Ok after many months I have been redeveloping the Gatch site behind the scenes. Technically its ready for launch. The only thing I have not done is port across attachments. The reason being we have hundreds of them. This is going to cause a problem in some respects so firstly I would like to get some feedback from you guys, the users I'd like to know what you would like me to do. And here is a poll for you to do just that! Cep - Gatchamania.net Administrator

Oo its even stevens at the moment, any more people care to make a suggestion?

What is this meant to achieve??

Well it would let me know whether I should update now with some of the site functionality missing whilst you use the site (though at the moment I think that will only be styles and attachements) or whether I should carry on working until its finished?

Bwaaahaaahaaahaaa! I cast my vote anyway. The only problem I have with the site as it is, is that it is so singularly slow. I tried to get in via an internet cafe (attached to a large play area in a sheep farm) and pages were only half loading, I assume due to it timing out. But since I doubt that the upgrade can guarantee a speed increase, I would rather wait until all the functionality of the current boards can be supported by the new ones. I really like the attachments feature. :3

Looks like its a vote to get the upgrade sorted. Ok I'll be on my holidays as of next week and I will begin the upgrade upon my arrival You will be notified prior to the boards being shut down! Also if speed is still an issue after the upgrade I will consider moving the hosting service because I personally feel its more to do with the host then with the site. Thanks!

Its slow even in BB

I'm using a dinosaur on dial up, everything is slow for me

Thanks alot Cep. This place wouldn't exist without you. Don't expect to see me around much for the next few months. A tumor has been discovered in the lymph nodes under my mom's right arm, and a biopsy will take place soon. Looks like everything is going to start all over. Katse

Oh no Katse, I'm sorry to hear this I'm sending positive healing thoughts your way for your mom.

Hugs, Katse.

Thanks. It's so hard to keep focused because my mom's cancer is rare and the survival rate after 5 years is only 40%. My mom is in her 4th year. Her two best friends, who both had the same type of cancer, died this past year within a few months of each other--Mom is the only one left. And they were both younger than her. I knew them both, and it's just...scary to think it could be my mom next. Katse

Katse, I hope your mum is one of the ones that beat the odds. My thoughts are with you.

I understand what you are going through. I lost my mom to cancer a year and a half ago. The most single piece of advice I can give you is just make sure you take time out to replenish your own spirit in between.

Aww Katse Sorry to hear that luv! Hope all goes well! About the speed people, I am thinking of moving Gatch to a new host as well.

*huggles Katse* My thoughts and prayers are with you and your mom.

Ooook, oook, while I remember: Cep, can you change the layout of the tables for the boards just a bit? Specifically, change the width of the main (text) column to be relative rather than absolute. I often have the window rather narrow, and it means I have to keep scrolling side-to-side. I expect those with low-res monitors would find the same problem. Looking at it a bit more: The smilies chart would have to be narrower. Maybe more rows. The width of the quickreply box works for me as is. The row of buttons along the top would need to be narrower. Maybe go to two rows. Just my five cents. Also, 100s of attachments? What sorts of attachments? Cheers!

I will be aiming to have the site compatible enough to use CSS posistioning which would allow the screen to resize whilst preserving (as best it can) the structure of the content. I am aiming to set the main table width's to 80%. We have hundreds of attached pictures, files and stories.

CSS, wheee!!! www.csszengarden.com 80%, sounds good. (CSS can also do absolute, but people who use CSS tend to be aware of the difference.) Wheee!!!!

[FONT=times new roman]Just make sure to keep the RPG Hack while you're at it.[/FONT]

It is a fabulous little quirk, isn't it. Course, if you're gonna have bugs, that's where it will be.

Ok this is the plan people. I am moving Gatch to a new host at the end of October. Why? Hosting doesnt run out on this server till spring next year but my test server runs out in October. I will transfer this domain over to the new host, transfer the test domain to this host and let the old host expire. This gives me one more month to sort problems and bugs out with this system. I've been non stop re-coding the site since the new transitional changes in XHTML. The RPG system will be integrated into the new site BUT I am not happy with the latest release, its coding is sploppy, its totally bugged and the damn thing is just the wbb1.2 version which has been sewn onto a wbb lite framework. I may be rewriting the RPG hack myself. The new host is going to cost $150 p.y. but its far better then the two hosts I have now, plus it will allow me to optimize the speed of the php processing. Technically the site will be uber fast compared to now. So its going to be ready sometime soon people just bare with me a little longer, I am effectively rewriting the forum software.

What is CSS?

Cascading Style Sheets

CSS is a way you can separate the format from the content. Best examples are at www.csszengarden.com . Basically, the old way is to tell each and every page that it will have a purple background with green text and the first line will be big and red and links will be chartreuse (except for links to Joe's site which will be fuschia -- you have to over-ride the link colour each and every time you link to Joe's). Then you do up a 100 page site. Then your bosses change the colour scheme to shades of blue, and you have to change all 100 pages. With CSS, each page says, "See the .CSS page for formatting rules." So, when your bosses change it once again, you change that one CSS page. CSS is also more powerful than HTML. More options for positioning and sizing, and more. You can even say, "Links are cyan, except the ones to Joe's site, which are magenta." www.csszengarden.com explains the philosophy, then has hundreds of examples, all with the same HTML code, but with different CSS pages. Truly amazing.