Windows 2000 and there is absolutely no differerce in font size with the new software. Wonder why some have a problem & I don't???

 

fukamarine

[Boston Guy]

I haven't seen a font change either. There must be something particular to certain environments. You'd sort of expect it to be browser-specific but that doesn't exactly seem to be the case here.

 

One thing -- I wonder if the folks who are seeing small font have updated their browsers recently? Applying the latest updates might help with the problems and it's pretty easy to do.

 

BG

[Guest Ant415]

I cannot reset the time on my vcr to daylight savings time. Will the new software help with this at all???

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

>I cannot reset the time on my vcr to daylight savings time.

>Will the new software help with this at all???

 

 

No, but one firm tap with your VCR repair hammer and setting the time will no longer be an issue. :+

[axebahia]

>I'm running Windows 2000 and there is absolutely no differerce

>in font size with the new software.

 

I am running Windows XP Professional, and the font size is miniscule. It is a huge change.

[axebahia]

>Regarding font size, if you are on Windows platform, there's

>something you can try. Use the cursor to click on View in the

>Internet Explorer menu at the top of the screen. In the View

>menu, click on Text Size. Choose a larger option from the

>ones listed.

 

Yes, this works well. Thanks! OK, I now declare the new software a net plus!

[+ deej]

ROFL!

 

I had a VCR once where the engineers actually did away with the problem of nobody knowing how to set the clock. They took the clock off the front of the unit.

[pierrot]

Question: How do you look at a photo someone has posted when there's this little box with a red x in it? Just clicking there doesn't seem to do it.

[Boston Guy]

That little red box is an indicator that the browser can't load the picture. There are a variety of reasons why this might be true. For example, the URL to the pic might be bad or the Website where the pic is stored might not be accessible right now or the pic might simply have been deleted.

 

However, if you are using Windows, there is something you can try.

 

1. Right-click the little red box.

2. Choose Properties in the pop-up menu that appears.

3. The address (URL) of the pic will be listed in the Properties dialog that pops up. Hold down the left mouse button and sweep the mouse over the URL to select all of the text.

4. Make sure the mouse pointer is over the selected text and the click the right mouse button.

5. Select Copy from the pop-up menu.

6. Open a new browser window and paste the text you just copied into the broswer's Address line and see if your browser can display the pic.

 

I have seen any number of instances where the M4M site won't display a pic but I can see it if I go grab the pic myself the hard way (using the steps described above).

 

HTH,

BG

[Guest JimEricNJ]

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