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Discussions related to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879
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Do you think the new forum is an improvement?
Yes! It looks like things are on the up!
64%
 64%  [ 16 ]
No way! I like things the old way!
36%
 36%  [ 9 ]
Total Votes : 25

Welcome to the new look forum!
Peter
Site Admin

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 80
Location: Hertford, UK
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Welcome to the new look rorkesdriftvc.com discussion forum!

You may well have noticed a small change in the look of things.. Wink

The new forum is designed to deal with our growing user base a little better, and it should also make things easier to find, as well as organise.

To see any of the forums listed on the main page, you need to register. You can do this from the menu at the top right of the page. Once you have filled in your details (note: you only need to worry about the fields with a *) you will be sent an email with a link in it. Click on this link to activate your account and you're off and running!

You'll now have access to the whole discussion system, and you'll also be able to administer your own member account.

One of the main benefits of this new system is that your email address is now secure from the web programmes which mine them for spam purposes. You can also choose whether to show your email address to other users. By default, your address is hidden.

Once you have posted a message, you can also amend it or delete it, which should help in the event of spelling issues etc Smile

Finally, we'd love to hear your feedback! Let us know what you think, and if there's anything you'd like to see, we'll do our best to accomodate it (new forums etc).

All the best,

Alan and Peter
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tony.ashford.@ntlworld,co


Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Lenton, Nottingham
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Hi Peter and Alan,
Just managed to register after a rather long and arduous effort. I am most impressed with the new site and look forward to even livelier discussions.
Tony,
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Where are the new forum topics?
Peter Quantrill
Guest

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I cannot find the new forum topics? Please assist with navigation? Confused
Barbara Grant
Guest

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Hello Peter and Alan:

Noticed that you were online, and it appears to be Saturday night in the U. K. (only Saturday afternoon out here in the U. S. West.) I greatly appreciate what you're doing with this topic; and I like the new version of the discussion forum better than the old. I think it's great that your interest in this particular subject motivated you to go to the great lengths you have to include an international community of likewise-interested persons. Thanks!

Barbara Grant
United States
Thanks Barbara!
Peter
Site Admin

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 80
Location: Hertford, UK
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Hi Barbara,

It's nearly 10pm here (BST), but as you know, RDVC.com never sleeps (hehe)..

Thanks for your message - It's not as hard as it looks, trust me Wink All you need is a web server and a few years of being online. It's so gratifying to see that our efforts are making it easier for people to make connections, but as they say, you can't please all the people all the time. I know of one particular chap who preferred the old style so much, he refuses to make the transition to the new method.. I hope that this only reflects a very small percentage of our visitors, as I can only say that this new system offers so many additional benefits, that the one or two downsides really do pale into insignificance.

All the same, I'm really keen to get feedback from people on what they think of the new system and how it works, as we can make a pretty wide range of modifications, and already have done based on feedback from you guys! Smile

At the end of the day, the forum is still the same, in essence, as the previous forum. It's based on YOU, not technology. Hopefully we've implemented technology which will make it easier for people to talk and easier to find the information they may be seeking.. So keep the feedback coming! Smile

Thanks again Barbara, it's really good of you Very Happy
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tony.ashford.@ntlworld,co


Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Lenton, Nottingham
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Hi,
I've nothing much to say, I'm afraid, but I just thought I'd say hello to anyone out there if only to use the new system - it took a long time before it finally let me in; or was it just me being thick? Looking forward to continuing stimulating opinions.
Tony Ashford.
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clive dickens


Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 162
Location: REDDITCH WORCESTERSHIRE
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Rolling Eyes
I know that Peter and Alan must have put in a great deal of time on the new Forum , but to be honest I much prefered the old one I think the saying If is not broken leave it covers it very well
Clive
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..it was broke Clive.
Peter
Site Admin

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 80
Location: Hertford, UK
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Sorry Clive, but there were a number of problems from our point of view with the old system.

1. The data could be mined for spam purposes - I have now closed my own rorkesdriftvc.com email address, as I was getting in excess of 300 spam emails a day, as a direct result of the email addresses being mined by Spam agents from the old forum.

The new system requires people register, and they have the option to show or hide (hidden by default) their email address.

2. I got sick of having to delete unwanted posts, posted by idiots who were just pleasing themselves (typically meaningless, but all the same unwanted).

The new system means I can see who's who, and people have to take responibility

3. I'd regularly be asked to edit or amend people's posts as they had made a mistake.

Any user can now edit their own posts, making it easier for everyone

4. The system could not expand at all.

Using this industry standard application has opened up a wide range of possibilities, and the system is constantly being updated.

5. The style of the posts was severely limited.

You now have the option to use bold, italic etc to highlight key points in a post, just as you would in any other application.

6. Double posts regularly happened.

With the new system, it is not possible to double post unless you REALLY want to.

I realise that the style has changed, and this is something which we have control over. I'm going to source a simpler style template, as the whole look and feel of the forum can be tailored PER USER. You may have noticed in the profile section that you can choose a template. In due course, there'll be a selection of templates.

Could you let me know specifically what you preferred about the old system Clive?

All the best, as ever!

Peter


Last edited by Peter on Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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clive dickens


Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 162
Location: REDDITCH WORCESTERSHIRE
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Razz
Peter point taken I expect I shall get used to it sooner or later
Regards
Clive
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Peter
Site Admin

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 80
Location: Hertford, UK
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Laughing No doubt you will Clive!!
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TonyJones


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 188
Location: Essex
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Dear Alan and Peter,
well done on the new discussion forum format,which represents a 'quantum leap' forward in terms of communication for contributors and for the rorkesdriftvc.com site itself. Once again, rorkesdriftvc.com sets the standard for matters 'Rorke's Drift' and is 'the' definitive site on the subject. Keep up the good work.


Tony Jones
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Alan
Site Admin

Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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REGISTERING FOR THE NEW DISCUSSION FORUM
Some people have indicated that they are having difficulty in working out how to register for the New style Forum. I've just gone through it again and it is very straight forward.
If you open up the Forum, in the blue top banner there are categories, one of which is REGISTER.
Click on that, agree to the conditions. Fill in at least the basics (marked with * ) in the form, click the 'automatically log in' box and submit. User Name and Password are both case sensitive (i.e. use the same lower case and caps as you did when filling in the original registration). This will be useful if you use a different computer at any time.
An email is then automatically sent to you to confirm acceptance within a few minutes. In that email you have to click the link shown to confirm and then you're a member.

When a member, you'll be able to post replies to topics or place new ones, amend, choose styles etc.

In the top right there is a box in which you can type key words to a subject you want to search. Key in the word(s) and click 'return'.

Very straight forward. Hope you enjoy it.


Last edited by Alan on Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:39 am; edited 1 time in total
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Mark Hobson


Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 106
Location: Halifax
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Great changes to the forum.
I must admit to been a little unsure on the new look at first, but as is usually the case time can change opinions. So a definite thumbs up now!
It's easy to navigate around the topics, plus knowing who else is active when you log on is handy. As for registering, it took me just 2 or 3 minutes, and I am definitely no computer whizzkid.

Mark.
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Michael Boyle


Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 595
Location: Bucks County,PA,US
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Moot point now I suppose, but I vote no.

Other than this being the same program used by so many other sites on the web this is also the same program I'm forced to use daily for Project Planning, Execution, and Tracking. By the way, we had to disable internet viewing, joining, posting and member list access and use a rather convoluted intra-net access to keep out the nasties (this program is common enough to enable relatively simple "bots" to "join" and continue general spamming and adverts as well as enabling targeted "phishing"). But, like the man said "It's the only game in town" and I'm tired of playing solitaire. Communication is the key to education and simply reading, without discourse, can get one only so far. (May be why schools and universities have hung on for so long!)

In retrospect, to me, the old forum had more the feel of a comfortable old Victorian home which lent itself to following one's muse in a more friendly, literary correspondence whereas this feels more a futuristic stainless steel, glass and concrete structure which can ellicit a more formal, detached and impersonal "data compilation" response. Maybe it's just me, but having dropped (or lurked) in occaisonally for the last couple of months the general tone of the forum seems to have changed. (Although the old spark appears to be holding out in the new A-ZW Books section!) If true, it is not an insurmountable obstacle I suppose. One need only ditch the seemingly implied virtual uni-sex coveralls and velcroed boots for the old virtual smoking jacket, dressing gown and slippers and remember that words not only have an effect on us but that we have an effect on them, regardless of where they appear.

("Whaaa...I don't wanna go to the new millenium! Professor Peabody set the 'Way-Back' machine!")

Best

Michael

P.S.- Given the nature of RDVC wouldn't a PHP H:i default be more appropriate? It is 'Zulu Time' after all!
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leightarrant


Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 131
Location: East Sussex
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I'm not a historian (Much!) but a movie buff, therefore it's nice to just go into the forum and talk about the movie side of the ZULU wars - so all in all the forum is much better set up thankyou.
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