Forum Software Questions

[richardlpalmer]

Figured this thread might be needed for those not use to phpBB forums. Mainly, because I had a couple questions (probably more for the admin than anyone else).

I'm looking for Subscription options -- and not finding them (topics as well as forums). Do you know if these will be enabled?

As for avatars, I've not been able to upload mine. The requirements state, "Maximum dimensions; width: 100 pixels, height: 100 pixels, file size: 24.00 KiB." The jpg I'm trying to upload is 90x56 and is 4KB but no joy...

Anyone else have questions?

 

[james]

I'm looking for Subscription options -- and not finding them (topics as well as forums). Do you know if these will be enabled?

At the bottom of the page, are you seeing "SUBSCRIBE TOPIC" next to "Board Index" and "Bookmark Topic"?

Easy to miss, but let me know if it's not there for you.

As for avatars, I've not been able to upload mine. The requirements state, "Maximum dimensions; width: 100 pixels, height: 100 pixels, file size: 24.00 KiB." The jpg I'm trying to upload is 90x56 and is 4KB but no joy..

I can't repeat this error. Can you email me the image in question? [email protected]

 

[richardlpalmer]

I'm looking for Subscription options -- and not finding them (topics as well as forums). Do you know if these will be enabled?

At the bottom of the page, are you seeing "SUBSCRIBE TOPIC" next to "Board Index" and "Bookmark Topic"?

Easy to miss, but let me know if it's not there for you.

As for avatars, I've not been able to upload mine. The requirements state, "Maximum dimensions; width: 100 pixels, height: 100 pixels, file size: 24.00 KiB." The jpg I'm trying to upload is 90x56 and is 4KB but no joy..

I can't repeat this error. Can you email me the image in question? [email protected]

I do see those (on both topics and forums). Thanks for the guidance.

So I can't turn subscription services on by default for threads I post in?

As for the other, I'll try again and take screen shots to email you.

 

[james]

So I can't turn subscription services on by default for threads I post in?

Good question. I'll look into it. We're all gonna learn this thing together

As for the other, I'll try again and take screen shots to email you.

That would be great, thanks!

 

[james]

Here we go:

Subscribing to threads by default

1. Click User Control Panel (top right corner of forum)
2. Board Preferences
3. Edit posting defaults
4. Set "Notify me upon replies by default" to yes
5. hit submit

 

[Twinfan]

Is there any way to only view new posts since your last visit? I click on new posts but I can't clear the list, so it's growing all the time as I don't read everything!

 

[Twinfan]

Scratch that - sorted it! I need to click "unread posts" then before I leave select "mark forums as read" on the main page...

 

[Cave71]

I wondered if there was there a way to do 2 things: (a) highlight threads that you have posted to. On other forums I've seen a green check mark or something similar. And (b) "find or see posts by user". I like that feature on other sites. I know that you can look at a member profile and see how many posts that person has etc, but it doesn't link to actual posts.

 

[The Ratchet]

I wondered if there was there a way to do 2 things: (a) highlight threads that you have posted to. On other forums I've seen a green check mark or something similar. And (b) "find or see posts by user". I like that feature on other sites. I know that you can look at a member profile and see how many posts that person has etc, but it doesn't link to actual posts.

Both exist.

Threads you posted on have a tiny little red star in the upper right corner of the thread's master 'icon' (typically the round circle with the sheet of paper looking thing in it, in the far left column of every forum's thread listings).

To find a user's posts, go to his profile, and right next to where it says how many posts that user has, there's a bold link that says "Search user's posts". Click it and it shows you all their posts. Since no search data is required on the user's part, this link should really be called "Display this user's posts".

 

[Cave71]

Thanks for the help Ratchet. Is see it all now.

 

[richardlpalmer]

Maybe I'm missing it, but "Subscribing" to threads makes it so I get a constant barrage of email. I don't want email. I just want to subscribe to the threads...

 

[james]

I think you might be looking for the "bookmark topic" option, right next to subscribe to topic. Let me know if that does it for you.

 

[richardlpalmer]

I think you might be looking for the "bookmark topic" option, right next to subscribe to topic. Let me know if that does it for you.

Bookmarking is basically a "favorite" that you can come back to at a later time. Useful for sure, and many forums don't enable this. I'm sure we'll have some awesome discussion/picture threads that I'll want to add as a bookmark so months/years from now I'll be able to quickly find them.

What I'm looking for is a "No Email" option for Subscriptions. Right now I have the Manage Subscriptions tab of my Control Panel linked as a Favorite in my browser. I go there and can see any/all threads I'm subscribed to. The ones with replies since I was last here are bold and there's a graphic/link that takes me to were I was last viewing the thread. This tab also has any forums I've subscribed to listed.

Subscriptions:

Board Settings for posting: (I have notifications turned off but this also means I'm not subscribing by default either -- I have to either turn this on or manually subscribe to any/all threads I post in.)

 

[The Ratchet]

I think what you're talking about is basically a "Manage Subsrciptions" page or drop down menu? Where you can set your email notification type to "Instant, Daily, Weekly, Montly, or...None". Yes? Whereby setting to none you'd have to login to the forum to checkup on your subscribed threads, etc.

Not sure if that's here yet on PRSForums, but if it isn't, it's likely a plug-in for phpBB that can be added on at some point. Between this and VBulletin there's tons of pre-built stuff out there to plug-in or add-on.

At the moment there looks to be a 'Manage Subsrciptions" page, but when you check or uncheck the box next to each subscribed thread - the only button option at the bottom of the page is to "unwatch" it, which is akin to un-subscribing from it.

What would be needed would be a drop menu at the bottom of the screen, whereby you've got the choices I mentioned above, and then a button marked "Proceed", etc. Sort of like on many forums PM systems, where you can check off a bunch of PM's - and then use the little menu/button to Delete them, or Move them to a new Folder, or Mark as Read, etc.

So in this case, it would have options for dealing with email notifications of each check-boxed subscription thread, etc. Maybe can be implemented at some time in the future?

 

[richardlpalmer]

I think what you're talking about is basically a "Manage Subsrciptions" page or drop down menu? Where you can set your email notification type to "Instant, Daily, Weekly, Montly, or...None". Yes? Whereby setting to none you'd have to login to the forum to checkup on your subscribed threads, etc.

Not sure if that's here yet on PRSForums, but if it isn't, it's likely a plug-in for phpBB that can be added on at some point. Between this and VBulletin there's tons of pre-built stuff out there to plug-in or add-on.

At the moment there looks to be a 'Manage Subsrciptions" page, but when you check or uncheck the box next to each subscribed thread - the only button option at the bottom of the page is to "unwatch" it, which is akin to un-subscribing from it.

What would be needed would be a drop menu at the bottom of the screen, whereby you've got the choices I mentioned above, and then a button marked "Proceed", etc. Sort of like on many forums PM systems, where you can check off a bunch of PM's - and then use the little menu/button to Delete them, or Move them to a new Folder, or Mark as Read, etc.

So in this case, it would have options for dealing with email notifications of each check-boxed subscription thread, etc. Maybe can be implemented at some time in the future?

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

It's an OOB feature in vBulletin and I bet it is with phpBB as well (highly unlikely that it'd need an aftermarket plugin). More likely a configuration issue.

 

[james]

I don't see anything about that in the configuration/settings.

Can you tell me a little more about what you're trying to do? I'm familiar with the manage subscriptions/notifications thing in vBulletin. Here it just seems to be:

Subscriptions = email notifications
Bookmarks = subscriptions without email notification

am I wrong on that? I've subscribed to threads on other forums before, but was always because I wanted an email notification of a reply.

 

[james]

the documentation, for what it's worth

5.3.1.1. Subscriptions
Subscriptions are forums or individual topics that you have elected to watch for any new posts. Whenever a new post is made inside an area you have subscribed to, an e-mail will be sent you to informing you of the new addition. To create a subscription, visit the forum or topic you would like to subscribe to and click the 'Subscribe' link located at the bottom of the page.

To remove a subscription, check the box next to the subscription you would like to remove and click the 'Unsubscribe' button.

5.3.1.2. Bookmarks
Bookmarks, much like subscriptions, are topics you've chosen to watch. However, there are two key differences: 1) only individual topics may be bookmarked, and 2) an e-mail will not be sent to inform you of new posts.

To create a bookmark, visit the topic you would like to watch and click the 'Bookmark Topic' link located at the bottom of the page.

To remove a bookmark, check the box next to the bookmark you would like to remove and click the 'Remove marked bookmarks' button.

 

[richardlpalmer]

I don't see anything about that in the configuration/settings.

Can you tell me a little more about what you're trying to do? I'm familiar with the manage subscriptions/notifications thing in vBulletin. Here it just seems to be:

Subscriptions = email notifications
Bookmarks = subscriptions without email notification

am I wrong on that? I've subscribed to threads on other forums before, but was always because I wanted an email notification of a reply.

I belong to countless forums and over the years have gotten pretty efficient with my foruming. But maybe it's not possible with this software.

Basically, in most all other forums my "Home" page is my Control Panel. That's where I start any/every time I come back to a forum. And on that one page I can see any threads that have had replies since I was last there. I can quickly open each of them in a new tab (so I don't have to be concerned about timeout) and get to them one at a time -- starting at the place I last left off.

Below my subscribed threads I have the forums I participate in and have subscribed to. I can then go in and out of them from the Control Panel, not having to browse to the top level forum and then scroll down to find my favorite places -- I just go directly to them. I don't get a notification when new posts are made in them.

Ultimately that's what I'm trying to do. I think a lot of veteran forumers do something similar. It's efficient and allows you to keep track of topics you're engaged in and view forums you're interested in.

For instance, here are a few forum CPs that show what I'm talking about.

I'll check out the Bookmark feature. I didn't see a way to do this by default, but maybe I missed it. Otherwise I guess I'll either have to send all email to a folder for deletion, or use the bookmark feature on a topic by topic basis (not sure if you can bookmark a forum yet).

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

For anyone reading this thread in the future, the discussion BEFORE this post applies to the phpBB software we were running until 23 May 2012. I will leave it to individual contributors to decide whether or not any of this still applies now that we are on vBulletin.