The thread on how to use this site, features, and updates
Posted on: August 18, 2006 - 4:56pm
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The thread on how to use this site, features, and updates
As I've been saying, this site will give us much more functionality than before. Bugs and bitching go here.
First... You'll notice we don't make "posts" anymore. We create "content."
There are many different types of content, standard users have access to only several of them now, but as we get set up you'll have more....... see thread for more....
Atheist, Atheism, Agnostic, Rational Response Squad
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Within the "create content" section of your navigation bar on the left you'll see "blog entry." I'd like to see some of you using it. Especially the more frequent members. You can attach a file directly from your hard drive onto your blog. The blogs then are posted in a mix of all the blogs from our community in the "blogs" button on the left hand side of the page.
Another type of content is images. All registered members of the board have the ability to upload pictures to our image gallery straight from your hard drive! Here is the first gallery I started. Please add an image of you by clicking "create content---- image." Make sure to click "pictures of our members" in the drop down menu asking you which gallery to put it in. Users can then comment on the pictures other leave. (old board didn't do that now, did it?)
The "story" type of content is similar to a blog. For you aspiring writers and journalists, if you would like your articles featured on the home page, you can create a 'story.' If we are impressed and think others would enjoy it, we'll publish it on the home page of rationalresponders.com
Hopefully everyone can figure out "forum topic" content. However, what you might not have noticed is that if you are the first person to start a thread you can also attach a file (again straight from your hard drive). In the future all posters will be able to upload images and files in all posts on the forum.
(all straight from your hard drive) Yeah, that's right the atheist version of photobucket. 
(thanks again to www.doubledoh.com (ZERO) for hosting all of our shit for free, because he's such a die hard fan!)
There are tons of other functions already up, and on the way, but I've got to move on to some other work. Let's use this thread to ask questions about functionality, and ANYONE who knows the answer please chime in.
__________________________________
Some recent additions:
1. "my buddy list" look on the left hand side, and you'll see your list. You can currently add people to your buddy list by going to their profile. Currently the best way to do this is to click their name if you see them post somewhere. Were working on a good search function. After you add buddies you'll be able to track their actions so you never miss one of their posts. You will be alerted by a small green box that shows up on the page showing you who has added you as a friend. You can take that opporunity to add them.
2. USER POINTS We now award points based on your usage of our site. These points can later be turned in to purchase shows and products from us. As we add a function to the site we'll add points for those functions if needed.
Points for posting a blog entry: 4 Points for responding to a thread, a blog, or any other node: 4 Points for posting an image: 2.5 Points for posting a story for mod review: 2 Points for starting a thread in a forum: 2
3. Smiley faces to the left while you're making a post, however this is a temporary item to be replaced by more commenting functionality later.
4. You'll now see if FreethoughtMedia.com is airing a show on the left hand side. Soon the module will blend in better with the background. Use the "tune in here" links to listen to the stream if something is airing.
5. You can access the FreethoughtMedia.com chatroom and speak with many of the users from the larger InfidelGuy.com community and entire Freethoughtmedia.com network.
6. There is now a counter to get you ramped up for the next airing of the RRS.
... just getting started.
"I basically subscribed after I checked out that thread that Sapient posted on expenses and the like. Groceries are one of the most important items, so I'm hoping I'm helping there and I'm hoping I help Sapient break even. If I can help stop him from dipping into the retirement fund, I'll be happy." - The Sarge
UPDATES:
1. We are now completely live with www.rationalresponders.com being the main source of our page. This now enables us to use very search friendly urls throughout the site which will increase traffic from search engines.
2. Subscribers might start to notice that files will be hosted at BrianSapient.com. This will help us funnel the bandwidth we use in the right areas.
3. You now also have access to all of the old content on the old site including any posts that you want to refer back to: http://www.briansapient.com/modules.php?name=Forums
There is no posting at the old board. The video library and thoughts and views library remain there, if you want to refer to them for anything.
3. Please use our homepage more frequently then you have in the past to access the site. There is content on the right and in the center of that page that might help you realize the full potential of this site.
4. The site doesn't render properly in IE. If you want to see it properly download firefox, while we work out kinks.
"I basically subscribed after I checked out that thread that Sapient posted on expenses and the like. Groceries are one of the most important items, so I'm hoping I'm helping there and I'm hoping I help Sapient break even. If I can help stop him from dipping into the retirement fund, I'll be happy." - The Sarge
Where have I missed the legend that gives a description of the icons within the forums? The "bulletin" is obvious: envelope with pushpin. There's the sealed envelope which is a topic. But what, exactly, is the envelope with the insert? Does that indicate that the thread is in multiple forums?
Rational Responders - atheist, atheism, agnostic.
I think it refers to a hot topic. I think it may be over 20 posts in a thread and it becomes hot.
"I basically subscribed after I checked out that thread that Sapient posted on expenses and the like. Groceries are one of the most important items, so I'm hoping I'm helping there and I'm hoping I help Sapient break even. If I can help stop him from dipping into the retirement fund, I'll be happy." - The Sarge
Just saying hi, might have to come back in firefox
. . . I get this weird "fatal error" message, both in firefox and my other browser (whatever it is):
Fatal error: Call to undefined function: comment_last_page() in /home/rrcom/public_html/modules/comment.module on line 1454
Is there anything to be done about that (which won't hurt my techno-challenged brain to attempt)?
Also, for the private classes, does one need to get an invitation or is there a place to log on somewhere (once I've registered with the survey, which I already did yesterday)?
I don't see any suggestions or help in that regard. I've missed the 4:00 class (cuz i don't know where it is) and will have to go to the 11:00 p.m., if I'm allowed in. It sucks cuz I've got to work tomorrow . . .
Thanks if you can help me out!
God's only excuse is that he doesn't exist.
The class was changed to thursday, same time (4:00 pm et) and place(stickam-sapient's private stickam) If you have any questions about the time and place of the class let me know, I'll be glad to help you.
Helly
How to embed a video:
When you are posting a video and you want to embed it you can do it two ways.
1. Type any text you want, then click the 'html' button in the toolbar above and paste the embed html (like from youtube) in the window.
2. Type any text you want, and paste the embed html. Then click the words below 'input format' and choose 'html'.
(edit - picture removed)
"The Puritans gave thanks for being preserved from the Indians, and we give thanks for being preserved from the Puritans." - Finley Peter Dunne
Tutorial on how to use the Quote Function can be found here.
Smilies and Compose tips can be found here.
Rational Responders - atheist, atheism, agnostic.
Heya, quick question about user images (this goes here, right?)
I went into my account settings and have been trying to upload a new image in place of my old one.
The image I'm trying to use is 8.11kb and its dimensions are 150x145. It's a JPEG.
I browse for the image and select it, but when I submit the changes my old picture remains. I tried deleting the old picture first, which works, but then when I try to upload my new image, the old image simply comes back.
Anyone have any idea what's going on? Because I don't.
*edit*
Nevermind. Apparently the twelfth time's a charm!
"What would Jesus do for a Klondike Bar?"
"Faith is a lot like virginity. You can't appreciate how annoying it is until you actually lose it."
99% of the time when you change your picture and it does not show up immediately all you have to do is refresh your browser and it should show up. In the 1% of the times that does not work clear your cookies and log back in and it should be there.
"The Puritans gave thanks for being preserved from the Indians, and we give thanks for being preserved from the Puritans." - Finley Peter Dunne
Some forum threads have the right hand side of the replys/page cut off. I'm not getting parts of words. Looks like the page is too wide for the screen but there is no horizontal scroll bar to move it over. It is annoying. I can not switch out IE for firefox as this is a work computer.
Is there a fix?
Thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------
Two books that many Christians are famous for not reading:
1. The Bible.
2. Darwin's the Origin of Species.
~Gary Lenaire, admin Secular Web Kiosk secweb.org
Ditto -- same problem, same circumstances. Any help would be appreciated.
~Wordplayer
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." ~Groucho Marx
As a $3/month subscriber you can change your theme. http://www.rationalresponders.com/monthly_subscriptions
Changing the theme on the site will fix the problem, however there will be less color coordination. In a few weeks we'll be overhauling the entire design and seek to be IE compatible which is turning out to be nearly impossible. If you fix one thing for IE it breaks in firefox, and vice versa. We're trying. If all works well that problem will be solved naturally within a few weeks when we release an entirely new look to the site.
"I basically subscribed after I checked out that thread that Sapient posted on expenses and the like. Groceries are one of the most important items, so I'm hoping I'm helping there and I'm hoping I help Sapient break even. If I can help stop him from dipping into the retirement fund, I'll be happy." - The Sarge
Is it ok to try to experiment with things in this thread? (If not, I suppose the mods can kill or move this post to one of my older ones, titled something like "experimenting with quote function: Hovind" or something like that...)
"I can not switch out IE for firefox as this is a work computer." ////
You don't "switch out", you just add the additional browser "Firefox". It doesn't effect your other browsers. I use both IE and FIREFOX at the same time, and use to have a 3rd browser, Opera", too ...... You get a addition desk top short cut Icon to use at will , for all the browsers you want ... simple ... you ALL need simple easy Firefox ....
How to add Links, Images and Flash to posts!
This is a (hopefully) simple guide to adding Links, Images, and Flash videos to your posts so others can actually use them.
Links:
To add a link to a post, the first step is to type up the text you want to describe what ever it is you're linking to. Once that is done, highlight a word you'd like to use as the link and look along the bars above the text entry window for a button that looks like this
.
Then, all you need to do is paste the website address in to the "URL" field. Once you click on "Ok", the highlighted word will now be a link to the website.
Images:
To add an image to a post, the first step is to type up the text you want to accompany the image. Once that is done, put the curser where you would like the image to appear and look along the bars above the text entry window for a button that looks like this
.
Then, all you need to do is paste the address for the image (Note: It needs to be a website address - you cannot upload an image from your own computer). Once you clik on "Ok", the image should appear in the text entry window as it would in the post.
Flash:
To add a flashing movie from youtube, the first step is to type up the text you want to accompany the video. Once that is done, put the curser where you want the video to appear and look along the bars above the text entry window for a button that looks like this
.
Then, all you need to do is look at the right hand side of the youtube page JUST below the video description and copy the crazy gobbledygook from under the word "Embed", then copy that in to the field labelled "URL" and click "Ok". An image like this
will appear in your post, but if you click on "Preview Comment" you will see how the video will actually appear once you post your comment.
And that's it. Following my own instructions here is:
a link,
an image
,
and a flash video
.
Organised religion is the ultimate form of blasphemy.