what is with the weird setup of this forum? Private messages are disabled, quoted text looks confusing and a bunch of other stuff. if you are trying to save bandwidth, maybe your should take out the "Who's Online" at the top since there is one already on the bottom. you can get the mysql database optomized, prune out old search strings, delete non active members, change some graphics to text, get the dot folder optomization patch thing, and a bunch of other stuff if you look for it. but private messaging needs to be enabled!!!

Why?

because some people might want to contact another person and ask them a question? instead of making an entirely new thread just to ask them... and AIM, MSN, ICQ contacts are disabled too o_O

and also, why not!? you can limit the ammount of private messages a person gets also...

Part of the purpose of the forums is to foster the idea of community. E-mail exists for the private communication of members. However, if the majority of the communications go off the board the whole point of the community is lost. The community grows and attracts members because of the open exchange of knowledge. If the group knowledge is not available to all the members what is the point?

I get, on average, 10 emails a day asking questions that have been answered before or the answer would benefit the community. It takes away from the group if I answer only private emails. Yet, I don't have the time to answer every question on and off the boards.

This board is setup on the idea of fostering the technical discussions of DV Production and Post Production. The board, because of the technical nature, tries to limit meta discussions. For complete information on this topic see the DV Info FAQ (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/misc.php?s=&action=faq).

I would like to have the ability to post images using a format like:

URL

It works on some other BB's that use this engine, and I think it adds a lot of information, without using so many words.

IMHO.

Cheers.

Uhm, that was:

[open bracket]img[close bracket]URL[open bracket]/img[close bracket]

If that makes any sense at all?!?

yes, like this: [img ]images link [/img ] without the spaces. this would be very beneficial in the sections like the Film Looks sections while it could be disabled in other sections. and why does quoting someone use <<-- -->> ? why not just use the <hr> html tags???

The bandwidth requirements for image posting is too costly. DV Info Community does not have any banner ads, pop-ups etc. to distract from the discussions. Therefore very little income. If the images are compressed the quality is the compression comes into question. Therefore professionals have little to gain by seeing compressed images. Full bandwidth, uncompressed images are too large in file size to affordabley host.

Jeff, If you DID use the IMG tag, would you not have to host the images on your OWN site's space? The bandwidth hit would be to the person posting the image, NOT to DVI. This is because no poster has the ability to put images on the DVI site.

Now I CAN see how it could slow down the display of the pages. It would also show unfound pictures once the original poster deleted them from THEIR site. These are valid reasons for not allowing pictures but it shouldn't affect DVI's bandwidth.

Edward, you brought up the other issues, that I hadn't gotten to yet. Many of the people would expect DV Info to host the picture. Then we face the issues I mention. If people choose to host it themselves or use a service, we face the issues you point out.

Many users are on dial-up. The board operates in a streamline mode to facilitate the use by members and guests around the world. The multi-national makeup of this board necessitates these considerations.

The thing I love is that DVi doesn't have any inline images. If someone wants to link an image, they can put it on their server, and this forum allows for making clickable links.

Whenever you look at forums that allow inline images, it always makes it such an awful read. People always align them in different ways, some use HUGE images while others use images that are too small. It would instantly make DVi look like amateur hour.

Thanks all you Wranglers for keeping this forum clean despite any pressure.

<<<-- Originally posted by Imran Zaidi : The thing I love is that DVi doesn't have any inline images. If someone wants to link an image, they can put it on their server, and this forum allows for making clickable links.

Whenever you look at forums that allow inline images, it always makes it such an awful read. People always align them in different ways, some use HUGE images while others use images that are too small. It would instantly make DVi look like amateur hour.

Thanks all you Wranglers for keeping this forum clean despite any pressure. -->>>

Your point is well taken. Images and referenced sites are a hypertext link away, a single click. It keeps the forum very clean. I retract my prior suggestion.

Thanks to the moderators for the hard work they do too.

the only improvement i would like too see is that when you click on a message it would take you to the first unread message, that would be nice...i know you can go to the first message, and you can go to the last message but the first unread is not there...

i also noticed when you go to a message with multiple pages there is link on top to go to the first unread message, but that requiers two clicks which double bandwidth...

When you see any list of messages, there is a down arrow beside any "unread" messages. If you click on that down arrow, it will take you straight to the first unread message.

Robert, in the next version of the software, that feature may be available, but at present it is not. It will mean having cookies enabled, so the software can maintain the last viewed threads, posts etc. The two clicks is also a software limitation, I believe, but I'll ask Jeff Krammer to look at this thread and see if there might be a shortcut.

I would also like to say thanks, on behalf of all the DV Info staff for the kind words from Imran and Dan. We're always willing to look at suggestions on how to improve the board's features, performance and appearance. Many of these issues have been discussed before at various staff levels. While we're always willing to look at new ideas and suggestions, keep in mind the limited funds and multi national aspects of the board. I mean with the rising cost of jet fuel we're barely able to keep the corporate jet in the air for Mr. Hurds globe trotting adventures. . . err, I mean trade show appearances.

It's also useful to use the View New Posts feature to get a listing of stuff you've missed. In fact, you can make that your "Favorites" link to DVinfo.net:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/search.php?s=&action=getnew

The only request I'd make is that the View New Posts results be sortable by forum first and date second, enabling a member to zero in on the forums most relevant to him or her.

This might be possible with some extra URL arguments in the above link. Does anyone know?

And Jeff, I don't know what you're talking about in the post above. As the previous post by Edward states, this feature is available just by clicking on the little down arrow icon. And cookies are already supported on DVinfo.net, otherwise we'd have to sign on each time we visit.

You can just tack on the forum id. That will show you all posts
new to that forum since your last visit (if you have cookies
enabled)

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/search.php?s=&action=getnew&forumid=3

Weill show all new posts in the TOTEM Poll. You can find the
ID's to use by hovering over the links to the forum on the main
page.

Thanks Rob,

That's close but not precisely what I was looking for. I still want to see a listing of all new posts in all forums, I just want them sorted by forum first and date second.

According to some post on a vBulletin forum this might work, but
it doesn't here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/search.php?s=&action=getnew&sortby=forum

BUT, it works in another way which requires a tad more work.
Click View New Posts. After the redirect you are at the first page.
Now tack "&sortby=forum" (without the quotes) at the end of
the new URL and hit enter. It will now sort them correctly.

You can't bookmark this because the URL you are redirected to
has a search ID in it which will be different each time you'll do
a view new posts.

So you will have to tack this on at the end every time.
That's the best I can do.

I guess that's the best solution. Some extra typing, but at least useful for sorting for when I've been away for more than a couple of days and a huge amount of posts have piled up.

When I first signed up on this board back in 2002, I was able to check the who's online list and view new/latest posts without logging in. Now, I must log in to view either of those. Was this a global change or is it just me?

James, I think that was a software upgrade change. It wasn't just you.

thanks Jeff will be looking foward to that feature...

Edward i believe what you are reffering to only take you to the last post, not the first unread...

in any case keep up the great effort, best dv dite on the net

<<<-- Originally posted by Robert Mann Z. : Edward i believe what you are reffering to only take you to the last post, not the first unread... -->>>

Nope. Takes me to the first post I haven't read. There could be 10 more posts after that one. In this case, it took me to the last post - there was only ONE I hadn't read.

<<<-- Originally posted by Edward Troxel : <<<-- Originally posted by Robert Mann Z. : Edward i believe what you are reffering to only take you to the last post, not the first unread... -->>>

Nope. Takes me to the first post I haven't read. There could be 10 more posts after that one. In this case, it took me to the last post - there was only ONE I hadn't read. -->>>

interesting, i just tried it again today with no luck, passed over several posts that i haven't read and jumped to the last one...

is anyone else having type of problem, is there a fix?

I think Jeff deserves a round of applause for this thread.