Will Avatars ever return? - Page 7

geeslaka · August 11, 2003, 07:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Ok. It's time for something durastic to happen. This cannot continue. I propose:

1. Free subscription for a week. After that, it costs...Eh, 5 dollars for Poly membership. Allows newbies to come, but weeds out onequestioners.

Payment method?

Quote:

2. Deleting non-used accounts.

No effect. Unused acounts do not generate http connections.

Quote:

3. Accepting donations.

Only useful if the money is used to buy a second server.

Quote:

4.

Spoiler:

5.

Spoiler:

Pehaps if the RoN and Civ3 forums were hosted entirely by a different server the other forums would be able to function.

Quote:

The People of Apolyton want Apolyton back!!! POLY TO THE PEOPLE!!!

A message brought to you by:
THE POLY PEOPLES PARTY

Interesting. /q will not end QUOTE. Thank Dan for the preview feature.

Kody · August 11, 2003, 07:44

This may be a stupid idea but...

Maybe you could reduce load by allowing people to have the option of disabling pictures.

I know I often turn image loading off when browsing the forums as I don't really care for all the graphics. If you give it to people as an option perhaps they'll use it and it'll help with reducing traffic while allow people that like looking at all the graphics to continue to do so.

It would also help if there isn't any text on the image placeholders. As demonstrated in the picture below it screws up the formating of the forums when you have pictures turned off.
http://alphadimensions.net/~john/Example.jpg

Also would there be the possiblity of a lite browsing option. Where only the more frequently used links and icons were displayed. In my opinion if you removed the civ icons to the left of the message, and only had the "profile", "edit/delete", "reply w/quote", and "link", as text links you can reduce the amount of html generated.

I had a look at the html source of what is generated for the forums and it seems there's an awful lot of generated html for the buttons and the civ-icons of each message. This generated html is usually double or triple the message length. I figure if you do what I suggested the html source will be reduced by half. Furthermore, I would think that not having to generate all those buttons and image links for each page view will reduce your server load.

Just my ideas.

geeslaka · August 11, 2003, 08:24

I have just looked at the source myself and Kody is right.
Avatars, sigs, image attachments, and [img] codes can all be turned off in the control panel. It would be nice if there were also options for turning off flags and civgroups. Perhaps a poll should be posted to see who would use these options?

Kody, there is a lite style setting, it's just spelled wrong. With style set to Light Ultra Special, "profile", "edit/delete", "reply w/quote", "link", "report", and "ip" all get text links with no pic.

Perhaps the default settings for new users should be to have avatars and sigs turned off and the style set to Light?

Kody · August 11, 2003, 09:08

Hrmm yes you are correct.

However the one thing that I really need from the normal version that isn't in the Light Ultra Special is the "last post by ". I've found that helps stop me from opening threads up that were posted to by spammers.

If that was used I would switch to the light ultra special.

The light ultra special appears to half the html generated from what I can see.

geeslaka · August 11, 2003, 09:18

I noticed that too, but I'm going to stick with light ultra special, no avs, no imgs, and no sigs because of the loading times I'm getting.

Kody · August 11, 2003, 09:42

Yeah it's super fast when you get rid of all of them

.

Turning off smiles, and just getting text would be a nice option too.

geeslaka · August 11, 2003, 09:51

There is a way to turn them off when you post, but the option isn't next to the quick reply box, so I don't use it.

Ben Kenobi · August 11, 2003, 14:34

Dropping [img] tags for most users would work, since most of us don't need to view pictures.

However, I think some kind of donations to buy a second server would be the best option in order to improve Apolyton's uptime.

Harry Seldon · August 11, 2003, 14:51

We need more RAM!

Nubclear · August 11, 2003, 15:03

Quote:

Originally posted by geeslaka

Payment method?

Cheques, cash, paypal, etc...

Quote:

2. Deleting non-used accounts.

No effect. Unused acounts do not generate http connections.

Thats ok. Delete them anyway. They deserve it.

Quote:

3. Accepting donations.

Only useful if the money is used to buy a second server.

Well yes, thats what I meant

Quote:

4.

Spoiler:

5.

Spoiler:

Pehaps if the RoN and Civ3 forums were hosted entirely by a different server the other forums would be able to function.

No. We need to delete them. Especially Civ3. We must eliminate that scourge from the face of the Earth!!!

Verto · August 11, 2003, 16:38

I hadn't really noticed that they were gone until I read this thread. I wouldn't object to having the flags removed. You can already post your location, no need for a flag.

Panag · August 11, 2003, 17:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Verto
I hadn't really noticed that they were gone until I read this thread. I wouldn't object to having the flags removed. You can already post your location, no need for a flag.

hi ,

yes , but the flag is more then just a flag , its also a link to all the people who have it , and a statement for some , ......

have a nice day

DanQ · August 11, 2003, 21:07

Good evening, everyone. Some comments on the suggestions that have surfaced in this thread to date since the most recent avatar disablement:

(1) If and when a feasible technical infrastructure can be put into place to manage a subscription-based system, it will be done. As I have said before, this pay-for service would entitle subscribers to specific non-content related features (e.g. ad disablement, increased private message storage space).

(2) Deleting unused forum accounts would first require a benchmark (timeline) of what exactly defines 'unused'. More to the point, there presence or non-presence has no bearing on server load considerations.

(3) Putting aside the monetary consequences behind the acquisition of a separate server for a moment: it is more of an administrative nightmare than an aid.

(4) As far as donations go, see my commentary on this at http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...38#post2238438

----------
Dan; Apolyton CS

Frozzy · August 12, 2003, 00:44

Crazy Idea: How about images and avatars off by default?

Verto · August 12, 2003, 00:53

That sounds good to me, Frozzy. It may not help much, but then again it might. Either way, it won't cost anything.

geeslaka · August 12, 2003, 07:53

Frozzy: It's not a crazy idea, I already suggested it 13 posts back.

Ben Kenobi · August 12, 2003, 17:20

Quote:

However, as previously stated this service would entitle subscribers to additional benefits that while convenient would not result in non-subscribers losing access to site content.

I don't care what you choose to give me, so long as we can get this site running a bit more smoothly.

Dan, what do you think of the suggestion of disabling [img] tags for some of the users?

Panag · August 12, 2003, 17:51

Quote:

Originally posted by DanQ
Good evening, everyone. Some comments on the suggestions that have surfaced in this thread to date since the most recent avatar disablement:

(1) If and when a feasible technical infrastructure can be put into place to manage a subscription-based system, it will be done. As I have said before, this pay-for service would entitle subscribers to specific non-content related features (e.g. ad disablement, increased private message storage space).

(2) Deleting unused forum accounts would first require a benchmark (timeline) of what exactly defines 'unused'. More to the point, there presence or non-presence has no bearing on server load considerations.

(3) Putting aside the monetary consequences behind the acquisition of a separate server for a moment: it is more of an administrative nightmare than an aid.

(4) As far as donations go, see my commentary on this at http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...38#post2238438

----------
Dan; Apolyton CS

hi ,

well Dan , on the 3th ; some people shall be willing to invest in admin task that would come out of it , .......

a few people have made that more or the less clear in the last weeks , .......

have a nice day

DanQ · August 12, 2003, 23:16

Given present technical circumstances I do not see avatars being enabled again any time in the near future, unfortunately.

As for additional steps to combating these technical problems, e.g. disabling [img] tag option (which is both a reasonable and logical suggestion, in my opinion), they will certainly be explored and implemented if/when/as needed.

---------
Dan; Apolyton CS

CivGeneral · August 13, 2003, 01:28

Hmm, even after returning. Still no Avatar

.

Jamski · August 13, 2003, 02:57

Quote:

(1) If and when a feasible technical infrastructure can be put into place to manage a subscription-based system, it will be done. As I have said before, this pay-for service would entitle subscribers to specific non-content related features (e.g. ad disablement, increased private message storage space).

And one of the subscriber bonuses would be getting an avatar?

-Jam

Ben Kenobi · August 13, 2003, 14:08

Quote:

disabling [img] tag option (which is both a reasonable and logical suggestion, in my opinion), they will certainly be explored and implemented if/when/as needed.

Would disabling the [img] tag have a greater or lesser effect than disabling avatars?

Which would take priority?

Panag · August 13, 2003, 18:25

Quote:

Originally posted by obiwan18

Would disabling the [img] tag have a greater or lesser effect than disabling avatars?

Which would take priority?

hi ,

avatars would take up a bigger load , ......

Asuka is more or less the expert on it , ...... send him a PM

have a nice day

Nikolai · August 13, 2003, 18:30

Or night for my part.

Good night!

Frozzy · August 13, 2003, 18:32

[img] tags only use server space from over servers as you are hotlinking to them, unless you are hotlinking to an image on the apolyton Upload service.

DanQ · August 13, 2003, 23:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Frozzy
[img] tags only use server space from over servers as you are hotlinking to them, unless you are hotlinking to an image on the apolyton Upload service.

True. Disabling [img] tags would only eliminate load usage on Apolyton's server if and when they are used to link to images not just hosted via our Upload service, even, but anywhere on Apolyton's server itself.

I'm not certain how ratio-wise this practice compares to [img] hotlinking to images stored on other servers, but certainly if and when its disablement was active it would not be a "front line" mechanism for reducing (Apolyton) server load.

--------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

johncmcleod · August 14, 2003, 02:03

I recently got 500 posts and I already have my avatar picked out. It would be nice if they turned the option on just for a little while so I could at least set it to the one I want.