Technology Sucks!

[genebujold]

You know, any website that can't figure out how to keep track of who posted what, and when, so that when a person visits a sight they're not maltreated to just those posts since they're last logon, but rather, they're treated to those posts to which they've not yet read... Why is it that I accomplished this feat in a DOS-based BBS in 1985 and you can't seem to figure it out using PHPBB (even though I've given you the source code!!!) more than 19 years later!!! Come on, folks!!! If you wanted me to figure out everything involved with sending a man to the moon, it'd take me a decade. If you wanted me to figure out how to track threads on a BBS as I described above, it'd take me three days. Put some effort into it, folks! Since I already gave you the source code (as to how it's done on other PHPBB websites) it shouldn't be all that difficult... Sheesh!!!!!!!

[Bubba136]

While I agree with gene about having a feature that would identify posts that I haven't read would be the optimum, I would, if I were him, carry on this discussion with the board hoast behind the scene via PM. Perhaps there is some prohibition imposed by the software copyright holders that we're not aware of that prevents them/him from altering the original source code. Who knows?????? In the past, Jeff has been open to suggestions. He's done a good job with this board.

[PJ]

genebujold;

Have you attemtped to contact any member of the PHPBB team? Check out http://www.phpbb.com/about.php

At http://www.phpbb.com/index.php, they indicate that PHPBB is "customisable".

At http://www.phpbb.com/features.php, they indicate that there are "no restrictions on modifications.".

Does this mean that each customer is allowed to modify the source code, or just to activate and deactivate features already built in?

[Firefox]

I don't have a problem with the current system apart from the "no posts exists" bug which I think is deplorable of them to release a version with this error. I've never found the thread subject to be a practical problem to profitable surfing although it could be modified. I sometimes like to go back to to recent threads I've visted even in the current session so i don't necessarily think it would even be an improveent, but something to be included in user preferences maybe. With a board like this which does 50-100 posts a day, it hardly seems to matter. With one that does 100's or 1000's, it's more important.

[genebujold]

genebujold;

Have you attemtped to contact any member of the PHPBB team? Check out http://www.phpbb.com/about.php

At http://www.phpbb.com/index.php, they indicate that PHPBB is "customisable".

At http://www.phpbb.com/features.php, they indicate that there are "no restrictions on modifications.".

Does this mean that each customer is allowed to modify the source code, or just to activate and deactivate features already built in?

I've never used PHPBB. Just half a dozen others, back in the days of the BBS. And I've done some HTML coding, but nothing fancy like XML. I did write a PERL script once, but that was because I absolutely had to (necessity being the mother of...)

But if another board using PHPBB is doing it, there's no reason HHMP can't do it.

But it's like therapy - they've got to want to change...

[genebujold]

With a board like this which does 50-100 posts a day, it hardly seems to matter. With one that does 100's or 1000's, it's more important.

You do have a distinct, point! I can be away for a week and still catch up on all the threads.

But only if I do so in one setting. If I do half, then come back, say, after dinner, I've been logged off, and when I log back on again, the record of read/unread posts references my previous logon, not what I've actually read or not.

Know what's really amazing, though? HHMP has many things right, including the setup menu choice of default sort (first to last vs last to first).

That takes about 11 lines of script, and many other PHPBB websites out there have yet to figure it out.