January 2015 Website Updates and Changes

[Mike]

Hope you are having a good new year! Here is the latest news to report:

• The forum software has been upgraded (in fact - it has been upgraded several times since the last changes were posted, but specifically, it is at the latest version now)
• An update to the WindowsForum.com mobile app for Android has been pushed out to Google. (This fixes the breaking-changes bug found in the last version for some Android phones including the Note 4)
• The mobile app update will be pushed to Amazon later this week. There is a new version for Apple devices that is still under work.
• Additional extensions have been updated for mobile app support.
• The entire web server software has been upgraded.
• PHP has been upgraded to 5.5.20.
• Last month, the main system kernel was updated.
• Our elasticsearch engine is currently down and this is being worked on. For now, the regular (and perhaps slower) search engine is in place.
• Additional unspecified website improvements are now officially on the way!

Additional Updates for January 22, 2015:

• Elasticsearch is fixed.
• Now using noCAPTCHA reCAPTCHA instead of KeyCAPTCHA.
• Some internal sever updates.
• Entirely new Media gallery now online.
• News feeds have been re-calibrated for new Microsoft technology and should be less intrusive.
• Any news article from "Live RSS Feeds" with certain criterion, posted by the News bot, was removed.
• You can now view the latest Unanswered Threads.
• Fixed image upload - Thanks for the heads up, @Trouble

 

[ussnorway]

I can't use my windows 8 phone to see this forum 'phone' site... the 8.1 works fine, is this backwards compat one of the issues being looked at?

p.s. not a big stress.

 

[Mike]

Hello, what are you using on the Windows 8 phone to access the site? Thanks.

 

[ussnorway]

I use "mini web browser pro" on all my phones; Link Removed

 

[Mike]

Unfortunately, no Windows Phone available from anyone on the team. Do you have any indication as to what is popping up with your phone? Have you tried using the default browser? Ideally, it should come up with no errors. We have no plans to release an app for Windows Phone, believing the browser should be enough.

 

[Trouble]

Have you tried using the default browser? Ideally, it should come up with no errors.

No problem, using IE on my Windows Phone 8.1
I would love to upload a screenshot of it but the forum seems to be broken, at least for me, when trying to upload .jpg or .png files of 23KB and 73KB it says
"The following error occurred"
"The uploaded file is too large for the server to process"
Someone..... Probably needs to look into this!

 

[Mike]

No problem, using IE on my Windows Phone 8.1
I would love to upload a screenshot of it but the forum seems to be broken, at least for me, when trying to upload .jpg or .png files of 23KB and 73KB it says
"The following error occurred"
"The uploaded file is too large for the server to process"
Someone..... Probably needs to look into this!

Sorry about that. It is working now.

 

[ussnorway]

I can confirm the forum does load correctly on Windows 8 phone using i-explorer… eventually.

Don’t stress about it… looks like we will be using a new phone browser soon any way.

 

[Trouble]

Sorry about that. It is working now.

Thank You.

 

[davehc]

I felt the need to comment on this site, including all the various forums.

I an a frequent visitor and contributor to many, on the web. They all have their ups and downs. The busiest, (I think we mostly know to which one I refer), has some knowledgeable contributors. You will usually, eventually, find an answer to a problem. Unfortunately, the moderation has to be the worst on the web. Frequent, inconsequential, one liners, for example, without comment. Attacks on other members, again without comment or moderation, and worst but by no means less, a huge tendency to drift off the OP or even lose sight of it entirely.
Another site, remarkably well organised, has, unfortunately not caught the attention of would be contributors. certainly one of the most friendly.

All in all, for me, this site wins the top prize. It is well administered. Whether the work of the moderators, or a good selection of members, posts are cool and normally without argument. No back biting etc.

CONGRATS, Mike and moderators.,