SITE MAINTENANCE NOTICE TO EVERY SUBSCRIBER

[Jani Soderhall]

This is the work of moderators, but I think very few actually does it. So, I keep doing it where I can. But that's not enough and it would be more appropriate if I would only do those where I feel close to the topics. For example the European Forum. Most of the local US forums and some national European I rarely visit, so I couldn't do the job.

How about reassigning moderators every now and then?

/Jani

[Wesley Tucker]

While I have some time . . .

I'm going to scan the forums in the next few days and look for ANNONCEMENTS and STICKIES that are dated and no longer need to be at the top of the list.

Contest announcements and results are such items. No need for the results of some outlaw in 2003 to be at the top of a list of events in 2007.

[Jani Soderhall]

Wesley,

Thank's for taking on this task and reminding everyone that it's easier if topics stay somewhat organized.

My advice is to just move topics. No need to leave "Shadow topics" the way phpBB lets you. That just creates further clean up needs later on.

I always thought it was quite OK to post certain topics that you don't want people to miss in Random Topics, but they need to be moved later on, once they're no longer of high importance. So it creates additional admin work.

The way I use the forum right now is mostly with the link "View posts since last visit". Then it doesn't matter where they are located. All new posts are easy to find.

We should encourage moderators to clean up their forums. It could be one of our winter tasks.

/Jani

[Wesley Tucker]

A little bitchin' is good for the soul:

Y'all, please make an effort to consider WHERE you post a topic. RANDOM TOPICS is just that: stuff that just doesn't fit anywhere else.

General discussions, though, about wheels, bearings, decks, trucks, safety equipment, hardware, locations, etc., all have appropriate forums for general discussions. I'm not dissin' anyone or complaining or making demands, I just don't want to see some really good threads disappear behind "dark side of the cone" posts and me making fun of Bruce Brewington.

Tonight I moved Jack's recent Radikal post to the Radikal forum and Leo's inquiries about comparable traction qualities of wheels to the Wheels forum. Again, I didn't do this to "clean up" the Random slalom topics, I just don't want anything to get lost.

AS time goes by, I'll scan through the 244 topics in the Random file and see if there's anymore good stuff to resurrect and relocate to more appropriate venues.

[Vlad Popov]

Wes, could you delete this post please. My new signature takes too much space and this post has zero value. Thank you.

[Adam Daniels]

thats odd, ok i'll sned you the picture.

thanks

[Glenn S]

Adam,
I've never gotten any of your emails. Send the avatar picture you want to oceansliderATcoxDOTnet and I'll get you setup.
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I agree that avatars which are too off topic would make the site like many others phpBB forums that seem circus like. I think that the avatars should be action sports related, where they could be slalom, snowboard, surfing, etc.

Also Jani I'm reading from you that adding the feature would make the name/title under the picture be a canned one? Or would you be able to input your specific name/title for the picture?

[Adam Daniels]

i've tried to get an avatar but i've have no progress. i've e-mailed glenn@slalomskateboarder but i have had no response, i am just trying to get a picture of me in my first race up in my avatar....any help or ideas?

thanks

[Wesley Tucker]

I agree. I've seen avatars on other php bulletin boards and it degenerates into whoever can find the most reprehensible and disgusting artwork imaginable. Although I understand that skateboarding is certainly somewhat counter-culture, overt efforts to make me vomit is not what I consider a productive way to discuss slalom skateboarding.

Of course, the exception to this is scantily-clad large-breasted asian women. Goad, keep up the good work.

[Jani Soderhall]

The phpBB forum by default lets users upload their own avatars, but an early decision was made to avoid this handling, primarily to avoid misuse (I think). Instead of using the Avatar possibility we used the Rank option which as a bonus lets you add a "description" which is displayed under the image.

It would require some hours of work to convert the current "ranks" to normal Avatars, but with basically no time at all available for the forum this year I've put this and many other little feature improvements aside.

Once we open it up, I'd insist we set up some kind of rules so that the majority of avatars would be skateboard slalom related. I wouldn't feel at home on this site if half of the members had avatars from Star Wars and other unrelated topics.

/Jani

[Glenn S]

Yes, WesE I like that idea of letting members upload whatever they want and have told Jani that a few times, but I think he's pretty busy with his day gig and family to make it happen just yet. But if they need help I'm glad to assist. Are you saying that you'd like to help with avatars or take that over completely? It is just like three or four a month that want changing or are new. Avatar pictures need re-sizing and web formatting so that they are small byte size. Jani just sends any avatar requests that he gets to me.

[Wes Eastridge]

I've been doing photo uploading and avatars too. I be more than stoked to have others help out.

Glenn, I can help out with that. My idea is to allow members the ability to change their avatar themselves. Great idea, hmmm? Just disallow gifs and then no one will be able to give themself an animated avatar.

[Glenn S]

Wesley,
I have been trying to keep up on the For Sale topic. I've emailed posters and asked if the item has sold and then updated the subject line to "SOLD" for them. Jani said he'd like to keep the posts on the site as a reference and I agreee. I think we need a sticky post telling users of the For Sale topic to at least come back and go to the original post (the first one in the thread) and change the subject line to "SOLD" and leave it in the site that way. I've been doing photo uploading and avatars too. I be more than stoked to have others help out.
Glenn

[Wesley Tucker]

For those of you who don't know, I'm an administrator. That mean I have the power of God On Earth . . . until Jani says otherwise.

WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THIS: WHEN YOU START A NEW TOPIC THAT IS OBVIOUSLY OF LITTLE OR NO VALUE AFTER A FEW DAYS, PLEASE NOTIFY ME BY PRIVATE MESSAGE AND I WILL DELETE THE THREAD!!

Two examples:

1. ITEMS FOR SALE. Once you have sold it, let me know and I'll delete it and any follow up responses. This stuff of someone reading a for sale announcement and asking a year later if the Avalons are still for sale seems kind of silly. Anyone disagree?

2. "Please call me" Starting a new topic just to have Fred give you a call on the cel is rather ridiculous, but I can't stop anyone from doing it. I can though, delete it after Fred deigns to give you a call (right, John Dillon?)

I'm not complaining. I like starting new topics that bring in on-going responses. Some, though, are NEVER going to get a response. Those need to go. I really think we need to get into the habit maintaining this database a little now before some sort of size and manageability issues start later.

Just let me know and I'll take care of it.