So What's Next?

[EvilJekyll]

We should document what words were changed to what for wiki entry if we remove it. For a time that was!

[MysticalDescent]

I know that on proboards, if you screw around on the swear filter and change the alternative word, it updates every single post. So where the swear filter blocked a certain swear word and replaced it with something else, it replaced the replacement, as it were. Would the same apply here? If you scratched off the swear filter, would every swear filtered post revert back to being full of swear words?

It'd be nice to see a list of what swear words were filtered. It'd be nice to see if I missed any secret ones.

[PonderThis]

OK, word censoring has been turned off, mostly. Actually, if you go to UCP->Board preferences->Enable word censoring you'll see that you can turn it on or off to your personal preference so if anyone's dying to get it back, there ya go.

I suppose that if you go on the Spamusers.com main page there's not really much of an explanation of what's going on to anybody who happens to stumble across the site. Maybe a little explanation underneath the 'official spamusers fansite' bit? Perhaps it could just be the description off the main page of the wiki with a little bit more detail added to it.

I like that idea. For one thing it's easy to do and I like "easy" . How does this sound for a subtitle below the main title:
Where your spam subject lines become cartoon fodder!

Then furthermore put an "About" link in the nav bar that goes to, say, here. Then we can beef up that page a bit. OR make an entirely new page, like say "Spamusing" or "About Spamusers" that explains what we're all about.

Also, what if there was a classics gallery or something like that? Get together a few of the most popular comics of all time (but ones that are pretty simple for newcomers to understand) and just stick them on a page that you put a link to in the little explanation for newcomers suggesting that if they still don't get the concept, it would be a decent place to get started.

Another good idea although I'm not sure how I'd go about doing it off the top of my head. I'll think on it.

Maybe see what it costs or something to get some advertizing on some sites, especially those we enjoy. Like Toothpaste for Dinner, Pictures for Sad Children, some more comic or just web sites?

I hear web advertising is dirt cheap so that wouldn't be hard to do. Although for now I'll hold off on it to see what other things we can do to make that front page "n00b-friendly".

How about an (automatic) local backup of all spamusements posted? That way they'll never ever get lost (unless spamusers.com goes offline, which I don't hope will happen anytime soon).

I've thought about this. A few things have stopped me. One, as you say, I'm not sure about the bandwidth involved. Two, I'd have to write a script or utility program that would go grab all these images and I'm a notoriously lazy bastard. And three, I have vague concerns about copyright issues.

Plus Jek and I are working at finally getting all the extra Spamusing features over here from paintmash. I know I know it took a long time but again I'd like to point out in my defense that I'm a lazy bastard. Actually, it's not so much that as when I do have free time I'd rather draw a cartoon that do any coding. That's my day job, you know, and as such it's work not fun.

OK, so any more thoughts on this?

[Null]

Then furthermore put an "About" link in the nav bar that goes to, say, here. Then we can beef up that page a bit. OR make an entirely new page, like say "Spamusing" or "About Spamusers" that explains what we're all about.

Make certain there is a very prominent link on that page (or other page) that shows where the cartoons are. If we want people to come for the cartoons, let's make it easy to navigate to them, or back to them. As an example, on the current wiki, the link to the cartoons just says "Spamusement Forums." Someone coming across that at random is going to wonder where the cartoons are. Just a thought.

[PonderThis]

I'm thinking that the reference to cartoons on the main page is already rather obvious. Not all that different from the original.

[EvilJekyll]

Yes, the main page is like the original, but unfortunately it may not be idiot proof. I'd say have a link directly to the comics forum anyway.

Do you have easily viewable server stats that let us know how we're doing hit wise/unique visitor wise? Not that server stats should be told to us, but more for you to have a general idea of how the site is doing overall. I know you do this stuff for a living and know about it, that doesn't you constantly pay attention (I''m not saying obsess about it, but just a general idea of what's going on.) This way, if we have a lot of unique visitors, and low registration, we can say, hmm, maybe registration isn't working, or links aren't being followed correctly.

Also, contact information should be available off that first page. I know I've gotten IMs and talked to in the IRC when we were on the Spamusement site with people asking me if they could get registered. I don't know why they necessarily contacted me though.

[Null]

I'm thinking that the reference to cartoons on the main page is already rather obvious. Not all that different from the original.

I meant on the Wiki site main page.

[EvilJekyll]

I'm thinking that the reference to cartoons on the main page is already rather obvious. Not all that different from the original.

I meant on the Wiki site main page.

Better?

[Null]

I'm thinking that the reference to cartoons on the main page is already rather obvious. Not all that different from the original.

I meant on the Wiki site main page.

Better?

Excellent, exactly what I meant.

You win a Kupo doll.

[PonderThis]

Hey everyone. I went ahead and put the new look on our main page. That means that the Features page is now easily available. Since I couldn't get any suckersImean volunteers to draw any Features icons for me I went ahead and drew some.

[PonderThis]

Next up: Improved Image Display in Certain Styles

I'm sure you've noticed that in the prosilver style and those styles based on it (proglass and both Spamuser styles) that if an image is larger than fits in its designated area, the right side of the image is simply chopped off. The only way to view the full image is the rather clunky right click->view image method.

So I've found a mod on the phpbb site to help out. It would automatically resize any oversized images to fit the designated width. Clicking the image would bring up the full-sized image in what is called a "lightbox". Example.

I'm still reading the documentation to make sure I understand everything but I thought I'd go ahead and mention that's what'll be coming up next.

Note that all of the other styles (subsilver2, Skyline Blue, Hestia, and Milky Way) simply show oversized images as-is and simply work around them by resizing everything else. These styles would be unaffected.

[MysticalDescent]

With regards to getting new members in etc, I just noticed that our newest member joined way back in April 2010.

[EvilJekyll]

With regards to getting new members in etc, I just noticed that our newest member joined way back in April 2010.

I have just gotten an email from a soon-to-be spamuser. (one of the reasons I have my email somewhere on the site)

They could not register. In fact I tried to register, and could not given the anti-spam thing. I emailed them and ponder saying that we would fix ASAP.

This could be why we haven't had new members. I don't know if ponder checks here or his email first, hence this post. I'm not sure if it's a malfunction or just a rather hard question.

Please don't try registering yourselves though, we don't need more work of deleting your extra accounts.

[PonderThis]

Hey just got home. Let me see what I can find out.

[PonderThis]

With regards to getting new members in etc, I just noticed that our newest member joined way back in April 2010.

I feel like an idiot for not following up on this sooner.

So here's what was going on. Waaaay back when when stevenf did the last phpBB update to v3.5 you may remember he turned on the CAPTCHA thing to weed out spambots, only it didn't work. So when I took over the board I added the "math" question and that "extra info" question, which worked just fine at the time.

Well somehow something's gone wrong with the CAPTCHA. The sign-up form was still expecting it but wasn't displaying it. WEIRD. Maybe I broke it with one of my style updates. Well it was never really effective in the first place so I just turned off the CAPTCHA altogether. I have just signed up a test account and it went through! So we should be good to go once again.

[NewTestUser]

New account signup is working -- CONFIRMED!

[chrismachine]

You suck, get off our website!

[ntw3001]

FIRST POST LOL OMG N00B

[EsBe]

FIRST POST LOL OMG N00B

Let us light our elitism pipes, don our scorn jackets, and haze him. :pipe: :whyisntthatanemotedangit:

[Binkatron5000]

FIRST POST LOL OMG N00B

Let us light our elitism pipes, don our scorn jackets, and haze him. :pipe: :whyisntthatanemotedangit:

Excellent, I have new tweed elbow patches on my scorn jacket. Time to put them to use!

[sum yun gai]

FIRST POST LOL OMG N00B

Let us light our elitism pipes, don our scorn jackets, and haze him. :pipe: :whyisntthatanemotedangit:

you remind me of this ---> http://xkcd.com/318/

[MysticalDescent]

I just noticed something on the Spamuser Comics forums. In the days before I used the 'go to new post' thing, which was quite a few years ago, I used to scroll through the comics by opening one and then clicking 'go to previous thread'. I just noticed we don't have that option anymore.

[EvilJekyll]

What do you guys think of a Thanks/like option for posts? I haven't discussed this with Ponder, but was curious what you guys thought about it. I know sometimes people don't always reply to posts, but still like them or find them interesting or helpful.

[fanelian]

I like the idea of linking posts. More than once my only response to a post has been something to the effect of "I like this"

[Android Replica]

I remember when I first found this site some time back, you guys tried some kind of "star" system which few people liked. The folks who disliked it thought it removed a lot of personal interaction, or any real helpful feedback. The people who liked it thought it made everything way easy and they didn't have to make any difficult choices. A "like/thanks" option sounds like the same kind of thing to me.

But then, I'm trying to figure out if I can work my way back in as a ghost, so I can haunt Alan. That would so rule.