New User Profile Pages

[FoxDemonSoavi]

I dislike that the profile search function searches every community that uses the profile system and that it adds us to that database.

 

[BlueScope]

I dislike the whole thing... IMO, the default profile is enough... you might be like "Blue and his stupid simplicity", but I really don't see the point to show more than location, gender, and maybe some messengers in a profile, which was included in vB already... ^_^

 

[Lene]

I dislike that the profile search function searches every community that uses the profile system and that it adds us to that database.

I also dislike this as well. If there was a way we could have all the features and also have the networking limited to RMXP.org, everything would be really nice.

Whatever LG had installed over at .net was actually pretty nice, considering it was only for .net members. It was the same sort of layout, and the same features (missing the networking stuff, which is pretty cool). But that was Invision and this is vBulletin so who knows if someone had tried the same thing w/ this board software.

 

[DJ Jack]

It's a pretty good layout, but I don't like the fact we have to view the profile in a New Broswer Window. I don't know if this is FireFox's doing, but it does get annoying after a while.

 

[linkz0r]

I take Bluescope's words as my own.

 

[Andy6000]

I dislike that the profile search function searches every community that uses the profile system and that it adds us to that database.

For the search thing there's a little check box that says 'search only in this community?' if you're searching for a user. Probably wouldn't be too much of a hassle to just have that checked by default and then maybe just remove the checkbox.

 

[FoxDemonSoavi]

thats not the issue andy. the issue is people like me and lene don't want to be part of a bigger database. We feel we should be in a closed database just for rmxp.org.

 

[Erk]

I don't like the community connector thing at all either, and it is the single biggest dislike I have in the system. To get rid of it we have to pay money to the developers, though, and I am not going to do that until I know if we are actually going to use the software.

You are not being added to a larger database, however, unless you join it. As I understand, you can't be searched from another community unless you have already joined zoints on a different site (ours does not count because we are not, and never will be, part of their network). That is the single major selling point of this piece of software to most of the communities taking it. It's "Zoints Local", a non-db connected version of zoints. We can see them, have no choice in fact, but they can't search us unless we give our express permission and sign their TOS individually.

To those who posted saying they don't like it: I told you not to bother posting. Sorry, but if you don't like it the easy solution is to not use it. The old profiles are still there, under "forum profile", for every user - they can't be turned off. If people turn out not to use the software I can always delete it. In the meantime, this thread is here to bug-test and get useful feedback, and "I prefered the old system" is not useful.

 

[Balian]

Erk this is really nice but i have a problem.
Everytime i try to make a new layout it kicks me off while im editing something.

Example: I go to make a new layout, all of a sudden i'll be in the middle of changing something like the BG color and it just kicks me out and redirects me to my profile page...

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

I'm having -or was having- the same problem Sirus01 is having. But i think I figured out what was happening. Everytime I hit "enter" I was redirected back to my profile. For example, typing in 343434 for the color and hitting "enter" would hit "Save Changes" I guess...? Only my changes weren't showing.

But now I'm having a sort of different problem, and it's my ignorance... I accidentally deleted one or more blocks in the profile, such as contact and blog/journal (don't remember it's name). How would I get those back?
(To see what I mean: http://www.rmxp.org/forums/z/sixtyandaquarter/)

 

[Lene]

I'm having -or was having- the same problem Sirus01 is having. But i think I figured out what was happening. Everytime I hit "enter" I was redirected back to my profile. For example, typing in 343434 for the color and hitting "enter" would hit "Save Changes" I guess...? Only my changes weren't showing.

But now I'm having a sort of different problem, and it's my ignorance... I accidentally deleted one or more blocks in the profile, such as contact and blog/journal (don't remember it's name). How would I get those back?
(To see what I mean: http://www.rmxp.org/forums/z/sixtyandaquarter/)

Apparently you don't. I deleted all the blocks off my profile and while some of them I could get back...others were completely wiped out. It's ridiculous, but hopefully it's not too much of a loss to start over.

Although if there's a way to prevent that from happen it'd be great.

 

[Erk]

All you have to do is click "actions" > "add new block". It brings up a list of blocks you can add to your page, including "recent blog entries" and "contact info" and anything else that is user-enabled.

 

[Lene]

All you have to do is click "actions" > "add new block". It brings up a list of blocks you can add to your page, including "recent blog entries" and "contact info" and anything else that is user-enabled.

No, for some blocks it won't restore information that is already there. I'm not sure why it does that.

 

[Erk]

oh, I see. Some blocks have "locally" stored information. That means if, say, you put a Links block on your main profile page and a Links block on your Project page, you can put different links in them. If you delete one of those blocks, the information is deleted out of it. Other blocks have "globally" stored information, like Recent Blog Entries, and Discussion. That's why it is called "deleting" the block instead of "hiding" it, I guess. It would be nice to have a hide feature as well though.

 

[FoxDemonSoavi]

it would be nice to have it so only certian people can see certian blocks without having to put them on another page

 

[Erk]

That's already the case with a few blocks, like contact information, but you could always, for example, make multiple "profile" pages that are essentially the same except that one is only visible to guests, one only visible to users, etc... it is a bit of a hassle though.

 

[tensuke]

Well I, for one, love the new system!
I hope we keep it! ^_^
Although, while messing with the styles, I noticed that using the Titanium style, the "About Me" section is messed up.
It gives it only 2 rows, instead of making a row for each entry.

 

[King Moogle]

One semi-concern I have about the new system, otherwise it seems pretty cool (aside from the obvious inter-community confusion)...

I remember how, switching here from rmxp.net, post count was a major issue-- the administration made the radical (not necessarily negative, it was simply a big twist from the norm) decision to not have any clear-cut way to determine the number of posts a user has made, in order to cut down on spamming and less well-thought-out posts. However, this new system brings the post count back within clear view.

Does this matter? Am I wrong to think it's even a concern? I was just curious about whether or not anyone had considered this...

 

[Yeyinde]

Here is a working solution to getting rid of the post count.

1. Add a new custom content block to your profile page, name it the same thing as the forum info block.
2. Add this to the new block:
   [noparse]Join Date: <JOIN_DATE>
   [URL=http://www.rmxp.org/forums/search.php?do=finduser&u=<USER_NUMBER>]Find all posts by <USERNAME>[/URL]
   [URL=http://www.rmxp.org/forums/search.php?do=process&showposts=0&starteronly=1&exactname=1&searchuser=<USERNAME>]Find all threads started by <USERNAME>[/URL][/noparse]
3. Change <JOIN_DATE>, <USER_NUMBER> and <USERNAME> to their proper values.
4. Delete the original Forum Info block
5. Move the new block to where the Forum Info block was

So, until Erk removes the post count from the real blocks, this will have to do.

 

[Erk]

Wow, you have been learning this stuff fast, meis. Good job.

I'm looking into making a replacement block with no post count. It is a bit harder than I expected, so it is a good way for me to learn this.

EDIT: fixed it. Now I will see about adding functionality to the block, for practice.

UPDATE: added a link to profile in the postbit. Technically it was already there, but now it is more prominent.