Forum Update

[kieron]

I received my first e-mail from this forum since Wednesday this morning.

Is there a way to tell Xenoforum that I would like to be sent new posts for all of the threads I had subscribed to before the switchover? Preferably one which doesn't rely on me clicking on every single thread?

The e-mail received includes a post with some quoted text in it, but it doesn't say who was being quoted. Is it an issue with the specific post I've received, or doesn't Xenoforum do this?

At the bottom of the e-mail, it says "You will not receive any further emails about this thread until you have read the new messages.". This suggests that Xenoforum has unsubscribed me even from this thread. Is there a way I can stop it from doing that?

E-mail is much more convenient for me as I can download things when I'm on-line and read them later, so I'd be a bit disappointed if Xenoforum can't handle it the way vBulletin did. I'm sure I'll find a way to manage if it can't, though.

 

[BlueFox]

Is there a way to tell Xenoforum that I would like to be sent new posts for all of the threads I had subscribed to before the switchover? Preferably one which doesn't rely on me clicking on every single thread?

Go to https://www.railforums.co.uk/watched/threads/all
You can tick the box on the left of the threads you want email notification for, then select enable email notification at the bottom.

The e-mail received includes a post with some quoted text in it, but it doesn't say who was being quoted. Is it an issue with the specific post I've received, or doesn't Xenoforum do this?

It says who was being quoted immediately above the quote.

At the bottom of the e-mail, it says "You will not receive any further emails about this thread until you have read the new messages.". This suggests that Xenoforum has unsubscribed me even from this thread. Is there a way I can stop it from doing that?

You've not been unsubscribed. After you read the thread on the forum, you'll receive a notification the next time someone posts.

E-mail is much more convenient for me as I can download things when I'm on-line and read them later, so I'd be a bit disappointed if Xenoforum can't handle it the way vBulletin did. I'm sure I'll find a way to manage if it can't, though.

The site is designed to be used as a forum, not as a mailing list.
There is a Xenforo add-on ($15) that will do what you want, maybe it's something the admins will install if enough people want it.
https://xenforo.com/community/resources/persistent-alerts.4962/

 

[martin2345uk]

The worst thing about this forum now is that it makes the other forums I go to seem positively archaic!

 

[kieron]

Go to https://www.railforums.co.uk/watched/threads/all
You can tick the box on the left of the threads you want email notification for, then select enable email notification at the bottom.

Hmm. That would take a while.

It says who was being quoted immediately above the quote.

I cannot reproduce that behaviour. I've only received e-mails with text such as the following in them:

BlueFox replied to a thread you are watching at RailUK Forums.

"Forum Update"

This is the message they posted:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Is there a way to tell Xenoforum that I would like to be sent new

...

You've not been unsubscribed. After you read the thread on the forum, you'll receive a notification the next time someone posts.

This seems to be a problem of terminology. What you are describing is nothing like the thread subscription service the vBulletin version of the forum offered.

The site is designed to be used as a forum, not as a mailing list.
There is a Xenforo add-on ($15) that will do what you want, maybe it's something the admins will install if enough people want it.
https://xenforo.com/community/resources/persistent-alerts.4962/

Surely you can see the weakness of the following process:

1. Receive an e-mail to say that such and such a post has been posted to such and such a thread.
2. Read the post.
3. Decide that the post isn't one I wish to respond to.
4. Open the link on the e-mail in a web browser.
5. Log in to the web site.
6. Close the window once it has loaded. Thanks to step 3, I know there is nothing else I wish to do with it.

Steps 4-6 are, at least, something I could automate, although it would mean hitting either the web server here or a mail server every few seconds.

 

[fowler9]

Still not that keen on the font myself.

 

[BlueFox]

Hmm. That would take a while.

But you don't need to do anything if you're already subscribed to those threads.

cannot reproduce that behaviour. I've only received e-mails with text such as the following in them:

I suspect you're using a text only email client, or viewing emails in plain text instead of html.

Surely you can see the weakness of the following process:

1. Receive an e-mail to say that such and such a post has been posted to such and such a thread.
2. Read the post.
3. Decide that the post isn't one I wish to respond to.
4. Open the link on the e-mail in a web browser.
5. Log in to the web site.
6. Close the window once it has loaded. Thanks to step 3, I know there is nothing else I wish to do with it.

It's a forum, not a mailing list. It's designed to be used online.
As I've already pointed out there's an add-on that will do what you want. It's something you should take up with the admins if you want them to buy and install it.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Another daft question from me, if people are sick of my stupidity please feel free to have it moderated. Someone has commented on my status message but when I click on the notiffication/alert for this it simply brings up the persons profile, not their comment? How do I read what they replied to on my status?

 

[BlueFox]

How do I read what they replied to on my status?

https://www.railforums.co.uk/members/blindtraveler.9351/

 

[satisnek]

Just one question - are longer usernames possible with this new software, and if so, would it be possible to alter the username (with a name change amnesty of course)? Or is the username length stipulated by Rail UK Forums in the first place?

 

[ainsworth74]

We've been looking at allowing longer ones but the problem is that it can cause usernames to go over more than one line which rather makes things look very ugly. So we've put it on the back burner for the time being to focus on more pressing concerns. So I'll go with hopefully yes in the future longer usernames will be possible but I wouldn't like to say when.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Thanks once again @BlueFox, obviouse really I was over complicating things I think.

My most major gripe with the new setup is its really not so obvious when a new PM/conversation has arrived, I miss the old Popup from VB days.

A word of warning for the email notification of same, gmail marked the first one I ever got on the new system today as Spam and as a result I only picked it up around 45 minutes ago, sorry @185143

long long long long way down the list but I wonder if theres a way of making it more obvious? Its a selfish want rather than anything so as I say ages away from any kind of answer, I wouldnt want to fill poor @Mojo 's list with anything else, porr blokes about to pop I fear!

 

[rebmcr]

Thanks once again @BlueFox, obviouse really I was over complicating things I think.

My most major gripe with the new setup is its really not so obvious when a new PM/conversation has arrived, I miss the old Popup from VB days.

A word of warning for the email notification of same, gmail marked the first one I ever got on the new system today as Spam and as a result I only picked it up around 45 minutes ago, sorry @185143

long long long long way down the list but I wonder if theres a way of making it more obvious? Its a selfish want rather than anything so as I say ages away from any kind of answer, I wouldnt want to fill poor @Mojo 's list with anything else, porr blokes about to pop I fear!

Oooh, we have @Username tags now too!

 

[rebmcr]

Now that the avatar shape has changed, some avatars (mine for example) will have to be remastered — there is no information on the optimal size for that, which appears to be 96×96 pixels.

Unfortunately, after remastering my avatar to 96×96, I have discovered that there is 2px of padding and 1px of margin in the 'avatarcropper' CSS class.

For anyone else producing a fresh avatar to suit the new layout, you should work to 90×90 pixels to keep it crisp and not blurred. Actually, this is not possible without forum software tweaks.

 

[satisnek]

We've been looking at allowing longer ones but the problem is that it can cause usernames to go over more than one line which rather makes things look very ugly. So we've put it on the back burner for the time being to focus on more pressing concerns. So I'll go with hopefully yes in the future longer usernames will be possible but I wouldn't like to say when.

Thanks!

 

[HSTEd]

I don't know if I am being an idiot - but is there a way to set number of posts per page in the settings?

I used to have it set to 50 in the old forum and the 20 makes its harder to follow a conversation in a larger thread.

 

[sjoh]

I don't know if I am being an idiot - but is there a way to set number of posts per page in the settings?

I used to have it set to 50 in the old forum and the 20 makes its harder to follow a conversation in a larger thread.

Having just read through the XenoForum support thread on this very topic, I don't think it's possible (despite many users asking).

 

[talldave]

Could I add a vote for shrinking the font size on Thread titles. They're actually bigger than the forum names on the home page, which seems wrong. Perhaps they could at least be the same size as the forum names?

Other than that, all looking good as a result of a lot of behind the scenes effort.

 

[Senex]

Could I add a vote for shrinking the font size on Thread titles. They're actually bigger than the forum names on the home page, which seems wrong. Perhaps they could at least be the same size as the forum names?

Other than that, all looking good as a result of a lot of behind the scenes effort.

"Amen" to both paragraphs. The one drawback to the new set-up is how big and how expansive everything is, one result being how few thread titles one can see on one screen (for me a maximum of 16).

 

[fowler9]

Many thanks to all the people working so hard on the forum. Took me a few days to get my head around the changes (I am getting older) but it seems to me to be much easier to use.

 

[rebmcr]

Unfortunately, after remastering my avatar to 96×96, I have discovered that there is 2px of padding and 1px of margin in the 'avatarcropper' CSS class.

For anyone else producing a fresh avatar to suit the new layout, you should work to 90×90 pixels to keep it crisp and not blurred.

Further investigation had led me to find that the forum software does indeed run at 96×96 at the back end, but the display code shrinks it to 90×90 by having margin & padding inside the 96×96 container.

@Mojo I think the CSS should be tweaked to address this — it unfortunately makes two layers of blurring unavoidable. I can recommend the required tweak, or you could just show Pixel Exit this post if they're still contracted to provide small updates to their theme design.

 

[alxndr]

Just noticed there's two places to select gender when editing your personal details. One above the date of birth and one below your location.

 

[Crossover]

Thanks once again @BlueFox, obviouse really I was over complicating things I think.

My most major gripe with the new setup is its really not so obvious when a new PM/conversation has arrived, I miss the old Popup from VB days.

A word of warning for the email notification of same, gmail marked the first one I ever got on the new system today as Spam and as a result I only picked it up around 45 minutes ago, sorry @185143

long long long long way down the list but I wonder if theres a way of making it more obvious? Its a selfish want rather than anything so as I say ages away from any kind of answer, I wouldnt want to fill poor @Mojo 's list with anything else, porr blokes about to pop I fear!

The only thing I can suggest regarding the email notifications is to whitelist the sending address. The emails I had earlier in the week appeared to be from intouch@railforums.co.uk and bounces@railforums.co.uk

I don't know if I am being an idiot - but is there a way to set number of posts per page in the settings?

I used to have it set to 50 in the old forum and the 20 makes its harder to follow a conversation in a larger thread.

I believe that this is default XenForo behaviour, set globally for all users. I think @BlueFox alluded to there being an add-on to add functionality of allowing users to specify it per user

Just noticed there's places to select gender when editing your personal details. One above the date of birth and one below your location.

I think if these are filled in, it in turn changes the default avatar accordingly

 

[BlueFox]

I believe that this is default XenForo behaviour, set globally for all users. I think @BlueFox alluded to there being an add-on to add functionality of allowing users to specify it per user

The add-on is here: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/threads-posts-and-conversations-per-page.2112/
It works well on my forum.

 

[yorksrob]

I received an email at my personal email address saying that I'd received a message on the forum (which I assume is a pm). This doesn't seem to be showing on the actual forum under my personal messages or anywhere else for some reason.

 

[Crossover]

I received an email at my personal email address saying that I'd received a message on the forum (which I assume is a pm). This doesn't seem to be showing on the actual forum under my personal messages or anywhere else for some reason.

An email regarding a 'PM' will state someone has started/responded to a conversation you're in

If it's a message, could it be on your profile page?

 

[yorksrob]

An email regarding a 'PM' will state someone has started/responded to a conversation you're in

If it's a message, could it be on your profile page?

I did look, however I couldn't find this particular one (some previous ones were there). No worries, I've pm'd the sender anyway.

Otherwise, liking the new software - definitely easier to use on mobile !

 

[SS4]

Is there an option to have the BBCode editor back? I find the WYSIWYG text box to be inefficient but it was nice to have the old {quick} reply box back and the keyboard shortcuts for inserting BBCode?

 

[Lrd]

Is there an option to have the BBCode editor back? I find the WYSIWYG text box to be inefficient but it was nice to have the old {quick} reply box back and the keyboard shortcuts for inserting BBCode?

You can still do bbcode by typing it

 

[SS4]

You can still do bbcode by typing it

True enough but I was hoping I could press ctrl+I to get italics instead of doing [noparse]italics[/noparse].

edit: Although I am a fan of getting notified when I'm quoted

 

[Lrd]

You can highlight then press ctrl + I etc to get what you want. You can't do ctrl + s for strike-through though as that's save.