Forum News

[Bowwowmeow]

I am announcing our new Video Cooking Demos subforum! :chef: :yea:

If you've got a favorite YouTube vegan cooking video, share it with us in the new subforum.

In my online vegan wanderings I have not yet come across a message board with a forum for vegan cooking videos. It will be verrrrrry interrrrresting to see where it crops up next. :whistle::rolleyes:

Remember where you saw it first, folks! ;)

[Bowwowmeow]

If you have a video camera, make some of your own cooking videos! I know Photobucket hosts video, or you could put them on YouTube and share them too. :chef:

[Oracl]

So this is where we announce any forum news? :) I'll have to think of some. :rubchin:

[thevegantwins]

I saw those videos before I saw this thread. It is a fantastic idea, Bow. I will look forward to seeing it on other forums shortly. :rolleyes:

[Bowwowmeow]

Indeed, very shortly. :whistle:
veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15938

[my3labs]

did we get hacked earlier today?

[Bowwowmeow]

Yes, we sure did.

[my3labs]

Losers.

[Bowwowmeow]

Yeah, they really are. :mad:

[Fauxmage]

did we get hacked earlier today?
We got hacked because we were still using an old version of VBulletin software. We are now upgraded, and there are several new features available, such as an infraction system :Rolleyes:, which I doubt I will use, as I have "earned" infractions elsewhere, and it is extremely insulting and conducive to making the infractee leave the forum. We already have our protocol for dealing with problems here, and I prefer dealing with people as reasoning human beings, unless the prove they don't deserve it.

We also have a new button which appears when another post is quoted, which will direct you, upon clicking it, to the original post. There is also a multi quote button. I haven't experimented with it yet, but its supposed to make quoting more than one post easier.

We also should be free of all the new member registration bugs, and people who like to receive automatic notifications to PMs and subscribed threads should be able to use the links embedded in these emails without any problems.

I hope the upgrade does keep us safe from being hacked again.

I will be sending out a mass email to all our members to let them know we are new and improved.

Meanwhile, I've got to re upload all the smilies and avatars, and for now, the only skin available will be the standard version, since all the buttons, status icons, and logos for all the other skins need to be re uploaded, and this will take a lot of time.

Let me know of any problems you encounter, or any questions you have.

[Oracl]

Wow! :) This all looks much better than I expected! :thumbsup: 'Someone' has been working very hard, I think! ;) :agree:

[Bowwowmeow]

The "MultiQuote" button is the new button next to the "Quote" button in your post window. At rest, it is blue. When you click on it, it turns red. At least in the Standard skin. I will be creating buttons for it in our other skins, which will have different colors and appearances.
Instructions for using the MultiQuote function:

If this option is enabled, an additional button will appear on posts. A user may click as many of these buttons as they wish. Once they click a reply button, the content of each of the selected posts will be quoted and shown in the reply window.

[Gliondrach]

Good! We're back in business.

Why would anyone want to hack this forum? Do you think it could have been done by agents of some rival forum? I might ask Fuzzy to investigate. If he has time.

[veggiesosage]

Also, when you say the forum was hacked what do you mean? :confused:

[Bowwowmeow]

Our forum disappeared, and in its place was a web page that had on it:

Hacked Gold!
w w w. cybersabotage.org

and some other crap. It was very upsetting. :mad: :biff: :boil:

[Bowwowmeow]

Do you guys all have a "report post" button in your own profile, appearing next to your posts? I do. It seems silly to have it there. Why would anyone report their own posts? Maybe I'll report myself and see what happens. :rolleyes:

You know, we have only had one reported post in our entire history. :cheer:

[Oracl]

Yes, I have a 'Report My Own Post' button. :agree: I'll try my best not to use it. :bhead:

[Bowwowmeow]

We are now upgraded to 3.6.8. We almost lost all our custom images, but most of them are finally back. We are missing our latest smilie additions. You can see what's missing, because text appears where the images are supposed to be. I will be adding them back over the next few days.

We are missing almost all of our avatars. They will be added soon.

We are missing buttons from most of the skins. As I replace the missing buttons, I will make the skins available again.

I just replaced all the missing logos.

It seems that our images were restored from a backup made previous to the latest changes I made to most of the skins, and the smilies, last week. Soon we will be back to normal. The error I was getting in the Style Manager whenever I tried to edit a skin has been corrected.

The activation emails, and I expect the automatic notification emails for subscribed threads and new PMs, still contain bizarre links to inactive pages. I will have to get Tech Support to address this.

If anyone still has trouble with Quick Reply or MultiQuote, let me know. The newest version of the software was designed to correct these flaws, and if it doesn't, I guess we can look forward to another upgrade soon.

Registration is open right now, and we've already gotten about 10 new whammers in the last two days, who would like to offer us diet pills and mail order brides from Russia, amongst other things.

Isn't it nice when things go back to normal? :rolleyes:

[Oracl]

Isn't it nice when things go back to normal? :rolleyes:

:D

[1vegan]

Registration is open right now, and we've already gotten about 10 new whammers in the last two days, who would like to offer us diet pills and mail order brides from Russia, amongst other things.

Isn't it nice when things go back to normal? :rolleyes:


Would it be possible to get a set of not so simple confirmation codes? The kind that spammer bots can't read?

Or perhaps ask some kind of logical question when people sign up?
(but not as complicated as some forums do)

[Bowwowmeow]

I'll have to look into it. The registration emails are all messed up anyway, so sooner or later I've got to fix them. Its on my presently long list of things to do!

[Bowwowmeow]

Almost all of the avatars are back. I've lost a few photos, and that cute set of licking dogs. I'll have to search for them again.

[Bowwowmeow]

The smilies are back, and I've rejuvenated the avatar collection, since the quality of some of the pictures left something to be desired.

"Celestial" is now available in the Style Chooser.

[paul]

You have been so busy, you need to relax with a cup of tea.

[Oracl]

You have been so busy, you need to relax with a cup of tea.
:agree: :)

[Bowwowmeow]

Ok.
:teapot: :sugar bowl: :soycrmpitch: :teacup: :teabag:

[Oracl]

Show off! :rolleyes: Just 'cos you've got more smilies than any other forum! :wigglebutt:

[Bowwowmeow]

And that's just the way you like it. :uhuh: :smile2:

[Oracl]

And that's just the way you like it. :uhuh: :smile2:
:agree: :updn: :psing:

[paul]

:rofl::lol::laugh::thumbsup:

[Fauxmage]

Well I have heard at long last from Sales, who will supposedly upgrade us to a bigger package, thereby giving us more disk space, by tomorrow morning my time (it's around 11 PM as I type). I hope all goes well. :crossfingers:

[Oracl]

:agree: :crossfingers:

[Gliondrach]

Good news.

[Bowwowmeow]

Its done! :cheer:

[Gliondrach]

Hip hip.

[Bowwowmeow]

I spoke too soon. They didn't upgrade me to the package I requested. So, we will have to do this again someday. I'm not going to try again right now. I'll just wait until we run out of space again.

[Oracl]

:s:igh:

[Bowwowmeow]

They are working on a new version of VBulletin (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249460), but right now they've only got beta versions available, so I will not do an upgrade yet.

It looks like lots of social networking features will be added, and people will be able to make their user profiles look all Myspacey. I don't know whether that's good or bad.

[Gliondrach]

Neither do I - not knowing what the myspacey look is. I could check but I can't be bothered - as I'm not the social networking type.

[Fauxmage]

I have added the word "PRIVATE" to the titles of all the forums which can't be seen or searched by guests and people who are not logged in. This may help me and maybe others who forget which forums can be seen by the general public while we are logged in.

[Gliondrach]

Good idea. Knowing certain people in the Intelligence and Security worlds, I would have preferred 'Top Secret'. But that's just me.

[Fauxmage]

Can do!

[Gliondrach]

Have done. :thumbsup:

[Oracl]

:D

[Bowwowmeow]

It looks like we lost some posts and threads folks. Everything that's been posted since the fifth of September is gone. I'm really sorry. In an attempt to find our lost blogs, Tech Support restored an old backup without telling me before they did it, and now that the forum's been restored, the posts from the last few days were lost, because a backup wasn't made before the restoration.

It looks like the blogs are gone for good, so anyone who wants to reproduce them please do. I miss them! And anyone who wants to repost their helpful advice in Cherie's volunteering at the shelter thread will be appreciated, or any of the other threads, even the nonsense ones.

[Soynut]

I started to think I said something wrong.;)

[Oracl]

It's only a couple of days of postings. We'll survive! :)

It's weird but I can see the word Blogs up next to Register and FAQ etc before I log in, but as soon as I log in it disappears. :confused:

[Gliondrach]

I don't know if I can remember the many words of wisdom that I have posted recently. They might be lost for ever.

[Gliondrach]

I couldn't get on the forum yesterday afternoon or evening. I kept getting this message:
------------
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access / on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
------------

Perhaps it had something to do with whatever lost the posts.

[Bowwowmeow]

It's weird but I can see the word Blogs up next to Register and FAQ etc before I log in, but as soon as I log in it disappears. :confused:
Its probably a permissions setting. The defaults are weird, and I haven't gone in and checked everyone's permissions yet.

I couldn't get on the forum yesterday afternoon or evening. I kept getting this message:
------------
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access / on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
------------

Perhaps it had something to do with whatever lost the posts.
No, that was after, and I don't know why it happened. There's something wrong with the website cp too, and after they fix it NO MORE UPGRADES!

[Bowwowmeow]

Its probably a permissions setting. The defaults are weird, and I haven't gone in and checked everyone's permissions yet.
Now that I think of it, I did a bunch of other things in the admin cp to our forum, and that was lost too, so I am going to wait a couple more days before I change the passwords so that Tech Support can't do anything new to the website or forum after they fix what's wrong in the website cp. They've got to have access to my website cp and my admin account here (Fauxmage) when stuff needs to be fixed, but they don't need it all the time. I won't make any more changes myself until I don't need their help anymore, because I don't want to have to do it all over again if it gets lost.

[Fauxmage]

It's only a couple of days of postings. We'll survive! :)

It's weird but I can see the word Blogs up next to Register and FAQ etc before I log in, but as soon as I log in it disappears. :confused:
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :hbang: :hbang: :hbang: :hbang: :flame: :flame: :flame: :flame:
We are apparently having the same problem we fixed ages ago when we were in the wormhole and the permissions were not editable. I am amazed that we are not in the wormhole again. I cannot make any changes to any of the usergroups' permissions until they fix it.
*desperately needs a "tearing out my hair" smilie*

[Oracl]

How incredibly frustrating. :mad:

[Gliondrach]

These things are sent to try us.

[Bowwowmeow]

Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. I have been referred to VBulletin to fix our problem, and since their mo is to blame everything on the server, it looks like we are going to stay broken until they come out with a new version of the software.

Please be patient, and remember that if you try to log in and find yourself banned, its totally an accident, and I will be on the lookout for this happening.

We will not be able to turn registration on, so I will figure out how to make an announcement to people who are interested in joining to please contact me through the website email, and I will manually create new accounts for them until we get this resolved.

[Oracl]

The problems are never-ending! :grumble:

[Gliondrach]

We will not be able to turn registration on, so I will figure out how to make an announcement to people who are interested in joining to please contact me through the website email, and I will manually create new accounts for them until we get this resolved.



If you can manually create new accounts, it might be a good idea to create a few - if it doesn't take too long - and keep them spare in case there comes a time when you can't create any. Then, when someone wants to join, they can be given one of the accounts.

[Fauxmage]

There is a new version of the software out, so brace yourselves, folks, because we will have to succumb to another upgrade in order to fix our current bugs.

I can't help but wonder what new problems will arise.

I won't be doing it until I get my computer back, though.

[thevegantwins]

The site is probably going to start singing, "Swing Home, Sweet Chariot" while exploding. Or something like that.

[Oracl]

:eek:

[Oracl]

So true! :sigh: :whiteflag:

[Gliondrach]

Could he contact BWM through e-mail, as suggested in post 55 of this thread? As long as she has access to a computer machine.

[Oracl]

Yes, I think this is all he can do at present and await BWM's reply. She probably still does not have a functioning computer, as she has not been back here since she told us of her problems. :sigh:

[Fauxmage]

Theres someone else from EV that wants to join. What shall I tell him to do?
Tell him to send me an email and I'll open an account manually. or if he wants to wait, in a few days I will be taking the forum offline for the upgrade, and hopefully we will be able to open registration again.

[Gliondrach]

in a few days I will be taking the forum offline for the upgrade, and hopefully we will be able to open registration again.

:eek: :shock:

[Oracl]

:speechless:

[Bowwowmeow]

Hey!!! It looks like our last few bugs just got fixed!

I am still leaving us offline though. I need to double check everyone's permissions, and make sure we aren't in the wormhole again.

The blogs are back too.

[Bowwowmeow]

Hmmm. There was a link in the navbar, called "Community", which is a new feature of 3.8.0. It had a drop down menu consisting of the Member's list, photo albums, and social groups, and now it is gone, and the Member's list link is there instead.

I don't like it when stuff just metamorphoses. Too much like the return of the wormhole.

[Oracl]

Yeah, I saw that....briefly..... :confused:

[squirrel]

Makes you wonder what else is lurking in there

[Fauxmage]

Makes you wonder what else is lurking in there
Exactly!

Hey everyone, we are now "The Saucy Vegan". See the new notice.

[Gliondrach]

Hello, Saucy Vegan!

[Oracl]

Yay for The Saucy Vegan!! :wigglebutt: :cheer:

[Fauxmage]

I sent out a mass email notice to everyone about the name change. Did you all receive an email? I've never done one before, and I wanted to know if it worked.

[Fauxmage]

Oh good, thanks. Maybe some long lost folks will come back.

[Oracl]

I got it too. :)

[paul]

Some one from the past did pop in last night i sent here a pm, and a visiter message.

[Gliondrach]

I don't know if I received an e-mail. I will look later. I can't do that just now.

[Oracl]

I don't know if I received an e-mail. I will look later. I can't do that just now.
Haven't you heard of multi-tasking?!!! :rolleyes: :p

[Gliondrach]

I have heard it mentioned. But I need to log off this account username because the e-mail will have been sent to another username. We who use this ao l thing can have 7 usernames. It would take many minutes to go through all that rigmarole.

[Phoenix]

:brainfog: Pardon me, Faux, but would it be possible to remove the word "bugs" from the thread title please?

I just read saucy vegan bugs and it was very disturbing. :bhead:

[Gliondrach]

:brainfog: Pardon me, Faux, but would it be possible to remove the word "bugs" from the thread title please?

I just read saucy vegan bugs and it was very disturbing. :bhead:

:D But they might be greenfies - they are vegan.

[Bunny]

I got the email! :)

[Fauxmage]

It looks like the Community link is back in the navbar, and Tech Support fixed our registration problem, so registration is now open again, and we should not be getting loads of spammers any more. :cheer:

[thevegantwins]

:thumbsup:

[Oracl]

:)