FF Tip of the Moment

[viscousmemories]

We considered annoying y'all with a pop-up box or something that gives a "tip of the day" for using the forum software, but since everybody hates "tip of the day" pop-ups here's a thread anyone can bump at their leisure to share a feature or function of the site. :)

Have you noticed...

...that when you go to create a new thread, as soon as you start typing in the Title field a small icon to the right of the Title field (this: http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/images/freethought/buttons/findicon_off.gif) lights up? Click it to do a search of the site for similar thread titles so you can see if the topic has already been raised before.

[livius drusus]

But I liked the annoying pop-up idea. :deepsigh: Oh well...

Have you noticed...

... that PMs have a quick reply of sorts too? If you scroll down when viewing a PM you'll see a reply box all tricked out with the message in quote tags and ready to go. No need to click on those boring Quote and/or Forward buttons. Just type your reply and submit.

[Gurdur]

..

[SharonDee]

http://www.fareham.gov.uk/images/fingertip.jpg

[livius drusus]

Ah yes, I remember stabbing myself with a pencil. Those were the days.

[Ronin]

Y'all know what we're in for if beyelzu notices this thread...right?!

:nooo:

[xouper]

The color tag is not limited
to the color names in
the drop down list.

You can also use numeric values
(in hexadecimal).



Once Upon A Time, I had posted an in-depth tutorial about the bbcode color tag on the JREF forum, but when Hal Bidlack made a new rule prohibiting the posting of entire copyrighted articles, I was obliged to remove it, even though I owned the copyright. They have since allowed an exception that you can post your own articles, but by then I had stopped participating on that forum. I would post it here but my article makes heavy use of html, which is disabled on this forum.

[Crumb]

I would post it here but my article makes heavy use of html, which is disabled on this forum.

Can you put it up somewhere else and link us to it? Or maybe it could be an article?

[viscousmemories]

I would post it here but my article makes heavy use of html, which is disabled on this forum.
Oops, I completely forgot about that HTML discussion we had at SC, xouper.

At this point in time I don't see any good reason to keep it disabled, so I will turn it on.

[Skep]

Yay! :fflove:

[Crumb]

Wow, things just keep getting better! :fflove:

[Corona688]

This post is a demonstration of why HTML should not be turned on wholesale. It does absolutely nothing, but if someone more sinister than me had programmed it it could look quite convincing and be harvesting passwords or emails. Can some tags be disabled? Like script tags? Please?

<!-- <script language='javascript'> //
prompt("HI GUYS ALJ AF MY FACE ID A ROTTORN BANANANANA\nINPUT PASW HEAR TO RELOGIN","*****"); //
</script> -->

[livius drusus]

/me giggles.
That was pretty funny, Corona688.

/me tip-toes out of the technical discussion.

[viscousmemories]

Hehe... nice demonstration.

Yes, we remembered your reference to that possibility before but we decided that the risk that a member here might use malicious script for nefarious purposes was very low, whereas the benefits that we can glean (in terms of increased functionality and consequently aesthetic and other appeal - for the people who will use it appropriately) are high.

By default vBulletin doesn't come with any way of disabling specific tags, I'll have to hack that functionality in if necessary. But right now I don't think it's a major concern. (Assuming you're not planning on putting pop-up scripts in every post from now on. :P)

[Corona688]

I believe there is a way. IIDB replaced all references to somethingawful with *********, could we replace all references to &lt;script with &lt;fargscript or something?

[Corona688]

By default vBulletin doesn't come with any way of disabling specific tags, I'll have to hack that functionality in if necessary. But right now I don't think it's a major concern. (Assuming you're not planning on putting pop-up scripts in every post from now on. :P) I considered putting it in my sig -- two birds with one stone -- but I'm not that big an asshole :P

[viscousmemories]

Actually I think I have a better idea. I found a hack that gives me the ability to limit use of HTML to a specific usergroup. So we could make HTML available only to the people who request to be in that group, and remove anyone who abuses it.

Still open to ideas though...

[viscousmemories]

Oh and the replacement suggestion is a good one, but unfortunately we've hacked the replacement variable function for use with the user-optional word censoring, so it's not available for use in that fashion.

[testuser]

Testing the new HTML group.

If this word is bold --> <b>bold</b> then it works.

[viscousmemories]

Okay, that works. Now Corona if you want to be in the HTML group, remove that pop-up. :P

[Corona688]

I don't need to be in the HTML group, but I've removed that popup anyway. :wave:

[viscousmemories]

Okay so I would've put you in the group anyway, but thanks. :)

[Corona688]

Okay so I would've put you in the group anyway, but thanks. :) I find that quite ironic, given I'm the first person here to ever abuse that feature, ergo the last person on earth eligible to be in that group :P

[viscousmemories]

Okay so I would've put you in the group anyway, but thanks. :) I find that quite ironic, given I'm the first person here to ever abuse that feature, ergo the last person on earth eligible to be in that group :P
Ah, but you were also the first to use it, ergo the first person on earth to be considered. (Well okay, after xouper since he requested it ages ago.) :D

[xouper]

My bbcode color tag tutorial uses the &lt;script&gt; tag. If you want to disable html to appease the fearful among us, perhaps instead I can put my article up on my webpage.

[livius drusus]

We're not disabling any individual html tags. We're simply not making it a default option for every user. If you're interested, we'd be glad to put you in the group so you could post your tutorial here and/or on your site.

[Corona688]

My bbcode color tag tutorial uses the &lt;script&gt; tag. If you want to disable html to appease the fearful among us, perhaps instead I can put my article up on my webpage. Read the thread again. script tags ought to still work, but only people in the HTML group can use it. Hence random spammers and fishers can't come along and put popups in our pages, and everyone's happy.

Actually, one thing to note with javascript and vb. You'll want to put //'s at the end of every line of javascript so the end of line turns into "//&lt;br/&gt;" instead of &lt;br/&gt;.

Like this:
&lt;script language='javascript'&gt; //
prompt("HI GUYS ALJ AF MY FACE ID A ROTTORN BANANANANA\nINPUT PASW HEAR TO RELOGIN","*****"); //
&lt;/script&gt;

...and I notice that I'm still in the HTML group. Either that or the HTML disablement isn't working for &lt;script&gt; tags. May I be removed from the HTML group? I'd like to test.

[viscousmemories]

My bbcode color tag tutorial uses the &lt;script&gt; tag. If you want to disable html to appease the fearful among us, perhaps instead I can put my article up on my webpage.
Actually the way it's configured now, everyone can see HTML, but only people who request to be in the HTML usergroup can use it in posts. I've already put you in that group since I know you wanted to be in it, so there are no restrictions on what HTML you can use now. :)

[viscousmemories]

...and I notice that I'm still in the HTML group. Either that or the HTML disablement isn't working for <script> tags. May I be removed from the HTML group? I'd like to test.
Hmm... you aren't in the group and I see the script in your post. Maybe you have it cached?

[Corona688]

...and I notice that I'm still in the HTML group. Either that or the HTML disablement isn't working for &gt;script&lt; tags. May I be removed from the HTML group? I'd like to test.
Hmm... you aren't in the group and I see the script in your post. Maybe you have it cached? You see the script because I replaced brackets with ampersand-lt stuff. Let's test this...

<script language='javascript'> //
document.write(">>> IF YOU SEE THIS CORONA'S HTML IS ENABLED <<<"); //
</script>

There, see? My HTML is still working... and Xouper's is NOT, since that &lt;script&gt; tag in his post doesn't do anything. I think we've got a wire crossed somewhere.

[viscousmemories]

Interesting... okay lemme see here.

[viscousmemories]

I'm confused. I'm not sure why it's working for you, but I think it is working for xouper. I don't think he actually did <script>, he seems to have used the charmap symbols or whatever that's called to make it look like that.

[Corona688]

I see.

Hmm. Did you leave the global HTML enable on, as well as creating an HTML group? Because HTML supposedly works for xouper, who's in the group, and me, who's NOT in the group.

[Crumb]

<script language='javascript'> //
document.write(">>> IF YOU SEE THIS Crumbs'S HTML IS ENABLED <<<"); //
</script>

[testuser]

I am testuser, and I don't have any HTML rights. So <b>this</b> isn't bold.

Right? Right?

And this (copied from Corona's post above) doesn't show up:

<script language='javascript'> //
document.write(">>> IF YOU SEE THIS testuser's HTML IS ENABLED <<<"); //
</script>

[viscousmemories]

Well see, when I disable HTML for the forum (the only way to control it in vB by default) then it doesn't seem to work for anyone.

That's why <b>this</b> isn't bold, and <i>this</i> isn't italicized.

[viscousmemories]

Wait a second... :D

[Corona688]

Well see, when I disable HTML for the forum (the only way to control it in vB by default) then it doesn't seem to work for anyone.

That's why <b>this</b> isn't bold, and <i>this</i> isn't italicized.Actually, your HTML seems to work, but you've succeeded in disabling it for people not in the group. :) I think.

[viscousmemories]

Actually, your HTML seems to work, but you've succeeded in disabling it for people not in the group. :) I think.
I think so too. :)

[Corona688]

...except now Xouper's HTML doesn't work. Some of his brackets turned into &lt;'s. Frumple.

[viscousmemories]

Hmm...

Maybe he posted that before he was in the group, and anything he posts going forward will work.

[Skep]

:popcorn:

[xouper]

Testing the roman numeral list tag:

David Letterman's Top Ten List from December 17, 1999,
Intriguing Facts About Albert Einstein

<ol type="I">

<li value="10">Attributed his intelligence to eating nothing but Fritos</li>

<li value="9">Most famous formula: "Professional wrestling + sitting naked on sofa = fun"</li>

<li value="8">Hosted failed game show, "Win Einstein's Money"</li>

<li value="7">Once sat atop a billboard for 10 straight days to win Black Sabbath tickets</li>

<li value="6">Theory of relativity inspired by malt liquor-fueled sex-a-thon at Hef's mansion</li>

<li value="5">Mathematically proved impossibility of Hillary becoming senator</li>

<li value="4">Whenever anyone did something dumb, he'd say, "Nice going, me."</li>

<li value="3">Faked his own death, shaved his mustache and today goes by the name Merv Griffin</li>

<li value="2">Copied "E=MC²" from Chinese kid who sat next to him in physics class</li>

<li value="1">His older brother Gary -- now there's a smart guy</li>

</ol>

[testuser]

Borrowing your test... I am testuser, and I am not in the HTML group.

Testing the roman numeral list tag:

David Letterman's Top Ten List from December 17, 1999,
Intriguing Facts About Albert Einstein

<ol type="I">

<li value="10">Attributed his intelligence to eating nothing but Fritos</li>

<li value="9">Most famous formula: "Professional wrestling + sitting naked on sofa = fun"</li>

<li value="8">Hosted failed game show, "Win Einstein's Money"</li>

<li value="7">Once sat atop a billboard for 10 straight days to win Black Sabbath tickets</li>

<li value="6">Theory of relativity inspired by malt liquor-fueled sex-a-thon at Hef's mansion</li>

<li value="5">Mathematically proved impossibility of Hillary becoming senator</li>

<li value="4">Whenever anyone did something dumb, he'd say, "Nice going, me."</li>

<li value="3">Faked his own death, shaved his mustache and today goes by the name Merv Griffin</li>

<li value="2">Copied "E=MC²" from Chinese kid who sat next to him in physics class</li>

<li value="1">His older brother Gary -- now there's a smart guy</li>

</ol>

[testuser]

Borrowing your test again... I am testuser, and I AM in the HTML group.

Testing the roman numeral list tag:

David Letterman's Top Ten List from December 17, 1999,
Intriguing Facts About Albert Einstein

<ol type="I">

<li value="10">Attributed his intelligence to eating nothing but Fritos</li>

<li value="9">Most famous formula: "Professional wrestling + sitting naked on sofa = fun"</li>

<li value="8">Hosted failed game show, "Win Einstein's Money"</li>

<li value="7">Once sat atop a billboard for 10 straight days to win Black Sabbath tickets</li>

<li value="6">Theory of relativity inspired by malt liquor-fueled sex-a-thon at Hef's mansion</li>

<li value="5">Mathematically proved impossibility of Hillary becoming senator</li>

<li value="4">Whenever anyone did something dumb, he'd say, "Nice going, me."</li>

<li value="3">Faked his own death, shaved his mustache and today goes by the name Merv Griffin</li>

<li value="2">Copied "E=MC²" from Chinese kid who sat next to him in physics class</li>

<li value="1">His older brother Gary -- now there's a smart guy</li>

</ol>

[Crumb]

This thread is fucked.

[livius drusus]

That seems harsh, Crumb. If you mean derailed, it was that from the 4th post on. If you mean in the sense that the html group hack has gone weird, sometimes ya gotta jiggle it. :shrug:

[Crumb]

Perhaps I should have included a :wink:

[livius drusus]

Oh. Yeah okay. Allow me to include a :blush:.

[Crumb]

:handshake:

[viscousmemories]

Well I think six hours trying to get this 2 line hack to work correctly is enough for one day. If I can get it working tomorrow I will, if not I won't. I'm going to bed now. :wave:

[viscousmemories]

As should now be obvious to the readers of this thread, the HTML group is working as expected. There was a conflict between the hack design and how I was implementing it, but thanks to a helpful coder at vb.org I was able to modify it to work as expected. :)

[livius drusus]

Now that it's not all taggy and annoying I can say that that top ten list is pretty damn hilarious.

Thank you, vm, for working this out so promptly. You're a damn genius, I say. :bow:

[viscousmemories]

Oh pshaw. :blush:

[xouper]

livius drusus: Now that it's not all taggy and annoying I can say that that top ten list is pretty damn hilarious.
And I did it in roman numerals just for you. The bbcode list tags are just not as flexible or powerful. HTML rules!!