Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.
new features on Web site!
I made numerous improvements and enhancements to the Procrastinators Anonymous Web site yesterday:
- New custom theme. (Do you like it? I've been tweaking the positioning and color scheme.)
- Ability to add smileys to comments and posts.
- Ability to upload a picture to your profile, and to add pictures to comments and posts. (Profile pictures may be inserted into messages automatically - not sure, haven't tried it.)
- I added some other new profile fields a few days ago - your birthday, location, male/female, etc. These weren't there when the very first members joined.
- Tweaked the color scheme on the Archives calendar so that days when new content was posted appear in red.
- Reorganized the navigation boxes - hopefully more logically.
- Added a chatbox. Not sure whether it works - it didn't seem to when I tried it, but maybe that's because there was no one else logged in.
- Added the ability to syndicate content based on type (e.g. you can subscribe to only new articles, or only new forum posts, etc.).
- Ability to display printable versions of content.
- Ability to receive email notifications of new content in selected areas.
- I thought I added a WYSIWYG editing capability, but I'm not seeing it so I don't know where it is. I'll look. :P
- I think there were a few other things, but I can't think of them at the moment. :)
- Login to post comments
strikethrough is now enabled
Good for crossing off items on list:
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Re: strikethrough
Awesome!
Thanks pro!
;D
button for book list
I put a button for the book list at the top of the page. I think people miss it.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
some new smileys
I added a bunch of new smileys. These were already on the Graphics page in the smiley area, but this makes them easier to use.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
WYSIWYG editing
I installed a control to make it easy to enter formatted text when I first set up the site, but it never worked. I just figured out why it didn't work, and I'm going to try to turn it on again. Hopefully I won't break anything. And hopefully this isn't a complete procrastination. ;)
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still doesn't work
I did everything in the installation instructions and it still doesn't work. Now I'm just wasting time. It's already 6pm.
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Haha! Working now. A test...
I have to admit... Probably I could have spent my time more profitably today, but it was fun getting this to work. I switched to a different rich text editor - the other one was buggy.
This is bold text.
Hey ... I don't see any colors or sizes here.
If you all want to know what I'm doing... Next time you reply to a message, click the link below the message that says "Enable rich-text". I think there's a setting in your profile to make this the default for you. I didn't turn it on for everybody by default.
I want colors! There are more controls - I need to go find where to get them (like I don't have anything else to do!).
But I see some other problems with this, so don't try it right away. I can get it to work because I'm an admin, but you will have problems with it because of the HTML filtering.
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check this out!!
This is a little funky. It doesn't work perfectly, but it works pretty well. You can turn the rich text option on with the link to the lower left of the text box, individually for each post, or you can edit your account settings ("my account") and turn it on by default.
test
Testing testing
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I'll turn it on by default - hope it doesn't confuse anyone. :)
Let me know if you like the rich edit on by default. If most people don't, I can turn it off globally by default. Either way, you can set whether you want it on or off by default in your account settings.
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Search Tool
Is Search working for anybody? It's not for me.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe - Albert Einstein
what's not working?
I tried it last night and it was working. I searched on "podcast" as a test to find all the links to podcasts in the forum. Very handy!
When you say "not working", what do you mean, specifically? (E.g. "I do this, program does this, then I do this" - I need full detail.)
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Yoda may have meant...
...that the "Search" feature on the website never comes up with any hits. I've tried to use it a number of times, and it has never come up with any hits, even for words I know for sure are on the website & are spelled correctly (I remember doing a test previously). And just now, for instance, I clicked "Search" and typed in podcast. It came up with nothing. Then I used the Google search. It worked great.
Drupal search or Google search?
I've never been able to find a thing with Drupal search. But the Google search I added yesterday works well. Have you tried that?
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Yes, thanks pro. The Google
Yes, thanks pro. The Google search is great.
please click on the Google ads!
I put Google Adsense on the site. Please click on the ads. It will help support the site.
Thanks.
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some weird ads
I can't control the ads that Google serves up to the site. For most of the pages, they make sense. But Google is very confused by the check-in board. I've seen ads for restaurants, curly hair, and other strange things. :?
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site search with Google
Single the Drupal site search is so completely useless, I added a Google site search to the header of the Web site. It works much better.
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preview is now optional!!!!
I've been playing around with forum settings (procrastinating on my bedtime routine), and I found a settings page that I didn't know was there. I thought I couldn't turn off the preview requirement, but in fact I can and did. :)
site question
Don't anybody answer this unless you're enjoying a moment of guilt-free play and it suits you to! ;) This is not an end of the world question, I'm just curious: How come sometimes when I first check in, the site knows it's me, and other times I have to sign in? I have NEVER actually signed out so it makes me curious. Some kind of cookie thing? Or the amount of elapsed time between check-ins? Just wondering. :?
I get that too
And I don't know why either.
(P.S. my ToDo list says I'm at a Festival right now, and we decided not to go, so this ~is~ playtime, LOL!)
no clue
:)
I don't have to sign in again unless I open a new browser window.
Icons on posts
pro asked on another post (which I can't find now, which is why I'm posting here) if any of us had figured out the Drupal icons. It's still a bit of a mystery, but here's my interpretation!
Closed envelopes - I used to think this was for new posts, but it doesn't seem to be.
Open envelopes - seem to indicate you've read the whole thread, but then there are threads I have read that have closed envelopes too.
Closed envelope with a red blob in the top right hand corner - these always seem to be at the top, so I think the red blob may be a 'pin' to keep that particular topic at the top (what other boards call a sticky - usually used for introductions to that forum etc). (I have yet to test this theory out properly, BTW!).
Yellow envelopes/Grey envelopes - A more accurate indication of new stuff - yellow means there's something you've not read.
Sometimes a forum topic will say there are new posts and I can't find them - grrr. Even if I click on the 'new posts' - it takes me to the thread but I can't find anything new.
I would also like to be able to 'mark topic read' if that facility exists (so I don't feel guilty about not CUOP when I'm not here!) If it does exist and anyone knows how to work it please let me know. Thanks :)
Drupal (ugh)
There might be information on the mysterious icons on the Drupal site. I don't think there's a way to mark forum topics read. Nor is there a way to split off posts into their own topic.
I regret using Drupal at the Content Management System for this site, but now that I have, I don't know how to change without (1) losing all the existing content, and (2) wasting hours and hours and hours of my time.
The weakest part of Drupal is its forum, and the part we use most heavily is its forum. Oops. :O
It's not perfect
But it does the job. It's been worth me asking about the features in case I'm bimbling along with something when there's a much easier way that other people know about. I might go to the Drupal site one day, but for now it would be a sidetrack, LOL!
Web Site Comments
I know we were talking about this somewhere else, but can't find it at the moment, but now I have ~proof~ that the 'who's online' doesn't always show the online users correctly, because it said there were no users online and I'm here!
refresh twice to see all members online
I've noticed that I have to refresh the page twice to see myself in the list of members online.
Request
Pro, does the website mark which posts have been read and which have not, and being able to pull up unread ones easily? If so, how do you do it? If not, is there any chance of building that feature in? (I don't know how much work it would be, so I don't know how realistic I'm being here!).
Thanks,
Normy
Recent Posts button
If you click the Recent Posts button at the top of the page, you will see the threads with new posts marked (e.g. "1 new", "2 new"), as well as any other new content. So the forum does keep track of what you've read.
In general, the Drupal forum component is fairly weak, and it's not easy to swap in a different one. Drupal is written in an obscure, overly complex way (truly dreadful), and is very hard to customize. I used Drupal because it has other features that are strong.
Thanks Pro
I've discovered that one already, and use it all the time now!
I used to just look at 'recent comments' which was fine when there was only two or three of us posting, but it's better to use 'recent posts' now because some of the recent comments have fallen off by the time I can check in again now.
Viewing threads
Are there any options for viewing threads in different ways? Like having them closed with just the main topic showing unless you click on it (like in Explorer folders)? I'm getting a bit bog eyed trying to follow which thread is nested within which, and not easily seeing which is the most recent comment added to an existing thread. (I completely lost a thread before - don't know what I did with it! :p)
Normy Numbchuck (This 'MoodGym' thing that's sucked me in tonight would probably say I was 'labelling'. It'd probably be right! LOL!)
forum options are limited, sorry
I know the Drupal forum component is not very good, but changing to a different content management system at this point would be very difficult. The Drupal forum certainly isn't great, but I think it's "good enough" (I hope).
Red Asterisks
So what do red asterisks mean? Is it that there have been comments added to the original post? I've noticed it's next to the word 'comment' on the reply boxes, and also next to some of the titles on the list of forums.
:?
Normy
chat box works now
The Chat box has been fixed - works fine now. You can enter the chat, click "Monitor Activity" and go back to reading stuff on the site, and you'll be notified if someone else joins the chat.
Can't figure out how to leave chatbox on purpose
I saw Pro was online at the same time as me, so I joined the chatbox, and I could see my comment in the window on the left. I monitored activity and went for a surf. When I came back, the window on the left looked empty, but the chatbox still thought I was in. I posted a comment to say I was leaving (because I couldn't see how to 'leave chatbox', and now it's in the window on the left again. Does the left hand window just show what's been posted recently? How do I leave the chatbox - just click the X?
Normy
Log in chatbox on left
I think the chatbox on the left sidebar shows the chatbox log for the last 24 hours.
As far as I know, the way you leave the chat is to simply close the chat window.
I'm sorry I didn't join in the chat, but that would have been serious procrastination for me!
Chatbox
I had a go and chatted to myself - worked fine, but not very good conversation :P
I noticed you and I on at the same time Pro, and a couple of other people have popped by whilst I've been on, so I'm looking forward to using this feature.
Normy
Live Chatbox
It's kind of cool that you can see a piece of the chat live on the sidebar of the site. Personally I prefer forums, but I know many people like live chats.
Good work!
Thanks for the enhancements, pro. I can't see a change to the theme, but maybe that's because I chose a theme myself when I registered. Just trying out the smileys :-)
I also had a go at the chat but couldn't work it - the system didn't recognise me at first (it said no-one was online, but ~I~ was!) - it's recognised me now, but it doesn't look like there's anyone else to chat with. I'll look forward to discovering the other changes! Thanks for all your work.
Normy
You might want to re-select your theme...
If you chose a theme when you joined, you did it in a very brief window while I was testing themes. Not all themes support all features, and I disabled the ones that were missing things. You might not be seeing everything on the site. There are two themes you can choose from now: purple_heart and blue_valentine. Both of those support all the features.
>>I also had a go at the chat but couldn't work it - the system didn't recognise me at first (it said no-one was online, but ~I~ was!) - it's recognised me now,
That's what happened to me, too. I haven't tried it again. I'm about done with my break now, and still very much want to get through this pile of paper tonight, so I won't try it right now!