Captain's Log

[Joe]

This is because of the way one of the add-ons works. If it detects the URL is a particular known media type, it will use the MEDIA tags on the assumption that this is always better and probably what the users wants. It is possible for users to circumvent this by specifically using the URL tags.

For example, here I pasted a Youtube URL into URL tags - note that you have to use the URL= syntax, and put the description between the tags:

[URL='https://youtu.be/KDbPYoaAiyc']Human Behaviour - Bjork[/URL]

Which results in:
Human Behaviour - Bjork

Edit: Or, instead of typing all that, you can just write your post as normal, then select the word(s) that should link to the media, then click the hyperlink / URL button in the editor. A little input box pops up. Paste the URL into that, click the 'Insert' button on the input box, and you're done.

Thanks for explaining that, IS.

 

[Second Summer]

I've removed the 'Mark Forums Read' option from the 'Forums' menu. This is in order for the menu to display better / correctly on mobile phone browsers. Specifically, my mobile phone browser!

I'm also considering removing the 'Watched Forums' and 'Watched Threads' menu options.

 

[Second Summer]

I've just paid for a renewal of the domain name! Also:

I'm also considering removing the 'Watched Forums' and 'Watched Threads' menu options.

OK, I've removed 'Watched Forums'. Both the 'New Posts' and 'Unanswered Threads' options are now directly visible in my mobile phone browser, without having to click the '...' option.

 

[Calliegirl]

I'm glad you kept the watched threads option, I use it everytime I come to the forum.

 

[KLS52]

I've removed the 'Mark Forums Read' option from the 'Forums' menu. This is in order for the menu to display better / correctly on mobile phone browsers. Specifically, my mobile phone browser!

I'm also considering removing the 'Watched Forums' and 'Watched Threads' menu options.

You’re killing me...

ETA: never mind, I still have breath. I see the option is still there when I click new posts. It’s something I use frequently.

 

[Second Summer]

Just updated the Donations page.

 

[Second Summer]

FYI: Our hosting company has given us a two-hour maintenance window for patching Spectre vulnerabilities (as mentioned in this thread). The actual downtime will be much less, but it can happen any time in that two-hour window.

The maintenance window starts on May 2nd at 11pm BST, which I believe is 6pm EST.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

The maintenance window starts on May 2nd at 10pm UTC, which I believe is 5pm EST.

Ah, nuts. LOL

 

[Second Summer]

Ah, nuts. LOL

Oops, I got that time wrong: UTC is an hour behind the current daylight savings time around here. Have updated my post above ...!

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Oops, I got that time wrong: UTC is an hour behind the current daylight savings time around here. Have updated my post above ...!

Oh! Well, never mind then.

 

[Second Summer]

As announced, that reboot happened overnight.

I'm probably going to have to update the VV terms in the near future to try and comply with new EU legislation. That whole GDPR thing.

 

[Second Summer]

Just paid for a 1 year extension to our Xenforo licence, i.e. for the forum software.

Have also upgraded to the most recent point release of the 1.5 version. (There's a version 2.0 now as well, but I'm waiting for a number of add-ons to be converted before I want to install that.)

I expect to upgrade again early next week to get a version with more GDPR features.

 

[Second Summer]

I expect to upgrade again early next week to get a version with more GDPR features.

I meant early next week ...

 

[Second Summer]

I meant early next week ...

OK, correction (again) ...! Xenforo decided to release it early, meaning today. So because I want VV to be GDPR compliant, and I want to discover any issues with the forum update before GDPR comes into effect on 25. May, I've upgraded just now.

Of particular interest to existing members: If you have a look at the footer area of the pages, you will find a link to a 'Privacy Policy' which will take you to a page about said topic. This is a "Help" page, and on the Help menu to the left, there will also be a link to 'Cookie Usage'.

The upgrade also includes a number of features only visible during registration, and tools for administrators.

 

[Second Summer]

Yesterday, while trying to renew some certificates, I apparently broke our mail server. So if you didn't receive your usual mail "spam" from VV, this was probably the reason. I think it's working again now.

Tonight I've also updated a couple of add-ons.

 

[Second Summer]

I broke down and forced the privacy policy agreement and terms & rules agreement the other night. You all probably noticed you couldn't access the site without agreeing. However, no one has complained they couldn't actually view the terms & rules without agreeing first ...! I've fixed that issue now, though.

 

[KLS52]

I broke down and forced the privacy policy agreement and terms & rules agreement the other night. You all probably noticed you couldn't access the site without agreeing. However, no one has complained they couldn't actually view the terms & rules without agreeing first ...! I've fixed that issue now, though.

It did tick me off, admittedly.

 

[Second Summer]

It did tick me off, admittedly.

I'm glad someone noticed!

I've now converted the rules & terms, privacy policy, and the "about" page into proper 'help' pages. (See the Help menu, plus links to some of these pages from the footer area of every page.) The content is as before, but I think the layout is a bit nicer now.

 

[Val]

I'm glad someone noticed!

I've now converted the rules & terms, privacy policy, and the "about" page into proper 'help' pages. (See the Help menu, plus links to some of these pages from the footer area of every page.) The content is as before, but I think the layout is a bit nicer now.

Ouch, i noticed it too, but i thought i was going crazy, and something was wrong with me or my android.
P.S. Thank you.

 

[Second Summer]

We're approaching 330K posts.

OK, it's just a number, but hey, it's a big number! And in this day and age where the competition for people's attention is fierce, I like to believe it's a bit of an achievement.