upgrade plans, ideas wanted

[eFestivals]

I'm just finishing off the bits and pieces before a major upgrade to eGigs, and after that's installed and tidied up in a few weeks I'll start working on the new version of eFestivals.

 

So now is a good time for me to be asking, what improvements you might like...?

 

if you've got any ideas for what you think will make efestivals better in its website functionality, please let me know here.

 

And yes, they'll be a new improved version of the forums.

 

 

[kaosmark2]

In the dropdown menus at the top, with links to different sections of the site, could you please add middle-button opens a new tab? It currently opens them in the same tab (only the dropdown bits, everything else opens in a new tab), and it's quite frustrating.

 

 

Can I suggest a site page regarding festival stewarding? Tips, how to go about it, important aspects to remember about it, links to reputable companies that offer places, etc.

[eFestivals]

In the dropdown menus at the top, with links to different sections of the site, could you please add middle-button opens a new tab? It currently opens them in the same tab (only the dropdown bits, everything else opens in a new tab), and it's quite frustrating.

 

sorry, I'm not getting what you're meaning. Could you explain a bit more please?

[5co77ie]

Can I suggest a site page regarding festival stewarding? Tips, how to go about it, important aspects to remember about it, links to reputable companies that offer places, etc.

like this?

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/info/working.shtml

 

and this

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/info/jobs.shtml

[kaosmark2]

sorry, I'm not getting what you're meaning. Could you explain a bit more please?

So there are dropdown menus at the top of the site:

festivals, shop, information, community, about

 

Within each of these menus there are several clickable links. On normal links, such as the site banner, or the latest news on the right side, or the forum tabs, if you middleclick on them, by default on most browsers it opens a new tab. However for those menus only, it doesn't open a new tab, but opens that link in the same tab.

 

Is that a bit clearer?

[kaosmark2]

like this?

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/info/working.shtml

 

and this

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/info/jobs.shtml

I.... hadn't found them. I'd just been getting advice off other forum members when I started stewarding. Useful links!

 

Maybe they could be added to the dropdown menus or somewhere off the homepage to make them easier to find?

[eFestivals]

So there are dropdown menus at the top of the site:

festivals, shop, information, community, about

 

Within each of these menus there are several clickable links. On normal links, such as the site banner, or the latest news on the right side, or the forum tabs, if you middleclick on them, by default on most browsers it opens a new tab. However for those menus only, it doesn't open a new tab, but opens that link in the same tab.

 

Is that a bit clearer?

Thanks.

I wasn't previously aware of the middle button/new tab thing.

I tend to use right button and then select 'open link in new tab'. In my defence, there wasn't even a working 2nd button when I started using computers.

Anyway... yes, i'd like these things to work link that in the menus too, tho i'm not sure if it can be done within the menu setup I'm using. I'll look into it.

PS ... have you seen the new egigs, that went online today? That shows some of what you'll be getting here.

http;//www.egigs.co.uk

[A Guy Called Matt]

Can we have additional colours on the stuff added to rumours - so that when it gets busy and lots are added it is easier to see the more recent stuff. Maybe added in the last 3 hours?

[eFestivals]

So there are dropdown menus at the top of the site:

festivals, shop, information, community, about

 

Within each of these menus there are several clickable links. On normal links, such as the site banner, or the latest news on the right side, or the forum tabs, if you middleclick on them, by default on most browsers it opens a new tab. However for those menus only, it doesn't open a new tab, but opens that link in the same tab.

 

Is that a bit clearer?

 

Unfortunately it's not going to be possible to have this, in the short term at least because it's outside of the abilities of the menu builder tool I'm using.

 

Once I've got the new site up and running I'll have a look around to see if there's another menu tool that supports that feature, as I'd like that too if possible.

[eFestivals]

making a return in the new design is....

 

The dancing man, dancing again.

Edited September 18, 2015 by eFestivals

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Hooray for the return of the dancing man.

[kaosmark2]

Unfortunately it's not going to be possible to have this, in the short term at least because it's outside of the abilities of the menu builder tool I'm using.

 

Once I've got the new site up and running I'll have a look around to see if there's another menu tool that supports that feature, as I'd like that too if possible.

Ah fair enough. Thanks for looking into it!

[eFestivals]

I'm currently somewhere around the point where I can start to think about doing the upgrade and putting the changes live.

 

I don't have a schedule for it as yet, but really it has to be done this week or left until after the Glastonbury ticket sale, so my current inclination is to do it asap, possibly even tonight. It's a long process that will need me to work right thru the night, so I'll make a late decision about when I do it.

 

(I can't do it at the weekend as I'm busy with other stuff).

 

So .... please don't be surprised if you come here and find the forums offline at any point in the near future.

 

The upgrade will take in excess of 6 hours to do.

 

I've done a test upgrade, and it didn't go smoothly but that might have been because of differences on the development server.... so I might do the upgrade only for it to fail and me to have to restore the previous forums version.

 

Or I might do the upgrade and it'll fail, and the forums might then be offline until i'm able to get support from the software makers to fix it.

 

I'll keep this thread updated with what I'm doing when I know what I'm doing.

[thewayiam]

How about upgrading your Rumors policy similar to COS so having an in between like a logical option. They copy all their stuff from you anyway, I'm sure of it as it doesn't go up there up it's not here, bar the American one's. 

[eFestivals]

the current plan is that the upgrade now won't happen until some time after 4th Oct.

[Staberinde]

In some forums  (I know there a lots of different makes by different software company's ) you can write a symbol such as a '#' before a members name, then that member will get a notification that his name has been mentioned.

 

Like...

 

I think #Staberinde is trying to make a point, but not very well'

 

Does this forum software allow that option?

 

I always find it hard to keep track of what I've said, not just in this forum, but in all sorts of forums over the web covering a large and varied content.

 

Off Topic now I know. (this is how I found this thread)

 

I lurk here a lot more than I contribute. I have actually just done a search on the efest main page for 'Gold Membership' - It didn't show any results! I'm afraid like many others I use an add blocker so I would like to contribute directly.

 

Any chance of a link to the right page please?

[eFestivals]

In some forums  (I know there a lots of different makes by different software company's ) you can write a symbol such as a '#' before a members name, then that member will get a notification that his name has been mentioned.

 

Like...

 

I think #Staberinde is trying to make a point, but not very well'

 

Does this forum software allow that option?

The current version doesn't. I'm not sure if the new version will do.

However, take a looky here:-

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=notifications

You can get email notifications.

 

I'm afraid like many others I use an add blocker

Thanks. Want to tell me how I can get your wages stopped for the rest of the year, just to even things up a bit?

Edited September 25, 2015 by eFestivals

[Staberinde]

The current version doesn't. I'm not sure if the new version will do.

However, take a looky here:-

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=notifications

You can get email notifications.

 

Oh thanks, yeh I knew about notifications. This was more of the thinking like if you got a thread about beer tents by someone new…

 

‘Does anyone know what time the main beer tent opens?’

 

I could reply 

 

‘I don’t myself but I reckon #Glasto-Worker would know’

 

Anyway, just food for thought. As you say you don’t know if the new version will have the facility.

[Staberinde]

Thanks. Want to tell me how I can get your wages stopped for the rest of the year, just to even things up a bit?

 

Ouch, that hurt. In my defence I was looking for the link to get Gold.

 

I know you must loath the way adds are being stifled/blocked on sites throughout the internet but on some sites, I’m not saying yours they slow your connection right down, or are just detract from your browsing experience. This year even Safari have allowed add blocker software because of the problem.

 

Anyway, I am sorry about this and what it means to your business.

 

I would still like to pay toward Gold Membership though. I quite often try free software and if I use it make a donation to the author.

 

Can you give me the link to Gold Membership please. I’m a bit of a derbrain sometimes, maybe it’s somewhere obvious ? Maybe you could make a Gold Member graphic with a link more prevalent?

 

Edited to add I have paid for Gold in the past, bought an email address I never used and some other stuff years ago, just to help financially directly.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Staberinde

[eFestivals]

there's a big link at the top of the page which says 'subscriptions'

[Staberinde]

doh! thanks, yes I am a derbrain

[Staberinde]

Back on topic - Can't wait to see the reincarnation of the dancing man again. Will bring back lots of good memories

[eFestivals]

I believe I've now just about done all of the bits and pieces that I want and need to do before putting the whole things live.

 

When the upgrade happens is now dependent on when a specific plug-in is available for the upgraded forums, which hopefully will be available in around a week (fingers crossed).

[eFestivals]

There is now one page on this website that has most of the new site design, so you can have a sneaky peek if you want.

 

All you have to do is find the page.

[Paul ™]

There is now one page on this website that has most of the new site design, so you can have a sneaky peek if you want.

 

All you have to do is find the page.

 

Looks good