FYI, I’m migrating the site to a new server right now, so if things are not working, or only partly working, that’s probably why.
Also, I’m updating the theme to the latest version. You can now reply to comments directly.
Current known issues:
Forums totally broken.Inventory tracker not updating.“Recent On-Topic Forum Posts” sidebar widget is experiencing technical difficulties.
*Slaps forehead*
Somehow my server PHP version got switched to 4, which killed first the two functions in the list above. It has been switched back to 5, and things appears to be working now. Please let me know if you encounter any issues.
The Tim » Jan 24, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Check out the comment reply feature…
The Tim » Jan 24, 2009 at 2:21 pm
This is a reply…
buystocks » Jan 24, 2009 at 3:26 pm
This is a reply to a reply…
Gene » Jan 24, 2009 at 4:11 pm
this is a reply to a reply to a reply…. and is almost as bad as posting a “first post” post.
buystocks » Jan 24, 2009 at 4:45 pm
this is a “first post” to a reply to a reply to a reply
Everett_Tom » Jan 24, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Oh Yea? Well this is a NEW Comment.
The Tim » Jan 24, 2009 at 8:52 pm
All righty. I think I’ve got everything back up and running smoothly now. If you encounter any strange bugs, please leave a comment here.
shawn » Jan 24, 2009 at 9:46 pm
if reply.next is null then reply == reply.previous;
else reply = reply.next;
shawn » Jan 24, 2009 at 9:48 pm
what if I encounter a bug that is not strange?
jon » Jan 24, 2009 at 11:06 pm
GO TO 10
BR 14
The Tim » Jan 24, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Then I’d say it’s safe to eat.
David Losh » Jan 25, 2009 at 9:17 am
how does the reply function work?
Alan » Jan 25, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I think I prefer article comments to be sorted by post time instead of threading. Is there a way to have that as an option?
Brian » Jan 25, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Good system for keeping track of individual sub-topics, but is there a way of flagging new posts? For example, with the microsoft post where there were 208 comments. Say I looked back and saw that there were now 209 posts, and I wanted to read the new one. I’d hate to have to skim through all 209 comments just to find out that the new one was from David Losh.
Or is the only method for seeing new posts on the right hand column?
David Losh » Jan 25, 2009 at 2:02 pm
It does seem like a messy system.
Aren’t the forums for off topic sub posts?
The Tim » Jan 25, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Okay, I found a plugin that let me put a little colored box next to each comment, indicating the read/unread status of the comment. If you haven’t visited the page since a comment was posted, the box is yellow. If it’s old since you last visited, it’s gray.
This only works for logged-in users.
The Tim » Jan 25, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I have not yet found a plugin that allows the threading to be enabled or disabled per user. I will keep searching. In the mean time, note that I did find a plugin that indicates read/unread status of comments for logged-in users in a similar manner to the forum.
David Losh » Jan 25, 2009 at 2:33 pm
do you consult on blogging?
AndySeattle » Jan 25, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Or Blog on Consulting?
The Tim » Jan 25, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I guess it depends what you mean by that.
Lake Hills Renter » Jan 26, 2009 at 3:05 pm
The yellow block tag for new messages shows that all messages are always unread all the time, at least for me. Anyone else seeing that?
Lake Hills Renter » Jan 26, 2009 at 3:34 pm
And of course once I post that, it stopped. Nevermind. =P
David Losh » Jan 26, 2009 at 4:02 pm
You have looked for and found great features that make the readers included.
My interest in blogging and watching your site, and others, is that i think there is a market for online consulting.
Let’s take Real Estate. You want to promote radfun and I think radfun only gives you a very basic service for the fee. What I think is that the ultimate online business model for Real Estate will include add on services. Like charging for opening doors in the showing of houses people may pay for an independent Market Analysis which include financial projections for a neighborhood.
In your case you could totally consult online with bloggers. You can take payment by Pay Pal and help others with thier blogs. sniglet for example could have a link back if his blog were set up according to your specifications. For a fee you could offer through your blog a host of other services or other online consulting.
It’s important for me that you become profitable here, doing this. In my opinion what you are doing is important and I trust you to do the right things with this site.
mukoh » Jan 26, 2009 at 7:34 pm
David there is money in online consulting? You serious?
David Losh » Jan 26, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Very true, it’s a new concept.
This blog has a quality of trust. I think meeting in person should be a requirement, but it seems that in online Real Estate business models consulting, statistical analysis, and in depth Comparative Market Analysis is going to be an add on for a fee.
Doctors do it, lawyers, Do It Yourselfers, why not blogging. If you had 40 clients at sixty dollars per hour with a four hour minimum, that’s $9600 per month for a forty hour week. If you delegated and paid thirty dollars per hour for sub contractors with approval of the finished product that’s maybe more money.
With link backs or sub web sites to increase exposure and add depth like he does with The Naked Loon there is added potential.
I don’t know, but a buddy of mine does online classes so I think the business model is already there.
David Losh » Jan 26, 2009 at 8:49 pm
yeah all the boxes are yellow. I think once you log out then back it reverts.
WestSideBilly » Jan 26, 2009 at 9:42 pm
It seems to track cookies, so when I view the site at work, I get a bunch of grey and yellow, and when I go home, I get a different set of grey and yellow… or am I missing something?
mukoh » Jan 26, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Wow had no idea there is money in google ads or anything like that, pretty new one there. Gotta go read some more blogs then.
Everett_Tom » Jan 27, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I’ve have to second this. After using the new comment system for a few days, I’m really having a hard time keeping track of the conversations. (or, more specifically, keeping track of what’s new).
I know what The Tim means about the Slashdot comments, but in most cases there[slashdot] I’m not trying to follow all the threads (because, frankly, most of the post are pure, unadulterated, junk). I am trying to follow them here, and it’s giving me a headache. :)
The Tim » Jan 27, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Okay how about this. We’ll give the threaded comments a 2-week trial. Next week’s poll will ask whether people prefer the flat or the threaded comments. If more people prefer the flat comments, we’ll switch back.
Unless I find a user-settable plugin in the meantime. Or go totally insane and just decide to migrate everything to slashcode, which would then mean we get all the added benefits of moderation, too :^) Seriously though, that’s not going to happen.
The Tim » Jan 27, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Another thought… I can set the “depth” of replies. It’s currently set at 10. Would it make things easier if they could only go to, say, 3?
Everett_Tom » Jan 27, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Na, my major gripe is that I want to follow all of the conversation (as it’s an exception that I find one that doesn’t interest me).
With multiple threads I spend a lot of time scrolling up and down looking for little yellow boxes (which do help a little). In the old system I know that I left off at comment 53 (or whatever), and just pick up from there when I have time.
That and I haven’t bothered to log in from my home and work PC, which can lead to very misleading yellow boxes…
I like the vote on it in 2 weeks idea.. If everyone else likes it, I’m sure I can learn to live with it.
David Losh » Jan 27, 2009 at 8:44 pm
google ads? it’s 2009