I hope you are enjoying our new "home". I know there are many functional differences between the phpBB software and the vBulletin software, but I do honestly believe this was and still is the best choice for everyone. I would encourage everyone to spend a little time exploring some of the new features (some are pretty cool and were never possible in vBulletin).
There is a wealth of information within the default FAQ section found here, faq.php#faqlinks. You can also access the FAQ section using the link in the top right corner of every page. Did you see what I see? That link right there, it's an actual link and I didn't have to change the color or underline it or click 3 extra places to make it act like a link! We lost that simplicity in vBulletin and posting links anywhere became a hassle.
Speaking of that top right corner, look just above the FAQ link and you'll see an icon in light grey with a down arrow "A" and an up arrow. Clicking that will increase or decrease the font size that the forum appears in on your screen. Comes in handy on those days when your eyes are a little tired.
The file conversion - moving the data from the old forum to the new forum - took over 4 hours (over 1,000,000 records were moved). Then we spent another 4+ hours making adjustments and setting permissions. A majority of the default settings would not have worked for us (like allowing "Guests" to post). There were literally hundreds of default settings that we changed. Some of those settings still need to be tweaked and we'll continue to do that.
Subscribed Threads vs. Bookmarked Threads:
One of the big differences between phpBB and vBulletin is subscribed threads. In vBulletin you had the option each time you subscribed to receive notifications or not. Regardless of your choice of notifications it was called a subscribed thread. In phpBB that isn't so; subscribing to a thread will give you notifications every time. If you want to follow a thread without notifications you'll want to Bookmark the thread. You'll find an explanation of Subscribed vs. Bookmarked threads here in the FAQ, faq.php#f8r0. All of your subscribed threads and bookmarked threads can be found and managed in the User Control Panel. You can also find a link to subscribe, bookmark, unsubscribe or remove bookmark in every thread in the bottom left corner.
Images:
phpBB has given us the ability to increase the image size that you can upload when you post an image. The file size has been increased from 100 kb to 500 kb. I know some of you have reported issues with images being cut off and we're working on that issue.
Private Messages:
You can create a total of 6 folders in the Private Messages area. You can navigate to Private Messages either by clicking on the User Control Panel or by clicking on the link that reads (# new messages) - both links are on the left side near the top of each screen. Once you're in Private Messages you have the option to have 6 folders for your messages. The default folders of Inbox, Saved, Outbox and Sent already exist. Click on the Rules, folders and settings link and you can create two additional folders that you define. I've allowed 100 messages in each of those folders (that increases the number of messages you can have compared to the old forum).
One of the coolest features you'll come across (IMHO) is if someone else replies to a thread while you are typing a reply of your own. The forum will alert you that an additional post has been made, it will show you that new post and give you the opportunity to edit your response before posting it. :eek:
Why do I have an Outbox and a Sent Box?
This is a cool feature that we never had before! When you send a private message it will appear in your Outbox until the recipient reads it. Once the recipient reads the message it will move to the Sent box. What's so cool about that you ask? As long as the message is in your Outbox you can EDIT it. If you realized you made a typo or thought of something else to add or realized something was no longer relevant... you can change it before the recipient reads it! Maybe I'm a little loopy after spending my Saturday running through the forum, but that's a cool feature!
Post Size:
We were able to increase the maximum characters allowed in a post to 60,000 (that's 50,000 more characters than we had before).
Back to the Top:
As you scroll through various areas of the forum you might see small light grey arrows (like in the right bottom corner of each post in a thread). Click on that arrow and you'll be back at the top of that page without scrolling through.
Avatar Settings:
You can upload an avatar image with the maximum dimensions of 90 pixels by 90 pixels or 40 KB (the old forum was 50 by 50 pixels or 19.5 KB). To add or change an avatar picture visit the User Control Panel, click on the Profile tab and select Edit avatar.
Print View or E-mail a Friend:
Look in the top right area of any thread, just above your name and the logout link. You'll see two icons. One that gives you a Print View (simplified and clean formatting to allow for easy printing) and another that lets you e-mail a link of that thread to someone.
View Unanswered Posts / View Unread Posts / View New Posts:
You'll find those links near the top left area of the Board Index.
This should give you a headstart on understanding the new forum. There is a LOT more information and cool features, but life outside the forum is calling. If you find an issue or have a question, please post it in the Tech Support area of the forum. You'll find it here, viewforum.php?f=11. PLEASE take a moment before posting and see if the issue has already been posted. I will address each issue as time allows and post a reply with either more information or post that it's been resolved. As issues are resolved I will lock the threads (a quick reference for me to keep track of what is still pending).
Thanks for hanging in there with us as we continue to improve your forum experience.
Kristi
