Site Improvements List - BC/Admin Link

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msfry
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Post by msfry »

I couldn't find a list so I post this here:

I see the forums are back up! They will take some getting used to. Does this format change apply to all forums hosted by our forum provider (is it still the phpBB Group)?

Or are these changes applicable just to our own forums?

If just ours, I was hoping at last to see a BC/Admin link added at the bottom of each forum page -- where we would not have to travel back to Page 1 then scroll down and click the BC/Admin link under the MW, every time we need to update the MW, which is usually necessitated by the latest post received. It would be so handy (save thousands of clicks per year) to have that link close up under that last post.

I had made this suggestion several months ago and told it would be put on the wish list of improvements. Is there such a list and is it posted where we can see it?
notartom
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Post by notartom »

msfry wrote: January 4th, 2018, 12:08 pmI see the forums are back up! They will take some getting used to. Does this format change apply to all forums hosted by our forum provider (is it still the phpBB Group)?
We don't have a forum provider :) We have 2 servers in Internet Archive's data center, that they lend to us for free, and one guy (me!), managing the software on those servers, with tremendous help from some admins (Jo, Tricia, Availle, and others) for testing new versions and/or ways of doing things. phpBB is just the forum software that we're using; except releasing said software, the phpBB group do nothing for us.
If just ours, I was hoping at last to see a BC/Admin link added at the bottom of each forum page -- where we would not have to travel back to Page 1 then scroll down and click the BC/Admin link under the MW, every time we need to update the MW, which is usually necessitated by the latest post received. It would be so handy (save thousands of clicks per year) to have that link close up under that last post.
That's not within the realm of my capabilities. It would require glue (metaphorical, computer code glue) between the workflow tool and the forum software. While my day job is software engineer, it's in a completely different field unrelated to web, so it's not something I can commit to. It should be relatively straightforward for a proper web developer though - either paid, a la Melon project, or volunteer - after all, the code is all open source ;)
msfry
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Post by msfry »

notartom wrote: January 4th, 2018, 12:34 pm That's not within the realm of my capabilities. It would require glue (metaphorical, computer code glue) between the workflow tool and the forum software. While my day job is software engineer, it's in a completely different field unrelated to web, so it's not something I can commit to. It should be relatively straightforward for a proper web developer though - either paid, a la Melon project, or volunteer - after all, the code is all open source ;)
Well, as a web designer myself, I know that as each new page is generated from a template, each one containing the same static links every single time, and dynamically adding a link to a new page number every time it adds a page, it can be done. It should be easy to add a piece of code that fetches the same link showing under the MW. Admittedly that is above my skill level, but I know it can be done.

The problem is the fear that a volunteer trying to add anything new will somehow jinx the stuff that we know works. As such, it would probably be wiser to hire and hold a professional accountable. Which of course brings up the budget question -- can we afford it? I don't think it would take long to add and troubleshoot that bit of code, so it might not cost much to fix.
notartom
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Post by notartom »

Well, as a web designer myself, I know that as each new page is generated from a template, each one containing the same static links every single time
Except here it would be different for every thread, since, for example, viewtopic.php?f=60&t=67010 contains a BC Admin link to https://librivox.org/section_compiler/12264 while viewtopic.php?f=12&t=68586 has a BC Admin link to https://librivox.org/section_compiler/12611. So we need to programatically get the correct section compiler ID and add it to the phpBB templates. It can definitely be done, but I refuse to attempt it because it'll take me 10 times as long as it would for a web dev who knows phpBB. I can only encourage folks to take a whack at it if they wish (the code is all on GitHub), the problem with that is that there's currently no easy way for interested parties to set up dev environnement locally. We have a staging env on our IA servers, but it's staging, not dev, and can't be a free for all of people hacking away at code. The local dev thing is probably next on my list of things to do, now that our obsolete version of phpBB has been upgraded.
MagicMan
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Post by MagicMan »

Howdy, phpbb is very easy to customize using plugins designed by their members. They have a plugin called "Footer Links". I have it installed on my own phpbb forum running the same version you just updated to. You just download the plugin and installed it in your root directory inside the folder called ext. You can add/remove unlimited links very quickly. You will do this from the admin panel. If you have any questions, just let me know and I will help in anyway I can.

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TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

MM - Can this be customized to be different for every thread, and can normal moderators add it to the thread? Every project thread has a different project number, so the footer link for every project thread will be different. And it would at the very least need to be editable/addable by moderators, not just admins.

It would be another step for MCs to do at project set-up, but if it's quick and easy, it'd be worth it.

EDIT: OK, I'm not sure of the proper terms. Most of us "admins" can't edit the forum per se. We don't have access to the Admin Control Panel; just to the Moderator Control Panel. So I assume we're "moderators" while those with higher access are "Administrators".
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MagicMan
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Post by MagicMan »

No, it will show the links site wide. When it comes to adding the links or plugins, it has to be done via the admin panel. To have the links show up on certain forums only, like mentioned above, it will have to have code written. If you make a list of all the links you need and give them to the admin, it takes about 10 secs to add each link, if all they have to do is cut and paste the information. If I am understanding the OPs request, this plugin would put every link needed at the bottom of every page, forum wide. As projects are started and closed, the admin would simply update the plugin to reflect the changes.
MagicMan
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Post by MagicMan »

TriciaG wrote: January 4th, 2018, 3:26 pmEDIT: OK, I'm not sure of the proper terms. Most of us "admins" can't edit the forum per se. We don't have access to the Admin Control Panel; just to the Moderator Control Panel. So I assume we're "moderators" while those with higher access are "Administrators".
That is correct. Members, Forum Moderators, Super Moderators and Admins.
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

MagicMan wrote: January 4th, 2018, 3:40 pm No, it will show the links site wide. When it comes to adding the links or plugins, it has to be done via the admin panel. To have the links show up on certain forums only, like mentioned above, it will have to have code written. If you make a list of all the links you need and give them to the admin, it takes about 10 secs to add each link, if all they have to do is cut and paste the information. If I am understanding the OPs request, this plugin would put every link needed at the bottom of every page, forum wide. As projects are started and closed, the admin would simply update the plugin to reflect the changes.
We've currently got about 550 active projects (solos and group projects), so I don't think maintaining a link list with all active projects would be feasible.
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MagicMan
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Post by MagicMan »

TriciaG wrote: January 4th, 2018, 4:07 pm We've currently got about 550 active projects (solos and group projects), so I don't think maintaining a link list with all active projects would be feasible.
That is a lot! Maybe if you installed the plugin, then created a locked forum with all your links for your projects, you could have one link on the bottom of every forum page that pointed to that locked forum titled "Project Links" or something. By doing this, your moderator staff would now be able to add any new projects that you have, just by applying a link to the project. After the initial setup, it would be a breeze to maintain that list. :thumbs:
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

MagicMan wrote: January 4th, 2018, 4:16 pm
TriciaG wrote: January 4th, 2018, 4:07 pm We've currently got about 550 active projects (solos and group projects), so I don't think maintaining a link list with all active projects would be feasible.
That is a lot! Maybe if you installed the plugin, then created a locked forum with all your links for your projects, you could have one link on the bottom of every forum page that pointed to that locked forum titled "Project Links" or something. By doing this, your moderator staff would now be able to add any new projects that you have, just by applying a link to the project. After the initial setup, it would be a breeze to maintain that list. :thumbs:
So then a book coordinator or DPL would click the link to go to a forum page, find the project in the long list, and click on it to go to the Magic Window. At that point, the way we have it now is simpler - the BC/DPL goes to the first page of the project and clicks the link under the MW.
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Post by philchenevert »

I am confused by this. What do we not have now that this would enable us to do or do better? I can certainly find anything I want fairly easily. Am I missing something? ...well of course I am missing something, but what is it? :hmm:
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MagicMan
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Post by MagicMan »

TriciaG wrote: January 4th, 2018, 4:44 pmAt that point, the way we have it now is simpler - the BC/DPL goes to the first page of the project and clicks the link under the MW.
Well when ya put it like that, ya. :D :hmm: OK, this may be a solution. I think I am getting a better understanding of the OPs question. If they are saying that they want a quick way to get to the magic window update page, then maybe they can just bookmark that site. So the OP can bookmark the MW site, put that bookmark in their tool bar and have instant access to it regardless of where they are in that forum/thread. Step 1. Create/open new tab. Step 2. Click on link in toolbar. Am I getting closer?
Last edited by MagicMan on January 4th, 2018, 5:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

MagicMan wrote: January 4th, 2018, 5:10 pm
TriciaG wrote: January 4th, 2018, 4:44 pmAt that point, the way we have it now is simpler - the BC/DPL goes to the first page of the project and clicks the link under the MW.
Well when ya put it like that, ya. :hmm: OK, this may be a solution. I think I am getting a better understanding of the OPs question. If they are saying that they want a quick way to get to the magic window update page, then maybe they can just bookmark that site. I have a folder in my bookmarks titles "LibriVox". I simple click on a new tab in Firefox and go to my tool bar and all my bookmarks are there. So the OP can bookmark the MW site, but that bookmark in the tool bar and have instant access to it. Am I getting closer?
Yes, that's pretty much what I do. I bookmark all the Magic Window (section compiler) links and give them the name of the project. Then I hit a new tab and start typing "Watergate Report" for example, and it comes right up in my URL bar. :) (This is in Firefox, and I think I had to change a setting so that I could direct type the bookmark name into the URL bar; I don't know what would be different in other browsers.)
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MagicMan
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Post by MagicMan »

After re-reading the OPs request, I went through the process and I now understand their request. Your way of doing it outshines any other way by far. :D The footer link plugin was basically designed for social media links as well as quick reference guides like wiki pages, forum policies and external contact links.
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