MAJOR Update in progress

Hello All,

There have been a number of problems that have been bugging us so today I am taking a big jump and upgrading to a new version of software. 11

It -should- fix a number of problems but isn't backwards compatible so I've been trying to make sure we get everything we need back onto the new software.Things may look a little strange until this is completed.

I'll post again when I think everything is back to normal then, please feel free to let me know below if something isn't working as it should.

Thanks
Tim

Thanks Tim I think the 'new look' is clean and attractive.

It's not finished yet!

(We lost all the styling, back to the standard install, I'm trying to fix that...)

OK - There are still a few little mods I need to make. I think we have the basics... I need to take a break but I'll take another look tomorrow.

If you spot anything that's not working as it used to, or doesn't look right, please let me know

Thanks!
Tim

I always use the Unread Posts or New Posts buttons from the Index page to check for new posts and these seems to have disappeared ATM.
Also, I'm coming up under my avatar as 'Forum Guru - Wise Bird' instead of Moderator. I'm certainly no Guru, and not a very Wise Bird, so would appreciate being changed back, if you don't mind, Tim.

Cool!
I see new posts, unread posts are in the top left menu (the three lines.)
Not sure what the 'mark posts read' button is doing. It took away all the coloring of the speech balloons which I guess makes sense. The previous marker icons for read, unread, new etc were always a mystery to me.

Yes, Rick has found it - There should be a little menu drops down - just under the runner duck on the left of the logo?

This should have Your Posts, New Posts, Unread Posts etc. when you click on it.
The menu bar should also stay in place when you scroll down a page (so it's always visible...)

I noticed the 'Rank' was displaying under your username instead of the 'Group' and I thought I had fixed that earlier - I'll take another look. Sorry about that!

Tim

Its scaling much better on a mobile now Tim. No more zooming in and scrolling around to see the headings then across to see the last post etc.

And its auto resizing images and attaching them with much less jiggery-pokery!!!
This image was 1988 x 2477 pixels and 481.9 kB. It did moan when I tried to attach a 7.4MB image 17

Yes, it should be responsive and resize to your screen.

I haven’t tried an image yet though, that sounds much better.

Unfortunately I’m still getting spam registrations, they seem to be able to get around the captcha, even using Google’s recaptcha (the tick box saying I am not a Robot)...

Still some work to be done!

Thanks
Tim

Gosh, that's clever! It automatically adds links to products for sale on other websites, like Amazon etc.! For example, in one post, I mentioned "gardening gloves", which now shows highlighted as a link, which takes you to Amazon to buy gardening gloves!
In the same post, I said "Only thing is...." and the "Only thing" was highlighted. That took me to a website selling a teeshirt with a slogan on it saying something like "the only thing I like is carbs" (which is true, but how do you know?!) :mrgreen:

Oh, gosh... I was rather alarmed when I read this because I skipped through that bit in the set up- to be honest I didn't know it was doing that 'out of the box'

Looking further, they added something called Viglink - it Opts you in automatically on install and sends any affiliate commissions when people follow a link and then purchase something to the forum software developers (PHPBB) to continue funding the project.

BUT I also discovered I can Opt out and choose to have the commissions - which might just help towards another problem! Funding the site.

Soooo....

I don't like having advertising but it becomes a reality when you run a website unless you pay for hosting yourself or have sponsors. The forum hosting is around £250 per year at the moment and the poultrykeeper website £1800 per year (it has more traffic so has a 'business' plan). It doesn't help having to pay VAT on top of the charges as well.

Also, the forum falls over from time to time (behaves erratic) at peak times because the shared server runs out of resources or more correctly 'we are being limited so we don't impact other users'. The next step up is a 'Virtual Private Server' and yes, you guessed it, I'd need to spend more :-(

Until now, poultrykeeper (.com) plus a few donations we've received has covered the forum running costs but traffic is down this year and there are more and more people using ad-blocking software and less people clicking on adverts. I haven't checked for the last few months but I'm getting closer to paying in myself.

I was thinking of adding Google Ads at the bottom of each page - but last time I did this, I think it generated a couple of pounds per month... We got a Sponsor one year (Verm-X) which was also very welcome. This Viglink scheme is certainly worth trying out.

Let's see how it goes and if it becomes too intrusive, or only generates a small amount, I'll disable it and go back to the drawing board.

Tim

I'm not getting any ad links on my desktop. I think it must key into other installations (like Google and Facebook on our own computers with the various permissions and add ons there might be.) I have seen this keyword linking thing (when the text becomes a link and is coloured to indicate that) in Chrome and its mildly annoying but it quickly becomes background like all the other ads.
I did notice the affiliated links in the 'jump to' menu at the bottom of pages other than the index. One took me to your 404 page Tim which I thought was very good!


The posting award labels are a funny thing aren't they - especially with lots of 'wise birds' moving in. 'Stuffed and Mounted'? 0 Is it that 'moderator' is no longer a general member label? i.e. a separate admin log in?

Do you have to be logged in to generate revenue for the site from links? Usually there are larger numbers of people browsing as 'guests' than logged-in members.

I've urged you before, Tim, to highlight voluntary contributions to running the site, along the lines of the Guardian newspaper, which is steadily returning to profit through voluntary contributions from people who value its content, despite being available free to all online. I know that not many of us are regular posters, but we all value the Forum very highly and I'm sure most of us would happily pay a subscription to keep it going, along the lines of a magazine subscription. We were shocked and dismayed when Practical Poultry Forum closed, and its archive was lost, and a lot of PP members are now active on here and want to keep it going. The archive is a fantastic resource in itself, and I'm sure this accounts for the often quite high numbers of people browsing.

How does the volume of the archive affect the server space and cost? In my recent edit, after you added two new subforms, I deleted the equivalent of many pages of outdated, uninformative, or unanswered posts, or pages dependent on photos now automatically time-expired/deleted from Photobucket, which must have freed up some server space as well. I didn't know you we're planning this change, but I'm glad I got the job done before you did the transfer.

Yes, I love the Error page as well! Trouble is, it all works so well I don't seem to get it. Thank you, Rick.

I would happily subscribe but probably wouldn't have done initially to join. A voluntary subscription maybe? Just recognised with a little coin or similar in the member info under the avatar maybe with no other status or effect?

There are 2 sites we are talking about here:

1. poultrykeeper.com > that's OK, profitable at the moment but traffic is down. I guess our Google rankings have changed but also I haven't been posting to Facebook or Twitter because I have been super busy with my job so just had to slow up on other things. Also the cold spring could be a factor? Less people looking for information perhaps?

That's the website with the 404 page you showed Rick and yes, it's a great photo, one of my favourites!

2. poultrykeeperforum > So this is where the Viglink software should insert links in posts automatically... so in the example, gardening gloves were linked to Amazon in a post. I have no idea how much this will generate, (it could be pennies) or if they are displayed to guests. I will let you know!

It manages everything automatically from what I see so I don't know how aggressive it will be (how many times will it link gardening gloves in a thread etc) or whether it always puts a link and to all users... time will tell. What is interesting is I haven't seen a link yet! I looked for the topic containing 'gardening gloves'

http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10593&p=65256&hilit=gardening+gloves#p65256

And found Lady A's post and that's not linked (for me). Maybe it doesn't show admin the links? I'll have to find out more.

Marigold, as for 'voluntary contributions' yes it's another way of doing things BUT we only have a handful of members and I think there is so much free information out there that people will just migrate elsewhere or not wish to pay? - e.g. to Facebook groups. What if someone joins to get help and then we can't help them? What if the advice they received was poor? What do you get for your contribution?

I guess you could have a group of 'Contributor' or something along the lines of Rick's suggestion, much like a Moderator group but would it encourage others? It might end up a very small group!

It worries me charging people for a service. Our 'regulars' ARE the forum. Without them, there's not much point? I don't want to put anyone off joining the community.

What is interesting is the 'Donation request' banner that I put at the bottom brings a couple of donations in when it's first installed, then nothing. I guess people get used to seeing it. I might just add this once per year for a few weeks to 'rattle the can' a little.

I'll let you know how the Viglink thing works when it's got going but please let me know if it is bugging people.

Ideas are very welcome though... I'm always happy to consider them. Anyway, my lunch break is nearly over, I had better get on. I'll keep working on the other bits that need looking at.

Thanks!
Tim

OK @Marigold you're back from a wise old bird to a moderator

Wow that was a well hidden setting!

I think my list of fixes is done for now... so I will await feedback.

And guess what? The forum is 9 years old on Saturday.

Tim

Thank you, Tim, for removing my undeserved title, and for all your work and inspiration over the past 9 years which has made it possible.
I wish we could all meet for a party. Virtual candles, maybe?

Come on, Rick, and others, get your avatars sorted!

BTW, I'm not getting any ad links at all, anywhere. I thought they might appear from birdfood sites when I posted about feeding birds in the 'Spring' thread running in the Dustbath. Should I be worried, or just pleased?

I got the links on the laptop this morning. I'm using a tablet now. Let's see it will do links.

gardening gloves anyone? Or how about maybe cat litter? Bee keeping equipment? Men's walking boots. Diamond ring.

No links!

I have a link to "ladders" in Mrs Biscuit's Nature Notes post about snakes and ladders. Took me to a website with a polished copper "ladder" towel rail.

Does clicking on the link earn commission Tim? If so, I'll happily click!