Free Republic Update: My Comments (Pings), System Upgrade and Spelling and Time Zone Breakage

[John Robinson]

First up, made a change to the My Comments (aka Pings aka "New Comments to You") page. You can now clear your comments page by using the new "Clear Pings" link. This is the only way to remove the "New Comments to You" indicator. (You can still view all past comments to you via "View All")

Next up on the menu: I've been upgrading the system software on all our servers. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way the spell checker broke and the new version of that software depends on software that I haven't yet been able to upgrade (because that software depends on a kernel feature that isn't available using the ancient kernel I have installed.) What this all means is that I will be taking a drive up to San Jose in the very near future (Monday night) to perform delicate surgery with a very large hammer. Once that is done, the spell checker will work.

I'm also aware that the time zone preference is not working, and I believe that problem may also be fixed by the same large hammer that will fix the spell checker (it's a very big hammer.)

So in summary, clear your pings, don't make any spelling mistakes until Tuesday and kick back and enjoy the California sun.

Update

Added "Pings Indicator" option to your preferences in case you'd prefer the old automatic clearing of the ping light.

Update #2

Was able to work around the spell checker dependency issue, you can now misspell words to your heart's content.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Hi John

Don't forget to fix the *2001 problem* we get when we click 'see more articles' at the bottom of the Activity-tabbed threads. I get nothing but threads from 2001. Anyone else get this?

And when I click 'see more articles' at the bottom of the Brief-tabbed threads, it switches, and I suddenly get Comments-tabbed threads.

Special request: I hate the way a thread turns purple after we click on it. I happen to hate the color purple. And it just makes the whole page look bad with some listings in blue, some in purple. I'd like to see the listings all in the same color.

Thanks, John!!!

Can someone explain to me what the Brief-tabbed threads are? ARTICLES are new threads as they are posted. ACTIVITY threads are ones that are being commented on. COMMENTS threads SHOW the comments. But what are BRIEF-tabbed threads?

[ThePythonicCow]

but when I clicked on the cached link, nothing came up.

It looks like Google has already updated their cached FR profile for you, and I feel really bad that I didn't save a copy of your FR profile while I had it in hand.

[ThePythonicCow]

I feel really bad that I didn't save a copy of your FR profile

Aha - you were the one who had already saved their profile in a .txt file. That's why I didn't save it myself. Now I feel better again.

[Mama_Bear]

That’s okay, I saved a copy of the source code from my page. All’s well. :-)

[LucyT]

Thank you, deport. I’m also saving your suggestion.

[Mama_Bear]

Now I feel better again.

:-)

[Dog Gone]

So, part of the improvements are the disappearance of home pages for some people?

I wonder what the next improvement is. Turning back the clock to 1999 when someone could accidentally leave the italics on for other posters to unknowingly use in their replies?

I don’t get this at all.

I had no complaints about the software we were running here, and I don’t see one thing that has changed that has been beneficial. At BEST, it’s been different.

[Mama_Bear]

So, part of the improvements are the disappearance of home pages for some people?

Apparently so. I sure hope that things get better before they get even worse, but I don't have a clue as to how or why John is doing this. I have always believed in the old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". LOL.

[ThePythonicCow]

I sure hope that things get better before they get even worse,

That's part of the price of having some of the finest web talent available coding our website. You don't get a site this great without taking some risks, which sometimes means changing things that few others realized needed changing.

Anyone who would sit on their hands when a major site like this was "good enough" would have never been able to get it to be "one of the great ones" that it is now.

[GSWarrior]

I guess I am a true conservative....I can't deal with change. ;)

This site is not as user friendly as it once was.

[Mama_Bear]

Well, John has kept this site secure and on the internet for over ten years and for that I am grateful. (Although, I am still upset that our ability to embed music on our profile page was taken away....but, I understand it is a security issue - and security on this site is a priority. There are many out there who would like take us down.)

[Mama_Bear]

I guess I am a true conservative....I can't deal with change. ;)

Same here. And the older I get, the more true that becomes. ;-)

[ThePythonicCow]

John has kept this site secure

Good point. You just know that there are folks are there who would love to mess with us.

[Old Professer]

All this change in the middle of a Freepathon is about as wise as Al Gore scheduling a press release on Global Warming in the middle of a blizzard.

[OB1kNOb]

My profile page is still visible, but the code is gone.

Mine is too! Wah!!!

[dighton]

Delicate surgery with a very large hammer

[Mama_Bear]

You just know that there are folks are there who would love to mess with us.

Absolutely. John's done a good job all these years keeping us from getting hacked.

[LucyT]

Not to worry, downthread are instructions for locating your code.

[Spunky]

"You can now clear your comments page by using the new "Clear Pings" link. This is the only way to remove the "New Comments to You" indicator."

Question? Other than being the only way to clear the red "New Comments to You" what does it benefit me to clear all my messages off this page? What does it benefit you to clear them all off this page?