EDIT: If you run into any tech problems, feel free to ask in here, I'll try to solve any issue that arises here.

Aloha everyone,

I'm rather new, I realize and so it might not be my place to complain, but I figure I might offer my help. If you work on a higher resolution, the endlessly long lines bother you. In the editor window, I'm still on the first [BREAK HERE] line during this sentence. All this one one line... kind of hard to read. So I figure I might offer some help, being rather good with this sort of thing. Assuming this is a standard Prosilver-setup, the change is rather easy and could be fixed in one line of code added (I'd offer my services for that).

Basically, all you do is grab the file styles/prosilver/theme/common.css off your FTP and find this paragraph of CSS-Code:

#wrap {
padding: 0 20px;
min-width: 650px;
}

and add these two lines:

#wrap {
padding: 0 20px;
min-width: 650px;
width: 980px;
margin: 0 auto;
}

And of course, re-upload the thing, then follow this nice tutorial thing that used to drive me nuts when I got started with PHPBB3.



However, why stop there, I thought to myself. If you guys would want a radically different look of the forum, I'd offer to install it, minimum template changes included, should they be needed. All for free, of course. So let me know if and how I can help and what you think of the idea of a completely new look for this place.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, I just would like to make myself available, should my help be needed.

Hi Dom
Welcome to LostEye...

You seem to have a good knowledge of phpBB.
Do you have any ideas why users are getting "timed out" when they are trying to post ? and what can be done to rectify it?
Its a real P in the A.

I haven't been able to recreate that particular error yet. I got a spazzy connection once, albeit briefly.

Do you get a server error (like Firefox going "Connection has timed out") or a PHPBB-error. Because if it's a PHPBB-error, there's a setting or two off that makes the submitting form expire after a while. But seeing as I wrote the story of me and my ex with the glaucoma in one go over the course of maybe fifteen minutes, I doubt it's that.

If it's a browser-error you're getting, then it's a server issue. This can be caused by any number of things, really. Distance to the server - especially if there are transcontinental "wires" (or sat signals) involved - your ISPs, your computer, your modem, the server on which the boards are hosted, the server's modem and so on.

If it's the prior of the two, I suppose I could fix it if needed. Or at least direct the people who fix it into the direction of where the fix is to be made. The latter... not so much.

I hope it is fixed soon, too many people who need assistance

If it's indeed a server issue, there isn't much that could be fixed. The only thing that would fix it for good would be moving the entire site over to another server. The URL could be redirected and everything, but it's an expensive thing to do, depending on the hosting companies you go with.

i havent been able to recreate it either, so im thinking it may be a browser error, or browser issue. could those having problems be using the same browser/update? i don't know.
as for skins, we try to keep it easy for people to see, considering all the vision issues.

It wouldn't be super-tricked out anyways. I don't like it. Or hard to read or anything. What it would have though would be a fixed width. Not like 97%, but maybe 980px. Because if you're working on a 1680x1050 res like I am, the lines get awfully long, which actually is a real bother to read.

Besides, I wouldn't just slap any theme together, I'd let you lot pick, then modify it if needed to suit the community's needs. And I am not quite sure how it works, but I think there's a Template Switcher in PHPBB3 somewhere. I've never used it, so I don't really know where it is. But it is there. So the old theme wouldn't be lost.

Theoretically, this theme could be copied, the fixed width added and that was that, if you all like this design so much.

In other news, here. I have coded a Youtube-tag. Basically, once set up under custom BB Codes, it will display any Youtube video in a nice, embedded player by wrapping a Youtube-URL between [youtube] and [/youtube]

BBCode Usage

Code: Select all

[youtube]http://{TEXT1}youtube.com/watch?v={TEXT2}[/youtube]

HTML Replacement:

Code: Select all

<div style="text-align: center;"><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://{TEXT1}youtube.com/v/{TEXT2}&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://{TEXT1}youtube.com/v/{TEXT2}&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></div>

Helpline:

Code: Select all

[youtube]Full Youtube URL[/youtube]

Also, the List-tag appears to be broken.

Why is this PHPBB so stupid? Can someone explain this to me? I mean, other forum systems manage to be smart with less hassle. PHPBB annoys the hell out of me.

Jay, if you need help setting up another forum software (coughVBulletincough) I'll be happy to help. You can even import all older posts. I'd even be willing to help out with techie things on this one.

Vbulletin is bloody excellent. We don't even need to go for 4.0, since 3.8.X pretty much has everything you could possibly want in a forum system. It also has a lot of features I consider to be core-essential, such as showing the last topic on the index page, style switching (good for fluid/fixed skins), a quick reply box, decent user management and so on. So yes, I would help out setting that up. And you can even import all the posts from a PHPBB-install into it. And the users, even though they would have to ask for a new password due to security reasons.

I don't know anything about computer programs and worship those that do, but all the suggestions sound brilliant to me!! I just know if a computer is good or bad or on its way out.

I was wondering why Mcgyver's name is written in red bold. Is it something to do with user groups of which I don't understand anything about either. I think it looks nice anyway and think we should all have our names or nicknames in colour, to brighten things up...I understand why Jay's name is in red, being the founder of LE though.
Just a wee thought,
Wendy.

Mac's name's in red because he's an Admin, which means he has more rights than us and could kick us all out if he so pleases.

As for changing colours in each of our usernames or even giving us the possibility to do so... the effort would be tremendous and quite frankly would wield little effect. If you want to brighten things up, get yourself a colourful signature and an avatar. That is about the limit of this software, I'm afraid. If we were to implement other stuff... sheesh, it would be a nightmare. However, if Jay gets my message and likes it, we're in for big changes... awesome changes.

Hi
Thanks for clarifying that..I didn't realize Mac was in admin...sorry. I think the threads once opened are nice and colourful and people add their pictures , edits and signatures and some write in colour. I just thought about the first page when people and new members log onto the forum..but then again some forums home pages are well over the top which sometimes gives a less serious introduction. But I take your point about a lot of messing about with little effect for names.
I think if I attempt to add a signature I'll end up getting locked out again and have to return with a new username! I might think about it sometime in the future but at he moment I look forward to looking at other members interactive posts and pictures and especially look forward to the possibility of a new forum skin.
Cheers
Wendy.

If Jay's cool with it, we'll get way more than just a new Forum skin. See, I can do way more and I figured since I kind of appear to have settled here, I might do more. There aren't too many places like this one around and thus this site should be the very best it can be.

Yes I quite agree..I think this place is becoming my second home too!! In some ways this site is a lifesaver for many. No doubt Jay has picked up this thread, or a PM sent regarding a possible revamp.
Cheers.

Because people might wonder how some other users do it, here's the tutorial on how to get a nice signature and an Avatar. First, the avatar. It's the little pic to the right above the username. It might move over to the left, assuming I get Jay's okay to meddle with the forums and pretty them up a bit.

Avatar
- Click on "User Control Panel" at the top left of the forums. It is below "Board Index" which in turn is below the Lost Eye Logo.
- Click on the "Profile"-tab
- Click on "Edit Avatar" to the left.
- Find an image that meets these criteria and that you'd like to represent yourself. Both online or on your PC will do.

- If you've found one online, you might have to reupload it to a site like http://www.imgur.com
- Paste the URL into the box that says "Link Off-Site."
- Click Submit
- You're done.

Now, I realize this is, all things considered insanely complicated as opposed to the way it could be, but it's what we get, so let's use it.

Signature
Here's where the real fun's at.

- Find an image that is not very high and wider than it is high.
- Upload it to http://www.imgur.com
- Keep that window open.
- Click on "User Control Panel" at the top left of the forums. It is below "Board Index" which in turn is below the Lost Eye Logo.
- Click on the "Profile"-tab
- Click on "Edit Signature" to the left.
- See the big field there? That's where you write the following:

Code: Select all

[IMG]paste URL to image here[/IMG]

- Hit Submit.
- You're done.

This won't get any easier, even after I've meddled with the site.

Update to my entire "Dom makes the forums better!"-plan. I've written to Jay, Jay told me his techie guy would get in contact with me. He never did. Therefore I've now asked that, instead of replacing the entire forum, if I could mess around with this one. It can be made more decent than it is. By miles. It just takes some work. I'd still offer to do that.

I can't seem to get an image to transfer onto the 'signature bar.'
I have clicked on edit signature,tried pasting the URL of image in the space and it just comes up in writing and no image.? Help please?

You forgot to add the [IMG]-tag. If your image is at www.signature.com/image.jpg, then you would type this:

Code: Select all

[IMG]http://signature.com/image.jpg[/IMG]

The reason why your avatar looks bad is because it's not a square image. Here, try this:


URL:

Code: Select all

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5437/wardav.jpg