Updates and Changes

This thread will be used to notify users of any updates and changes made to the site.

February 18, 2010

-- Adjusted user avatar dimensions to reduce image stretching.
*All members should reupload their avatars via their profile page to make the changes take effect.*

-- Separated the character and screening board into two different boards, "The Cast" and "The Test" respectively.

February 20, 2010

-- Deleted and Recreated "The Test" in an attempt to resolve missing image problem for select users.

March 31, 2010

-- New "April Fools" layout applied to the site. Hilarity ensues.

April 2, 2010

-- Site Layout version 2 enters testing and editing phase.

April 4, 2010

-- Site layout version 2 enters final draft.

May 16, 2010

-- Ethan Ramey is promoted to Administrator status.
-- Site Layout version 3 enters testing and editing phase.

July 11, 2010
-- Administration Area added.
-- Revision of Screening process begins.

The Test is showing one of those little blue question marks that stand in place of images when they upload improperly. It's on the main page, right under the title of the section.

Also, I'd like to recommend that we use The Cast section not only for character sheets, but for town bicycle character bios as well. Nothing long or elaborate, just a short description to give others a prompt for writing said characters.

In addition, it might help to set user limitations for town bicycle characters in these sections. For instance, I could post a bio for Saul, with the following limitation:

1. I'd prefer that no one else write this character.

Whereas a character sheet for Bloomer might include a bio and the following limitations:

1. This character is open to all.
2. No one may kill this character without approval.

Other limitations might be less or more strict. Some may go as far as to allow unlimited use of a character, including dialogue, actions, and death.

This is just an idea that I think might help us keep the writing more in line when numerous people are using the same characters. I understand it's extra work, but that happens. Feel free to accept, dismiss, or modify the idea as seen fit.

Personally, I think it's a brilliant idea to have the extra characters in the Cast. That way everything is kept crisper and cleaner with much less confusion.

I don't see an image error on The Test section myself. Is Ethan the only one or is it appearing for anyone else?

I like the idea of posting secondary characters in The Cast board as well. As you mention Ethan, it would also be a good idea to mark these characters as "open control" or "creator controlled."

I'm seeing that error as well...although to me it shows as the red "x" in a box.

When I click on the image and choose "Open Image in New Window," it opens up the main site page again.

I've brought up the site on three different computers and I can't see it. This is bizarre. Anyone else?

Here's an image, in case I haven't explained clearly:

I deleted and then recreated the board to see if that might resolve the issue. Is it still giving you the error image?

Nope, it shows up fine now. I'll tell Jessamine to check it on her computer as well.

EDIT: Although I do have the most nit-picky of all nit-picks. Could we please put a period at the end of the descriptions of The Cast and The Test? Yes, I hate to say it, but I'm that neurotic when it comes to formatting.

Don't worry, though, because I let a lot of stuff slide in posts.

Given some of the recent changes that have occurred on the site, I've added the appropriate news and updates to the log above.

Until the issue of the unreadable text is solved, I have made the body background of the site a solid color. Hopefully this awkward solution will no longer be necessary very soon, because it totally ruins the cool effect I was going for.

Is there any chance you could do something about the quote, edit post, and delete post buttons? Maybe it's just me, but the fact that only the edit option has the fancy little button while the other two are normal text is kind of irritating.

Not to speak for her, but Jessamine has been enjoying a much needed summer vacation and I've convinced her not to do any work during.

However, now that's over, so Jessamine definitely needs to finish up the site design!

I keep meaning to fix those buttons...as in replace them all together 'cause they're hideous. But then I remember that in order to do so I have to use The Soulkiller, formerly known as my laptop Cordelia. I will get to those as soon as I can, but in case anyone's wondering why it takes so long, it probably has something to do with trying to run Adobe Creative Suite on a 4-year-old Compaq laptop with a bad graphics drive.

That being said, anyone who just happens to make buttons that they'd like to submit for use, be my guest. It turns out, incredibly small interactive page elements are not my design specialty.

Dear Perpetually Underappreciated Jessamine:

The new buttons are lovely. Thanks for your hard work.

Sincerely,
Mr. Liam Pearse

P.S. Sorry for shooting you.

While I do like the look of the buttons, I do have one small complaint. This may just be my computer, but every time I look at a post now, there's about a one or two inch gap between the header of the post and the actual start of the writing. I'm sorry if I'm being too nit-picky about these kinds of things but I assure you my comments are purely constructive.

Thanks for the appreciation, Mr. Pearse. And don't worry about the gunshot wound, I'll pay you back. Expect to hear from me soon. Wow, how ominous, right?

As for you, Mr. Ruggeri...I can't agree more. The buttons were supposed to be quite small, and even though they ARE quite small, they still take up too much space. This may be a job for...and I never thought I'd say this...the MS Paint x8 magnification grid.

Just like Mr. Ramey, I'm currently in the middle of transferring my entire life to new quarters. I'm also waiting on a new computer and some much-improved editing software, so if you'll just bear with the bad buttons (ooo, alliteration!) for a little while longer, I'll hopefully have some better ones up soon.

Also, we need to seriously consider methods by which to remove the hideous block of dark brown marring the site. If we could just constrain it to the content somehow, and leave the rest unmarred, I think it would work. Suggestions?

I've created a new board for the admins here on the site. Ethan and I briefly discussed some new ideas for a revision of the screening process, which one of us will post on the new board.

Added an addendum (hah!) to the Second Commandment. Read when you can.

Ethan Ramey keeps pestering me to fix the site. I don't think it looks half bad, but I'll admit the giant block of dark brown wasn't what I was going for. I actually want to take the brown away from the logo and just let it sit against the wood background. It looks much more subtle that way. So if anyone has any ideas about how we could make this happen, now would be the time. I've tried transparencies, and I've tried all sorts of other things. This forum is sort of intractable in the way it interprets codes. So far, I've been unable to figure out how to keep it from interpretting a partial transparency as a total one.

Expect a Laney vignette soon. Maybe. If I don't decide to just put the material from the vignette into the story instead.

Is it just me, or is the favicon image different for anyone else? Mine now appears as a green speech box instead of the little swirly black think that we had before. I checked the administration panel and it still shows the original black favicon as the active one.

I don't see anything strange in the way of icons/buttons/emoticons. I could just be missing what exactly you're referring to. What pages do you see it on, and where on the page?

In other news, the facebook group has been updated. If you haven't joined the facebook group yet, please do so as soon as possible. If you do not wish to join the facebook group because you don't want everyone else to know your identity, that's fine, but otherwise, we'd love to have you.

The Broken Badlands...on facebook!

For the past few times I've logged on, our beautiful banner has appeared as a little broken photo sign. I don't know if this is just for me or for everybody, though.

When I was on yesterday, the banner looked fine, however today it's not even showing up. I assume that either Jessamine is working on something with the layout, or we have a minor glitch in the system.