Yes, it will be wiped or something. TBC.
Suits me.
I was also wondering about this issue earlier (when I was nowhere near a computer).
I reckoned that clearing this “test site” before the “switch” would be the most likely course of action - also the one that makes sense.
Just for information, I’m likely to be doing some rewriting / editing of my waffle in the Area Groups section of this test site.
This will give me a chance to experiment with the wording of any VAG themed blurb I put on the “active” forum site. (I’m not convinced that certain people would be keen on too many references to “Special High Intensity Training” - or anything else with equally unfortunate acronyms!)
I’ve mentioned in the past (not sure where - RMweb - MERG - or here in DEMU) that, 41 years ago, in the same school report, I got serious grief from both my English and Chemistry teachers, over how I worded stuff. One said I said too much - the other that I didn’t say enough. All I can say is that I probably couldn’t win (oh yes - and I got B grades in both these ‘O’ Levels)!
I don’t want anyone to see this as a “dig for victory” campaign against either of these teachers (both of whom I remember as decent people). I’m never likely to forget 2 years later - when a deathbed letter from my chemistry teacher was read out in school assembly, a few days ahead of exams.
He basically said that, although he wasn’t going to find out how we all did in our exams - and in life in general - we all owed it to ourselves to do our best and make the most of any opportunities.
I might not remember the words - but the message will never leave me.
(Saying that, I already had a reputation for being determined - I’ve never been a “quitter”.)
Anyway, when I have to word things, I’m always full of doubts - and I’m never happy with the result. It suits my purposes to be able to use the test site, to check that what I’m saying actually makes sense (dream on) … !
Nearer the time of the first VAG session, I intend to copy across the Zoom links for the VAG sessions into this test site. This should allow me to check that I can use links from Discourse posts to access Zoom sessions.
I already know stuff like this works from SMF - from both posts and bulk messages - because I routinely use this stuff to access Area Group (AG) and Special Interest Group (SIG) sessions in MERG!
I’d now like to check it all works from here - before the “switch”. If anyone here is interested in the sessions, perhaps it might be helpful if you could also test out the link from this test site - just in case any settings need to be changed … .
Of course, Guy has already posted the link on the “old” site - I’m also planning on putting it in the first post of a new thread there nearer the time - so there is an “insurance policy”. (I don’t yet know if it’ll be in the “Area Groups” or “Zoom Socials” section - actually, I’m not too worried - as I see it as a bit of both!)
Some people here will know that most of the Zoom sessions I’ve “attended” have been connected with MERG. I particularly like the “feel” of one of their Area Groups - with members from anywhere made very welcome. The sessions are predominantly “socials” (and very “laid back”) - but with the occasional talk (if anyone’s prepared one) or “show and tell” thrown in. I’ll probably aim for something similar - whether I achieve it remains to be seen!
Returning to DEMU’s VAG, the initial sessions will be on alternate Friday evenings - as I needed to pick a day, I thought I’d better choose one when I don’t tend to have other (probably MERG) Zoom sessions or shows etc!
I’m prepared to give the VAG / sessions a few months to get established.
In the long run, I’d like to be able to move to weekly - if this looks viable. I don’t know if this would involve extra “set up” work - but I don’t want (me or anyone else) to be “locked into” weekly until I’m confident that there’s some point!
Anyway, I think I’ve said enough in this post.
By the way, I’ve just been “stung” by a limit on the number of new replies I’m allowed to post in one thread in a day. “Computer says no” message, telling me to return in a couple of hours - I don’t think I’ll bother!
(Even if I were to, what would be the chances of me remembering what I wanted to say? Two chances - “slim” and “none” - and “slim” has just left town!)
Anyway, this is a test setup - so lots of posts in a short time are only to be expected. I can understand why a platform might want some limit on the number of posts an individual member can make in a short time. 2 words lots of forum admins don’t like - “spam” and “bots”.
A number of years back, I can remember one forum site getting inundated with explicit sounding spam, when its administrator was away for the weekend. By the time he returned to his site, it was a wreck.
OK - the individual concerned wasn’t always noted for making himself particularly popular - and he’s certainly no friend of mine. However, I didn’t like seeing his site trashed. It wasn’t long before his site disappeared behind an “invite to join” wall - and I don’t think it lasted much longer after that.
Having seen that, I can understand platforms having posting limits - but they’re still a pain for legitimate posters like us (especially when we’re trying to test the limits of the site functionality).
Trying to work out how to do tags…
a@y
With transferring the historic information, are we looking to migrate everything, or do a bit of a cleanse and move across specific items?
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I’d hope we could collate subjects: delete the “me too” posts in a topic as the first phase, then maybe telescope a topic. Sales/wants can be deleted (I used to do that, unless advice was given in a topioc which was good to keep). Also maybe old stuff which has been overtaken by events can be quietly binned: say speculation on Hornby 2020. The Humour section won’t be missed, nor some of the other lounge topics.
There will of course be a grey area…
a@y
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Looks good on first impressions to me. I’ve yet to look around much.
What is the plan with porting content across, everyone doing their own thing or is there more of an organisation of who does what? I can deal with the UPDate posts if needed.
Alan made a comment on the old forum about the wiki, is the wiki staying as is or being worked into this? again if so I can do the UPDate items.
Let me know if theres items you want me to look at etc.
Seems I’ve hit the limit of what I can add topic wise. I can’t figure out tags, I type something and click the + but it doesn’t add them, is this an admin limitation?
I can’t it seems add .xls files for the UPDate Index. Is there a work around? or is it just going to be a case of needing refer to the wiki (assuming the wiki is going to stay as is)?
From what I can see, tags can only be created by admin and then a poster can use a dropdown list.
If that’s the case, does a “normal” user have to request a new tag if it isn’t on the list?
That seems a little unworkable and a lot of extra work for the admins, of which there’s usually not a lot on the usual forum.
But we’re still testing of course so probably plenty of things to figure out.
Perhaps a tag request topic could be created if admin has to do it? Then when we start a fresh version we could start with those tags that are requested and likely to be more commonly used.
Also, guy, is it possible to have sticky posts?
Limits on how much we can post are a bit of a pain - especially at present, when we’re trying to test the new site / environment.
Apart from this, I wouldn’t mind if I could work out how to add a profile here. It would, however, be limited - even on the old site, there’s some stuff that I’ve only included to test functionality).
Returning to this site, I thought I saw something for quoting posts yesterday - but I can’t see it at present.
Saying that, yesterday afternoon I got a text from Specsavers - I’d had to postpone an eye test a few months back (had a cold - don’t think it was Corona) - since then, I’ve been intending to rebook, but “life has got in the way”.
When I do have my rescheduled eye test, I’ll remember to take a secondhand Roco Köf model with me. (I know - German outline - but it runs very nicely. Also, I wish most UK outline models were in HO, rather than OO.)
I mainly use my “near vision” glasses for modelling and electronics. The distance from the eyes (and hence the prescription) are rather different for this stuff, as opposed to reading newspapers … .
Apologies all I was working my way through last nights posts.
I have just read the above and notice you can have parent-child relationship in tags. But I am keen to see how Tags in general are used in practice.
cheers
Phil
I think for the tagging system to work it needs a high degree of control to ensure that it is consistent.
For example to tag a class 37, you could theoretically end up with people using Class37, Class 37, Class_37, tractor, EE type 3, and probably many more. All of which would mean if you click on a 37 tag to view posts you wouldn’t get all of them, unless you standardise the tags
What I am less clear on is how you would make this work with wagons, does it need every tops code having a tag set up in advance or do you group things together Vxx, Pxx etc.
What about wagons like the clay tiger or various aggregate boxes which have been numbered in both the Jxx and Pxx series. I suppose if we went down the tag for each tops code approach you could use PBA/JIA for them.
There is a levels thing where the more you post the more you are trusted. Rich and Phil are moderators so can create tags already.
Rich, there are loads of tools for organising tags and bulk renaming to avoid the problem you are talking about. We will build a set of ‘starter’ tags in excel and import them.
I think TOPs tags are the way to go. Just add two tags to the topic (e.g. JXA, PXA).
I’ve been looking at the parent - child Tags and have only got this far, they don’t seem to be seeing them when I go to post. Any thoughts please?
Also you can add an image to a PM by the looks of things, hooray! 
cheers
Phil
Also, if we use tag groups properly we can limit the tag options for certain categories. So e.g. we have created an “air braked wagons” tag group that contains PTA, PXA, POA etc. In the wagons category we limit the tag selection to just this tag group (or this one and another such as “vac braked wagons”). You then can only pick a tag that is relevant.
Do we need parent tags?
My thought is yes as I would like to subdivide wagons into TOPs code B, C, O etc and only ‘allow’ tags OAA, OBA, OTA etc in the TOPs code O for instance.
It would probably be overkill for Class 59’s to have child tags maybe? 
cheers
Phil
Having the majority of the TOPS codes for wagons and so on is probably a good start. Then having the guages and scales as well too. Some accomodation for pre-TOPS too, such as the D numbers (ie, the first of the class) or things like Syphons etc.
Obviously things like AGM, DEMU, Showcase, UPDate, Committee, Officers should be tags as well. If those are able to be also used to flag for a Committee response that could be useful, say if a member has a problem (perhaps restricted to a particular topic/section that the flag works for).
Others might be things like the Popular shows in the Roadshow/Society section.
Am I right in thinking that “tags” replaced the folder structure on the old site, rather than for additionally identifying content for searching via hash-tags?
Taking RMWeb as an example of the latter, I could for example create a thread under “Layout & Workbench\Boxfiles” and include the tags “ngauge” and “diesel”. In theory, clicking on these should bring up other threads using the same tags.
Is this second use of tags part of the new forum software or is it just a way of organising content into “folders”?
Steven B