joining problems

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morganp

joining problems

#1 Post by morganp » Sat Jul 05, 2014 1:31 am

Bloke on Aus bow tried to join, rejected because of hotmail email then told had to open gmail account to talk to webmaster. Can anyone explain?

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Stickbow Hunter
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Re: joining problems

#2 Post by Stickbow Hunter » Sat Jul 05, 2014 9:48 am

Perhaps it would help if he looks on the front page of the site and clicks on the link in RED. We have the likes of hotmail and gmail blocked because of constant spamming. All he has to do is contact Admin via the Webmaster link at the bottom of the front page and it will be sorted in a short time. Have no idea who told him he has to join gmail to contact the webmaster. :confused:

Jeff

morganp

Re: joining problems

#3 Post by morganp » Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:54 pm

Attitude? So difficult on forums, and so easy to misread. I am simply trying to assist.

There is no active link I can find to that front page from the forum. It is just one of the host of links that come up through Google or other search engines and in my case when I searched it was not the first link.

I suppose he and many others would try to join when they see links to here from other forums that invite people to join or post here if they show an interest in matters traditional. Those links bring them into the forum pages and from them the 'forum home' link goes to 'index' which is not the front page you mention of course. The title 'www.ozbow.net' on the page is not an active link either.

I can understand the frustration of people trying to join from within the forum and not seeing the explanation you mention or getting anywhere with the webmaster link when they try clicking on that. That webmaster link relies on 'mailto:' which is not active on all systems. I use Firefox latest and it opens on my computer as a blank page, thus a simple form may work better.

Perhaps a 'register here' link could be included on all pages with a paragraph simply explaining the hotmail etc decision on that register page? Other methods such as 'captcha' do work.

I could design that page for you and the form if you need some help.

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Re: joining problems

#4 Post by Stickbow Hunter » Sat Jul 05, 2014 1:24 pm

There was no attitude intended in my reply.

I have quite a number of people who contact Admin regarding only having one of the blocked email addresses. There is a how to register thread in the Questions and Feedback forum and I have added a note on the bottom of it and have now also placed another similar thread in Site Announcements. I must admit I always check out the front page of a site and took it for granted others do as well but apparently they don't.
morganp wrote:The title 'www.ozbow.net' on the page is not an active link either.
It used to be until our previous hosts lost the entire site (all eight years worth at the time) and it is one of the changes we have already discussed doing in the near future.
morganp wrote:or getting anywhere with the webmaster link when they try clicking on that.
I have never heard of anyone having problems with that link before but we will look into it. Thanks for pointing it out.

Jeff

morganp

Re: joining problems

#5 Post by morganp » Sat Jul 05, 2014 2:15 pm

Stickbow Hunter wrote:There was no attitude intended in my reply.
morganp wrote:or getting anywhere with the webmaster link when they try clicking on that.
I have never heard of anyone having problems with that link before but we will look into it. Thanks for pointing it out.

Jeff
Thanks for the quick response. Many people no longer use an email programme which I think is what that link automatically evokes. That was a hangover from when ISPs and carriers offered an email account and even a webpage as part of your sign-up. Most don't anymore. Using a smartphone or tablet and a webmail account is the most usual way people communicate and research and follow things today. Along with facebook and twitter of course. Even sms usage is at last dying off, something I thought would never happen, because calls and data are cheaper and bundled.

I use several of those devices and a laptop and have no email link on either one of them so that may be where the gmail prompt came from, Google itself or android or Chrome browser trying to be helpful. That is why I strongly suggest a 'form' response and a register link on all pages. It is easy to design from templates and means the readers stay within the site and need no extra software or signups. It is also why I think 'captcha' or similar is a better method of avoiding spam signups, banning the big 3 webmail providers and that line of link and signup is losing a great part of audience amongst new and younger users I am quite sure.

At times here it seems, I say seems that is what you want for several reasons!

This forum design and layout is one of the best for large screen computers BUT it is very difficult to read and follow and almost impossible to participate in when using modern devices. I would suggest a look at tapatalk and other design options for Android and Ipad devices and smartphones using smaller screens. (And I don't have an attitude either but it is amazing how many times a turn of phrase or brevity can be interpreted as something else, usually negative).

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Re: joining problems

#6 Post by Stickbow Hunter » Sat Jul 05, 2014 3:11 pm

Thanks for your response and explanations. It is something we can look at.
morganp wrote:(And I don't have an attitude either but it is amazing how many times a turn of phrase or brevity can be interpreted as something else, usually negative).
I never took your responses in a negative light Morgan and I never intended mine to be viewed as such either. Computer screens lack the ability to convey ones comments as they are intended at times.

Thanks once again for your suggestions.

Jeff

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Re: joining problems

#7 Post by GrahameA » Tue Jul 08, 2014 4:10 pm

Afternoon All.
morganp wrote:... I would suggest a look at tapatalk and other design options for Android and Ipad devices and smartphones using smaller screens. ...
A comment. This forum is still running after a few years many "archery" others have come and gone. It has survived primarily as a result of Jeff putting a lot of time, money and effort into ensuring it has.

Knowing a little regarding issues from the other side and the inside, things are from simple as they seem. What seems a 10 sec fix to "something" all of sudden becomes a major issue - the Law of Unintended Consequences steps in with a very big stick and beats you severely about the head.

Tapatalk has it issues - https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtop ... &t=2244106
Grahame.
Shoot a Selfbow, embrace Wood Arrows, discover Vintage, be a Trendsetter.

"Unfortunately, the equating of simplicity with truth doesn't often work in real life. It doesn't often work in science, either." Dr Len Fisher.

morganp

Re: joining problems

#8 Post by morganp » Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:05 pm

I know that very well Grahame A, having been a designer and programmer myself. I also know that the world changes. Traditional archery is viewed by many people I know as an anachronistic hobby for old fogeys. Not just the 14 yr olds say this either. Jeff and many otrhers around the world helped keep the sport alive during an era when communication changed drastically. But forums are dying and in many cases dead, so are many print magazines and even such things as club life.

Of course there are always enthusiasts but I am suggesting a new generation should be found and given the opportunity to collaborate and change things alongside of 'old fogey' world.

As an example I use a 14 yr. old girl often as a benchmark ... she is not a perfect example but is open-minded, adventurous and willing to try new things, even new 'old things'. Thus she is considering trying 'trad' alongside of the 'very cool' pink compounds she has seen. But she has refused to look at a computer screen for well over a year. If it does not come on a tablet or smartphone of some flavour, it doesn't exist! The technology can have problems but it is all workable - she streams some things to the large screen TV and controls it all from her phone without conscious thought, video-messaging her friends in inserted windows and including them as she goes.

I am simply suggesting it is time for a change, alongside of the existing as a trial perhaps. Of course it relies on volunteers and nerds and someone's nephew or niece, most similar things in life do.

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Re: joining problems

#9 Post by bigbob » Tue Jul 08, 2014 6:16 pm

In my unqualified opinion my observation is that after more than 30 years in archery, trad is making more of a resurgence at the present time than any other I am familiar with.We have a ABA club with around 100 members and increasingly many people are forsaking the hyper tech 'must shoot perfect score' compounds for the pure simplicity of a 'bent stick and string' Those that do demonstrably appear far happier at a shoot than the ones where a 'B' score rather than an A score is disaster.This is a generalization but non the less an honest observation.
nil illigitimo in desperandum carborundum
razorbows.com

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Gringa Bows
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Re: joining problems

#10 Post by Gringa Bows » Tue Jul 08, 2014 7:27 pm

A .score ,B score,if I hit the but I'm happy as :lol:

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Re: joining problems

#11 Post by bigbob » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:19 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: that makes two of us big fella!
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Re: joining problems

#12 Post by GrahameA » Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:03 am

Morning All/
morganp wrote:... forums are dying and in many cases dead ... ... I am simply suggesting it is time for a change, alongside of the existing as a trial perhaps. Of course it relies on volunteers and nerds and someone's nephew or niece, most similar things in life do.
I suggest that if there is this large market/body of people out there who are clamouring for "something" that is using Facebook, etc. and is optimised for mobile devices that you put in your time and effort, resources, run the risks, etc, etc. and build it for them.
Grahame.
Shoot a Selfbow, embrace Wood Arrows, discover Vintage, be a Trendsetter.

"Unfortunately, the equating of simplicity with truth doesn't often work in real life. It doesn't often work in science, either." Dr Len Fisher.

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Re: joining problems

#13 Post by Scrub Bull » Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:47 am

Here is an idea of the time it takes just to move to new servers and a bit of a tidy up of some of the pages the other week.
With all the endless phone calls, checking and backing up, then there was the testing, testing, testing, testing.
60+ hours put in in this house hold, I don't know how much time Jeff put into the move.
20Gb data downloaded, 20Gb uploaded Telstra please be nice with my next bill.
As far as I know everyone is back on the site and no data was lost, all done by volunteers at 0 cost to Jeff and ozbow.
If we had of used an IT company to move the site it would have cost big $$$$$$$, :shock: which the site does not have.

Why the move? To cut the cost that Jeff is paying to have the site hosted from may hundreds of dollars a year to $99 a year. Thanks Spiderweb.com.au

The aim is to keep Ozbow and the information on the site free to all. Jeff does not want this to become a paid site. A paid site just makes it harder for the volunteers that run the site and ups their work load.

Like GrahameA said if you want to put in your time and effort, resources, run the risks, etc, etc. please feel free to volunteer, because I am currently at my limit in knowledge for doing more work on this site.
Archery is a simple game, it's the mind that over complicates it.
www.tradbits.com.au

morganp

Re: joining problems

#14 Post by morganp » Wed Jul 09, 2014 12:37 pm

OK, I shall need full access to all files of course as I will have to reformat and experiment a bit.
PM me access details for ftp, admin on server etc. please.

EDIT my offer rejected because others living up near them have sent PMs ...
Can't see what where you live has anything to do with internet, I could be on the moon.
Help wasn't really wanted I reckon, asked to step up and I did, suddenly not required.

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