A selection of our new features

[ipb]

There's so much new stuff that I haven't known where to begin! This post is only going to talk about the new features that IPB has added (and we'll touch on other changes in another post).

 

 

I think the best place to start is PMs. The private messaging system was completely overhauled to be more of a conversation than an exchange of messages. You can readily add people to the messages (but once you add them, only they can take themselves out). You can organize your posts as you used to have them organized, but the conversion didn't preserve the folder structure you may have set up. You can archive posts in-post (and it's a good idea to archive them before you delete them, especially where swaps are concerned!). You can also report messages from a PM for moderator review. Be advised that doing so will add any moderator who reads the post to your entire message - that's not much different from you forwarding to a moderator (who may forward to myself or repost in the mod area if they need advice), only the other person WILL be aware that moderators were invited in via reporting or invitation. Your PM limit is based on conversations, not replies to conversations. If you haven't noticed, you cannot reply to old PMs (which is why I had recommended archiving and deleting any that aren't relevant).

 

 

There are lots of changes to profiles as well. Not every option is currently allowed, but we can now allow you to make personalizations to your profile (background image or color). You may have noticed on the front page that there is a section for the most recent status updates -- profiles have statuses the way facebook and twitter do, and you can comment on them. Some of the old profile information has been reorganized a bit. You may have noticed that the links to feedback are presently gone, but they will be returning.

 

 

You can now synchronize with your Twitter account by logging in with it and connecting your accounts. People with twitter and no forum account can use twitter to join the forum. If you add twitter, you'll be able to import tweets into your forum status, and export your forum status into tweets (automatically) - and eventually, we might extend the scent of the day FB application to work with twitter. You can import your twitter background and avatar as your avatar or personal photo (but it's not required). Something similar is planned for Facebook, but I haven't yet configured it.

 

 

Notifications were added, and you can (and should) go and configure them to your convenience! They will tell you anything from who friended you to who's quoted you. I find them interesting (especially the quotes ). You can read more about them here.

 

 

There's all sorts of skin stuff, though it's mostly on the back end. The biggest thing is the forum now recognizes mobile devices and will provide a simplified skin with a larger font. I am told there were issues with PMs with the iPhone, but that may have been resolved (as we are using a different version than the test forum). We lost all of our skins, and will be having a skinning contest for new ones! We will also be purchasing some, and will have a donation drive. Details for both will come when things are settled down. Things are rearranged (such as the filters are mostly hidden by default), there were some things added (like the number of people in chat is at the top of the page, and the collaspable sidebar that has all sorts of good things, like status updates, new topics, and watched topics).

 

 

The chat room was completely redone! Please use it - we are allowed up to 50 people at a time! Please use it - it's something we pay for on an annual basis.

 

 

Search was overhauled. You can read all the details about it here.