# Problem children / punch list for fixes / TIPS AND TRICKS **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 22, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044 "2020-06-22T01:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/42 "2020-06-22T03:42:43Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > > [@bordelond](#): > > > > What’s not needed are the line-up of avatars at the right. Just skip all that. > > I changed to the “Sam’s Simple Theme”; it makes the forum pages much less cluttered. [animal house] **“Where’s all the themes at?!?”** [/animal house] ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/43 "2020-06-22T03:43:05Z")
Is there an option for “I have a wide monitor, use some of that screen real estate please”? I have a feeling this board will adapt well to mobile devices but I’m using an actual computer and I have miles of white space on the sides. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/44 "2020-06-22T03:43:50Z")
Click on your avatar at top right, then click the bell icon to go to your user CP. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/45 "2020-06-22T03:47:22Z")
Open your Profile (click on your avatar in the top right of the page, then click on your user name), then select “Preferences” and then “Interface” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/46 "2020-06-22T03:50:39Z")
AHA! I’ve got Sam’s Theme now! MUCH nicer! Much more like our beloved old vB format. One the thread list page, it shows the OP of each thread under each thread title, and the person who made the most recent post over toward the right, just like we’ve been accustomed to. And it shows those actual users’ names, not their avatars. ⬆ But, no mouse-over preview of the OP. ⬇ ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/47 "2020-06-22T03:51:10Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > Click on your avatar at top right, then click the bell icon to go to your user CP. > [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Open your Profile (click on your avatar in the top right of the page, then click on your user name), then select “Preferences” and then “Interface” Thanks for the theme help, folks. Sam’s Simple makes the forums look much better. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/48 "2020-06-22T03:51:12Z")
Thank, Dorjan-it worked perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/49 "2020-06-22T03:52:29Z")
And it’s even got square avatars too! Sam thought of everything! ETA: Except mouse-over preview. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/50 "2020-06-22T03:52:52Z")
I’m getting a lot of spinning circle/nothing happens. It looks like there are half a dozen posts at the bottom of this page that are trying to load. Maybe it’s a problem at my end? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/51 "2020-06-22T03:54:36Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > And it’s even got square avatars too! Sam thought of everything! > > ETA: Except mouse-over preview. ☹ I’m guessing Sam’s Simple Theme is a “work in progress” theme that someone on the back end is developing to put an old-shool SDMB “skin” over the top of a Discourse engine. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/52 "2020-06-22T03:58:18Z")
The search function doesn’t appear to be working properly…or else I just don’t know how to use it… If I search for ‘I burning your dog’ (without quotes) I get two threads from 1999, but if I add quotes I get nothing. Similarly, “The horror of blimps” gets no hits. On the plus side, the search page has a ‘Search with Google’ button, which does return the appropriate results. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/53 "2020-06-22T04:00:09Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > On the plus side, the search page has a ‘Search with Google’ button, which does return the appropriate results. I’ve been searching the SDMB with Google exclusively for over a decade. Nothing will change. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/54 "2020-06-22T04:02:03Z")
Yee-haw! I just got my first trust level promotion! Mods, I’ll have your jobs in no time! :evil-smirk: The notification doesn’t tell me what trust level I’ve got now. You’d think their system message bot should mention that. When I click on notifications, or user profile, etc., it takes me to another page that shows whatever I’ve asked for, with no obvious way to navigate back to the thread where I was, other than the browser’s back button. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/55 "2020-06-22T04:04:55Z")
In the “protect your computer from malware” thread, all the banned spammers and their links are visible. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/56 "2020-06-22T04:05:25Z")
If there’s no quick fix for the Trump Clusterfuck thread being locked, then someone should start a new continuation thread, if someone hasn’t already. (Something like the New Unimproved Workplace Rants thread, which is a continuation of an earlier thread.) It goes without saying that @ThelmaLou is nominated to do the honors! ETA: Ditto, of course, for other too-long threads, like SRIOTD for example, and any others similarly situated. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/57 "2020-06-22T04:05:33Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > No post counts? **pout** They’re in the profiles Click someone’s name to get their “card.” Click their name on the card to get to their profile. All kinds of stuff listed there. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/58 "2020-06-22T04:08:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > In the “protect your computer from malware” thread, all the banned spammers and their links are visible. Does that mean we can spam them right back? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/59 "2020-06-22T04:10:56Z")
Will it be possible to bring over some selected threads from the Brigadoon forum? For example, that Tulsa thread had a lively conversation going. There were a few other notably active threads too. ETA: Hee-hee-hee. Discobot has a few words for me! It says I’ve posted more than 21% of the posts in this topic so far and maybe I should back off and let some other people get in some posts edge-wise! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/60 "2020-06-22T04:14:29Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > OK. I really don’t like being logged out after a few minutes. Can we set the log out time to something reasonable, like a week? Even that’s too much. There is no reason to log users out at all on their own devices/computers. That said, does this happen when you log in with a proper password, and not just use the email link? It’s possible the email option is designed for use on public computers, working more like a one-time use password, so your login can’t be stolen. In that environment, logging you out automatically quickly would be useful. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044/61 "2020-06-22T04:16:13Z")
I have the Sam’s Simple template as the default, and … round avatars. 😒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-children-punch-list-for-fixes-tips-and-tricks/911044.md?page=4)