The Spiral: Rob's posts [part 12]
August 30th, 2006,: POLL: New message board colors?
POLL: New message board colors?
Since we're building a new message board, I'm curious as to how to approach the color scheme. Vote in this poll to let me know how you'd like the new board to look.
August 30th, 2006,: POLL: New message board colors?
>As another option, it would be nice to be able to choose our own preferred color scheme. I've seen other sites do this, and it's a nice touch since everyone can pretty much get what they want. I know it's extra work though, so maybe such is not within your current time constraints. But, if it is, then it would be cool not only to be able to choose our own scheme, but also to have various preset templates to choose from that we could either accept as-is, or tweak to our heart's content.
I asked about that, and due to the level of customization we're looking at, it won't be until down the road when we can offer a couple different skins for the board, but it's definitely something I want to do.
September 14th, 2006: Questions for Rob Sheridan
There will be a big update today regarding the switchover. Unfortunately it's going to require The Spiral to be down for a little longer than expected, but it's only to ensure that everything gets switched over and set up properly, and that we have some great new stuff ready to go when it returns. Keep an eye on the site today for the details.
September 14th, 2006: Questions for Rob Sheridan
>Hey Rob. Will those of us who's subscriptions are up on the 30th of this month (and who are not renewing) see the new site at all?
Yes, you will.
September 25th, 2006: The New Spiral
Damn, that was quick.
September 25th, 2006: The New Spiral Not Yet Fully Operational
The New Spiral Not Yet Fully Operational
Obviously this transition has been kind of a pain in the ass, but we're all excited and optimistic about it. I'm sure the first few days will be a bit bumpy, but that's to be expected. Also, there are a number of things that aren't quite worked out yet with the new site, and some things I'm personally not happy with yet.
First though, let's talk about some new features:
- Myself and the other mods now have total control over this board, which means that we can start to really customize a lot of things and make it more fun. You'll already find that the options for your personal profile have been greatly expanded, and I'm working on some custom smilies and post icons (you won't be stuck with the weird square heads).
- If you check out the video section, you'll find that the Spiral vids have been re-encoded in higher resolution Quicktime than they were previously. We're working on some more video exclusives to put up on The Spiral.
- You all have personal blogs that are viewable by other Spiral members. In the future we're looking to greatly expand this feature to include personal photo galleries, concert reviews, etc. Unlike at MusicToday, we feel really good that things are going to progress and grow and expand almost as fast as the ideas we have.
Here are some things that I am currently unhappy with and we will work with SparkArt to improve:
- The image gallery: You'll notice SparkArt (the new fanclub company) has a Flash-based image gallery, which is pretty, but it has some serious limitations. You can't save the images, and it won't display larger images at full size. This is a major priority for me moving forwards, I am addressing it with them to see if they can accommodate larger images and image-saving. I'm confident that will happen in the future, so hold tight.
- The chat room: Currently it only supports one room, and the built-in smilies and avatars are so painfully lame it hurts. Hopefully, though, it will prove more secure than Parachat was.
- There are numerous other little bugs and tiny things that still need to be addressed. I'm only just now getting to really explore the new message board layout/design, so you may see it continue to be tweaked in the coming weeks.
All in all though, it feels great to have a fresh start and there are a lot of possibilities for what we can do at our new home. Enjoy!
September 25th, 2006: The New Spiral
Yeah, I don't know why everyone is being labeled Frail and Reptile. I'll fix that. Personally I'm not much for labels based on post-count. It just encourages people to post nonsense replies just to get their post count higher. Quality over quantity, I say.
And yeah, the font's small. Time for a "message board improvements" thread...
September 25th, 2006: Message board suggestions!
Message board suggestions!
The new board is almost as new to me as it is to you. SparkArt developed it, and they've done a fantastic job, but like you, I'm already finding little things here and there that could use improvement. So here's a thread where you can make suggestions about the board, since we have a lot more power now to change things.
I'm already aware that the font is too small, and that the weird labels people have like "Reptile" and "The Frail" and "Leaving Hope" need to go. Also, we will be further customizing the smilies and post icons.
Please take a little while to play around with the new board and settle into it before you leave any kneejerk reactions.
Thanks!
September 25th, 2006: The New Spiral Not Yet Fully Operational
>Agreed - File not found on this server message :(
I just found out they are still uploading the videos to the video page. Hold tight, they'll be up later today.
September 25th, 2006: Beside You In Time - [discussion and information]
Re: beside you in time - live dvd
To everyone with concerns/questions/uncertainties about HD-DVD/Blu-Ray and upgrading your system...
Don't make any decisions yet, and don't fret: I want to try and get a very comprehensive guide together to post here and on nin.com to help people understand HD equipment and make the best decision with regards to the DVD. I imagine you'll learn more about the DVD project during the chat tomorrow, but in the meantime, rest assured we'll try and help everyone who's interested in upgrading their systems and viewing this in high-definition. The good news is you have a little bit of time to wait until some better HD players come out, and hopefully drop in price.
September 25th, 2006: Hey Everyone - What do you want to see on The Spiral?
Re: Hey Everyone - What do you want to see on The Spiral?
I'm closing this thread for now - we have enough on our hands getting the currest laundry list of new features on board!
September 25th, 2006: Spiral Bug Report Thread
Spiral Bug Report Thread
Please post all bugs, glitches, errors, etc. here - either in the main site, on the board, or in the chat.
Please don't chat in here or post off-topic or "me too" responses - this should be for reporting bugs only. Also, don't confuse this with the board suggestions thread, where you can suggest things that should be different on the board (aesthetically, functionally, or otherwise).
September 26th, 2006: Message board suggestions!
>yeah the main log in page for me is text format only as well. I used the old bookmark I have for this.
could it be that I am using Safari Browser should I try something else like FireFox?
the board it self I can see the backround and all the colors and stuff, just the main login page is text fomat only
Don't use your old bookmark - it is no longer valid and is showing a weird text-only page. Just go to http://www.nin-thespiral.com and login from there.
September 26th, 2006: Spiral Member Blogs
Re: Spiral Member Blogs
That's a bug in the site currently - there are a number of little bugs with the blogging/friends features, but they will all be worked out. Bear with us for the first few days. In the meantime, you can click on usernames that you see down at the bottom of the main page where it shows users currently online, and see if any of those people have posted blogs.
September 26th, 2006: Spiral Bug Report Thread
Re: Spiral Bug Report Thread
FYI: No one can see avatars right now. It's a known bug and they are working on it.
September 26th, 2006: Spiral Bug Report Thread
Customer Support Is Your Friend
Just a reminder: If you're having some specific problems with the site, be sure to contact customer support about it. All functionality problems, errors, etc. should be submitted there.
September 26th, 2006: StarFox Command DS
I actually really like this game, and I don't like strategy games at all. The strategy here is extremely light strategy, there's nothing very complex about it and it breaks up the gameplay in a fun way. The action parts are great - the touch-screen controls feel intuitive and the graphics are fantastic for the DS. My only complaint is that all the levels are 360 degree dogfighting levels, there aren't any on-rails linear levels like in the original Star Fox and Star Fox 64, which I ultimately prefer. Otherwise, though, I had fun with this one.
__________________
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Having problems with the new Spiral site? Contact Customer Support at support.nin-thespiral.sparkart.com!
September 26th, 2006: Site Problems (things that break, not your wish list)
Re: Site Problems (things that break, not your wish list)
There seem to be a lot of bugs with the blogs/friends features on the main site right now. Remember if you're having problems with the functionality of the site, please report them to customer support so SparkArt knows all the things that are wrong with the site.
September 26th, 2006: The Cult of Macitosh Thread
Re: The Cult of Macintosh Thread
>Yeah, I suspect I will be happy with both those features -- I tried to do the album art once on my own and it blew.
As I've been reading up on "iTV" I have to admit I'm a little less psyched. It will be nice to not have to plug the laptop into the TV to watch things I get on itunes, but it is really just airtunes for video it probably won't be a must have @ 300 -- unless you can d/l in HD _and_ I get a new tv.
The only time I tried AirTunes it seemed to skip every now and then while trying to stream over the wireless network. I don't know how the hell they've got video streaming wirelessly, unless it's compressed all to hell, but I'd be interested to see how well it works.
If iTV is $300, personally I think a much better solution is to save up a few hundred more bucks and get a little Mac Mini to hook up to your TV as a dedicated entertainment device. I have a Mac Mini in my living room hooked up to my HDTV, and it's been a fantastic experience. This way I have a giant iTunes jukebox in my living room (which looks cool with Front Row on the big screen) hooked up to my surround speakers, and I can play TV shows and movies I download right off the computer on the TV, and I can play game emulators on the TV with a wireless gamepad... Oh, and I got this really cool gyroscopic air mouse and wireless keyboard so I can relax on the couch and browse The Spiral!
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
Okay, so this new chat software is very new to us, and as it turns out it's a little limiting in terms of hosted chats like what we're doing tonight with Trent. As such, we've put together a system of rules that everyone needs to follow so that things will go smoothly tonight and everyone will get the opportunity to ask a question.
This is posted on the news page, I will repost it here:
chat rules:*
the current chat software is the process of being upgraded to better
accommodate our needs. in the meantime we have come up with guidelines to
ensure all spiral members have a chance to submit questions to trent for
today's chat. please be considerate of ALL members and follow the
guidelines stated below. thank you for your attention and cooperation.
if you don't follow the guidelines, you will be removed from the chat and
miss your chance to ask trent your question.
1) PLEASE do NOT send messages/random comments/smilies to the chat room at
any time during the chat. as there are lots of members who have questions,
we are asking each spiral member to only have ONE question prepared for
submission. in addition, in an effort to get to as many members as
possible, we will only be accepting questions from members during the
allocated time which corresponds to the first letter of their spiral
username. any members submitting questions outside of their designated time
slot and/or submitting more than one question will be bumped from the chat
and their questions discarded. we appreciate everyone's cooperation.
QUESTIONS will be accepted from members based on the following schedule:
5:00 - 5:10pm (PST): Usernames beginning with A - D & any usernames starting
with a numerical value.
5:10 - 5:20pm (PST): Usernames beginning with E - H
5:20 - 5:30pm (PST): Usernames beginning with I - L
5:30 - 5:40pm (PST): Usernames beginning with M - P
5:40 - 5:50pm (PST): Usernames beginning with Q - T
5:50 - 6:00pm (PST): Usernames beginning with U - Z
PLEASE WAIT UNTIL IT'S YOUR TURN. THE MODERATOR WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN ONE
SEGMENT HAS EXPIRED AND THE NEXT HAS BEGUN. THE TIMELINE STATED ABOVE IS A
GUIDLINE, ACTUAL TIMES MAY FLUCTUATE BY A COUPLE OF MINUTES. THANK YOU FOR
YOU PATENCE AND COOPERATION WITH THIS PROCESS.
2) do NOT send private messages to trent during the chat.*
3) when trent enters please stop typing so that we can begin the chat.*
today's chat will start at 5:00pm (PST), have your questions ready in
advance. the more prepared you are the smoother the process will go for
everyone and the more questions trent will be able to answer.
thank you again for your cooperation.
the spiral
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Obviously this is kind of annoying and very different from how it's been in the past. However, there are some clear benefits to this system:
1) Everyone will get a fair opportunity to ask a question, and no one will have to queue up and start submitting questions 30 minutes early.
2) If Trent answers someone's question, he could potentially engage in a dialogue with that person, which is something that wasn't possible with the old system.
We're going to make sure this system improves for future chats, but in the meantime, read the rules carefully and try to behave, and we should all still have fun tonight.
Use this thread for questions, comments, gripes, etc about tonight's chat system.
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
Flood control is simple: Anyone breaking the rules gets kicked out. I think there's like a ten minute time-out before they can return to the chat. When it's moderated, all you guys will see is what we want you to see: i.e. questions Trent has chosen to answer, and his responses. The chaos will be happening behind the scenes. So if you just want to watch and not participate, beavette, just come into the chat and enjoy.
As before, it's up to Trent to choose which questions he wants to respond to.
Regarding asking questions on another member's behalf: I'm afraid we can't do that tonight, as that would allow anyone to just say that their second question is for some other member.
Three-part question? Please just use your judgement. If it really is three parts of a question that are related to each other, go ahead - but if it's just an excuse to type three different questions at once, don't do it. The one question per person rule is to make it fair for everyone - obviously everyone has a lot of questions, but we want to give everyone an opportunity, and we also want to keep the flood managable on our end.
Yes, there will be a transcript of the chat.
Yes, the software might explode.
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
>Will this be in the normal chat room, or will there be a seperate one? Also, you can watch other perople's questions and all, right?
This will be in the regular chat room. You will be able to see the questions, but you will only see the questions that Trent chooses to respond to. You won't see every question that gets submitted.
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
>So during our segment of time, we just type in our question and hope for it to get answered? there's no other real order right?
Like my username starts with "a" so as soon as it starts I can just throw my question out there?
The posted time frames are just a guideline. I will announce when it's okay for a group of users to submit questions. So, I'll say, "Okay, usernames beginning with E through H can now ask questions" and then submit your question.
Important: When you submit your question, you will not see it show up in the chat window. Pretty much nothing will happen when you submit a question, but it HAS been received on our end, so you don't need to submit it again. Don't worry though, it has been received and it has been seen by Trent, and he will answer it if he wants to. If Trent chooses to answer your question, THEN it will appear in the main chat window for you and everyone else to see.
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
>Exactly, if it goes off schedule, it goes longer then an hour so my question stands. I would rather know now then be disapointed later. That is all. I am sure my 2 questions I had planned will be addressed by the time the chat ends anyway. So, if we are stopping at exactly one hour then I will probably just wait for the transcript.
If we're behind schedule and it has to run longer to accommodate all of the groups of usernames, we'll run a little longer.
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
They're doing some maintenance on the chat room to prepare for tonight. It'll reopen in a minute.
September 26th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
This is taking them a little longer than expected. Hold tight...
September 27th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
I'll post here when I get confirmation that the chat is up again. This is fitting...
September 27th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
Trent and I are sitting here waiting for the OK from SparkArt. This is a weird last-minute development that we didn't know was going to happen. They had to do a last-minute software upgrade. Should be any minute now...
Groan.
September 27th, 2006: Chat Rules for Tonight! Please Read!
Re: Chat Rules For Tonight! Please Read!
Hey everyone - as of right now, SparkArt has basically fucked up and can't fix the 250 user limit, which they thought wouldn't be a problem. It looks like we're going to have to postpone the chat until later this week when they have the software together. We'll post something official in a minute, but for now, no need to freak out about getting into the chat.