The forum has been down for the last hour.
I've been in touch with Dave at Social Strata. It seems that there has been a software update.
Hopefully, things are back to normal.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Hmmm. The "featured" feature is working on my other forum. I'll go have a look at things...
El Loro--is it fixed for you? I still see the featured topics as featured?
There's now an article on the software update in the Social Strata blog.
Two items to note from that.
As soon as you start scrolling down a thread page the top part of the page changes to just shown the name of the thread. Seems to be a cosmetic change.
For any member who hasn't opted for an avatar picture. their picture now shows a coloured circle with one or two letters based on their forum name.
There was an issue with some of the CSS, but that seems to be fixed, now.
My apologies for not alerting you all to the potential downtime: it was scheduled rather quickly, AND there were problems during the upgrade, so it took longer than expected.
Lori, I note that that blog mentions a new Topic list mode. I assume we will be staying with the Legacy mode. I don't think the new Topic list mode would be helpful with the way that people post here.
For the benefit of others, it's the first subject on the blog:
https://www.socialstrata.com/b...orum-refresh-release
Although the featured threads show the 'featured' button there is no clear division between them and the rest of the threads, as there used to be.
i.e. There used to be a heading between the featured threads and the rest of the threads,
As an aside, my ship looks as though it is falling over, in that circle! 
Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Although the featured threads show the 'featured' button there is no clear division between them and the rest of the threads, as there used to be.
i.e. There used to be a heading between the featured threads and the rest of the threads,
Yes, that's what's different 
El Loro posted:Lori, I note that that blog mentions a new Topic list mode. I assume we will be staying with the Legacy mode. I don't think the new Topic list mode would be helpful with the way that people post here.
For the benefit of others, it's the first subject on the blog:
https://www.socialstrata.com/b...orum-refresh-release
Yep, we'll stay with Legacy. This group is not big on change. 
Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Although the featured threads show the 'featured' button there is no clear division between them and the rest of the threads, as there used to be.
i.e. There used to be a heading between the featured threads and the rest of the threads,
True....but all the featured topics are at the top.
And I don't see any difference in your ship, but I now have nothing to compare it to...
Lori posted:El Loro posted:Lori, I note that that blog mentions a new Topic list mode. I assume we will be staying with the Legacy mode. I don't think the new Topic list mode would be helpful with the way that people post here.
For the benefit of others, it's the first subject on the blog:
https://www.socialstrata.com/b...orum-refresh-releaseYep, we'll stay with Legacy. This group is not big on change.
Moonie posted:Moonie posted:I understand that an FM = Forum Member
But what is a GT and a T is the survey section?
Also, why the different colours?
I know GT is Gin @ Tonic and T is just Tonic
You beat me to it
Moonie posted:I understand that an FM = Forum Member
But what is a GT and a T is the survey section?
Also, why the different colours?
I mentioned above that those are now used for the avatar picture where the member hasn't opted for one. I think FM stands for Former Member.
GT and T would be based on the person's forum name. GT is Granny Treasure who has hardly posted anything. T may be Twickers though I'm not certain.
The colour used is based on an arcane formula devised many centuries ago by an ancient sect of mystics which has recently been unearthed by Social Strata archealogists. The formula is kept secret for security reasons as if it became public, the results could be catastrophic.
Or it could just be random
Moonie posted:I understand that an FM = Forum Member
But what is a GT and a T is the survey section?
Also, why the different colours?
Different colours to differentiate between Tim and Tom!
El Loro posted:The colour used is based on an arcane formula devised many centuries ago by an ancient sect of mystics which has recently been unearthed by Social Strata archealogists. The formula is kept secret for security reasons as if it became public, the results could be catastrophic.
Or it could just be random
El Loro posted:Moonie posted:I understand that an FM = Forum Member
But what is a GT and a T is the survey section?
Also, why the different colours?
I mentioned above that those are now used for the avatar picture where the member hasn't opted for one. I think FM stands for Former Member.
GT and T would be based on the person's forum name. GT is Granny Treasure who has hardly posted anything. T may be Twickers though I'm not certain.
I'm guessing you're right.
I think the different colours are just to differentiate between members, Moonie.
El Loro posted:The colour used is based on an arcane formula devised many centuries ago by an ancient sect of mystics which has recently been unearthed by Social Strata archealogists. The formula is kept secret for security reasons as if it became public, the results could be catastrophic.
Or it could just be random
I may use this explanation... 
Can I throw a spanner in the works....when I click in to a thread and start scrolling and reading I get a big black and white banner across the top with the thread title. I've done it in one or two threads
Windows 8.1 and Chrome. Hope someone can help please 
Sprout posted:Can I throw a spanner in the works....when I click in to a thread and start scrolling and reading I get a big black and white banner across the top with the thread title. I've done it in one or two threads
Windows 8.1 and Chrome. Hope someone can help please
We all get it Sprout
Baz posted:Sprout posted:Can I throw a spanner in the works....when I click in to a thread and start scrolling and reading I get a big black and white banner across the top with the thread title. I've done it in one or two threads
Windows 8.1 and Chrome. Hope someone can help please
We all get it Sprout
It's offputting
Sprout posted:Baz posted:Sprout posted:Can I throw a spanner in the works....when I click in to a thread and start scrolling and reading I get a big black and white banner across the top with the thread title. I've done it in one or two threads
Windows 8.1 and Chrome. Hope someone can help please
We all get it Sprout
It's offputting
Itâs just new ...give it a few days and we will have forgotten about it
To be honest Lori. I can normally go with all the changes that's been made in the past but not this one...sorry.
It's just too 'there' in your face type of thing (to me anyway)
Sprout posted:To be honest Lori. I can normally go with all the changes that's been made in the past but not this one...sorry.
It's just too 'there' in your face type of thing (to me anyway)
Are you saying that the black and white banner is there all the time - no matter how far down the page you scroll?
Yes, Fluffy, that's a new feature.
Lori posted:Yes, Fluffy, that's a new feature.
To be honest, I hadn't noticed it!
El Loro posted:Moonie posted:I understand that an FM = Forum Member
But what is a GT and a T is the survey section?
Also, why the different colours?
I mentioned above that those are now used for the avatar picture where the member hasn't opted for one. I think FM stands for Former Member.
GT and T would be based on the person's forum name. GT is Granny Treasure who has hardly posted anything. T may be Twickers though I'm not certain.
Sorry El, I didnât notice 
El Loro posted:The colour used is based on an arcane formula devised many centuries ago by an ancient sect of mystics which has recently been unearthed by Social Strata archealogists. The formula is kept secret for security reasons as if it became public, the results could be catastrophic.
Or it could just be random
The later seems more likely El
Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Moonie posted:I understand that an FM = Forum Member
But what is a GT and a T is the survey section?
Also, why the different colours?
Different colours to differentiate between Tim and Tom!
El Loro posted:The colour used is based on an arcane formula devised many centuries ago by an ancient sect of mystics which has recently been unearthed by Social Strata archealogists. The formula is kept secret for security reasons as if it became public, the results could be catastrophic.
Or it could just be random
Baz posted:Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Lori posted:Yes, Fluffy, that's a new feature.
To be honest, I hadn't noticed it!
Ditto
I see on the Social Strata help forum that others have commented on the white banner header being problematical for people particularly on phones where the topic title in lengthy, the affect on avatar pictures being rounded (Baz, you've been a bit decapitated ), and the dissapearance of the division betwen featured and other topics. No responses as yet from Social Strata but too soon to expect any.
Poor Baz...and youâve lost your beak, El.
@Lori one possibility re featured and unfeatured topics could be to insert a bar rather like the one under Profile Information on ones's Profile Page.
The code line "<div id="topicsContainer">" seems to mark where unfeatured topics start. It would mean that the bar would also appear at the start of subsequent pages of the lists of topics but I don't think that would matter.
The fact that the banner heading is showing on mobiles will be fixed (that's apparently a bug). Also, looks like it's not supposed to default to white--I would expect the background color to change, as well. I figured out how to do it myself yesterday, but I think when they fix that, it will have been a waste of time for me to figure that out.
I'll hold off on any CSS changes until we make any bug fixes, @El Loro
I think the avatars might also be adjusted, so don't make any changes to your avatars, OK?
Yes, and I can do the same, but I'd rather wait until we've done any bug fixes.
Baz posted:Moonie posted:Lori posted:Yes, and I can do the same, but I'd rather wait until we've done any bug fixes.
We have bugs?
âgets bug spray outâ
Tis not nice when you have a bit missing, is it Bazzy? ðĄðĪĢðĪĢðĪĢ
Moonie posted:Baz posted:Moonie posted:Lori posted:Yes, and I can do the same, but I'd rather wait until we've done any bug fixes.
We have bugs?
âgets bug spray outâ
Tis not nice when you have a bit missing, is it Bazzy? ðĄðĪĢðĪĢðĪĢ
No 
....not that there is much in there these days ððððððâĪïļâĪïļâĪïļ
Looks to me like you've just had a little trim.
I heard there are 3 days between a bad haircut and a good haircut.
OK, all done! You're still trimmed, but at least you're looking sharp!
Baz posted:Lori posted:OK, all done! You're still trimmed, but at least you're looking sharp!
Thanks Lori.....first time in ages Iâve been sharp
I hear you... 
Ooh! Things have changed....after a shufti didn't even notice the banner at the top of the page, quite helpful with my record of getting chucked into old threads, at least I'll have some idea where I am ð
Wonder if my little bear is ok....
Kaytee posted:Ooh! Things have changed....after a shufti didn't even notice the banner at the top of the page, quite helpful with my record of getting chucked into old threads, at least I'll have some idea where I am ð
Wonder if my little bear is ok....
He is and he hasn't been imprisoned in a circleðððð
Hi, Kaytee!
Yep, your bear looks great!
Well. We've made a few changes:
1. The sticky topic heading won't show on mobile devices.
2. Instead of being a stark white, the sticky topic heading will be the background color of the forum.
3. As you can see, we now have the option to go back to the square avis. However, I can see that Baz's avi is still cropped, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. On the profile page, it says that an avi should be "at least 300 x 300 pixels", and this one shows for me as being 95 x 120...which is smaller, so why doesn't it fit??
@El Loro, any ideas? I might go back and look at Neil's fix (as you referenced above), but that would impact EVERYone, and not everyone has the issue.
Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:my banner is still white!
I respectfully disagree.
If you scroll all the way up, you'll see the forum topic header. If you scroll down a little bit, you'll see the color doesn't change (it's pretty pale, but the same color as the forum.
Attachments
I misread.....that's why I've deleted it!
Hah! Too late!
@Lori unfortunately there don't seem to be any larger pictures of Baz's avatar I can find.
There seems to be a bigger problem in that her picture seems to have lost the animation.
I attach two photos, "Baz.gif" was the old one which was already decapitated at the top, "Baz 2.gif" is the new one. I think though that the new one will still slice the top off to look like the old one.
Attachments
Images (2)
@Baz and @Lori I think the reason why Baz's newer picture is cropped at the top and the bottom is that the dimensions are not the same length, so the system crops the picture so thay the dimensions are the same. I've done a search to see if there are any which are the same but there aren't any.
I think the reason why Baz's animation isn't showing is that the picture needs to be uploaded from a computer rather than direct from this site.
So one needs to right clip on the Baz 2 picture, then Save Image As onto your computer. Then from the menu at the top right which drops down when hovering over your name select Update Your Profile. Scroll down to Profile Picture/Avatar, click Replace Avatar. Find Baz 2.gif from your computer, Open it and wait for the image to be uploaded and processed. It's not instant. Once you get the Success message you are sent back to your Profile page. Scroll down to the bottom and click on Update Profile.
Although still cropped, the animation should be back.
Yeah, I think I broke her gif yesterday trying to resize it. I'll just upload it again--the cropping was better with your new image, I think, but I'll just try again (and yes, I was uploading from my computer).
OK, I've re-uploaded the gif, and I think it's OK--it still works, and it's not as cropped as it was before the I switched the avatars from circles back to squares, right?
Lori, yes, it's worked - the animation is working. There's still a bit of cropping but not as much as before.
If one was to use a GIF editor to resize the gif so that the dimensions were the same, even though the cropping probably wouldn't happen, the result would not be flattering
Well, luckily I don't think I have a GIF editor.
Lori posted:Hi, Kaytee!
Yep, your bear looks great!
ððð
Hey, guess what? Apparently the fact that the featured topics are no longer separated from other topics is a bug! It's gonna be fixed! Not sure when, probably pretty quickly.
I'm very happy, because today was the day I was gonna break out the fancy CSS to try to fix it.
Really!? I'm intrigued! Tell me!
Lori, it would be to create a featured topic called something like "THIS IS THE DIVIDE BETWEEN FEATURED AND UNFEATURED TOPICS". It would be locked as not intended to have posts on. I think the existing featured topics would first need to be unfeatured, then the dividing topic featured followed by refeaturing the topics which one had just unfeatured in order to get the dividing one at the bottom. That would have to be done on a forum by forum basis though the Big Brother one is the one with most featured topics.
I think it would work but there's no point in doing it now.
Ahhhh. Way to think out of the CSS box! 
It's fixed! It's fixed!
There is now a clear divider between featured topics and non-featured topics.
Yep!
