Requests:
I. Please add a log in button to the top of the message board.
II. Please add a spell checker to the preview screen.
III. Plese ensure that it is possible to edit or remove (if one double posts) a posted message.
Questions:
A. How can I ensure that I read only new posts of a topic I have read?
B. What is the best way to find a post on an extremely long topic in order to comment on it?
I. I don’t do tech stuff, so I can’t answer this. The log in button is on the bottom of the page, I know that. Why is it important to you that it be on the top?
II. Our server is already overloaded, so no. Use the spellchecker between your ears. Or compose it in your own word processing program.
III. We don’t allow editing or removal of members’ posts by members because of the possibility of abuse. Even though we COULD allow editing of posts by members within a short time frame, again, this would put more strain on the server. Don’t press the “submit” button more than once. Your post went through, 99.44% of the time. If it’s Deathless Prose, compose it in a word processing program, preferably one that has a spell checker.
A. There’s a down-arrow to the left of the thread title. Click on it.
B. I’m not sure what you mean…you should be reading EVERY post in the thread if you wish to comment on it. If you want to make just ONE reply to several posts, again, I suggest a word processing program, Notepad is quite good enough. If I’m looking for a particular post, I just do <ctrl +f> and check each page.
Would you please clarify how to log in if one knows one is going to post. It is slightly annoying to put in ones User Name and Password, put up a post and be told you are not logged in.
If you’re logged in, you will see (right under the buttons on the top right corner of your screen) the words "Welcome back, Isaac Cashman. In addition, you won’t have the username and password box at the bottom right hand of your screen, under the forum listings.
Zev Steinhardt
A spell checker would be handy, but I know of only two ways it could be implemented. First, it could be done server-side: You send your post to the server, which then checks the spelling and gets back to you to alert you of mistakes and offer suggestions, you make whatever changes you want, send it back to the server, and the server then puts it on the board. This would give our hamsters a heart attack.
The other possibility would be to do it client-side. This would require some sort of Java script or applet, and a very large wordlist file which would have to be downloaded at least once (the first time you used it), and possibly every time that you cleared out your cache. While this wouldn’t put a terribly big strain on the Straight Dope hamsters, it would be a royal pain in the anatomy for the posters using it, so it’s still not practical. The best option is to just use your word processor of choice, as Lynn mentioned.
As for editing/deleting of posts, if it’s really important, you can e-mail the moderators of the forum you’re in, and if you ask politely and have a good reason, they’ll usually take care of it. But it’s not really necessary: The folks here are generally pretty smart, and will usually be able to figure out what you meant to say. Everyone makes mistakes now and then, so folks won’t generally single you out for your blunders.
A. Please provide me with a sampling of your finest meats and cheeses.
B. Please ensure that I will be entertained every time I log in (preferably through the top of the screen).
C. Hold me.
Hey I want in on this meat and cheese thing.
But instead of meat, I want liquor. And instead of cheese, I want velvet lounging pants.
We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here and we want them NOW!
I. Please change my status from ‘member’ to ‘mods’ favorite.’
II. Please send me a free mug.
III. I would like a MPSIMS thread devoted to how wonderful I am, and please make sure that it makes it to at least 50 posts and remains on page 1 for at least 1 week.
Thank you.
Happy to implement, Fisher… first, please send check or money order for $999.95 to cover postage and handling.
Man, thats a hell of a mug. For that price it better come with a year’s supply of coffee.
I guess the best thing to do if you know that you are going to post is to click on a topic/thread, go to the bottom, put in your screen name and password where indicated, typ _/ or the ilk in the message section (because you ca’t send a blank message), and put in you password again when asked, click to the home page, click to message board.
Is there a sock here? 
If you log in at the main forums page, the system should simply not ask you to log in again every time you post (which hardly ever works IIRC), unless you have somethine strange going on with your browser cookies…
We already have the finest whines available to humanity, in the BBQ Pit.
Can I have a pony?
I’d put money on it.
IIRC, the lovely Lynn Bodoni posted once that they don’t always put “BANNED” under the name.
Will clicking the`` register ‘’ button will allow one to log in? I.E. All one would need to put in is one’s scrren name and passwor?
No. Clicking the “Register” allows one to, ummm, register. If you wanna log in, you must to use the “log in” link at the bottom right of the main forum page. This is the only way to log in that works properly.
