Your message board at:
view.cfm?comcode=foils
has been upgraded to Version 8.0.
This memo describes Enhancements
associated with Version 8.0.
All enhancements are installed and available.
Over the last 6+ years we've released upgrades,
usually every 4-6 months, with most enhancements
reflecting implementation of user requests for
additional capabilities or changes.
This upgrade incorporates user requests and other
features implemented over the last 4-6 months.
There's no charge for any of these enhancements.
=======================================
Version 8.0 includes the following new features:
Most of these options can be turned on/off or
modified via your Board Management Panel.
New Board Manager Options
o 1. New Board Format
(Non-Threaded & Semi-Threaded Boards)
o 2. Forum/Category Descriptions
o 3. RSS Feed Generation
o 4. Background color specification for Introductory paragraphs
o 5. New email utility for user notifications
o 6. New Board Background Templates
o 7. Change Message Date utility
o 8. Banner Rotation capability
(Boards with FTP enabled)
o 9. Credit Card update page.
o 10. New keyword option "EmailNotify"
o 11. New keyword option "NoExeFiles"
o 12. New keyword option "BoldMsgList"
(Threaded Boards only)
o 13. Size of Input Message area
New User capabilities
o 14. Icons indicating "New messages since last visit"
o 15. Automatic password reminder feature
1. New Board Format Top
(Non-Threaded & Semi-Threaded Boards)
We are moving to a new default display format for non-threaded and semi-threaded boards.
The new format gives users more control over the display format.
Users can view their board in a more condensed, or more detailed manner,
depending on their preference.
The
new format also shows replies in a different manner for
semi-threaded boards.
This
format will become the default format for new boards.
To
change your existing board format to the new format,
you'll need to go to your
Board Management page => Main Settings
section => Default Open Configuration Settings =>
and click the "Yes" option labeled:
"Open board with New Format?"
The
old/classic format will continue to be available.
To continue
using the old/classic format no changes are required on your part.
If
your board is currently using the Threaded format and you want
to try the new format, you'll first need to switch to the
semi-threaded format and then select the new format option.
You
can always switch from the new to old format, or vice-versa,
at any time via your management page.
If
you don't want to try the new format with your current board,
but want to view the new format, a sample semi-threaded
board using the new format can be viewed at:
v2.cfm?comcode=cancersm
2. Forum/Category Descriptions Top
You
now have the ability to create a textual description for each forum
you've defined. Each description you create is displayed beneath its
Forum's name, on your board's Forum Summary page.
This
is an optional feature several board managers had requested.
Board managers were wanting to create a more detailed description of
certain forums, than the forum name by itself allowed.
To
create a Forum description for one or more of your forums, go to
your
Board Management page => Board Forums section => and click on
the link labeled:
"Click Here to create Descriptions for your categories/forums."
3. RSS Feed Generation Top
A
new utility has been added on your management page for
users familiar with RSS XML feeds. This utility creates an
RSS XML 2.0 feed page which can be submitted to any site accepting
RSS XML 2.0 feeds. Once the feed page is created, it's automatically
updated each day whenever new messages are added to your board.
You
can always manually update or deactivate this feed at any time
via your management page. This utility is located on your Management
page, in the Utilities section.
For
more information on RSS Feeds and/or places to submit your RSS Feed
you may want to search Google for submission sites, perhaps using phrases
such as: "RSS Feeds" or "Submit RSS Feeds" or "What is RSS"
4. Background color specification for Introductory paragraphs Top
Although
you've always been able to use html tags to format an
introductory paragraph that would appear at the top of your board
and/or on your board's login page, it required some knowledge of html
to add a background color scheme to it.
This feature allows you to specify a background color for
introductory paragraphs, without knowing any html.
When
creating your introductory paragraph(s), you select a
background color from a color pallete displayed on the
form used to create the paragraph.
Remember,
you can create an introductory paragraph for your board
via your
Management page => Board Appearance section =>
and then clicking on the link labled:
"Click Here To Create/Modify An Introductory Paragraph
near the top of your board."
and/or
to create an introductory paragraph for your board's login page
go to your
Management page => Password Protection section =>
and click on the link labeled:
"Create/Modify an Introductory Paragraph on Login Page - Click Here"
5. New email utility for user notifications Top
This
utility allows you to easily create and send an email
to your users.
To use this feature go to your
Management page => Utilities section => under the link/label:
"Email Members: Generate and send members an Email"
Clicking
that link allows you to create an email and
have it sent to all users registered on your board's Email
Notification list. If your board is password protected,
you can also specify that it be sent to users with login
passwords, which could be a different group.
6. New Board Background Templates Top
A
number of new background templates have been added in the
last few months.
You can view and/or specify a new background
template via your
Management page => Board Appearance section =>
Background Gif field.
7. Change Message Date utility Top
This
utility was added because of several manager requests to
change the creation or modification date of a message.
You can now change the date of any message using this utility.
It's located in the Utilities section of your management page,
under the label/link: "Change Date of a Message"
8. Banner Rotation capability (Requires FTP option be enabled) Top
Board
managers can now upload a set of graphic files(banners)
that can be displayed in a random manner near the top of your
board, just beneath your board logo.
This
feature is only available if you have enabled the
FTP(File Attachment) option on your board and entered the keyword
option "BannerRotation" in the Keywords field near the bottom of
your board management page.
More
information is available on this feature by clicking on the
link on your Management page => Board Appearance section, labeled:
"Click Here to utilize your board's Banner Rotational Capability"
9. Credit Card update page Top
A
link now exists allowing you to update your credit card infomation
online, via one of our secure servers. If you prefer, you can continue
phoning in updated credit card info.
To
use the credit card update page, go to your
Board Managementpage => Contact Information section => Billing Information =>
and click on the link labeled:
"Click here to update Credit Card information"
10. New keyword option "EmailNotify" Top
This
option allows the board manager to request an email notification
whenever a user adds or deletes their email address to/from your board's
email notification list.
Enable
this keyword option by placing the keyword option "EmailNotify",
without quotes, in the keywords field at the bottom of your management page.
This
option is explained in the Keywords section of your Management guide.
11. New keyword option "NoExeFiles" Top
This
option allows the board manager to prevent files with .EXE extensions,
from being attached to board messages.
More information on this keyword option is available in the Keywords section
of your Manager's guide.
Enable
this option by placing the keyword option "NoExeFiles", without quotes,
in the keywords field at the bottom of your management page.
This option is explained in the Keywords section of your Management guide.
12. New keyword option "BoldMsgList" (Threaded Boards only) Top
This
option allows the board manager to have the board's Message Hierarchy List
use a Bold Font.
This option, applicable only for boards using the Threaded Display format,
causes the Hierarchy of Message List titles and Forum Names to
be displayed using a Bolded type face.
Enable
this option by placing the keyword option "BoldMsgList", without quotes,
in the keywords field at the bottom of your management page.
This
option is explained in the Keywords section of your Management guide.
13. Size of Input Message area Top
This
option allows you to control the size of the input field
used to enter message text when creatin a message.
The
default window size of the input message area when posting a message
is 8 lines, although the window scrolls to allow additional lines of input.
If you want to make this window larger or smaller than 8 lines,
enter the number of input rows you want to use: (80 is maxmimum).
To
change the default size of the input message area field, go to your
Board Management page => Advanced Settings section => Maximum Message Size
field and specify a new size.
14. New icons showing "New messages since last visit" Top
Unlike
boards using the fully threaded format, non-threaded and semi-threaded boards were
not using an icon color coding scheme to indicate if new messages had been created since
a users last visit.
You
do now. A new feature has been added, using color coded icons, to the left of
forum and message titles, to indicate if new messages have been added since a users
last visit.
15. Automatic password reminder feature (Password Protected boards only) Top
A
feature/link has been added to each board's login page to help users
who may have forgotten their password. A user
who has already been granted a password, can
request a copy of their login password. They do so by clicking on the link on their
board's login page that reads:
"If you have forgotten your password Click Here"
Doing so will cause their board to request the user enter the
authenticated email address associated with that password.
If the user enters the correct email address, the password is
sent to the email address associated with that password.
Hope you find these features helpful.
As usual, Any feedback from board managers, good or bad,
is always welcome.
If you have other questions,
call or email.
best regards,
=============================================
Al Bennett
P.A. Corp. dba: BulletinBoards.com
[email protected]
Voice (321) 984 9080 Fax (772) 594 0682
9-5 EST Mon-Fri
http://www.bulletinboards.com
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