Yahoo Forum Archive
This is an archive of the MEFA Yahoo Group, which was shut down by Yahoo in 2019. The archive can be sorted by month and by topic ID. You can use your browser to search by keyword within the month or topic you have open.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 2011 | 1 | - | 17 | 2 | 6 | 25 | 90 | 61 | 32 | 7 | 5 | 8 |
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Msg# 10823
2010 MEFA site unavailable after March 24 Posted by Marta March 15, 2011 - 7:02:49 Topic ID# 10823Hey guys,
We're moving the MEFAs to a new service-provider. The reasons for this move
are technical, having to do mostly with better site security and some
features the new service-provider offers that will help develop our site.
What does this mean for you?
First, there will be a few days when links to any "mefawards.net" page will
get you an error message. This is unavoidable, and there's nothing we can
really do to hurry it along. The interwebz just needs a little time to
connect "http://www.mefawards.net/" with the new server where our site will
be living.
After that, the 2010 website will still not be available. It takes a good
amount of work to get that site up and running again, and since the 2010
awards has been over for several months now we're just not going to set up
the 2010 site on the new server. (We'd rather spend our time making the 2011
site as good as possible.) We'll start fresh for 2011, with a brand new site
Aranel has been toiling away on. It's actually quite something and think you
all will enjoy it. But the 2010 version of the site - along with your wish
lists, reviews, and so on - won't be accessible after March 24, though much
of that information will eventually be added to the archive and can be
accessed there once we get the archive updated.
So if you want access to your wish list, your stories' reviews, or anything
of the sort, you need to somehow get that information so you won't have to
log into our website to get it. There are lots of ways to do this, and it's
really up to you to figure out what will work best. Here's the method I use:
--- Go to the page of our website you want to access after March 24.
--- Save the webpage. (Control-S or Command-S in most browsers/OS's.)
--- Select "Web Page-HTML Only" as your file type. This will allow you to
save just the main page and not any graphics or other associated files.
--- Save this file somewhere you will remember - your Documents, Desktop, or
wherever.
Then whenever you need to view what was previously our web site. Simply
double-click on the file you saved and this should open it in your default
web browser. If that doesn't work just open a blank tab/window in any
browser, and open the file (Control-O or Command-O in most browsers/OS's).
This essentially creates a "snap-shot" of our webpage that you can open,
even when our actual webpage isn't online anymore. It only saves the page
that was displayed to you at the time you saved it, so you will need to do
this for each page you want saved.
Of course there are other methods if you prefer - do whatever works best for
you.
If you have any questions about this feel free to let me know. I hope it
won't impact too many people.
Marta
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We're moving the MEFAs to a new service-provider. The reasons for this move
are technical, having to do mostly with better site security and some
features the new service-provider offers that will help develop our site.
What does this mean for you?
First, there will be a few days when links to any "mefawards.net" page will
get you an error message. This is unavoidable, and there's nothing we can
really do to hurry it along. The interwebz just needs a little time to
connect "http://www.mefawards.net/" with the new server where our site will
be living.
After that, the 2010 website will still not be available. It takes a good
amount of work to get that site up and running again, and since the 2010
awards has been over for several months now we're just not going to set up
the 2010 site on the new server. (We'd rather spend our time making the 2011
site as good as possible.) We'll start fresh for 2011, with a brand new site
Aranel has been toiling away on. It's actually quite something and think you
all will enjoy it. But the 2010 version of the site - along with your wish
lists, reviews, and so on - won't be accessible after March 24, though much
of that information will eventually be added to the archive and can be
accessed there once we get the archive updated.
So if you want access to your wish list, your stories' reviews, or anything
of the sort, you need to somehow get that information so you won't have to
log into our website to get it. There are lots of ways to do this, and it's
really up to you to figure out what will work best. Here's the method I use:
--- Go to the page of our website you want to access after March 24.
--- Save the webpage. (Control-S or Command-S in most browsers/OS's.)
--- Select "Web Page-HTML Only" as your file type. This will allow you to
save just the main page and not any graphics or other associated files.
--- Save this file somewhere you will remember - your Documents, Desktop, or
wherever.
Then whenever you need to view what was previously our web site. Simply
double-click on the file you saved and this should open it in your default
web browser. If that doesn't work just open a blank tab/window in any
browser, and open the file (Control-O or Command-O in most browsers/OS's).
This essentially creates a "snap-shot" of our webpage that you can open,
even when our actual webpage isn't online anymore. It only saves the page
that was displayed to you at the time you saved it, so you will need to do
this for each page you want saved.
Of course there are other methods if you prefer - do whatever works best for
you.
If you have any questions about this feel free to let me know. I hope it
won't impact too many people.
Marta
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hello everyone!
I have the new MEFA site just about done, so now I need some volunteers to help test it to find the bugs and make sure it all runs smoothly. This will differ from the development testing we've been doing in that we will actually be running through a "mini MEFAs", where you will be nominating and reviewing.
I am looking at starting this Monday (March 28) and it will run through most of April, to give everyone enough time to have a "nominating season" and "voting season" (and also time for me to fix problems). The nominations and reviews do not have to be real: they can be stories that have already competed, fake stories, or just a bunch of Lorem Ipsum Dolor text.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE BETA TEST. In order to adequately test all the systems, we will need hundreds of nominations and reviews entered into this Beta Test. Which means the more people who participate and enter in their 20 nominations and as many reviews as possible, the less I will have to do on my own with fake accounts. And since the time I would have to spend entering in 300+ nominations will take away from time spent actually fixing bugs and making changes to the code, that means more participation = earlier start for the awards. The awards can't start until the new site is tested and any bugs fixed.
Now that I've guilted you into participating, what do you do next? I will be importing the current MEFA user accounts into the test site, so your username and passwords SHOULD work. Importing passwords into the new system may be a bit tricksy (since we're using new password security), but you will be able to re-set your password on the new site if you encounter any problems. So all you need to do is show up at…
http://mefawards.fancrone.net
… (which is our test site) on Monday and once the Beta Test Nomination Season starts (our nifty new countdown timer will let you know when that is), start nominating stories! I will post again when the Beta Test is underway, to both mefa-discussion and MEFAwards. It will be very helpful if you can be subscribed to mefa-discussion for the test, to keep all discussion in one place. However, you can also post about the Beta Test to MEFAwards if you do not want to join mefa-discussion. Member participation is more important than discussion location.
Note to current site testers: I'm going to be re-setting the test database, so the current data entered will be lost, and if you used a different username/password than the MEFA site, that will be replaced by your actual MEFA login info.
If you have any questions, please ask!
Thanks,
Aranel
I have the new MEFA site just about done, so now I need some volunteers to help test it to find the bugs and make sure it all runs smoothly. This will differ from the development testing we've been doing in that we will actually be running through a "mini MEFAs", where you will be nominating and reviewing.
I am looking at starting this Monday (March 28) and it will run through most of April, to give everyone enough time to have a "nominating season" and "voting season" (and also time for me to fix problems). The nominations and reviews do not have to be real: they can be stories that have already competed, fake stories, or just a bunch of Lorem Ipsum Dolor text.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE BETA TEST. In order to adequately test all the systems, we will need hundreds of nominations and reviews entered into this Beta Test. Which means the more people who participate and enter in their 20 nominations and as many reviews as possible, the less I will have to do on my own with fake accounts. And since the time I would have to spend entering in 300+ nominations will take away from time spent actually fixing bugs and making changes to the code, that means more participation = earlier start for the awards. The awards can't start until the new site is tested and any bugs fixed.
Now that I've guilted you into participating, what do you do next? I will be importing the current MEFA user accounts into the test site, so your username and passwords SHOULD work. Importing passwords into the new system may be a bit tricksy (since we're using new password security), but you will be able to re-set your password on the new site if you encounter any problems. So all you need to do is show up at…
http://mefawards.fancrone.net
… (which is our test site) on Monday and once the Beta Test Nomination Season starts (our nifty new countdown timer will let you know when that is), start nominating stories! I will post again when the Beta Test is underway, to both mefa-discussion and MEFAwards. It will be very helpful if you can be subscribed to mefa-discussion for the test, to keep all discussion in one place. However, you can also post about the Beta Test to MEFAwards if you do not want to join mefa-discussion. Member participation is more important than discussion location.
Note to current site testers: I'm going to be re-setting the test database, so the current data entered will be lost, and if you used a different username/password than the MEFA site, that will be replaced by your actual MEFA login info.
If you have any questions, please ask!
Thanks,
Aranel
Will put the info on my calendar and begin nominting on Monday.
I'm figuring the 'link' you gave us won't work until Monday - so I'm not
even going to try that.
Blessings,
Agape
--
MY BLOG: http://nothingbutwriting.blogspot.com/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I'm figuring the 'link' you gave us won't work until Monday - so I'm not
even going to try that.
Blessings,
Agape
--
MY BLOG: http://nothingbutwriting.blogspot.com/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hey everyone! Sorry we're getting off to a bit of a late start. I had a cranky database to deal with. :-\
The user information from the old site has been imported and it seems that log-ins work okay. But if you have any trouble, or you have forgotten your password, the log-in page has a "Forgotten Password" feature to re-set your password.
So what should you expect, and what is expected in this Beta Test?
1. The site is, for the most part, completed (with a few bits here and there left to add). However, since my main focus was on getting a working site, there are bound to be some problems.
— Bugs: Whether I entered in a typo in the site code or I added something that broke another page, there are probably going to be bugs. So I need your help in finding them. Anything that gives you an error, of course, but also anything that doesn't look right or doesn't seem to be behaving as expected.
— Text: In the mad rush to write the code, I really didn't do much with the instructions. So I will need Beta Testers to read EVERYTHING — all of the instructions, all of the Help boxes — to make sure it all makes sense (some of it was simply copy/pasted from the old site to save time) and that there's actually text there and not placeholder text. The FAQs are currently missing (I'll be getting those moved over this week).
— Usability: Do you have trouble with the menus? Do the instructions make sense? Do you know where to go to find things? This is where I'll need each of your personal experiences using the site.
— Missing Features: Did I forget to add something to the new site? Please let me know!
2. The schedule for the "mini-MEFAs" is subject to change, depending on how much time we need to complete goals. Some seasons may need to run longer, some we may finish very quickly and can move on. So please try to check in to mefa-discussion or MEFAwards every day to see if there are any announcements about schedule changes.
3. I still need to finish populating the database with characters/settings/etc. Just because your favorite character isn't in the database today does not mean he/she won't be there tomorrow. If an item isn't in the lists on the Nomination Form by the end of our "nominating season", THEN let me know it is missing.
4. I really need everyone to submit all twenty of their nominations and enter as many reviews as possible. I figure we will need at least 200 nominations to move on to categorizing, resulting in at least 15 award categories, and at least 1000 reviews to adequately test the site before we can move on to the real 2011 awards. These can include your stories that have already competed, goofy story ideas you made up off the top of your head, or just dummy text. It really doesn't matter. All that matters is that you assign characters/settings/etc., choose categories that match the characters/settings/etc., and then go through the approval process with the Liaisons.
5. It is preferable to self-nominate all of your nominations, so that you can fill out and test the Nomination Form. If you do not want to do all twenty of your nominations as self-nominations, please assign an author from one of the fake user accounts I will be adding temporarily. These accounts will be easy to find: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash. ;-) This is so that members who are not participating in the Beta Test will not get spammed with test nomination emails (the Justice League's emails will all go to me). DO NOT ADD AUTHORS TO THE DATABASE. The last thing we need is non-MEFA Members getting spammed with beta test emails.
6. Try to put variety into your nominations. If you're a fan of a particular group (Hobbits, Elves, etc.), make sure at least a few of your nominations come from other subjects. This is so we'll have a big enough mix of stories for our practice-run of categorizing.
7. Reviews definitely don't have to be real (though you are welcome to write real reviews for test nominations that are real stories, or write silly reviews if it makes the beta process more fun for you), they just need some variety in length (from 1 point to 10 points). There are plenty of Lorem Ipsum Dolor text generators out there. http://www.lipsum.com/ is a good online text generator. When entering reviews, randomly use the "put quotes in brackets" feature and also mark a couple of them as spoilers.
8. Things are going to go wrong. That is why we're doing this test. Don't stress out about anything. I'll be doing plenty of stressing for everyone!
9. Don't be afraid to make suggestions or express dislike for something on the site. I'm not emotionally attached to the site and will not be offended by any constructive criticism. I will also be the first to tell you that my design sense isn't the best in the world. ;-) So if you have any ideas for improving the site, please let me know!
10. Please give feedback in the Yahoo Group Forums. mefa-discussion is preferred, but you are welcome to post to MEFAwards if you are not subscribed to mefa-discussion. That way, everyone can see what issues have already been reported and we can discuss them together.
I know I'm probably forgetting something…
If you have any questions, please ask away!
A big thanks to everyone who is participating! Your help is very much appreciated!
Aranel
The user information from the old site has been imported and it seems that log-ins work okay. But if you have any trouble, or you have forgotten your password, the log-in page has a "Forgotten Password" feature to re-set your password.
So what should you expect, and what is expected in this Beta Test?
1. The site is, for the most part, completed (with a few bits here and there left to add). However, since my main focus was on getting a working site, there are bound to be some problems.
— Bugs: Whether I entered in a typo in the site code or I added something that broke another page, there are probably going to be bugs. So I need your help in finding them. Anything that gives you an error, of course, but also anything that doesn't look right or doesn't seem to be behaving as expected.
— Text: In the mad rush to write the code, I really didn't do much with the instructions. So I will need Beta Testers to read EVERYTHING — all of the instructions, all of the Help boxes — to make sure it all makes sense (some of it was simply copy/pasted from the old site to save time) and that there's actually text there and not placeholder text. The FAQs are currently missing (I'll be getting those moved over this week).
— Usability: Do you have trouble with the menus? Do the instructions make sense? Do you know where to go to find things? This is where I'll need each of your personal experiences using the site.
— Missing Features: Did I forget to add something to the new site? Please let me know!
2. The schedule for the "mini-MEFAs" is subject to change, depending on how much time we need to complete goals. Some seasons may need to run longer, some we may finish very quickly and can move on. So please try to check in to mefa-discussion or MEFAwards every day to see if there are any announcements about schedule changes.
3. I still need to finish populating the database with characters/settings/etc. Just because your favorite character isn't in the database today does not mean he/she won't be there tomorrow. If an item isn't in the lists on the Nomination Form by the end of our "nominating season", THEN let me know it is missing.
4. I really need everyone to submit all twenty of their nominations and enter as many reviews as possible. I figure we will need at least 200 nominations to move on to categorizing, resulting in at least 15 award categories, and at least 1000 reviews to adequately test the site before we can move on to the real 2011 awards. These can include your stories that have already competed, goofy story ideas you made up off the top of your head, or just dummy text. It really doesn't matter. All that matters is that you assign characters/settings/etc., choose categories that match the characters/settings/etc., and then go through the approval process with the Liaisons.
5. It is preferable to self-nominate all of your nominations, so that you can fill out and test the Nomination Form. If you do not want to do all twenty of your nominations as self-nominations, please assign an author from one of the fake user accounts I will be adding temporarily. These accounts will be easy to find: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash. ;-) This is so that members who are not participating in the Beta Test will not get spammed with test nomination emails (the Justice League's emails will all go to me). DO NOT ADD AUTHORS TO THE DATABASE. The last thing we need is non-MEFA Members getting spammed with beta test emails.
6. Try to put variety into your nominations. If you're a fan of a particular group (Hobbits, Elves, etc.), make sure at least a few of your nominations come from other subjects. This is so we'll have a big enough mix of stories for our practice-run of categorizing.
7. Reviews definitely don't have to be real (though you are welcome to write real reviews for test nominations that are real stories, or write silly reviews if it makes the beta process more fun for you), they just need some variety in length (from 1 point to 10 points). There are plenty of Lorem Ipsum Dolor text generators out there. http://www.lipsum.com/ is a good online text generator. When entering reviews, randomly use the "put quotes in brackets" feature and also mark a couple of them as spoilers.
8. Things are going to go wrong. That is why we're doing this test. Don't stress out about anything. I'll be doing plenty of stressing for everyone!
9. Don't be afraid to make suggestions or express dislike for something on the site. I'm not emotionally attached to the site and will not be offended by any constructive criticism. I will also be the first to tell you that my design sense isn't the best in the world. ;-) So if you have any ideas for improving the site, please let me know!
10. Please give feedback in the Yahoo Group Forums. mefa-discussion is preferred, but you are welcome to post to MEFAwards if you are not subscribed to mefa-discussion. That way, everyone can see what issues have already been reported and we can discuss them together.
I know I'm probably forgetting something…
If you have any questions, please ask away!
A big thanks to everyone who is participating! Your help is very much appreciated!
Aranel
Hi Agape,
The test site is ready now. Thanks for the help!
Aranel
The test site is ready now. Thanks for the help!
Aranel
--- In MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com, Agape4Rivendell <agape4rivendell@...> wrote:
>
> Will put the info on my calendar and begin nominting on Monday.
>
> I'm figuring the 'link' you gave us won't work until Monday - so I'm not
> even going to try that.
>
> Blessings,
> Agape
>
> --
> MY BLOG: http://nothingbutwriting.blogspot.com/
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Can we get the link again, please? I can't find it and probably deleted the email.
Thanks,
Chris
Thanks,
Chris
----- Original Message -----
From: "Aranel" <araneltook@gmail.com>
To: MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 12:33:35 PM
Subject: [MEFAwards] Re: I've been guilted
Hi Agape,
The test site is ready now. Thanks for the help!
Aranel
--- In MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com, Agape4Rivendell <agape4rivendell@...> wrote:
>
> Will put the info on my calendar and begin nominting on Monday.
>
> I'm figuring the 'link' you gave us won't work until Monday - so I'm not
> even going to try that.
>
> Blessings,
> Agape
>
> --
> MY BLOG: http://nothingbutwriting.blogspot.com/
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
------------------------------------
Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi Chris,
http://mefawards.fancrone.net
Thanks!
Aranel
http://mefawards.fancrone.net
Thanks!
Aranel
On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:48 PM, Chris <grzonka@comcast.net> wrote:
> Can we get the link again, please? I can't find it and probably deleted the
> email.
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aranel" <araneltook@gmail.com>
> To: MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 12:33:35 PM
> Subject: [MEFAwards] Re: I've been guilted
>
> Hi Agape,
>
> The test site is ready now. Thanks for the help!
>
> Aranel
>
> --- In MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com, Agape4Rivendell <agape4rivendell@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Will put the info on my calendar and begin nominting on Monday.
> >
> > I'm figuring the 'link' you gave us won't work until Monday - so I'm not
> > even going to try that.
> >
> > Blessings,
> > Agape
> >
> > --
> > MY BLOG: http://nothingbutwriting.blogspot.com/
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Msg# 10830
Re: 2011 BETA Test has started! Posted by Ellin Ithilwen March 28, 2011 - 13:35:36 Topic ID# 10826I won't be able to make my 20 (self)nominations in one day, but I'll do it little by little. For now I made one nomination and here are few remarks:
- ok, the site looks completely new and some buttons/links can't be found at once, but that is only a matter of habbit, so I guess we'll get used to it.
- I made one nomination and everything went fine
- when I browse nominated stories (there are four so far), and when I click the story, it opens in the same window. On the old site, it opened in new window or tab, and I think it's much better that way. Can it be done here too?
- I don't see where I can add review to nominated stories. *blush* Help?
- I love Minas Tirith in the header, as well as the logo inscription. :) Is the Gondor tree in the header blurred on purpose? If not, I can send you a sharper, clearer version. ;)
I'll write more after new actions done. ;)
Ellynn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
- ok, the site looks completely new and some buttons/links can't be found at once, but that is only a matter of habbit, so I guess we'll get used to it.
- I made one nomination and everything went fine
- when I browse nominated stories (there are four so far), and when I click the story, it opens in the same window. On the old site, it opened in new window or tab, and I think it's much better that way. Can it be done here too?
- I don't see where I can add review to nominated stories. *blush* Help?
- I love Minas Tirith in the header, as well as the logo inscription. :) Is the Gondor tree in the header blurred on purpose? If not, I can send you a sharper, clearer version. ;)
I'll write more after new actions done. ;)
Ellynn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Msg# 10831
I found the review button Posted by Ellin Ithilwen March 28, 2011 - 13:42:10 Topic ID# 10826Disregard this particular question in the previous mail.
Perhaps those little icons could be a little more conspicuous? *unsure*
Ellynn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Perhaps those little icons could be a little more conspicuous? *unsure*
Ellynn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Msg# 10832
Self nomination successfully completed Posted by Ellin Ithilwen March 28, 2011 - 14:13:05 Topic ID# 10826As the subject says, all went well. Some lists were incomplete (such as setting), but you mentioned that not all of them were finished, so I didn't worry about that.
I'll continue tomorrow! ;)
Ellynn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I'll continue tomorrow! ;)
Ellynn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Msg# 10833
Re: 2011 BETA Test has started! Posted by Aranel March 28, 2011 - 15:23:55 Topic ID# 10826Hi Ellyn,
--- In MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com, Ellin Ithilwen <ellin_revenger@...> wrote:
>
> I won't be able to make my 20 (self)nominations in one day, but I'll do it little by little. For now I made one nomination and here are few remarks:
That's fine! I have the nomination season set for 7 days, so hopefully that will give everyone time to fill them out. If you don't make it to twenty, that's okay. It's just something I'd like Beta Testers to aim for.
>
> - ok, the site looks completely new and some buttons/links can't be found at once, but that is only a matter of habbit, so I guess we'll get used to it.
Just let me know if you can't find something!
> - I made one nomination and everything went fine
Great!
> - when I browse nominated stories (there are four so far), and when I click the story, it opens in the same window. On the old site, it opened in new window or tab, and I think it's much better that way. Can it be done here too?
A site forcing a link to open in a new window is considered bad form these days (mobile browsers and accessibility for screen readers are two reasons given for removing this feature). Most, if not all, current browsers support the user choosing to open a link in a new tab or window. For example, in Mac OS browsers you can open a page in a new tab if you hold the command key while clicking the link. I think on most Windows browsers, you can right-click and select to open in a new tab. I can add a Help Box about that.
> - I don't see where I can add review to nominated stories. *blush* Help?
I've moved the explanatory icons to the top of the table. Does that help, or do you think an explanation for the new feature would also be necessary? (Nothing on this site is new to me, so I really can't tell what needs explanations!)
> - I love Minas Tirith in the header, as well as the logo inscription. :) Is the Gondor tree in the header blurred on purpose? If not, I can send you a sharper, clearer version. ;)
It's supposed to be shadowed, but if it looks awful on other screens I can re-do it (and I may take you up on the offer of the new version, I can't remember what size mine is.) What screen resolution are you viewing it at?
There will be other themes available eventually, not just for Gondor. But they won't be added until after the awards start.
>
> I'll write more after new actions done. ;)
>
Thanks for your feedback!
Aranel
Msg# 10834
Re: 2011 BETA Test has started! Posted by Ellin Ithilwen March 28, 2011 - 16:02:57 Topic ID# 10826Hello again! :)
I forgot about mobile browsers and other things that you mention. Yes, of course I know about right-click and new tab, I often use it. ;) I believe most people do; if you want to add a help box, I hope it won't take you too much time.
I noticed it almost immediately as I sent the first e-mail. Not noticing was my own fault, I wasn't careful enough.
Perhaps you can ask others about it too, and then decide.
Talk to you soon, bye,
Ellyn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> On Mon, 3/28/11, Aranel <araneltook@gmail.com> wrote:
> A site forcing a link to open in a new window is considered bad form these days (mobile browsers and accessibility for screen readers are two reasons given for removing this feature). Most, if not all, current browsers support the user choosing to open a link in a new tab or window. For example, in Mac OS browsers you can open a page in a new tab if you hold the command key while clicking the link. I think on most Windows browsers, you can right-click and select to open in a new tab. I can add a Help Box about that.
I forgot about mobile browsers and other things that you mention. Yes, of course I know about right-click and new tab, I often use it. ;) I believe most people do; if you want to add a help box, I hope it won't take you too much time.
> I've moved the explanatory icons to the top of the table. Does that help, or do you think an explanation for the new feature would also be necessary? (Nothing on this site is new to me, so I really can't tell what needs explanations!)
I noticed it almost immediately as I sent the first e-mail. Not noticing was my own fault, I wasn't careful enough.
Perhaps you can ask others about it too, and then decide.
> It's supposed to be shadowed, but if it looks awful on other screens I can re-do it (and I may take you up on the offer of the new version, I can't remember what size mine is.) What screen resolution are you viewing it at?It is ok, don't worry. (I view at 1980, btw.) If you ever need more pictures, if you won't have enough time to do banners and similar things by yourself, I'd be glad to help.
Talk to you soon, bye,
Ellyn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Msg# 10835
Re: New 2011 MEFA Site: BETA TEST Posted by Ree R March 29, 2011 - 1:01:17 Topic ID# 10824Hi Aranel,
Wow, the new site is really quite something. I'm blown away by the quality,
the clarity and the easiness of operating this site. I can't wait to put it
to use later at this year's MEFAs. I haven't thoroughly explored the site
yet, but I will make sure I get around to doing that soon.
-Maethril
Wow, the new site is really quite something. I'm blown away by the quality,
the clarity and the easiness of operating this site. I can't wait to put it
to use later at this year's MEFAs. I haven't thoroughly explored the site
yet, but I will make sure I get around to doing that soon.
-Maethril
On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 6:42 AM, Aranel <araneltook@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hello everyone!
>
> I have the new MEFA site just about done, so now I need some volunteers to
> help test it to find the bugs and make sure it all runs smoothly. This will
> differ from the development testing we've been doing in that we will
> actually be running through a "mini MEFAs", where you will be nominating and
> reviewing.
>
> I am looking at starting this Monday (March 28) and it will run through
> most of April, to give everyone enough time to have a "nominating season"
> and "voting season" (and also time for me to fix problems). The nominations
> and reviews do not have to be real: they can be stories that have already
> competed, fake stories, or just a bunch of Lorem Ipsum Dolor text.
>
> IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE BETA TEST. In
> order to adequately test all the systems, we will need hundreds of
> nominations and reviews entered into this Beta Test. Which means the more
> people who participate and enter in their 20 nominations and as many reviews
> as possible, the less I will have to do on my own with fake accounts. And
> since the time I would have to spend entering in 300+ nominations will take
> away from time spent actually fixing bugs and making changes to the code,
> that means more participation = earlier start for the awards. The awards
> can't start until the new site is tested and any bugs fixed.
>
> Now that I've guilted you into participating, what do you do next? I will
> be importing the current MEFA user accounts into the test site, so your
> username and passwords SHOULD work. Importing passwords into the new system
> may be a bit tricksy (since we're using new password security), but you will
> be able to re-set your password on the new site if you encounter any
> problems. So all you need to do is show up atý
>
> http://mefawards.fancrone.net
>
> ý (which is our test site) on Monday and once the Beta Test Nomination
> Season starts (our nifty new countdown timer will let you know when that
> is), start nominating stories! I will post again when the Beta Test is
> underway, to both mefa-discussion and MEFAwards. It will be very helpful if
> you can be subscribed to mefa-discussion for the test, to keep all
> discussion in one place. However, you can also post about the Beta Test to
> MEFAwards if you do not want to join mefa-discussion. Member participation
> is more important than discussion location.
>
> Note to current site testers: I'm going to be re-setting the test database,
> so the current data entered will be lost, and if you used a different
> username/password than the MEFA site, that will be replaced by your actual
> MEFA login info.
>
> If you have any questions, please ask!
>
> Thanks,
> Aranel
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Msg# 10836
2011 Beta Testing: Posting Lists of Site Problems Posted by Aranel March 29, 2011 - 11:25:41 Topic ID# 10836Hey everyone,
There's been some concern about posting long listings of site problems/errors in public, and whether they should send that "Big List of Things Aranel Got Wrong" in a private email.
While I appreciate the concern, that's not necessary at all. We really do need all the bug reports to be public, so that everyone can see what has been reported already, and also to discuss any problems or changes.
I'd like to reiterate that I'm not emotionally attached to this site. Yes, I've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it, and I've also had a lot of fun writing it, too, but it's not the same as writing fiction. I know what it feels like to have your Beta Reader pick apart a chapter you've been working on and it can sting to hear about the weak spots and mistakes, but getting bug reports or critiques for the site isn't like that for me. Reporting problems with the site is more like telling me my shoe is untied. Unlike fiction, there's nothing of "me" in the site — other than my penchant for slipping DC Comics characters in here and there ;-) — so I don't take criticism of it personally. My job is to make the site work for YOU. And that includes the design. My university graphic design instructor and I will both tell you that my design sense is *ahem* "lacking", so even though the artistic aspects of site design can be very personal for some, for me it's a known weakness and any advice is very much welcome!
I won't feel bad if I get a ginormous list of bugs and typos in the public forum. I don't see them as a "failure", anymore than I see an untied shoe as a failure. My reaction is usually along the lines of "Crap! How did I miss that?!" Heck, the server spits error reports at me constantly for the "behind the scenes" bugs, and it's not at all polite about it when it tells me I forgot to initialize a variable! :-D Bugs and typos are a normal part of writing computer code: there's a reason professional software development applications come with error tracking features. I've written over 16,000 lines of code for this site across 70+ pages, plus a 40 table database. If there's anyone who can write 16,000 lines of code and not have any errors, then I am in awe of you because you are a God Among Code Monkeys!
So please don't feel uncomfortable about airing my bugs/typos/boneheaded mistakes in public. For a programmer/developer, it's all part of the job! :-)
Thanks!
Aranel
There's been some concern about posting long listings of site problems/errors in public, and whether they should send that "Big List of Things Aranel Got Wrong" in a private email.
While I appreciate the concern, that's not necessary at all. We really do need all the bug reports to be public, so that everyone can see what has been reported already, and also to discuss any problems or changes.
I'd like to reiterate that I'm not emotionally attached to this site. Yes, I've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it, and I've also had a lot of fun writing it, too, but it's not the same as writing fiction. I know what it feels like to have your Beta Reader pick apart a chapter you've been working on and it can sting to hear about the weak spots and mistakes, but getting bug reports or critiques for the site isn't like that for me. Reporting problems with the site is more like telling me my shoe is untied. Unlike fiction, there's nothing of "me" in the site — other than my penchant for slipping DC Comics characters in here and there ;-) — so I don't take criticism of it personally. My job is to make the site work for YOU. And that includes the design. My university graphic design instructor and I will both tell you that my design sense is *ahem* "lacking", so even though the artistic aspects of site design can be very personal for some, for me it's a known weakness and any advice is very much welcome!
I won't feel bad if I get a ginormous list of bugs and typos in the public forum. I don't see them as a "failure", anymore than I see an untied shoe as a failure. My reaction is usually along the lines of "Crap! How did I miss that?!" Heck, the server spits error reports at me constantly for the "behind the scenes" bugs, and it's not at all polite about it when it tells me I forgot to initialize a variable! :-D Bugs and typos are a normal part of writing computer code: there's a reason professional software development applications come with error tracking features. I've written over 16,000 lines of code for this site across 70+ pages, plus a 40 table database. If there's anyone who can write 16,000 lines of code and not have any errors, then I am in awe of you because you are a God Among Code Monkeys!
So please don't feel uncomfortable about airing my bugs/typos/boneheaded mistakes in public. For a programmer/developer, it's all part of the job! :-)
Thanks!
Aranel
Just started today. Got all 20 nominated. Various authors and various genres, etc.
Should there be a (*) on the email address field? I know that sometimes we don't have them, but the * should be there to highlight the need for it. (I like the fact that once I 'put in' the email addy - that it pops up again.)
The *reset' button right under the authors caused a small problem with an overanxious submitter. I clicked on it - thiking it was an 'enter' button. Could it be moved to the side or something so it doesn't look like a button I should hit? I am soooo set in my ways!
On the home page, when I clicked on 'view the nominations I have made' - it says 'this page has not yet been completed.' Yet - 'nominate a story' page has a button that I can see my stories there.
On purpose, I put in an incomplete URL for a story. Just to see what would happen. It didn't stop the nomination from going through. I supposed this is on purpose?
Well, all done for now. I'm supposing that I don't have to worry about other pages - just the nominating and review pages?
BTW - the new site looks awesome and seems much easier to navigate. Hooray! Bravo!
Blessings,
Agape
Should there be a (*) on the email address field? I know that sometimes we don't have them, but the * should be there to highlight the need for it. (I like the fact that once I 'put in' the email addy - that it pops up again.)
The *reset' button right under the authors caused a small problem with an overanxious submitter. I clicked on it - thiking it was an 'enter' button. Could it be moved to the side or something so it doesn't look like a button I should hit? I am soooo set in my ways!
On the home page, when I clicked on 'view the nominations I have made' - it says 'this page has not yet been completed.' Yet - 'nominate a story' page has a button that I can see my stories there.
On purpose, I put in an incomplete URL for a story. Just to see what would happen. It didn't stop the nomination from going through. I supposed this is on purpose?
Well, all done for now. I'm supposing that I don't have to worry about other pages - just the nominating and review pages?
BTW - the new site looks awesome and seems much easier to navigate. Hooray! Bravo!
Blessings,
Agape
Hey everyone,
A reminder: do not add any authors during Beta nominations. Even if it's your own "fake account".
Using DC Comics superheroes for the fake accounts isn't just to be funny, it's so that I know exactly who the fake accounts are when it's time to delete them from the database for the real awards, and don't accidentally remove a real participant or leave in a fake account someone else created.
If you want to nominate someone else, use one of those fake accounts at the end of the member list (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Justice_League_members">the ones who have been members or associates of the Justice League</a> -- if all else fails, nominate Green Lantern, he likes the attention. ;-) ) or you can nominate any real MEFA members who are currently participating in the Beta.
Thanks!
Aranel
A reminder: do not add any authors during Beta nominations. Even if it's your own "fake account".
Using DC Comics superheroes for the fake accounts isn't just to be funny, it's so that I know exactly who the fake accounts are when it's time to delete them from the database for the real awards, and don't accidentally remove a real participant or leave in a fake account someone else created.
If you want to nominate someone else, use one of those fake accounts at the end of the member list (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Justice_League_members">the ones who have been members or associates of the Justice League</a> -- if all else fails, nominate Green Lantern, he likes the attention. ;-) ) or you can nominate any real MEFA members who are currently participating in the Beta.
Thanks!
Aranel
Msg# 10839
2011 Beta Test: We need to move the discussion Posted by Aranel March 29, 2011 - 16:32:00 Topic ID# 10839Hey everyone,
Since we're hitting two lists pretty heavily with posts now, we're going to have to consolidate the Beta discussion. So I need all the Beta Test discussion to move over to the mefa-discussion Yahoo Group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mefa-discussion
I'll address any remaining issues posted here at MEFAwards over at mefa-discussion, and I won't be making any more Beta Test posts here at MEFAwards.
Sorry for the inconvenience,
Aranel
Since we're hitting two lists pretty heavily with posts now, we're going to have to consolidate the Beta discussion. So I need all the Beta Test discussion to move over to the mefa-discussion Yahoo Group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mefa-discussion
I'll address any remaining issues posted here at MEFAwards over at mefa-discussion, and I won't be making any more Beta Test posts here at MEFAwards.
Sorry for the inconvenience,
Aranel
If you have any questions about the archive, or would like to report a technical problem, please contact Aranel (former MEFA Tech Support and current Keeper of the Archive) at araneltook@mefawards.org or at the MEFA Archive group..