This thread is for things that aren't working the way we think they should (or at least the way we wish they would). Don't worry - it's not as bad as it seems! Some are quite minor, but we are trying to keep track of them all.

Like many things here, this is subject to change - but my current thought is that this is a place where we can keep a list for Richard (and the developers of the glFusion software we're using for this forum) of things that should work - and don't.

We may be deleting issues once they're resolved, and may move some questions over to the "So How Do I?" thread if they do work but are just very different than they were on the old forum.

In order to keep this an efficient list, please do most of your testing and discussion in the Practice Area and put a summary post here once you've figured out what is or isn't working.

Thanks for your help and input as we get this up and running!

Summary

Things to submit to the glFusion forum

• Deleting a post triggers a warning that sounds as if you'll delete the entire thread (Richard can change this - need to give him new language)
  
  
• If you delete a picture and then re-size it using your re-sizing software and re-post it with the same name, it does not pick up the re-sized picture--it reposts the original; the Media Gallery has the same problem.
  
  
• The time limit on editing posts seems to be 7200 seconds, not the 7200 minutes we entered
  
  
• If you quote a post with smileys or pictures in it, the smileys and pictures tend to pile up along the right margin

Things for Richard to check

• If you link to the same site too often, your post will be marked as spam and no one can link to that site until it's whitelisted by an admin (at present the "fix" is to email the site that gives you trouble to the admins - forumadmin at hancockwildlife dot org - except with the usual symbols for at and dot - and we'll add it to the whitelist)
  
  
• The Search link at the bottom of the page lets you search the forum but the author list appears to only be those who've posted on the website - not those who have MG accounts or post on the forum
  
  
• As a Forum Administrator I think I should be able to move a topic to any other forum - but I can only move it to forums where I'm a moderator

Future enhancements to make the forum more functional

• Attachments don't have a place for comments
  
  
• There's no link to the forum index at the bottom of the page; you need to use an arrow to go to the top, then click index, then click where you want to go
  
  
• Links don't automatically become clickable - you need to add URL tags
  
  
• Unlike the current forum, there's no built-in limit to the size of pictures you post with IMG tags; it would be good if they could post a thumbnail when they're over 500 pixels wide like attachments do
  
  
• We would like a way to add additional BBCode
  
  
• Unlike some other forums, smileys don't automatically include a space so they seem crowded
  
  
• It would be nice if we could put some smileys on a "click for more" page

Inconveniences

• Can't put attachments in PMs
  
  
• There's not a direct link to the forum index from the Message Center - you need to choose Discussion Forum from the navigation bar then go to the index
  
  
• Using the FILE tags to make attached pictures appear in posts isn't even marginally intuitive
  
  
• If you quote a post with an attached pic using FILE tags, then add an attached pic of your own with FILE tags, your pic will show up in both places
  
  
• I haven't seen this myself yet, but one member was listed as offline when she was online; not sure if online status is based on activity - I think on the current forum you show as offline if you don't do anything for so many minutes
  
  
• When I'm a ways down a long post like this and click one of the formatting buttons, the cursor jumps to the top
  
  
• There's no easy way to tell what thread you're in - once you click Reply you see the subject, but it's not visible in each post like the current forum (Update - I've just realized the thread name is in the title bar while viewing a thread.)
  
  

FIXED!

• we should be able to set our time zone in Account Settings
  
  
• The default font/fontsize combination is too small
  
  
• Members whose names are exactly the minimum length can post but cannot edit their posts (there's a patch for this that I think will be in the next update; in the meantime we have a workaround)
  
  
• Link to find all postings by a member doesn't work
  
  
  
• We need to make the New Topic button only available as needed
  
  
• Is it possible to move the New Topic button to an area away from the Post Reply button to make it harder to click by accident?

I was planning to send JudyB a PM of these two Smileys to get her opinion on whether or not we should add them to the list.
There is no ability to make a standard attachment with a "Browse" and "File" code button when composing a PM.

There isn't a link to the forum index in the pm area - if one goes to send a pm - the only way back is to click on Forum (New) link on the top bar!!


It's nice to have the time correct at last - thank you, Richard!!

When you go to delete a post, you get the following message:


I think the message is appropriate for the first post in a thread - because deleting the first post does indeed delete the entire thread. But as far as we've been able to tell, deleting any other post in a thread only deletes that post.

A message that says "are you sure" would be reasonable - but this is inaccurate - and quite scary - when it appears for posts other than the first one in a thread.

PARTLY FIXED

As part of a discussion about referencing things in the old forum, I tried copying some links from HikerBikerGram's Bird Talk 101 index. The formatting was off initially - font sizes for "large" are defined differently, so I made a note of that and then repasted the links and changed the font size to show the difference - and when I went to post, I got the following message:


I was able to use my Back button to get back to my post - and after I deleted the links, I was able to post it (it's in one of the practice areas).

But now it appears that I can't post any URLs without having my post deleted as spam.

We clearly need to figure out what triggers this - and how to turn it off so I can link again.

Update
I've done a bit of research into the SpamX plugin which prevents spambots from posting thousands of links for products we might not want discussed on a family-friendly forum - and apparently by having a post with 10 links to the current forum, I've made it appear that the current forum is a spam-generator. So now no one can post links to the current forum without having their post deleted as spam.

Clearly this is not a good thing - and I think the solution is to put the URL of the current forum on a whitelist - but given that I've already done enough damage for one day, I've asked Richard to check into that. :helpsos:

Update 2 - Dec 30, 8:45 am PST
Richard has added the current forum to the whitelist of places where multiple links are allowed, so I'm going to see if I can now link to a post there:

American Bittern

American Coot

And I can! :clap2: Thanks, Richard!

Note: I've already triggered SpamX again - not sure what criteria it uses, but I'm guessing we'll need to whitelist a ton of places before we're done

:helpsos::helpsos::helpsos:

I just realized something VERY BAD about these attachments for our specific purposes. They do not upload with the date/time attached at the bottom as happens in the current forum. It's going to be very hard to know when a picture was taken without this information being put in place automatically.


Examples of what I mean... not all people have date/time details showing -- it may depend on thesoftware they use and how they set it up... nonetheless it's useful when it is included and now we won't have it at all....

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Another issue I've run across is that in order to change from one area of the forum to the next we have to scroll all the way to the top of the page again to click the Forum Index.
At the old forum that feature was at the top and bottom of every page.

Quote by: jkr

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Another issue I've run across is that in order to change from one area of the forum to the next we have to scroll all the way to the top of the page again to click the Forum Index.
At the old forum that feature was at the top and bottom of every page.

I asked about that in the test forum - and was referred to the up arrow in each post - which still makes it two moves until one gets to the index - but saves you scrolling!
If the up arrow is off page - then use the 'Home' button!

I would still prefer to see the link to the index at the bottom as well - I use that a lot!!