**** New Features? ****

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Just a quick note to say that voting in this poll will be open through the weekend. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to vote! And Midnite and I would really appreciate it if more of you were to register your opinions.

[Josette]

Hi MB!  About 5 or 6 posts above this I asked a question.  Perhaps you missed it.  I'd really be curious how this feature would work, as it looks as though we'll be getting it soon!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Hi MB!  About 5 or 6 posts above this I asked a question.  Perhaps you missed it.  I'd really be curious how this feature would work

Josette,

I honestly haven't been ignoring you, but I don't really have an answer for you either because I haven't had a chance to test install the feature. The only things that I know at the moment are that it's called "search_new_posts" and the documentation says that it "will search and display new messages in a tree view format". Unfortunately, a better explanation than that will have to wait until I've had a chance to install and work with it.

[Josette]

Thank you!  How about part 2?  Regardless of how the new feature works, will the old "new" tags work the same way that they do now?  As long as that's the same, the other won't matter.

[MikeS]

Search New Posts gets my vote.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

All this sounds great.  
But I would worry about allowing file attachments.
Isn't that how many viruses get through?

I've had the chance to look through the code for the file attachment feature. I won't go into details, but because of certain aspects of the way the feature is written, there's no way that an attachment which might contain a virus can infect the forum itself. The programmers thought of that in advance. But, of course, there's always the possibility that downloading an attachment to your own computer could be another matter. However, common sense would probably dictate what you might download. It's usually not a good idea to download anything that's from someone you don't know or trust. And it's always smart to have a good virus detection program running on your computer at all times. In fact, just to be doublely safe, we could institute a policy whereby all file attachments on the forum will be scanned for viruses and shouldn't be downloaded until either Midnite or I sound the all clear.

[Bobubas]

I opt for the moderated chat, with the find new messages feature a close second.  Bob

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I don't think I understand what the file attachment choice would do for us, that we can't do now!?

The file attachment feature would allow people to share files that can't be posted on the forum. It's true that someone with their own Web space who might want to share something like that could just provide a link to it in their post. But with the file attachment feature, even people who might not have their own space, or whose host doesn't allow for remote links (like GeoCities, for example) would be able to share files with their fellow posters.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

How about part 2?  Regardless of how the new feature works, will the old "new" tags work the same way that they do now?

I don't foresee any reason why they shouldn't. The "new" tags and the Search New Posts feature would be controlled by two entirely different systems scripts.

[Josette]

Thank you again, MB!  I guess I'll go ahead and vote after all!  Being able to check the new posts without wading through previous ones would certainly be nice.  And, if the other potential problems I asked about do prove to exist, as long as the current system is still in effect, then that wouldn't matter!

[Josette]

This is totally weird.  Having said I'd finally vote, I went back to the top, and I think I clicked the "vote" button.  All I found was the results, but no way of voting.  I tried bringing up the topic fresh.  I tried back a few more times.  Then, I left the site and came back a couple of hours later.

It's still the same thing.  When I click on the topic, all I see is the results - the number of votes for each item and the total votes, no buttons for "vote" and "results" - and then all of the replies below that.

Where did the voting go and is this something with me or has it happened to everyone?

[jennifer]

I voted for the chat because i am basically clueless about the rest ?!?  and this seems like the most  fun
reading the rest was making me dizzy![spin]

jennifer

my second vote would be more message icons!

[victoriawinters]

my name is victoria winters....

i say chat, chat, chat...  i can never get enough of talking about my favorite show dark shadows and talking to my dark shadows buddies...

[Miles]

Hmmm, I don't like this.  I voted for new messages a few days ago thinking it would be a lock, but now chats is making a comeback.  

[Midnite]

This is totally weird.  Having said I'd finally vote, I went back to the top, and I think I clicked the "vote" button.  All I found was the results, but no way of voting.  I tried bringing up the topic fresh.  I tried back a few more times.  Then, I left the site and came back a couple of hours later.

Josette, this is exactly how the polls work-- the button you clicked was labeled Submit Vote, and since everyone is allowed one vote, the current results will continuously display for any cousin that has already submitted a vote.  So, before you clicked the Submit button, did you make a selection [check one of the radio buttons]?