Message Forum Questions to Staff

[Phred]

Please, don't take offense: this Site and the Forums are the best thing to hit the fire service since the invention of water!
I use AOL.com to connect; it does support 'cookies'; and I've looked in the 'cookie file' and found LOTS of Firehouse.com entries. Now for the questions:
1) I've tried to set prefs to 30 days and show web address - it hasen't taken! Every forum starts with the 10 day search window. I commented on a post - and no signature was shown on my reply. What am I doing wrong?? Probably forgot to click the include sig box, I bet!! http://www.firehouse.com/interactive/boards/redface.gif http://www.firehouse.com/interactive/boards/redface.gif
2) What does the Forum Status = "Junior Member" imply or mean? I'm listed as a "Jr" but I'm a few years past being a junior firefighter; or: how does one become a Senior??
3) Suggestion: add some more topics to the faq section to give us newbies some additional tips and pointers on navigating.
4) Have had differing results when asking for the writer's profile: some pop up after clicking the icon, others (mine included) seem to hide and require me to hit the browser < back button to find the profile.
5) New vrs old post icons: don't seem to update; posts I KNOW I've read display with the 'this is new' icon.
Feel free to edit this dribble; and/or re-phrase and relocate it as you see fit.
Keep up the good work!! http://www.firehouse.com/interactive/boards/smile.gif

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Phred
Phred322@aol.com

[webteam]

Thanks for your inquiry to the message forums.

The first main question, regarding cookies, is the answer to many of your issues: AOL. AOL is not an excact science...there is no guarantee anything works honestly. The "new" and "old" forum "light" works best with Netscape or Internet Explorer's newest versions (not the AOL version, the regular version) and can be strange on some browsers due to a minor "1999" bug. Both these will be resolved with the newest version of our bulletin board, which will upgrade in February (these changes are all behind the scenes).

The 'bio' feature opens a new browser window..again, another thing that may be flaky in AOL. Basically, as much as they want you to believe it, AOL is not friendly to the Internet in general outside AOL.

Your "show last topics" member feature, similar to the lightbulb, work of cookies and will only work for the same browser. If you use a different browser, you're settings won't be the same. Future versions of the bulletin board may resolve that.

We will be adding a feature, also in February, that lets you choose "see newest posts for "1" or "2" days..." as well as some other features.

Forum Status

The forum status is exactly that, forum status. Once you post 20+ messages, you'll be upgraded to an active member. Far too many firefighters take it the wrong way as we understand, but it nothing to with the fire service. We'll be adding to the FAQ soon to include that information.

With AOL, you can still download Netscape and Microsoft browsers and use them when you are connected to AOL..thus getting the best results for Firehouse.Com and all websites. Just download it, install it on your computer, dial up using AOL, then minimize AOL and open your IE or Netscape browser.

Thanks for being part of Firehouse.Com!

Firehouse WebTeam

[FSRIZZIO]

How about setting up the profile view from a particular message on the board so you can get back to that message after viewing the profile instead of having to go back through "message forum", finding the subject, etc.
I didn't seem to find another way of doing this. Thanks.

[Phred]

Chief Riz:

Try this: Click on the Profile [?] icon and look at the data. When finished, CANCEL or hit the Windows " X " box to remove the profile; you should be right back to the message you were reading when you asked for the profile.

The only glitch I get is that sometimes the profile won't pop up; my fix is to hit the BACK button. This usually brings up the sluggish profile and the "X" to remove the profile still works.

If this doesn't work for you, send a message to the Forum Moderator Wizzards - they know all!

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Phred from Ohio
Phred322@aol.com (http://Phred322@aol.com)

[FSRIZZIO]

For some reason when I search the message forum for postings within say... the "past three days" I get everything from december on. Check it out,am I assuming something incorrect? seems like someone else should have noticed this by now.
Frank

[iwood51]

Frank, I noticed it also, however, I check the site daily so I only use the since yesterday feature.