Site Changes & Additions - User Input Wanted!

[Flagg]

As an FYI -- I'm in the very early stages of testing a front-end page for this site. Once I have something up that's actually worth looking at, I'll post a link.


Just wanted to let you guys know that it's in the works.


-S

 

[AvataDabley]

I know some people who are into graphic design (as occupation). If you need help I could always try to get them to help out.


What I missed on the old Ec was an actual gaming area. A place on which members could play online campaigns. I have played a campain on (?haku's?) arteficial Inteligence site which I liked alot. It would be great if there was a chatroom/forum on the Ec on which such campains could be played.

 

[Valheru]

Bah... I use my blessful shield of geographical ignorance to protect myself against thy sharp blade of knowledge!

Hah! My sharp blade of knowledge is only an illusion to trick you into missing my fickle sickle of wit!

 

[Flagg]

It would be great if there was a chatroom/forum on the Ec on which such campains could be played.

There is, actually


I'm running an IRC server on hzsogood.net. I also have a web based client for it here that I haven't integrated into the site yet. That will be forthcoming. In the meantime, it's 100% useable.


-S

 

[Flagg]

This implies that Google is generating its own metatags, title and description - something we should probably fix quite quickly if we're going to capture many essences that escaped the jade prison of EC¹.

Ok. I've added a bunch of tags. Let me know if anyone has good ideas for some more:

• "exalted, compendium, redux, exalted compendium, solar, lunar, abyssal, sidereal, alchemical, dragon, dragon-blooded, dragon blooded, charms, artifacts, spells, role playing, RPG, white wolf, character sheet, character generator, unconquered sun, malfeas, autochthon, yozi, scarlet empire, jade, orichalcum, starmetal, soulsteel, moonsilver, terrestrial, underworld, hungry ghost, deathlord"

Also, I added the following description as a META tag:

• A Nexus of Resources For The Online Exalted RPG Community.

Sound good?


-S

 

[Valheru]

Looks sweet to me, Still.

 

[MikeOQuinn]

_________________
Arrr!! It's drivin' me nuts!

Ack! I love that joke, painful though it may be.


Many bonus points to the kitty behind the mic.

 

[Valheru]

_________________
Arrr!! It's drivin' me nuts!

Ack! I love that joke, painful though it may be.


Many bonus points to the kitty behind the mic.

Uwahahaha! I love getting bonus points. That means I can twink out my character at char creation.


That joke is one of my favorites, because it's just so stupid..

 

[Flagg]

That joke is one of my favorites' date=' because it's just so stupid..[/quote']
Here's my favorite:

• Q: Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?
  A: Repeated absences and stealing.
  

-S

 

[Valheru]

That joke is one of my favorites' date=' because it's just so stupid..[/quote']
Here's my favorite:

• Q: Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?
  A: Repeated absences and stealing.
  

-S

Q: Ask me if I'm a tree.


Are you a tree?


A: Fuck no!

 

[ashenphoenix]

Ok. I've added a bunch of tags. Let me know if anyone has good ideas for some more:
...


Sound good?

Yep. Not showing up on google, but that may have to wait until it reindexes.


Anyone done web site promotion training that wants to handle marketing?

 

[Flagg]

Yep. Not showing up on google, but that may have to wait until it reindexes.

Here's a question for Ye-Who-Seems-To-Know-How-Google-Indexes-Stuff:


http://exalted.hzsogood.net/index.html is a page with a 0 second redirect to http://exalted.hzsogood.net/forums/index.php.


I did this so it would be easy to repoint the site to a different front page, etc.


Now, I put the META tags in this file. Will google index this, or recognize it for what it is and skip it?


I'd assume there's an easy way to get phpBB to insert the tags into every page the php generates, but I haven't figured it out yet.


-S

 

[Relic]

Size of avatars.


Personally I would prefer if all avatar images were uploaded to the site but I can easily understand why this might pose a bandwidth problem.


However, I'd like to propose that a limit on picture size is imposed. When you edit your profile it has a text saying:

Displays a small graphic image below your details in posts. Only one image can be displayed at a time, its width can be no greater than 80 pixels, the height no greater than 80 pixels, and the file size no more than 6 KB.

However, there are images used already that are larger both in pixels and bytes. If there is a feature that can be turned on to enforce the size limitation I would suggest doing so.


Thank you for your time.

 

[Flagg]

Re: Size of avatars.

However, there are images used already that are larger both in pixels and bytes. If there is a feature that can be turned on to enforce the size limitation I would suggest doing so.

I've already addressed this in another post. Basically, that limitation only applies to uploaded avatars, which I do not allow. The software does not support limitations on offsite images.


However, I haven't seen any of the larger avatars causing any problems, so I see no reason to fix what isn't broken. If someone posts a ridiculously huge avatar, they will simply be asked to change it. If they do not, I'll block them from using avatars. I think that's easy enough.


-S

 

[Relic]

Re: Size of avatars.

I've already addressed this in another post. Basically, that limitation only applies to uploaded avatars, which I do not allow. The software does not support limitations on offsite images.

In that case there's not much to do I suppose.

However, I haven't seen any of the larger avatars causing any problems, so I see no reason to fix what isn't broken. If someone posts a ridiculously huge avatar, they will simply be asked to change it. If they do not, I'll block them from using avatars. I think that's easy enough.

Of course you haven't seen any avatars causing problems. You're presumably on at least a healthy 2mbit line like most people who know how to prioritize. ;-)


However, an image can easily be 15-20k without looking imposing on the pixel side (and some avatars here already are). With 15 posts per page this adds up to a considerable amount of waiting for users on a "family" connection.


That was the service-minded reason. There is also the consideration that throwing around that much data for a measly small signature image is just a blatant waste of bandwidth no matter who gets the bill.


And finally - and I suspect I'm probably alone on this one - I actually think that avatars should take up less screen-space so we can focus on the text. Mine is 50x50. I considered 40x40 but settled for this.


Of course, your mileage may vary. :-)


Have a nice day.

 

[Flagg]

Re: Size of avatars.

However, an image can easily be 15-20k without looking imposing on the pixel side (and some avatars here already are). With 15 posts per page this adds up to a considerable amount of waiting for users on a "family" connection.

That's a legitimate complaint. If anyone cares to offer some phpBB code that woule limit offsite avatars, I'll put it in place. Otherwise I guess you're SOL.


-S

 

[ashenphoenix]

Here's a question for Ye-Who-Seems-To-Know-How-Google-Indexes-Stuff:
http://exalted.hzsogood.net/index.html is a page with a 0 second redirect to http://exalted.hzsogood.net/forums/index.php.


I did this so it would be easy to repoint the site to a different front page, etc.


Now, I put the META tags in this file. Will google index this, or recognize it for what it is and skip it?

*answer comes from 2 year old minor on-the-job training*


Google should recognise it for what it is , and skip it.


Rumors go that Google bases some of its content recognition on actual content, not just on the meta tags. As there is no content, Google sees through your bluff, declaring the page not worthy of promoting.


This being said, I *believe* Google bases some of its promotion on linkages - so if ECR is linked to half-a-hundred times in the context of Exalted, Google will start promoting ECR as worthy of recognition.


I'd assume this is why the CSS code is now ranked 5x better than the site itself when one types in "Exalted Compendium Redux". The CSS has more content than the redirection code.

I'd assume there's an easy way to get phpBB to insert the tags into every page the php generates, but I haven't figured it out yet.

There would, but I'm no php programmer.


There's no Board Description section in the setup, is there?

 

[Relic]

The Google ranking system - and this is the severely simplified version of it - ranks a page based on two things:


1) How many other pages are referring to it.


2) The rank of these referring pages.


In other words your rank will rise significantly more if CNN links to you than if Joe Blows Homepage does.


That was easy explanation. In reality there are a lot of things considered. You can see more on their site if you're interested.


http://www.google.com/corporate/tech.html


http://www.google.com/intl/en/webmasters/4.html

 

[MikeOQuinn]

I know it was posted elsewhere, but I don't remember where.


Are we going to be able to reply to posts in the pending forum? Extra threads are having to be created so that folks who want to ask for suggestions can get them, then (or sometimes simultaneously) post it to pending.


For example, there is a slight logical issue with your (Still's) DUCT suggestion, but I can't post it there (making quoting a slightly - though not encumberingly - more lengthy process, but that's only because I use Firefox), so I posted it here


[Edit - Wow, I sucked it up on spelling, there!]

 

[Flagg]

Are we going to be able to reply to posts in the pending forum?

No. It's an imperfect, though temporary system. Memesis and crew are hard at work making us a proper submission system. We should have something from them relatively soon. Check the posts on the Furnace forum for details.


-S

 

[ashenphoenix]

Is there any possibility of phpBB sending through the content of the reply, and not just the topic notification?


I know, I'm being greedy

 

[Relic]

Is there any possibility of phpBB sending through the content of the reply, and not just the topic notification?
I know, I'm being greedy

If there is, please make it individually configurable as I think the notification itself is annoyingly large already. :-)

 

[Flagg]

Is there any possibility of phpBB sending through the content of the reply, and not just the topic notification?

I don't know what you mean by this.


-S

 

[ashenphoenix]

Currently, I'm reciving this:

Hello,

You are receiving this email because you are watching the topic, "Should users be able to edit their own posts?" at Exalted Compendium Redux. This topic has received a reply since your last visit. You can use the following link to view the replies made, no more notifications will be sent until you visit the topic.

http://exalted.hzsogood.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1684#1684

If you no longer wish to watch this topic you can either click the "Stop watching this topic link" found at the bottom of the topic above, or by clicking the following link:

http://exalted.hzsogood.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57&unwatch=topic

...which means that I can follow the conversations as they progress, and is awesome.


But wouldn't it be cool if it told me what people actually said in their replies?

 

[Flagg]

...which means that I can follow the conversations as they progress, and is awesome.
But wouldn't it be cool if it told me what people actually said in their replies?

Yes. It would.


-S