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Post by colinclee on Feb 25, 2009 15:39:26 GMT
Hi Brian
Well you're up and running, 57 members.
The problem now, is to master the vagaries of this board.
Y' I know there is a Help Section, but as usual it's limited and also doesn't appear to be printable.
The subject should have its own board cos I anticipate a big input.
I have a long list of queries, to start the ball rolling.
Regards
ColinC
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Post by Brian M on Feb 25, 2009 21:14:44 GMT
Colin
I thought I would repeat my email that I sent to all members so it is archived here. It gives some guidance on enjoying the forum.
1. THREADS FROM THE OLD GROUP Fortunately I managed to transfer over all the important threads from the old board, and grouped them into themes. I have ignored threads that were no longer valid, or those that were just general banter. I am going through these tidying up the "recommend" "message numbers" etc, but will leave the original date and author at the top of each message within the thread.
2. PICTURES FROM THE OLD GROUP Again, I have saved these, and will soon start to post them onto the gallery section. There is a difficulty with the titling, so if you spot an error in the picture titles, please feel free to correct them.
3. RECEIVING EMAILS ABOUT NEW POSTS On MSN you could elect to receive an email about every new post. To achieve this on Proboards you need to 'Bookmark' each thread individually. You can do this by checking the first box under the text box where you are creating your message. If you have not contributed to a thread, you can still bookmark it by clicking the word 'bookmark' in the blue stripe above the thread.
4. POSTING PHOTOS On Proboards it is much easier to have your pictures as part of the actual thread, but you cannot upload directly from your computer. You need to subscribe to a photo hosting service and link your picture to the hosting service. There are full instructions in "Introduction to this Forum".
5. SAFARI CHAT ROOM Until MSN removed the facility, the sunday night chats were a popular feature and I have set up a chat facility on the new board. You just need to click "chat" at the top of the board and you can get in. So I am going to suggest that we give it another try - this time at 8.00pm on Sunday evenings. If you prefer another evening or time, let me know.
6. SAFARI SERIAL NUMBERS In my quest to maintain a register of all Safaris, I need to receive and track serial numbers, so I would ask you to check the new thread on serial numbers, and if yours is not there, please add it to the thread so my record can be as complete as possible.
Sorry to have rambled on a bit, but with summer coming soon I look forward to you all posting your Safari experiences, problems, and anything else vaguely related to the joys of caravanning!
If you have any other specific queries, let me know and I'll do my best to provide a solution.
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Post by colinclee on Feb 26, 2009 11:58:55 GMT
Hi Brian
Your response does not address my problem, however, I'll plod on.
Question Number 1
What have I done to be promoted to Junior Member, with TWO STARS!
which begs:-
Question Number 2
How does one become a Five Star General and similarly the two intermediate ranks, denoted with three and four stars respectively, I presume.
Regards
ColinC
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Post by Brian M on Feb 26, 2009 16:14:38 GMT
Colin Depends on the number of posts you have made: 0-10 posts - New Member - 1 star 10-50 posts - Junior Member - 2 stars 50-100 posts - Full Member - 3 stars 100-250 posts - Senior Member - 4 stars 0ver 250 posts - Even More Senior Member - 5 stars So come on get posting if you want more stars Next question!
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Post by colinclee on Feb 27, 2009 14:32:41 GMT
Hi Brian
No I don't want any more stars.
Fancy Titles and Status Symbols (such as Stars) are the product of a much younger generation than mine and we are inclined to think of them as childish.
So far as I'm concerned we are all Members, period.
Creating categories without prior knowledge or permission is not acceptable, but I suppose, it's whatever turns you on.
So thank you, but no thank you.
ColinC
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Post by Brian M on Feb 27, 2009 19:33:10 GMT
Come on Colin, it is only a bit of fun!
I can change the limits, and probably do away with the whole thing, but what do others think?
As always I'll go along with the majority.
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Post by colinclee on Feb 28, 2009 12:58:04 GMT
Brian (Even More Senior Member) Sor!
I have little time or patience for childish games. I thought this was a forum with a serious purpose.
However, were I active in this charade I would be asking, how can you justify taking credit for postings that you did not originate, but copied from the MSN board.
Perhaps you could also explain the reason and purpose for the following words attached to your profile.
Karma (with a score,yours now 5)
Exalt
Smite
And what is their relevance to Safari Caravans?
ColinC
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Post by colinclee on Mar 7, 2009 12:21:12 GMT
Brian
Awaiting in courteous anticipation, your response to my posting on Feb28.
ColinC
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Post by Brian M on Mar 7, 2009 20:01:33 GMT
Colin
I apologise for not replying to your earlier post, but I did wonder if you were being serious.
Firstly I spent several weeks researching various other forums to find one that was easy to use, provided the sort of facilities that were essential to continue the good work we had started on MSN, and was likely to remain around for a long time. In my opinion Proboards provided the majority of features we required, although some functions required a different method of operation.
I then spent many long evenings copying and pasting approximately 2000 important threads from MSN. It was not possible to attribute each thread to the original contributor as I would have to create dummy accounts in everyone's name and then split each thread on MSN across each user account. As I am sure you appreciate this would have taken several months, time we did not have as MSN had given us a closure date.
I have left the original contributors name and date of the message in everything I have transferred. This does mean that my name has to appear as the starter for over 250 threads. But I have explained my actions and I am not "taking credit for them" as you suggest. I just wanted to preserve our information.
I didn't hear from any volunteers to assist me in this process which would have meant that their names could have appeared.
Quote Creating categories without prior knowledge or permission is not acceptable, but I suppose, it's whatever turns you on.
So thank you, but no thank you.
The categories are part of the operation of proboards and of most other forums and as I have said if the majority feel they should be removed I can try and get rid of them.
The "Karma" rating is where a member thanks other members for their efforts. I have "exalted" you and so you have a rating of one. that will be increased if you post messages that other members find of value.
Quote "I have little time or patience for childish games. I thought this was a forum with a serious purpose."
It is a forum with a serious purpose, and I object to your suggestion that is is not. The matters you are raising are the only non serious posts on the whole board. You do not have to do anything to create or adjust the ratings, number of messages or karma. If you don't like them, ignore them and post information regarding Safaris from your great experience of them that new members will find of interest and benefit in their efforts to keep their Safaris on the road.
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Post by colinclee on Mar 9, 2009 13:56:17 GMT
I'm always serious Brian, as you point out this is a forum with a serious purpose.
It is also serious purpose to have a clear understanding of the structure of this web site, hence my questions.
So perhaps you could give the reason and purpose of the word SMITE. As previously requested.
Also what do you not understand about the words NO THANK YOU. I have no interest or desire for your exaltation or my karma score, thank you.
ColinC
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Post by Brian M on Mar 10, 2009 12:09:05 GMT
In the old MSN board you could recommend posts or members and the "karma" feature is the same but you can only recommend members.
As you requested I "smited" you back a zero score.
I really think you should concentrate on the main functions of this board "to assist owners in preservation, restoration, sales and purchase of these excellent Caravans" and not get so hung up on these irrelevant items that differ from the old board.
I can remove the karma feature and adjust the star ratings so no-one gets a star for several years, but will not do so unless lots of other members really feel they spoil their enjoyment of this forum. I somehow don't expect I will get much response.
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Post by colinclee on Mar 11, 2009 14:41:50 GMT
Brian
I'm not 'hung up' as you so quaintly put it, on anything.
The profile element of this board occupies a large and prominent section of every posting, so it is somewhat naive to term it irrelevant. Melodramatic Claptrap it may be but still relevant.
However, it would appear you enjoy its enclosure 'only a bit of fun' you said.
It seems that you have involved the forum in a computerised game, reminiscent of those said to be played by juveniles, to satisfy Delutions of Grandeur.
This is not an acceptable practise on my agenda, so I intend to delete my name from the Members List.
ColinC
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Post by Brian M on Mar 12, 2009 8:44:34 GMT
Colin
I am astonished and very disappointed that you feel the inclusion of details of the person making the post, removes any interest you might have had in having an internet meeting point for fellow enthusiasts of our Caravans.
To me their inclusion adds to the credibility of the person making the comment.
It shows:
Who they are Their standing in the forum How long they have been a member Their gender, (only irrelevant when your nickname includes your real name) How many posts they have made Their location (only if they have included it in their profile) Have other members found the posters contribution to be of use
Most of which are of benefit to readers who may not know details of the contributor.
Members have looked at this thread 91 times and not one of them has expressed agreement with your point of view.
"It seems that you have involved the forum in a computerised game, reminiscent of those said to be played by juveniles, to satisfy Delutions of Grandeur."
I really object to this statement as it belittles the important function of this forum.
Most forums have a similar feature and as Proboards make no charges for providing the space for us to communicate, we have to accept their structure.
I am genuinely sorry that you wish to leave, but assure you that you will be welcome to return in the future and continue to contribute from the long experience you have of using and enjoying your safari caravans.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2009 21:34:52 GMT
I am sorry to see this very acrimonious correspondence, and with no disrespect to Colin I suspect that part of the problem may be a very understandable failure at his age to recognise that the offending words are (in effect) no more than the labels which Proboards choose to put on what are effectively buttons corresponding to particular actions which the user may or may not wish to take.
The give-away of course, but only to someone reasonably familiar with websites, is that the offending words are printed in a different colour and that they underline automatically as soon as the cursor passes over them.
However I am not as old as Colin - although perhaps only 15 years behind him, so I can recognise this, but I have every sympathy with older persons who are simply not familiar with this medium. If my late father were still alive he would be somewhat older than Colin, and I know that he would have had no idea what these words indicated unless someone were to patiently explain it to him, and he might likewise have got a little irritated.
So I find this situation somewhat sad, but Brian is absolutely right; this is something that is part of the structure of the host network, it has nothing to do with the way we used the site, so just ignore it!
Regards to both of you,
Oliver
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