vBulletin How To: Understanding the Thread List

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Posted By: Matt

In anticipation of us moving back to the vBulletin platform (it's coming...can you feel it?) I'm going to be posting a few "How To" articles to help ease the transition and also expose some more advanced features.

Here, I'd like to focus on explaining what some of the icons and buttons do when looking at the list of threads on a forum.



The thread view has 5 columns; I'm going to go out of order, because the 2nd column has a feature that will be useful to many of us.

Column 2 contains the thread titles, usernames of the people who started the threads and a very useful button. On threads that contain posts that you have not read, you will see a small "down arrow" button. Clicking this button will take you to the first post in the thread that you haven't read yet (as opposed to clicking the thread title link which takes you to the top of the thread) which is probably where most of us want to go.

Column 1 contains icons that indicate the status of the thread. A lock means the thread is locked and no new posts can be added. An open envelope means the thread has new posts since the last time you checked it and a closed envelope means it does not. A full key to these icons can be seen at the bottom of the forum page as well:



Column 3 contains information about the last post added into the thread. The Date and Time of the last post as well as the username of who made the last post. The arrow button pointing to the side in this column takes you to that last post.

Columns 4 & 5 are straightforward - showing the number of replies in a thread and the number of people who have viewed the thread (a nice new bit of info), respectively.

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Posted By: leon

Thanks for doing this.

To all members- We have found another hosting company that specializes in hosting Vbulletin chat boards. I am not sure it can get much better than that. They have several different programs for different amounts of users so we can be sure we always have the speed we are looking for. The data transfer, according to Mike, is about 25x as fast (for what he is doing). So it looks like we will be trying again in the next few days, to a week. This time I am hoping it will be a little smoother. "Hope" really isn't a plan but suffice it to say we have planned as well as we can. If we need to "buy" more speed (in lay terms) we can. I am looking forward to getting on the new platform but we'll take it slow and steady. For anyone that needs help we will be here. best regards

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Nice work Matt! I've seen what is going on behind scenes, (I am merely a bystander) and those guys are working very hard to get things done and to get them right so nobody should have any complaints, and nobody should feel left behind.

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Posted By: Jim VB

I agree and want to thank those working hard to make this better (and working correctly.)

Do you guys want the complaint thread to start here or should we start a new one?

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Posted By: leon

Lets go ahead and start a new thread for the complaints. I like to seperate them from the "thank you" ones.

To be completely honest Mike and Matt have both done a fantastic job and get all of the credit for the processes. Brian designed the new look of the board which still has a few modifications to be done....I am a bystander as Dan is....though I guess I get to be the dart board too....

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Posted By: Dave F

I'd just like to complain about Leon having that Fans Cigarette card. In my opinion that's the reason for all these troubles with the forums.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

Matt:

Excellent post!

Does one need to be logged in for the system to display the icon on threads that have new posts since your last visit and to use the down arrow link?

Kevin

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Posted By: Matt

Kevin - yes, I believe that is correct.

My Trade/Sale Page

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Posted By: Anthony S.

Looking forward to getting back to the new board. Among other things the search function was a vast improvement. Thanks for all the work, guys.

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Posted By: Matt

At the risk of sounding like a brown-noser (not sure what it would get me), I think it's important that everyone here knows that the overriding principle in Leon's decision making process has been to buy the best option out there, even if it costs significantly more then the other options. The vBulletin software, the chat software and the hosting company are all top tier and cost more then alternatives that don't perform as nicely and he deserves thanks for that.

My Trade/Sale Page

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

The application is wonderful but the server was a dog..

Don't give me a fast car and tell me to keep in under 35mph.. takes all the fun out it.

marty

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Posted By: Matt

Yes it was - we've got that fixed now, as well as some other issues.

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Posted By: leon

That was my BIGGEST issue with the first try, the speed. We feel we have that nipped in the bud this time. We will have a fast car and no governor...At the same time for those that wish to go a little slower, it can still be extemely easy to post and not mess with the bells and whistles. regards