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        Atkin admin >> Tech >> How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
        
(Message started by: Leslie Moss on Today at 17:47)

Title: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Leslie Moss on Today at 17:47

I was trying to think where to post the following question and decided that somewhere there needed to be a forum or subforum for such questions.

The question in question is: Do I need my own website to be able to include a picture in my profile? If so, any ideas about how to get a (free) one?

Other techie questions that have popped up over the years include things like advice on software for copying LPs to CD etc. Given the high level of computer-literacy amongst MVs it would be really useful for to have an off-topic forum covering computer-related questions.

Here's another one - how often will messages be removed from the threads for archiving and will it be possible to save messages to one's own hard drive so as to build up a lasting record (like Simon I have pretty well every MV posting apart from the odd ones missed when Eudora decided to go awol for the odd day). Why do I want such a record? Cos I'm a completist of course!

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Leslie Moss on Today at 17:48

Darn five postings and still only one star!

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by S J Birkill on Today at 18:01

Leslie -- if you've nowhere to host an image, I'll do it for you on peteatkin.com. Mail me the image (.gif or .jpg, and bear in mind that if it's larger than 65 x 65 it'll be automatically resized), I'll upload it and send you the link.

SJB

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Leslie Moss on Today at 18:05

Thanks Steve - I'll do that!

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Leslie Moss on Today at 18:10

Craving the indulgence of the many Windows-literate amongst you, can anyone help me with the following?

I get really frustrated whenever I use a Load or Save As dialogue in MS programmes. The window is tiny so I often can't see the file I want to load/rename, and the display always defaults to an alpha list. Every time I find myself scrolling across the get to the data column, clicking on the date bar to change the sort order, then finding the file I want - frequently a recent one.

Does anyone know of a fix/add-on that will enable both bigger (including wider to avoid sideways scrolling) dialogue boxes and allow the default sort order/display to be changed, perhaps to "last used"?

Incidentally I'm using XP but the same thing happened with Win98. It's really annoying not being able to take advantage of the real estate on a large screen.

Leslie

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Snoopy on Today at 18:37

on 07/24/04 at 17:47:19, Leslie Moss wrote :

The question in question is: Do I need my own website to be able to include a picture in my profile? If so, any ideas about how to get a (free) one?

Steve has already come up with a solution, but in general for free photo-hosting (including 'avatar' images), I'd highly recommend PhotoBucket (http://photobucket.com/) - a simple, free site that allows you to upload pictures from your hard disk. It even provides the correct syntax to be able to add the images to your forum post!

If you need any help using the site, let me know and I'll produce a quick 'how-to'.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Snoopy on Today at 18:59

on 07/24/04 at 18:10:02, Leslie Moss wrote :

Does anyone know of a fix/add-on that will enable both bigger (including wider to avoid sideways scrolling) dialogue boxes and allow the default sort order/display to be changed, perhaps to "last used"?

I don't know of a solution to make the file chooser dialog boxes bigger (although I bet there is one!) but you can save the order in which files are displayed.

To do so, open an explorer window (that is, a folder window such as My Documents, not an Internet Explorer window), and sort the files in the order which you would like to always display them as (right-click, arrange icons by).

Then go to the Tools menu, 'Folder Options'. Click the 'View' tab, and then choose the 'Apply to all folders' button.

You may need to restart any open applications for this change to take effect.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Leslie Moss on Today at 19:14

on 07/24/04 at 18:59:23, Snoopy wrote :

I don't know of a solution to make the file chooser dialog boxes bigger (although I bet there is one!) but you can save the order in which files are displayed.

Sorry Snoop, I didn't make myself clear. I meant that I wanted to change the default sort order of the dialogue box itself. I have no probs with Explorer folders, using the same method you suggested.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Snoopy on Today at 19:16

I've found a couple of programs that have the ability to resize the Windows file dialog boxes. They both have more features than ideal, and they're both only free to try. I probably wouldn't put either of them on my machine (I generally find things that try and integrate with the Windows shell more trouble than they are worth) but if you'd like to give them ago, they are:

XFilesDialog (http://www.xfilesdialog.com/)

FileBox eXtender (http://www.hyperionics.com/files/index.asp)

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Snoopy on Today at 19:17

on 07/24/04 at 19:14:17, Leslie Moss wrote :

Sorry Snoop, I didn't make myself clear. I meant that I wanted to change the default sort order of the dialogue box itself. I have no probs with Explorer folders, using the same method you suggested.

Leslie - that changes the order in the dialog boxes as well! Or at least, it does on my machine (WinXP).

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by JtJ on 25.07.04 at 13:58

I promise to be good from now on and think about which thread posts should go into. Just realised I'm all over the place.

Is it inevitable, I wonder, that the conversation will be "more chatty" given this style of communication?

No bad thing, of course. But this may be a social (rather than technical) consequence of the changed format?

Nightmare to keep totally on topic 100% of the time, given this?

The moderators might need a common policy.
Just thinking....

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Master of the Revels on 25.07.04 at 18:28

At the risk of complicating matters, this forum needs to be split into specific threads covering the various topics. That will greatly assist others in finding them.

Perhaps those posting to this forum could start a new thread for each technical issue and then others can find them easily.

I am quite familiar with YaBB so I am happy to assist in answering technical questions relating to its usage.

Incidentally, the fact that you have to host pictures somewhere else is one of the worst aspects of YaBB. The lack of a spell-checker being another!

That said, I still like it much more than the email list and am likely to make more of a contribution this way ... which may not be a good thing! ;D

-- Dave

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by bobtaylor on 01.08.04 at 19:28

Steve,
Now you are almost live, perhaps you'd like to update your testcard to a colour one.
You may use mine at http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v423/bobtaylor/testcardf.jpg
which I'll only use for the purpose of this reply.
Bob Taylor

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by S J Birkill on 01.08.04 at 19:36

Well thank you Bob. I guess I'm a Test Card C man at heart, having gone into the broadcast business in 1966 when that was current. Actually I pinched this one off JtJ's Website, having been looking for a juggler logo to animate (before he did). But I think if I change it'll be to T/C M, the animated digital widescreen one! -- Steve

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by JtJ on 01.08.04 at 21:43

I'm flattered!

But actually, I think this one's the best:

http://www.circusunlimited.com/cu%20webcam%20archive/4-3-2004-1.jpg

....but then I WOULD wouldn't I?

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Maurice_Lovelock on 02.08.04 at 17:37

Alexis, any idea why your pic is not showing in my browser??? Everyone else's appears to be OK.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Snoopy on 02.08.04 at 17:57

Yes, ironically, my own webhosting is currently AWOL due to DNS issues! ::)

Hoping to have it fixed in the next day or two.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by JtJ on 02.08.04 at 21:55

I am testing a new tag line.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Snoopy on 02.08.04 at 21:55

Stop padding your post count up! ;)

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by JtJ on 02.08.04 at 22:02

Curses!

I've been rumbled!

No, serious Snoop, I'm not used to these things....it's a voyage of discovery, believe me.
AND my preferred learning style is Activist! ;-)

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Roger on 02.08.04 at 23:07

Steve -
Could I suggest you change the <title> of the home page to Midnight Voices Forum?

Then you can drag the icon to the links line in Internet Explorer and it's there as a quick link complete with the little icon.

-- Roger.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by S J Birkill on 02.08.04 at 23:15

I can change the <title> in the YaBB template to whatever I wish (from the default "Midnight Voices - Index"), but I don't understand your IE stuff about the icon, Roger.

Steve (not a Microsoft fan!)

Later: OK, I've read up on this and figured out how IE users use their 'Favorites' and 'Links Bar'. And I've added a line to the html <head> which makes even Opera display the old Smash Flops 'favicon' (which I created so long ago I'd forgotten it was there). Oh yes, and I've followed your suggestion for the <title> change -- it's an improvement, thanks.

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by John N L Morrison on 03.08.04 at 13:02

And if you find that your favicons (the teeny-weeny icons which take the place of the boring IE logo in your favourites list and links bar) disappear after a while bcause you've cleared out your temporary internet files, download Favorg from:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,108438,00.asp

which will store them in a separate file and can update your favicons at intervals. I run it regularly - sad, or what?

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Secret Drinker on 04.08.04 at 11:24

I'm not sure if I should have started a new thread for this, maybe called "Techie(ish) questions about the forum itself". But I thought better of it as the number of threads seems to be proliferating rapidly.

Is there a "netiquette" associated with this type of forum as opposed to the email type? I guess a lot of the "unwritten rules" will be similar, regarding flaming, off-topicness, spamming, etc., but are there any guidelines on when to start a new thread or not?

Anyway, the reason I posted this was to ask about logging in. Is there a way we can get our browser to 'remember' our password so we don't have to type it in each time? Many other websites I visit have this facility - can we add it to MV? There's a tickbox 'Always stay logged in' but it doesn't seem to work in my case (maybe it's an IE 'feature'?)

(It's just occurred to me that this might be covered in the FAQ, but I daren't check it in case I lose this lot... sorry if it is!)

Cheers

Paul

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Roger on 04.08.04 at 12:55

Thanks Steve for implementing the <title> change.
Here's another one that may not be as easy:
Would it be possible to remove the duplicates from the ten most recent posts so that it became, in effect, ten most recent topics? At the time of writing, four of the most recent ten are the same topic and only five topics are represented in the top ten posts. To get to ten different topics you have to go out to the top 21 posts.

I realise that

If this isn't a YaBB option it may be more work than it's worth, and
You thought that implementing a bulletin board would reduce your workload ::)

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Chris Reichardt on 16.08.04 at 23:22

One of the good things about a Forum is being able to pass on info which I have received from people who are more computer literate than me.

The following are all Freeware for Internet Explorer 8)

________________________________________________________

New Window Maximiser http://www.jiisoft.com/iemaximizer/

________________________________________________________

Free Surfer PopUp Stopper http://www.kolumbus.fi/eero.muhonen/FS/Support.htm

_____________________________________________________________________

If even Free Surfer doesnt work and Norton, McAffee, etc etc don't stop PopUps, you may be suffering from BHO's (Browser Helper Objects) - quick nurse, the screens!

These BHOs are little programs that attach themselves to Internet Explorer and normally make your browsing life hell. They come from sites and seem to install themselves without your permission and knowledge!

Try downloading BHO Demon http://null.dk/~red/BHODemon.exe

NOTE: make sure you look at each BHO found on your system, double-click on it and look at the details. It might be needed for a program (such as Norton/Symantec or GoZilla)

____________________________________________________________________

PS. I have used the above software and it's cleaned it all up for me, but I take no responsibility if you bugger anything up!! ::)

Title: Re: How about a sub-Forum for techie questions?
Post by Secret Drinker on 17.08.04 at 13:51

Off topic replies have been moved to [link=http://www.peteatkin.com/cgi-bin/mv/YaBB.cgi?board=tech;action=display;num=1092747743]This Thread[/link] by Snoopy.