# ASF migration to new software platform Q&A



## Joe Blow (17 November 2016)

Good afternoon everyone.

I thought I'd start this thread in advance of ASF migrating to a new software platform next month. The migration is tentatively scheduled for either Friday, 9 December or Friday, 16 December. I usually do these kind of large scale changes on a Friday evening as it minimises disruption and gives me the weekend to iron out any bugs or issues, of which there are usually many.

So, what will ASF be like after we migrate to the new software platform? Well, the differences that most people notice will be mostly cosmetic. The forums will retain a similar design, but the underlying software will be entirely new so there will be some differences when it comes to layout and functionality. The new menus and website navigation will take some getting used to. That is a given. I am doing my best to ensure that the vast majority of features that currently exist will be available on the new software platform, but some may be missing. The reason for this is because those particular features are not supported by the new software. The good news is that the new software has a lot of new features that the current software does not and will never have. The new software will also be much faster. The experience on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones will be much better.

Why is ASF moving to a new software platform? The short answer is that the current software is no longer being actively developed and has no real future to speak of. There is much better software out there that does the same job but is being actively developed and supported. If ASF is to have a future, this change of software needs to happen and I would like to begin 2017 with that change firmly in place. December is traditionally the slowest month of the year so it seems to me to be the perfect month to implement this kind of large scale change.

This thread will serve as a Q&A platform for any questions or queries related to the software migration, either before or after it occurs. If anyone has any questions before the software migration I am more than happy to answer them. Just fire away. I know there will be many questions after it occurs due to the scale of the changes, so I will do my best to make the transition as easy as possible after it happens by explaining new features and updating everyone on how to find or access old ones.

A new day for ASF is about to dawn. Thank you all for your continued support.


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## qldfrog (17 November 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> Good afternoon everyone.
> 
> I thought I'd start this thread in advance of ASF migrating to a new software platform next month. The migration is tentatively scheduled for either Friday, 9 December or Friday, 16 December. I usually do these kind of large scale changes on a Friday evening as it minimises disruption and gives me the weekend to iron out any bugs or issues, of which there are usually many.
> 
> ...



Thanks Joe, your efforts much appreciated.Hope it will go smoothly


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## pixel (18 November 2016)

Hi Joe,
we're very much looking forward to the "new, improved" ASF. 
I know the transfer itself is a one man job. But if you'd like some help with Beta-testing after the initial move, you know where I am. 
A couple of days early warning will be enough, plus maybe a prioritised list of functions and features that you think may need particularly intensive testing, and I'll try to plan around it.
I'm sure there will be more volunteers, if it helps.


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## VSntchr (18 November 2016)

pixel said:


> I'm sure there will be more volunteers, if it helps.



+1. Happy to help if I can


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## qldfrog (18 November 2016)

+1 same here


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## galumay (18 November 2016)

Yep, same here. As a Forum Admin & web developer elsewhere, happy to lend a hand anywhere its needed.


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## Joe Blow (18 November 2016)

Thank you for the support and offer of assistance guys. 

At the moment I am still trying to get the new design tidied up and finalised. It's been a bit of an arduous process that has been far more complicated and expensive than I had anticipated, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

I will contact you via PM a couple of weeks before I plan to go live to do some beta testing and offer last minute feedback on the test install before I go ahead with the final migration.


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## Joe Blow (13 December 2016)

Just a reminder that this software migration will be going ahead next week, probably on the evening of the 22nd. At the time of the migration everyone will be logged out and will need to log back in once it is complete, so if you cannot remember your password or need assistance in changing it please contact me.

If anyone would like a preview of the new ASF (as a work in progress) please feel free to PM me and I will give you a link.


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## Joe Blow (19 December 2016)

The software migration is going ahead as scheduled this Thursday evening December 22nd. ASF will be down for a number of hours as all forum data is migrated across. At this stage it is difficult to predict how long ASF will be down. I will do my best to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.

After the migration process is complete ASF will look quite different and many of the features you are used to may not be located in the same place. ASF is moving to a completely different software platform so it will take some time to get used to the new layout and functionality. I will be conducting a Q&A in this thread to assist everyone in finding their way around the new software.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in this thread.


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## CanOz (19 December 2016)

Good luck Joe.....!!!


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## Joe Blow (22 December 2016)

ASF will be going offline tonight around 10pm as we make the move to new forum software. I will endeavour to make the transition as quick and as smooth as possible but am unable to make any accurate prediction about how long the downtime will be. 

The blogs and the groups features are going for good. Neither were ever really used much and the blogs in particular became a bit of a magnet for spam. The blogs content (blog entries and comments) is being imported as threads and I will be going through them one by one and restoring those which contain useful or interesting content and discarding those that do not.

Boardroom Radio is also going, at least temporarily, as I look at new ways of potentially re-integrating their content.

ASF will be returning to what it began as, an Australian stock market forum community. Initially it will be a bit more bare bones as a number of rarely used features are shed. However, I can assure you that the improved forum functionality will more than make up for the features that are being discarded. It is time for ASF to be renewed after six years in its current form. I intend to seek suggestions for new ways I can make ASF relevant and useful to you, the ASF community. In the past, I have been limited by the forum software, as I have been reluctant to build for the future on software that was slowly going out-of-date. It seemed like a bit of a  self-defeating exercise. The new forum software will provide a solid foundation for future development.

After the migration takes place tonight there will be a lot of cleaning up to do. Settings will need to be adjusted and there will be a lot that needs to be fixed up. This is what I will be spending most of my time between tomorrow and new year doing. By new year I should hopefully have everything sorted out. Some issues will need to be pointed out to me, so please post in this thread and let me know if there is something that you come across that needs adjustment or modification. I will be here and will respond as quickly as possible. 

All I ask is that everyone gives themselves a little time to adjust to the new software. When changes on this scale are introduced, it is usually a little disorienting and can initially come as a bit of a shock. However, I hope that in this particular instance it will be like changing from an old Datsun 180B to a new BMW. 

With that said, it's almost time for a new chapter in ASF's 12 and a half year history to begin. I hope you'll all stick around and help me create it.


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## Modest (22 December 2016)

Good luck with the migration Joe, looking forward to the new look ASF.


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## galumay (22 December 2016)

Thanks for all the hard work Joe, I am sure the members will be impressed by the new forum software, it looks really slick.


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## barney (22 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> I hope that in this particular instance it will be like changing from an old Datsun 180B to a new BMW.




I love old Datsuns  .... but I'm more than happy to drive a new BMW .... good luck with the transition Joe!


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## ThingyMajiggy (22 December 2016)

Forcing lots of users with grey hair to go through a big change, there's probably going to be buttons in different places and everything!  

May the force be with you Joe


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## Joe Blow (22 December 2016)

Thanks for the support everyone, although I must admit to being very nervous. This change is the most profound in ASF's history. 

I can say with certainty that there will be things that people like and things that they don't like. I can say this for me also. However, we can keep the things that people seem to like and work to improve the things they don't. It's a bit of a blank canvas in a way, a starting point to make the new ASF even better.

Just a last minute reminder: everyone will need to log in again after the migration, so please be prepared for that. When you do log in, check the box that says, "Stay logged in".


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## smallwolf (22 December 2016)

good luck Joe.... may the force be with you


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## VSntchr (22 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> With that said, it's almost time for a new chapter in ASF's 12 and a half year history to begin. I hope you'll all stick around and help me create it.




Thanks Joe. ASF played an integral role in moving me from market novice to full time trader and I hope that the new site allows more like me to experience the benefits of ASF and its knowledgeable posters. 
Merry XMAS :xmastree


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

OK folks, we're back but experiencing some issues. Please bear with me.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

There's still a mountain of issues to work through but they will have to wait until I wake up. This was a much more difficult process than I anticipated. If you have any questions or feedback please fire away. If anyone has any issues logging in then please contact me via the *Contact Us* link below.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

Could everyone please try and post in this thread so I know that people are able to post.


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

All looking good Joe.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

If anyone is having difficulty logging in, please contact me using the *Contact Us* link below with your details.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

Feedback is critical at this point, so please post and let me know if you are experiencing any issues... or just to say hello.


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## Wysiwyg (23 December 2016)

Morning Joe. Yes I am wondering how to get the most recent post in a thread at the top of the page please.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

Wysiwyg said:


> Morning Joe. Yes I am wondering how to get the most recent post in a thread at the top of the page please.



I'm looking into this and will get back to you once I figure it out.


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## howardbandy (23 December 2016)

Trying out the new look.

Best,  Howard


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

Please, whatever your response to the new forum software, be mindful of the effort Joe has put in all last night and from early this morning. There will be quite a few issues that need fixing, and threads like this are great for collecting them so they can be actioned. Just remember Joe is probably frazzled so be polite and supportive - not everything will get fixed or addressed instantly!


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> Feedback is critical at this point, so please post and let me know if you are experiencing any issues... or just to say hello.



"Hello" 

Thanks Joe,
I've only been browsing so far (still half asleep at 6am ) but everything looks great.
I know it's been a mammoth task, and I don't know how you did it.
Congratz!


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

Wysiwyg said:


> Morning Joe. Yes I am wondering how to get the most recent post in a thread at the top of the page please.



Try again, it seems to be working now.
Where you have a list like this,



click on the name in the left column, or on the date below the name of the last poster.
The former displays the thread newest on top, the latter the other way around.
(At least that's how it works with my current settings.)
Bingo!


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

Spoiler: Guess What?



ASF has spoiler BB Code now.


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## Boggo (23 December 2016)

Looking good Joe, well done. 
(pic attached for upload test)


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## myrtie100 (23 December 2016)

Hello Joe!
I'm still looking around on my android.
I have noticed also that the thread i click on opens from the very first post.
The mobile version looks a little different/cut down from pixels picture above. 
Well done - by the way! I like the look of the new software.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

I just want everyone to know that I am prepared to move heaven and Earth to get this new software configured so that it serves the needs of as many ASF users as possible.

I understand that it takes a while to get used to doing things differently, but I have no doubt at all that once everyone has a chance to explore the software and get used to where things are it will be relatively easy to adapt to.

Please keep posting and let me know of any issues or problems you are experiencing and I will do my best to address them.


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## myrtie100 (23 December 2016)

myrtie100 said:


> Hello Joe!
> I'm still looking around on my android.
> I have noticed also that the thread i click on opens from the very first post.
> The mobile version looks a little different/cut down from pixels picture above.
> Well done - by the way! I like the look of the new software.



I've figured this out. 
Click on the date/time of the last post


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## skc (23 December 2016)

Great effort Joe. Hope you get some well deserved rest. I like the LIKE button!!

Just noticed a minor bug. 

On the hope page under the tab "Latest Replies"... if I click the "Go to latest unread" link it doesn't take me there. It simply reloads the home page.


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

skc said:


> Great effort Joe. Hope you get some well deserved rest. I like the LIKE button!!
> 
> Just noticed a minor bug.
> 
> On the hope page under the tab "Latest Replies"... if I click the "Go to latest unread" link it doesn't take me there. It simply reloads the home page.



I had that too;
It's because the new software doesn't know which posts you've "read" in the old software.
I went to the Forums tab on top and marked all forums as read. From that time onward, I only see posts that have come in new - the way it should be.


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## Roller_1 (23 December 2016)

skc said:


> Great effort Joe. Hope you get some well deserved rest. I like the LIKE button!!
> 
> Just noticed a minor bug.
> 
> On the hope page under the tab "Latest Replies"... if I click the "Go to latest unread" link it doesn't take me there. It simply reloads the home page.




Same with me.

I like the look though!


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

skc said:


> Just noticed a minor bug.
> 
> On the hope page under the tab "Latest Replies"... if I click the "Go to latest unread" link it doesn't take me there. It simply reloads the home page.




This has now been fixed.


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## skc (23 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> This has now been fixed.



Thanks Joe.

Also another comment.

I noted that there's a description under the member's handle... and most people seems to be "well-known member", even for some with <100 posts. What determines that? I think something like 1000 posts might better qualify for well-known? 

Also noticed that Pixel's description is "_short- to medium-term trader"_... so I am guessing there's a way to customise this for yourself.


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## nulla nulla (23 December 2016)

Sure and steady and we will get there by xmas eve no doubt. Thanks Joe .


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

skc said:


> I noted that there's a description under the member's handle... and most people seems to be "well-known member", even for some with <100 posts. What determines that? I think something like 1000 posts might better qualify for well-known?
> 
> Also noticed that Pixel's description is "_short- to medium-term trader"_... so I am guessing there's a way to customise this for yourself.




Yes, this is an option in your settings. If you click on the *Settings* icon to the left of the *Private Messages* icon, and select Personal Details, you can enter what you want in "Custom Title" just under your avatar.

What you are seeing is just the forum default custom titles, which I haven't made any changes to.


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

skc said:


> Thanks Joe.
> 
> Also noticed that Pixel's description is "_short- to medium-term trader"_... so I am guessing there's a way to customise this for yourself.




You can change it in your preferences in the dropbox under the 'person' symbol to the right of the "New Posts" button.


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

too slow!!


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

..and wrong, not preferences, personal details.


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## CanOz (23 December 2016)

Looks great on my phone, we'll done Joe!


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## VSntchr (23 December 2016)

Awesome! Nice job.


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

Is there a way to receive emails only once a day?
I'm currently swamped with emails immediately something happens in a watched thread. I wish it would be possible, like it was in the old version, to be notified only once daily per even, and preferably later in the day.


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## Wysiwyg (23 December 2016)

pixel said:


> Try again, it seems to be working now.
> Where you have a list like this,
> click on the name in the left column, or on the date below the name of the last poster.
> The former displays the thread newest on top, the latter the other way around.
> ...



Morning. Yes by clicking on the date/time (e.g. Today at 9.20 AM)  under the poster on that thread will open up the post but the post is still at the bottom of the page. The other format had an option to display most recent post in ascending or descending order. Clicking on the thread Title took one to the most recent post descending in the other format.


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

PS: oh, and I'd like also to be able to edit a post withing the first few minutes after posting, so I can fix any typos or awkwardly constructed sentences that I missed at first reading.
I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.  )


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

Joe has fixed that now Pixel. You should see the ability to edit for 20 minutes after posting.


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

galumay said:


> Joe has fixed that now Pixel. You should see the ability to edit for 20 minutes after posting.



Thanks Galumay - and Joe 
seeing it now. ... and using it for this amendment.
(I knew it was there in the test version.)


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## bigdog (23 December 2016)

Joe,

How do view postings with latest first

Currently oldest first!


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## galumay (23 December 2016)

This is the answer, Bigdog



pixel said:


> Try again, it seems to be working now.
> Where you have a list like this,
> 
> View attachment 69169
> ...




Also if you are talking about thread view, then marking all threads as read seems to reverse the order to newest on top.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

bigdog said:


> Joe,
> 
> How do view postings with latest first
> 
> Currently oldest first!



Wysiwyg asked this before and it isn't actually part of the core software. However, I installed an old add-on that supposedly does the job, but when I took a look at it it seems to do it a little awkwardly in my opinion. However, you can give it a go and see what you think.

Hover your mouse pointer over the "Settings" icon above (the little man next to your private messages) and select "Preferences", scroll down to "Thread Display Mode" and select "Newest Post First" then click "Save Changes".


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## captain black (23 December 2016)

G'day Joe, like the changes, although I've been out bush all week so anything nice and shiny looks good 
One issue I've noticed is that I'm getting "General Chat" threads showing up in the "new posts" feed on the side of the main forum page as well as when I click on the "new posts" button. I have the "exclude general chat" box ticked.

It's not a big issue but I find it easier to pretend the "general chat" part of the forum doesn't exist. I've checked my preferences and unticked the exclude general chat box, saved it and then reticked it and saved it etc. but I'm still getting general chat stuff showing up.


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## captain black (23 December 2016)

Just logged out and back in and still getting the general chat posts. Not a big issue but I prefer not to see some of the stuff posted in the general chat area of the forum.


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## Lone Wolf (23 December 2016)

These two things fall under the category of "getting used to it" not a complaint.

Is the text size larger, or more spaced out? I keep getting this urge to zoom out.

Previously, was the thread title shown in each message heading? Or always visible on screen somewhere? I open up multiple tabs of threads and then read them one after another. I'm finding myself looking at messages and wondering "what thread is this in?". Something I don't remember thinking previously.

Thank you for your hard work Joe.


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

captain black said:


> Just logged out and back in and still getting the general chat posts. Not a big issue but I prefer not to see some of the stuff posted in the general chat area of the forum.



Captain, I will have to take care of this over the weekend as this functionality has not transferred to the new software in the form it was in previously. However, I have been reliably informed that there is an add-on for this software that will enable ASF members to ignore entire forums as well as individual threads, giving people more power over what they would like to ignore. I will investigate further over the weekend and hopefully sort it out then.


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## captain black (23 December 2016)

Many thanks Joe. Being able to filter out certain threads sounds great. I would probably use that on a thread by thread basis rather than just blocking the entire general chat area of the forum. 

Thumbs up on the new look


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## pixel (23 December 2016)

I was asked by IM (now called "Conversation") how I upload chart images.
Turned out, the "Upload a file" button exists only for Forum posts, not (yet) in Conversations.
But this is how it's done:

save the image you want to attach somewhere on your computer/ disk. (I use the same folder, which is mapped to network drive Y:\, so I can access the files from any computer on my network.)
type a reply and click on the "Upload a file" button, which brings up a pop-up window like this.



click on Browse to open the navigation popup


browse to the folder, click on the file.
you'll be asked whether to attach the full image or a thumbnail for people to click in order to see the full image. (I selected "Full Image")


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## smallwolf (23 December 2016)

looking good for me also. (PS like the new coat of paint you gave the site)


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## Bill M (23 December 2016)

Hi Joe, ASF is looking good.

I went over to Nulla's thread about REIT's and on chrome all the tables are out of whack. Can you check that out?

Link here: https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/a-reit-valuation-model.19776/page-18#post-927853


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

Bill M said:


> Hi Joe, ASF is looking good.
> 
> I went over to Nulla's thread about REIT's and on chrome all the tables are out of whack. Can you check that out?
> 
> Link here: https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/a-reit-valuation-model.19776/page-18#post-927853



Hi Bill,

This new forum software doesn't support BB Code tables. I was aware of this before the migration and alerted Nulla and we have discussed the issue. I have taken screenshots of all of Nulla's tables from the thread at the old ASF and will be cropping them and inserting them into Nulla's A-REIT Valuation Model thread over here. This won't happen overnight but will be a project over the next couple of months. Nulla has put a lot of hard work into that thread over a number of years and I want to see it preserved, and hopefully continued.


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## ThingyMajiggy (24 December 2016)

I had been checking back here to see if it was up and running yet and every time it had the new look, but just said "Error" and didn't display any forum sections etc. then I actually logged in and clicked on Forums up the top and was all actually there, so newcomers to the site might be getting shown this Error page with no forums/threads showing up. Just a heads up. Otherwise no issues so far, looks the goods.


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## tech/a (24 December 2016)

Daffy has lost his Duck?


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## Joe Blow (24 December 2016)

tech/a said:


> Daffy has lost his Duck?



Duck's been found.


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## barney (24 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> Captain, I will have to take care of this over the weekend.
> 
> I will investigate further over the weekend and hopefully sort it out then.




Don't forget to have a break and enjoy Christmas as well Joe!!  The site will still be here next week whether you work 12 hrs a day or not


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## Joe Blow (24 December 2016)

barney said:


> Don't forget to have a break and enjoy Christmas as well Joe!!  The site will still be here next week whether you work 12 hrs a day or not



Thanks Barney. I feel like I did a million things yesterday and when I woke up today I realised there is another million or so things to do. I'll be sure to take a break here and there, but I want to get the new ASF squared away before new year so it's good to go when people get back from their Christmas/New Year break.


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## pixel (24 December 2016)

I wanted to change my signature to remind people to -
"Vote for Aussie Stock Forums at http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html "
but for the life of me can't find where to update my Signature. Any help?


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## Joe Blow (24 December 2016)

pixel said:


> I wanted to change my signature to remind people to -
> "Vote for Aussie Stock Forums at http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html "
> but for the life of me can't find where to update my Signature. Any help?



Hi Pixel, hover your mouse pointer over the *Settings* icon (man shaped) to the left of the *Private Messages* icon above and you will see *Signature* below *Personal Details* second from the top in the left column.

Thanks for the support.


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## pixel (24 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> and you will see *Signature* below *Personal Details*



Sorry, Joe
that's where I've been looking, and everywhere under those tabs.
but no signature anywhere...


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## Joe Blow (24 December 2016)

pixel said:


> Sorry, Joe
> that's where I've been looking, and everywhere under those tabs.
> but no signature anywhere...




Aha... another user group permissions issue. Check it again. It should be there now.


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## pixel (24 December 2016)

Thanks Joe,
so it is.  Pity the URL can't be made to link, no matter what kind of HTML I try...
btw, what is the "Status Message" in our Personal Settings used for? And how can it be reset/ deleted?


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## Wysiwyg (24 December 2016)

Account -> Signatures


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## ThingyMajiggy (24 December 2016)

ThingyMajiggy said:


> I had been checking back here to see if it was up and running yet and every time it had the new look, but just said "Error" and didn't display any forum sections etc. then I actually logged in and clicked on Forums up the top and was all actually there, so newcomers to the site might be getting shown this Error page with no forums/threads showing up. Just a heads up. Otherwise no issues so far, looks the goods.




Scratch that. Realised I was going to the saved version of the site in my browser which was technically aussiestockforums.com/forums/index.php or something similar, which it doesn't exist as anymore, hence the error, there was no such page. All good!


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## Joe Blow (24 December 2016)

pixel said:


> Thanks Joe,
> so it is.  Pity the URL can't be made to link, no matter what kind of HTML I try...



Please try again. I knew user group permissions would turn my hair grey.  



pixel said:


> btw, what is the "Status Message" in our Personal Settings used for? And how can it be reset/ deleted?



It just puts a little message in your profile under your name to let everyone know what your status currently is. For example, "Sleepy", "Feeling happy!", "Working hard", or anything really. I just put "Merry Christmas everyone!". They show up in your user profile page as a profile post and can be deleted or changed from there.


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## pixel (24 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> Please try again.



purrr-fect! Thanks Joe.
*Now it's up to every member to go there and do it *
We may not quite manage to beat Hot Gossip, but an honest Second is worth striving for.


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## Logique (8 January 2017)

Herculean effort from you Joe, much appreciated. Looks like you're well over the hump, the rest is fine tuning and user familiarity.

I've been wanting to update my avatar/signature, so I'll have a go at this now, following the instructions in this thread.

Also with uploaded images in threads - the ones I've seen so far were very small on screen. I never liked the former tables feature anyway, but an uploaded image was a good alternative. But from my point of view, it would be easier for the reader if images didn't always resolve as little click icons. I'm always careful to limit the file size of uploads.


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## pixel (8 January 2017)

Logique said:


> But from my point of view, it would be easier for the reader if images didn't always resolve as little click icons. I'm always careful to limit the file size of uploads.



Hi Logique.
you'll find updating your avatar a breeze.
The images are always uploaded in full size, but it's up to the poster to select whether they're displayed as thumbnail or in full at first. Like you, I favour the latter.
Check https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/dtz-dotz-nano.9186/#post-933056

However, I believe the conversion of the 10 years' of old posts has been done with default to thumbnaiks.


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## Logique (8 January 2017)

Thanks Pixel, followed the instructions and now completed.

Noted your uploaded chart on the NFE/DTZ thread - I see it _can_ be done, so that's good. I'll go back to school on that, and work through the image size selection.


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## pixel (8 January 2017)

Logique said:


> I'll go back to school on that, and work through the image size selection.



LOL - it's one click after an image has been uploaded 
btw, if an image displays as thumbnail, readers can still click on it to see it in full.


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## Joe Blow (8 January 2017)

Logique said:


> Herculean effort from you Joe, much appreciated. Looks like you're well over the hump, the rest is fine tuning and user familiarity.




Thanks Logique. The first week was the most hectic part of the process. There was a lot to do in a short space of time but what needed to be done was obvious. It was just a matter of making a list and working my way through it. As you mentioned, it's now mostly fine tuning and in a way this is the hardest part because much of it is a matter of personal taste and I struggle a bit with deciding on the best way of doing things. However, the fine tuning is an ongoing process and this is when ASF user feedback is most valuable as it's good to get an idea of what people prefer to try and make ASF better and easier to use for everyone.



Logique said:


> I've been wanting to update my avatar/signature, so I'll have a go at this now, following the instructions in this thread.




Good to see you got your avatar sorted out.



Logique said:


> Also with uploaded images in threads - the ones I've seen so far were very small on screen. I never liked the former tables feature anyway, but an uploaded image was a good alternative. But from my point of view, it would be easier for the reader if images didn't always resolve as little click icons. I'm always careful to limit the file size of uploads.




Since the software migration people have had the choice to display images in posts as either thumbnails or full-size images, and I think it's good that they can choose what will work best for them. However, all posts from before the software migration have had images displayed as thumbnails by default, as it was a one size fits all situation. However, I can change this relatively easily and I am wondering whether it might be better to make the images from those posts larger. I haven't made any final decision about what changes - if any - should be made. Am still thinking it all through.


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## Logique (10 January 2017)

Joe, define 'relatively easily'. I'd suggest just a few selected threads to retrofit larger images.

eg A-REIT Valuation Model, and Tech/a's Technical Charts of Interest. 

I could also say XAO Technical Analysis, but it's some 481 pages long, so perhaps not.


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## Joe Blow (10 January 2017)

Logique said:


> Joe, define 'relatively easily'. I'd suggest just a few selected threads to retrofit larger images.
> 
> eg A-REIT Valuation Model, and Tech/a's Technical Charts of Interest.
> 
> I could also say XAO Technical Analysis, but it's some 481 pages long, so perhaps not.




When I said "relatively easily" what I meant was that changes could be applied en masse to all posts (or posts within particular time frames), but not to specific threads or posts. So if changes are to be made it would need to be done to all posts made before the software migration on 22 December. This complicates things a little as a "one-size fits all" approach to the resizing of images may suit some threads but not others. So for the moment I have left things the way they are with the intention of re-visiting the issue a little later.


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## Logique (10 January 2017)

Ok understood, that's fair enough


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## skc (13 January 2017)

Hi Joe,

Thanks for all the hardwork with the migration. There are lots of functionality improvements in this new platform and it seems to have generated more content of late. Hopefully the momentum continues.

One question... is there a way to show the most liked and most viewed posts say in the last 24 hours or 7 days?


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## Joe Blow (13 January 2017)

skc said:


> Hi Joe,
> 
> Thanks for all the hardwork with the migration. There are lots of functionality improvements in this new platform and it seems to have generated more content of late. Hopefully the momentum continues.
> 
> One question... is there a way to show the most liked and most viewed posts say in the last 24 hours or 7 days?




Hi skc, one of the best aspects of this new platform is the amount of custom development by third parties. After reading your post, I went looking for add-ons and found a couple that added functionality that while similar to what you asked about is not quite exactly what you were after.

When viewing a thread you can now view the most liked posts in that thread by clicking "Most Liked Posts" to the right of "Thread Tools" at the top of each page of a thread.
There is now a tab called "HOT" that lists the most liked threads and posts.
I'd be interested in feedback on whether people find this added functionality useful.


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## skc (13 January 2017)

Joe Blow said:


> There is now a tab called "HOT" that lists the most liked threads and posts.




Yeah this is pretty much what I had in mind.... let's see what the crowd says.


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## PZ99 (13 January 2017)

I think it's a great idea. You can quickly find something useful by browsing the likes in the thread.


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## captain black (15 January 2017)

Joe, I'm still getting "General Chat" topics showing up when I click on "New Posts" or "Recent Posts" and I've double checked and I have the "exclude general chat" box ticked in my preferences. In the scheme of things it's not a big issue but there's content in there I'd rather not see.


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## captain black (15 January 2017)

I've found the "ignore thread" function. That solves my problem


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## Joe Blow (15 January 2017)

captain black said:


> Joe, I'm still getting "General Chat" topics showing up when I click on "New Posts" or "Recent Posts" and I've double checked and I have the "exclude general chat" box ticked in my preferences. In the scheme of things it's not a big issue but there's content in there I'd rather not see.




Hi Captain, my apologies but I am having difficulty getting the Ignore Forum and Ignore Thread functionality to work across multiple unrelated add-ons. The "Exclude General Chat" box is from the old ASF and the code that enabled that functionality is not present on the new ASF, so at the moment having that box checked doesn't actually do anything.

The only way you can currently ignore all threads from the *General Chat* forum is to manually ignore the forum by going into the forum itself and clicking "Ignore Forum" which you will see located at the top of the list of threads next to "Watch Forum". What this will do is exclude all *General Chat *threads from the list of threads generated by clicking the *New Posts* button. However, the problem is that these threads are still showing up in the *Recent Posts* widget in the forum sidebar. The reason this is happening is that the *Recent Posts* widget was developed independently of the Ignore Forum add-on and unfortunately it doesn't respect the ignore restrictions.

I am currently considering my options regarding the best way to deal with this problem and will hopefully have it sorted out soon.


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## captain black (15 January 2017)

Thanks Joe. I'm happy to just ignore a few of the threads in the general chat forum.

Liking the "new" ASF more and more, well done


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## Joe Blow (15 January 2017)

captain black said:


> Thanks Joe. I'm happy to just ignore a few of the threads in the general chat forum.
> 
> Liking the "new" ASF more and more, well done




Thanks Captain. The new ASF is still a work in progress and I'm continuing to plug away in the background trying to make things better. I will be sure to let you know if there are any developments with the ignore functionality.


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## captain black (15 January 2017)

Thanks Joe, much appreciated. 

I'm really liking the real time alerts pop up too, helping stevo2 with an Amibroker problem in one thread and having an alert pop up in real time when there's a reply makes finding a solution a lot quicker


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## craft (16 January 2017)

skc said:


> Read my awesome signature here.




Is it just me or is SKC a tease? Cause I can't link to the awesomeness


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## VSntchr (16 January 2017)

craft said:


> Is it just me or is SKC a tease? Cause I can't link to the awesomeness



Definitely teasing.


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## skc (16 January 2017)

VSntchr said:


> Definitely teasing.





craft said:


> Is it just me or is SKC a tease? Cause I can't link to the awesomeness




I was just playing around with the newly discovered signature function last week... I have yet to come up with something awesome enough so a joke will have to do. 

Awesomeness takes time as you know...


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## skc (16 January 2017)

Joe Blow said:


> There is now a tab called "HOT" that lists the most liked threads and posts.
> I'd be interested in feedback on whether people find this added functionality useful.




Hi Joe,

Just a quick one re: the HOT tab... with the most liked posts it appears to draw the date and name of the thread instead of that of the author of the post itself.

For the Most liked threads that's correct.


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## Joe Blow (16 January 2017)

skc said:


> Hi Joe,
> 
> Just a quick one re: the HOT tab... with the most liked posts it appears to draw the date and name of the thread instead of that of the author of the post itself.
> 
> For the Most liked threads that's correct.




Yes, it would be better if the Hot Posts identified the author of the liked post rather than the thread starter. I will see if it can be modified easily to do this.


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