PS I hate this new web display

[Michael Miller]

This is very difficult to navigate

[Bob Denny]

I am sorry Michael.

The forum software I had was very old (7 years!) and incompatible with newer browsers. The new forum system has things like auto-save and much better standards compliance. I can't help it that the interface changed, it's not my software. I am in no position to jump ship as I have thousands of users and tens of thousands of message in this database, plus messages are linked from my issue-tracking system, etc. And vBulletin is far and away the most widely used forum software after phpBB (a klunky free forum package). There is no practical way to change forum software vendors.

All I can ask is your patience while you find your way around. Just know that the developers of vBulletin didn't sit around and figure how to make their software harder to use. They actually thought they were making it better.

[Michael Miller]

It must be because I'm using Firefox. The black doesn't let me see my typing very well. I'll just use the forum runner on my iPhone.

[Jim McMillan]

Try changing the skin to "BlueFox-Fluid" at the bottom of the page. I find this is much easier to read. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to make it my default...I have to change it every time I log in.

FWIW.

Jim

[Rob Hawley]

How to customize

I played with this this morning. Click on your name at the top. Then click on "customize my profile". This should display the color scheme. Now select your color scheme at the bottom (I am using vb4 default). Click save.

[Bob Denny]

Rob --

I had no idea about this feature! But I don't think that will save your style choice permanently for you. I think the tweaks you make to the colors (the stuff that is in the area that slides out) will get saved, but not the style choice. I could see people seriously jacking up their display, thank goodness there is a "Default" button on that!!!!

Note that the vb4 default will have problems with the yellow highlighted type I got into the (bad) habit of using.

[Rob Hawley]

I tested this between tabs before I posted. Changing the preference in one tab affected the others. What I did not do was to test exiting Firefox completely.

In looking further the site sets a bb_userstyleid cookie that I presume is what saves the state. Deleting the dc3 cookies resets to the default and logs you out. I have Firefox configured to delete all cookies on exit.

So if you keep your browser alive...



BTW the autosave is a cool feature.

[Bob Denny]

Yes, but the selection at the place I referred to does it permanently for you, regardless of any session info saved in the cookie. So if you set it the way I recommend, and you log in with a different browser and/or on a different system (like your iPad or phone or the system in your observatory) you still get the default style you want.

I see the auto-save, but I'm not sure how to get back to the auto-saved state if you get cut off. I haven't tested it though. I have my hands REALLY FULL right now, hence I am here on Sunday.

[Bob Denny]

Yes, the type in the Blissfully is too dark. I am out this weekend and plan to continue making it better this coming week. I am using the ForumRunner now in the field. Jim, you can set your own default theme in your account settings. It has a ways to go, all I can ask for is patience. I do like the new editor when it works, the auto save, the way single attachments of images are displayed full size in the message. Bit mainly I had to upgrade it because the 5 year old version we were using forced IE people to run in compatibility mode, and the WYSIWYG editor didn't work in Chrome.