Sliders.tv — Bboard Updates and Registration

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:46:06 +0000

For reasons unclear, Google Forms didn't send me an email alert when people tried to register for accounts on Jaunary 7, January 18, March 2 and March 8. I did receive them again beginning April 17 (but didn't have time to add the accounts until just now). I will be looking into this further, but for now, I've added my email to the registration page.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 14 May 2023 20:38:37 +0000

Hi, everyone. At Dreamhost's advice/encouragement, I updated the PHP on Sliders.tv. If this post posts, it means all is well, but please let me know if any anomalies appear. Thanks!

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 23:47:25 +0000

A number of posters, myself included, have experienced Internal Server Errors when trying to post. I've spoken with the hosting service. It seems that their highly protective security measures would incorrectly flag various post submissions as an HTTPS Smuggling Request Attack. The hosting service has created the necessary exceptions in their security functions for our posts, so we shouldn't be getting these error messages anymore. If it happens again, let me know at ireactions (at) gmail.com

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 29 May 2022 23:45:31 +0000

This doesn't affect anything, but in the years before I started having people fill out a Google Form to register, we were getting several spam registrations a day. I recently went through the database and deleted all of those hundreds of ridiculous spam accounts.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan) — Sun, 29 May 2022 21:35:11 +0000

Nice to be back!

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 29 May 2022 04:06:52 +0000

Another update: I've adjusted the mobile theme at RussianCabbie's suggestion so that the "Last Post" and the link to the most recent addition to each thread is visible on narrow smartphone screens. And in threads, the mobile theme now has a narrower author-byline column and the fonts on mobile are 20 - 25 per cent smaller to fit better on phones.

The desktop/laptop version of the forum is the same except I have made the font 7 per cent larger. The default PunBB theme was built in a world where most computer screens were 1366x768 pixels; now the midpoint is 1920x1080 with higher end screens being 4K. Text is smaller on such high resolutions. A slight increase is helpful.

You may need to clear your cache if you want to see the updated theme right away.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (Jim_Hall) — Sun, 29 May 2022 02:41:36 +0000

Seems to be rolling.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan) — Sun, 29 May 2022 01:58:06 +0000

Jim_Hall wrote:

RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan wrote:
Testing.

ggg
cide
What's up.

the forum!

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sat, 28 May 2022 13:07:45 +0000

Hi, everyone. Sorry for our recent outage. We went offline because Dreamhost installed a database update bringing us from MySQL5.7 to MySQL8 which was incompatible with our Bboard software.

After installing a MySQL8-compatible Bboard on Thursday night, we spent Friday revising our Bboard database to be readable for our new Bboard platform.

As of Saturday morning, we seem to have restored all accounts, posts, private messages, the polling function, the spam prevention measures, the purple theme (an effort to mimic the Sci-Fi Channel purple as directed by TemporalFlux), the mobile-adapted layout, the search function and the user icons.

We aren't sure if previous polls are still working because we're having trouble finding those posts.

If you notice any anomalies, please post here or email ireactions (at) gmail.com. We will be testing the Bboard further before making a full reopening announcement via forum email.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 19:02:08 +0000

I've been testing a responsive theme for the last few months on a separate copy of this forum (that uses the same database for posts and accounts). I've activated it today on the main forum.

My intention has been to make the new theme purely additive. The board should look pretty much the same as always on a maximized desktop browser with the same purple gradients of the Sci-Fi Channel Bboard. However, if you narrow the desktop browser window to half the screen width, the text should now wrap correctly within the narrowed window instead of overflowing past the border.

And when viewing this site on a cell phone, the layout will hide some of the menu functions for the reduced space, increase the font size of the posts for readability, reduce the font size of the user names, and wrap the text to fit within the portrait screen of a phone browser so you don't have to pan right and left to read posts.

The original theme is still saved as a backup in case this new one proves to be a problem, of course.

I've also removed the Request Account link and changed the Register link to lead to the Google Form for registrations. Having both a Request Account and a Register button was apparently confusing people, but it took me some time to find the function that let me alter the Register page appropriately.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 03:21:22 +0000

Hi, everyone. Due to this forum being built in 2015, it was on HTTP instead of the supposedly more secure HTTPS. While nobody uses this site for private information except in the form of absurd personal oversharing, a lot of web browsers including little-used and obscure software like Google Chrome were refusing to load the forum, calling an HTTP connection a security risk. I've turned on HTTPS and updated the settings accordingly. There were some glitches at first (stylesheets not loading, directory links confused), but I believe I've corrected the issues now. However, if there are any problems you find, please post here or email ireactions (at) gmail.com. Serving you all makes my life worthwhile. I was just referring to "Prince of Wails" when saying that, but... I think it's true.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 14:50:12 +0000

Regrettably, the archive of the former Bboard seems to have failed. We still have the files, but it looks like Hosting Check's mismatched database errors -- which crashed the old Bboard in the first place -- reached a state of permanent failure. For this reason, I've removed links to the previous Bboard as there's no point linking to threads that don't load. Thankfully, in 2015, Temporal Flux chose the excellent Dreamhost for our present home that has remained stable and reliable.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 18:00:51 +0000

Hi, I've gotten two emails from people saying their passwords weren't working. Not sure why, but I reset them on their behalf. Please email ireactions (at) gmail.com if you need me to do the same.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 02:56:42 +0000

I've set up a Create Account link in the top menu. It links to a Google Form that allows people to submit their username and email of choice. The form will send me any username requests and I can use that to create new accounts for people instead of asking them to email me personally. This isn't ideal, but the PunBB software hasn't been updated in some time and its extensions for spambot filtering have been falling into disrepair. I'm wondering if it's time to switch to something else, but I'm hesitant to move this Bboard to new software after all the upheaval of the past.

I also disabled the mobile theme as it wasn't working well with new mobile browsers.

Re: Bboard Updates and Registration

null@example.com (ireactions) — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 20:49:50 +0000

Hi everyone. Due to Slider_Quinn21 running afoul of the spambot filter that kept asking him the same questions over and over again every time he tried to post, I have deactivated registration. Please email me at ireactions (at) gmail.com if you want an account and I will make one for you.