Installing Free Republic Update Tonight

[John Robinson]

Will be installing an update tonight that fixes a number of issues. The version that will be installed is currently available on the beta site.

Changes

• Fixed the time-warping "More" links.
• Fixed time zone issues, using JavaScript to ask your browser to format the time stamp. If you don't have JavaScript enabled, you'll see the default Pacific time.
• Reverted behavior of "New comments to you" indicator.
• Updated HTML on index pages (Latest Posts, etc.) We're moving away from font tags, etc., in favor of using style sheets. Big change here is an increased font size of text in article summaries (increased to the "normal size" font)
• Added memory of last tab ("Articles", "Activity", "Comments") visited on index pages. Additionally, each tab remembers it's brevity setting. "Headers" brevity is the same as "Brief", "Text" brevity is the same as "Full". Name changed to hopefully clarify exactly what this does.
• Moved RSS link to bottom of page.
• Moved and renamed "Sidebar Placement" to bottom of page, it is now labeled "Add to My Page", hopefully that is as self-descriptive as "Sidebar Placement" was.
• Other minor tweaks

One last feature I am working to return is the slave windows preference. Will have that working before the new software is installed.

Update: Windows Preference Working

Reimplemented the open-in-new-window preference. It uses different code now. If you use this feature, please let me know if any links are not (or should not be) opening in new windows.

[onedoug]

Thanks always to you & JimRob for FR!

[brityank]

Spktyr -- you showed me the Rolling Stones; if you meant to have something else then wherever you got the link from flipped your image.

Many thanks, John -- I know that there's a lot of work behind this layout, but it's still the best one I've seen on the web. Clean and fully functional, with just enough bells-and-whistles to provide interest and individual tastes. I've looked at it with IE6, FireFox2, and now with Konqueror 3.5.8 -- looks good in them all. (Still would like a toned-down background -- very, very light gray. :^) )

[USMC Brat]

"The only thing I have an issue with is the search function. It’s not as easy to use as it used to be."

The 'Ping Search' has confused a lot of people. We can still use the familiar 'Focus Search' which is listed at the top and bottom of threads, like at the top of this page: Articles / Comments / Search

[Deo volente]

Can you tell me why all the articles, comments, etc. on my page have the same date and time:

December 13, 1901 12:45:52 PM PST

I'm in a time warp here! Can you help me, please?

(I'm using the Safari browser, if that helps.)

[ASA Vet]

Does this image meet with your approval?

[MEG33]

Thank you, John...

[bobbyd]

Wow, when your folks and Chris were here years ago I mentioned it to your dad. I think it's a great streamlining effect.

Also, been posted above....keep it simple.

Thanks again.

Quit deleting stuff on the Texas page. ;)

[John Robinson]

It’s possible your browser version is very old, or that it couldn’t understand the date. I’ve added some code to work around that... next update you should see Pacific time for the current century.

[ThePythonicCow]

That image will do just fine, sir. Thank-you.

[I see my hands]

"Um, I’ve done that for years"

Ahem, had I known I would not have so clumsily offered a courtesy. I'm sorry.

[Syncro]

Thanks, I figured that must be what it meant, ‘cause that was the only thing that I didn’t see in the original post that I was concerned about.

I always called it “open in new window”

SWP huh?

Tech talk, OK

Works for me...

[Aria]

The “new posts to you” notification will work the way it used to? I hope so. I noticed it stays highlighted even though I’ve clicked on them. I liked the old way better...but then I’m used to it.

[brityank]

You can set it on your “Preferences” section, Manual or Automatic.

[Aria]

Thanks!

I went to the beta version that doesn’t seem to have this issue but if i run into this again I’ll reset it. I didn’t even know we could do this.

[singfreedom]

Same here. My ineptitude astounds—and embarrasses—me!!

Thanks for your efforts, John, even though they are pretty much wasted on me. LOL!

[Deo volente]

I’ve updated my Safari browser to the latest version and it’s still showing “1901” for the year. I don’t see how the problem could be in my computer.

So, I’ll wait for your update and see if that works.

(Firefox handles everything fine, however, but I prefer to use Safari.)

By the way, just why did you have to change all these things?. FR was working just fine for years, and now there are all these headaches to contend with, and to keep me up way past my bedtime.

[ThePythonicCow]

Still would like a toned-down background

Which browser are you using: IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, ...?

If you're using Firefox, then now that John is making more use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), rather than plain old font tags, it's possible that we can customize how FR pages display on our local computer, changing things like colors and font sizes. There's a Firefox add-on called Stylish that purports to make doing this easier.

[singfreedom]

You left out the “world’s oldest drug addicts” part! LOL

[dixiechick2000]

I like the new changes, and am on the beta version now.
However, I have a couple of questions.

Why do I have a “pop-up blocked” sound?

And, what happened to “brief” comments?

[dixiechick2000]

"And, what happened to “brief” comments?"

I dunno...maybe it's just me, but I'm concerned about seeing so many recipes on a conservative political forum. ;o)