DU3: Fundamentals of Posting

[Skinner]

Run time: 04:56 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-QqInHz2Fk   Posted on YouTube: December 02, 2011 By YouTube Member: DemUnderground Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: December 02, 2011 By DU Member: Skinner Views on DU: 12175

 
Here is a brief instructional video about how to post on our new discussion forum software, DU3.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Thank you, Skinner!

Very useful.

:hi:

[BadgerKid]

2. Ought preview be mandatory?

I've noticed this requirement on other sites, probably as a cautionary measure against errant HTML tags. Just a humble suggestion.

[Ian David]

3. LORLEAN!!! HOW DO I WRITE IN THE BIG BOX ON DU3 ON THE TV ATTACHED TO THE TYPEWRITER LORLEAN??? THE

[leftyohiolib]

102. a steph and the mooks fan i see

[TheEuclideanOne]

104. Skinner, that is just mean!!!!

Suggesting that people submit a post of "How do I post?" to learn how to post? I think that is downright mean-spirited!!!!!

I do have some follow up questions to your video and thank you for covering such a complex topic. But, even after you explained it to us in the video there are still some questions that I am confused on. Let me list them below and I have been tweeting, emailing all of my friends, posting on other discussion boards and nobody seems to understand it.

What does the "Thread Title" mean? - That is such a confusing header, I can not figure it out. Can you create another video on it please?
What does the "Messge Text" mean? - Same with this one, it has me totally stumped. I would even suggest a seperate video just focused on this question.

Please create another video series on this topic so that all of the users on your discussion board can learn about how to post. :)

All kidding aside, I did not watch the entire video, but always happy to see people involved in successful sites like DU taking the extra steps to make it even MORE SUCCESSFUL. If anybody needs a lesson on the opposite approach, have them go to FreeRepublic. Keep up the great work, Skinner!

[msongs]

4. seems like bloatware. does making DU complicated serve a useful purpose? nt

[MineralMan]

12. How is it complicated? Looks like most forum software to me.

I can't imagine any DUer I know having any problem with it.

[Maraya1969]

16. DU has one of the best forum soft ware ever! Have you seen any of the

other forums? And I think it is great that you can now delete your own posts.

[SkyDaddy7]

44. I agree! That is why I saw no reason to change it....

However, even though I have not liked the the other views we have had of DU3 I do like the new posting capabilities. (I THINK).

[haikugal]

5. I'm behind...DU3 isn't up and running yet right?

[EarlG]

8. Not yet

We're (hopefully) doing a live test next week with an eye to launching in mid-December, so we're making a few videos to help people learn about some of the new features.

[haikugal]

11. Thanks for both the reply and the video help :0)

[Renew Deal]

30. I'm ready to check out the new place.

It's like moving into a new home. :D

[doublethink]

6. Sooo no spell check ......

smiles lookup table or HTML lookup tables? :shrug:

[EarlG]

13. We've been working on getting the big stuff done

The things you mention may not be available on day one, but they will not be forgotten. We still have plenty of work to do after the new software is launched.

[doublethink]

14. Got it ! Thanks EarlG .....

Can't wait to use the Super Powers link ... hahaha whatever that is! Cool :thumbsup:

[Patiod]

94. Isn't spell check automatic now?

I never understood the need for a "check spelling" button when the software checks your spelling as you typel

But you're right about Smilies Lookup. I can never remember how to do a quote, and need to look it up.

[mojowork_n]

7. I haven't been paying attention, sorry.

I just checked the "Help" pull-down and didn't see a DU3 link, as in,
"what's coming, when, what's new & what-you-must-know...."

My bad, I saw that there were changes coming but just figured I'd
catch up when the time came.

Can you include a couple of links here?

Much obliged.

Mike in WI

[MineralMan]

9. Based on my visits to the beta versions,

DU3 will be easy for just about everyone to use, I think. I'm looking forward to using it regularly.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. K and R. n/t

[libodem]

15. What about

Our bookedmarked pages over here? I'd like to take mine with me. CalPeg was asking about it last week. I care about all that crap I saved. It's a regular libodem library. If I die you should all go there to know who I was and what I cared about.

[EarlG]

17. You won't be able to take them with you

BUT... our plan is to let people continue to log into the old DU, just on a read-only basis. That means nobody would be able to post or do anything on the old DU, but you would still have access to all your old bookmarks and private messages that you accumulated over the years.

That's the plan anyway. This functionality will not be available immediately, but we want to do it.

[libodem]

18. Thanks

My personal stash of articles is safe.

[gateley]

98. Good - thanks. nt

[watrwefitinfor]

19. Skinner, could you mail cds with the video to

us poor, 2nd class, dial up denizens of DU?

Or will there be so many new bells and whistles on DU3 that we won't be able to access it at all, so it won't matter if we know how to post?

DU is one of the few progressive sites that is still accessible without an hour's wait for loading. And already I'm anticipating having to wait forever for all the ads to load because I can't afford the new minimum "donations".

Shine, I can't even afford the broadband or the cable, even if there was cable strung on my dirt road, which TPTB decline to do.

I don't think I'm the only one on DU in this or a similar position.

Thanks for listening, :hi:

Wat

[EarlG]

22. The good news is

that the way DU3 is built should mean it will load even faster for you than the current DU. Also, if you are stuck with ads, the DU3 page design forces ads to load last, so you won't have to wait to read the main content of the page.

[dixiegrrrrl]

59. What is the block of 4 squares in the post

looks like they are tabs for DU, Twitter, Facebook, and like?
Will they be in every post?

[EarlG]

67. The first one is for the new DU recommendation system

The others are buttons for Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. They only appear on the first post of a thread, and provide an easy way for people to share DU threads on those social media sites.

For those who are curious about the new DU recommendation system, we will hopefully be doing a short video about it soon.

[Tsiyu]

88. Yay for us "ADDSL" Dialup users!!!

Can't watch the vid, but I have been worried about access. Faster loading sounds peachy to moi!

[Warpy]

20. Love the ability to self delete

It will come in handy for those of us who realize we've made mugs of ourselves a nanosecond after we've hit "post."

[progressoid]

21. I see a link for "Superpowers".

What am they?

[TygrBright]

23. "Super powers!" That looks so COOL! What are "Super powers?" n/t

[Enthusiast]

24. OMG! No spell check! nt

[oldhippydude]

25. that scares me

im dyslexic and a terrible speller

[Renew Deal]

29. We're screwn!

:evilgrin:

[lonestarnot]

109. Snort

:rofl: Casting aparagus before we get her going! :rofl:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

33. EarlG talks about that here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=639592&mesg_id=639612

Spell check will be available, just not right at the start of DU3...

Not to worry!

:hi:

[oldhippydude]

41. thanks..

with my dyslexia... i might appear to be a freeper...lol

[Enthusiast]

95. Thank you, CaliforniaPeggy.

Very good. :hi: :thumbsup: :patriot:

[greiner3]

26. As for certification;

What is a passing score so we are able to post on DU3?

Just asking.

[NYC_SKP]

27. 1: "Yay" for self-delete. 2: Can other members view one's "edit history"?

Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment and then regret it, so it's terrific that there isn't a limit on time for editing.

Same for being able to self-delete.

However, is the history of edits something only the posting member can view- (I hope)?

Thanks!

[EarlG]

70. All logged-in members can view a post's edit history

DU3 has an unlimited edit window (the current edit window on DU is one hour) which means that on DU3 you could come back to a post weeks or months later and change it. Since doing that could obviously alter the context of all the replies to the post, we thought it made sense for people to be able to compare different versions of a post over time.

However, we understand that sometimes people screw up and want to erase something completely -- that's why we've provided the self-delete function which removes the edit history along with the post.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

118. Self delete will be abused. Mark my words.

I can think, right off the bat, of one hit-and-run inflammatory poster who will abuse it.

It will go something like this:

OP: Obama has a 110% approval among liberals!!!!!

Replies:

bullshit
bullshit
bullshit


Self delete (no input from the OP)


Rinse and repeat.

[Renew Deal]

28. Looks great.

Nice job! :bounce:

[NRaleighLiberal]

31. Keeping it kicked n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

32. It looks easy to use and actually improved...

I have to say my focused wandered for a moment due to the strangeness of DU with a spoken word component. It looks like you guys did a great job. Also I like the video, useful and well done.

[PADemD]

34. No smilies with DU3?

:-(

[femrap]

56. geez that will

certainly screw up communication. A face is worth a thousand words. Drat.

[Renew Deal]

61. We're going old school.

A rose for you. @->---------


:silly:

[EarlG]

69. Yes, there will be smilies

In fact there will be quite a few more than there are currently. We just haven't programmed the lookup function yet. For the time being we will probably put up a post with all the codes for the smilies.

[sabrina 1]

35. Cool, it looks simple, not much different to the way it is now.

And my other question is answered in the thread, that people will have access on a read-only basis, to their old journals and PMs. That's good as there are often links etc or just old info in those old records that I know I sometimes want to check.

:kick:

[Mosby]

36. so what are "super powers"?

several posters have asked with no answer, is it some super secret admin function?

I like the "post to the OP" button at the bottom of the thread.

[JHB]

87. Clicking it releases a radioactive creature to bite you and give you powers...

...you don't want to get the skunk, trust me.

:evilgrin:

[stlsaxman]

37. Will DU3 Have a "VIEW ALL" Button at the BOTTOM of pages with 20+ Replies???

It sucks when after scrolling down a looooooong OP or an OP with more than 20 replies to read the replies and i have to stop what i'm doing and scroll aaaaaaallllll the way back up to the TOP and click VIEW ALL then scroll aaaaaaaallllll the way back down to the first reply- or click on a reply in the list...

Skinner- it has long been a peeve of mine and though requested occasionally this has been un-addressed.

BUT- boy howdee DU3 looks GREAT!!!

[EarlG]

71. Actually DU3 doesn't even have a "View All" button.

Once you're in a thread there is a way to view individual replies as single posts, with the reply tree displayed beneath the reply you're looking at (we call this "single post mode"). But when you click on a thread on DU3 the default is for the OP and all the replies to load at once, no matter how long the thread. So that means no more "View All" button.

[freshwest]

89. Will there still be a printer friendly view option? That's how I get around scrolling now and...

Will we still have 'Ignore' and 'Hide Thread' options to clean up the board so we can go through it faster?

Thanks in advance.

:hi:

[stlsaxman]

91. YAAAYYY!!!

:bounce:

:shrug: - "edited to remove question about Smiley lookup table (shwew- glad i edited it in time!)" :hi:

[MH1]

105. Can a user with a slow connection change the default?

This doesn't apply to me but I know from some other replies to this thread that it might affect some people. If they click on a thread with a lot of replies it could take forever to load if it is trying to load all the replies, right?

[graywarrior]

38. Teach my algebra class, will ya?

[Chemisse]

116. I know! He did a great job.

[AsahinaKimi]

39. Thank you !

That looks fairly easy!

[Catherine Vincent]

40. That sounds simple enough. Thanks.

I do have a question regarding my bookmarks. You said we can't carry them over. Is there some kind of way to download them because I want to keep them in case the old forum gets deleted a couple of years from now. Mine date back to 2005.

[EarlG]

72. There is no easy way to download them

Unfortunately you would have to go through them and copy each link over manually.

However, we have absolutely no plans to delete the old forum.

[Lint Head]

42. This looks like a great improvement. I imagine posting images and spell check

will still be available. It's great how DU improves and the right wing sites are still behind the curve.

[EarlG]

73. Posting images works the same way on DU3

You just enter the URL of the image and the image will display in the post.

Spell check is going to be missing at launch but we will include it later.

[unapatriciated]

43. cool we can lock our own OP's

This will come in handy when I mistakenly post a duplicate topic or just when I post something dumb.
Can you post a reason for deleting? Such as a link to another thread on the same topic?

[EarlG]

74. You can't enter a reason for deletion while deleting

But you could post a reply to the post you were about to self-delete, to explain why you're deleting it. Note that self-deleting a post only deletes that post, not any of the replies.

So let's say you posted a new thread and you realized shortly afterwards that it was a dupe and you wanted to get rid of it. You could just reply to your OP with something like "I'm self-deleting this OP because I just realized someone else posted the story first -- here's a link..." and then self-delete the OP. The OP would disappear and the thread would be locked, but your explanation would remain.

[dmr]

45. Reply

Reply, reply, reply!
:rofl:

Awesome, I can't wait to see it up & running.

Skinner :yourock: Earl :yourock: Elad :yourock:

[AntiFascist]

46. Skinner has such a good speaking voice...

how come he never appears as a guest on Countdown?

[Paper Roses]

47. Where is 'spell check'?

[Bossy Monkey]

48. Zippy! Thanks! I do resent having to share my superpowers, however.:P n/t

[Hutzpa]

49. Can you rec individual posts?

I notice the DUrec button but not sure if that's for
the thread as well as posters?

Thanks.

[EarlG]

75. You can't rec replies

Only OPs -- same as it is now on DU. However, pretty much everything else about the rec system has changed. We'll go into more detail about that soon.

[tavalon]

86. It looks to me like the unrec "feature" is going into the dustbin!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[jobycom]

90. I hope not. It was really, really bad here before the unrec feature.

All the different cliques would post something like "Rec if you love Obama!" and of course it would make it to the front page, then the opposite clique would post "Rec if you hate Obama!" and soon the front page was just a bunch of cheerleading nonsense.

The unrec feature allowed people to nuke the vanity crap. I hope the new system has some way to allow that. I'd hate for this place to be taken over by the bullies with the megaphones again.

Skinner, if you do drop the unrec feature, please just drop the whole rec system altogether.

[tavalon]

97. I remember before the unrec feature and while I agree

that it wasn't a perfect system, it got a whole lot meaner around here after unrec came along. I'm not a fan.

[MH1]

106. I agree about unrec, I wish they would keep it, but I guess we're in a minority.

There's a lot I like about DU (hence why I read and post) but there are some issues. Unrec isn't perfect but it's an improvement over the prior state.

[Hutzpa]

103. The unrec has caused a lot of aggravation on this board

not that I'm against it, when it was introduced I understood exactly the
reasoning behind it, but alas, not all of us can stand the taste of kool-aid
I guess.

[proud2BlibKansan]

50. Cool. Like those share buttons too.

[Tom_Foolery]

51. Easy enough. Can't wait to use it. THANKS!!

[laconicsax]

52. What do you mean you can't delete other people's posts?

I don't mean generally, I mean you, specifically.

[EarlG]

77. I think he was trying to explain it from the regular poster's point of view

-- as if he were not an Admin. Admins will of course have the ability to completely delete any post from DU3.

[laconicsax]

84. I, for one, welcome our old admin overlords.

[pscot]

53. What?

[midnight]

54. Thanks.

[applegrove]

55. Is DU3 kinda intuitive because my computer doesn't play videos. It is 10 years old.

[femrap]

57. Seems pretty

self-explanatory to me. You'll do fine.

[applegrove]

64. Thanks!

[L0oniX]

58. Is there a suicide button that the "I'm leaving DU ...Skinner please tombstone me" posters can use?

:evilgrin:

[TalkingDog]

60. I've needed one of those once or twice over the years.

I even asked about one....

I think I used the phrase: you sonofawhoreson bitch! I wish I knew how to quit you.

[Renew Deal]

62. That would be awesome!

Though I think there would be a lot of people trying it just for the fun of it. lol

[L0oniX]

76. LMFAO

[EarlG]

78. Not at launch

But we plan to have one...

[Paka]

63. Thank you, Skinner.

After that nice video I may be brave enough to initiate my own post. :hippie:

[aquart]

65. DU is going to look like soap opera boards?

Fine. Don't be shocked if there's an occasional rant about General Hospital. Those boards are notoriously buggy and prey to spam, btw.

[eridani]

66. So, where are the html markups? n/t

[EarlG]

80. Coming soon

They're going to be the same as they are now, but at launch we won't have the lookup table included on the post page. Until that's done we'll probably make do with a pinned thread somewhere which contains the HTML codes, and one which contains the smilies codes.

[snagglepuss]

68. How difficult is it? Will there be a transcript as I'm not able to view videos.

:(

[EarlG]

79. It's not difficult at all

In fact it's the same as it is now -- you hit the post button, type in your subject and message, and post.

We wanted to put the video together to emphasize the fact that nothing about the basics of posting has really changed, and also to demonstrate a couple of new features -- for example on DU3 you have an unlimited amount of time to edit posts (currently you have just one hour), and you can self-delete your own posts.

[snagglepuss]

112. Thank you.

[EarlG]

81. For all the people who were asking about the "Super powers" link

Here's the answer: DU mods and admins have access to additional links on posts -- that's how we delete posts, lock threads, etc., etc. To tidy things up somewhat on DU3, those links are all hidden until you click the link which we decided to label "Super powers".

We're making some major changes to the moderating system on DU3 -- which I'm not going to go into here, but all will be revealed soon. I will say that when people volunteer to take part in the new moderating system on DU3 they will have different "super powers" depending on the role they are performing.

[shireen]

82. Admins, a software question

did you write this yourselves or is it based on commercial software?

If you wrote it, would you sell it to companies that need a similar online infrastructure?

What were the primary programming languages used to make this and the new forum?

[Jamastiene]

114. I second that question.

For years, I have wanted to open up a nature photography forum, but do not like most forum software that is available. I did try DC Forums, but could not match the great look of the current DU layout. I would love to be able to get the code, especially the codes that tell the software how threads and replies look.

[starroute]

83. I have a couple of questions

Firstly, does this mean we can't post replies to our journals? I don't start threads a lot, but I do sometimes launch into a longish, essay-like response and like to be able to journalize those.

Second does deleting a post entirely only apply to OPs, or will it be possible to delete responses? And if it is, does that lock the branch that comes off of that response?

I also have some concerns that this lock-by-deleting function could be disruptive. Someone who is conflict-averse might start a thread, realize that it is generating a lot of heated debate -- and rush to delete it not because it is a duplicate or erroneous but simply to cut off the debate.

A deliberate disruptor might even make a practice of starting threads on sensitive topics and then delete-locking them to disrupt the flow of discussion on that topic. Since the original heading of the thread will not even appear in the listings at that point, it would effectively make the discussion invisible. I recognize that somebody who did this too often would be asking to be tombstoned -- but it could be done more sparingly, or under a variety of different user names, without becoming obvious enough to trigger a reaction.

I guess what I'm thinking is that it might be desirable to put limits on the self-delete function -- either a time limit or a limit in terms of number of responses -- because otherwise the original poster would be in a position to hold a thread hostage.

[tavalon]

85. Two questions

What is the "superpowers" button? And, was I seeing it correctly that we will only have rec posts not unrec posts?

[laylah]

92. Too cool, fellas!

Many new features. I particularly like the self-delete option.

[peace13]

93. Thanks!

Looks good.

[sunwyn]

96. Damn...my speakers just died.

[Enrique]

99. lol, "bemoan the current state of DU"

if we try to bemoan in GD will it be moved to the new Bemoaning Dungeon? :-)

[PatSeg]

100. K&R

[grantcart]

101. At 2:47 you can see a "super powers" button

And yet no explanation in the video.

This is a great feature.

I have always wanted to find the button that would finally unleash my 'super powers'.

Can we pick the super powers that DU3 will grant me or does it come from our metaphysical essence?

I would like to get some transmogrification power that would allow me to return to my 32 year old body.

Getting the stock prices one day ahead of schedule would be OK too.

[lonestarnot]

110. I would like "a raise" button please.

[NRaleighLiberal]

107. kick...

[lonestarnot]

108. Woohoo a self-delete button!

:evilgrin:

[krispos42]

111. Seems reasonable enough

There's a bit of Wikipedia in the way you can view previous versions of a post.

[Ian David]

113. I think all your videos should be in black and white, and made to look like 1950s educational films.

[Jamastiene]

115. Will the url remain the same for the new DU?

I saw upthread where you said that the old forum would not be deleted. Does that mean the new DU will be at a different URL?

Also, will we still have our state forums?

[Renew Deal]

117. kick

:kick:

[unionworks]

119. Problem

I am having no problem signing in to old DU, but when I try signing onto the DU3 preview, it tells me my account does not exist. Am I doing something wrong, or is there a step I need to follow?