Changes to Profile, Messaging, Forums, Collection Privacy

A while back, we discovered an issue with the bridge between our forums and the rest of the site, which resulted in us needing to disconnect the bridge and require separate logins for the two areas. This has caused additional problems, as the collection/want list privacy settings were all on the forums, and the lack of a link between the two made things difficult for new users. Some new features have been implemented to help curtail these issues, and I think they’re going to be great for the site long-term. Here is what you can expect to see as of right now.

Registrations on the old forums are now disabled. We are, however, keeping the forums up for now, particularly because we want to keep PMs open in case there are current conversations that need to be concluded. Please keep in mind that these will eventually be shut off as well, so try to start any new conversations in the new PM system (see below). Again, this is ONLY on the old phpBB forums. New forums will be implemented soon.

New profile system has been implemented. This new system is very versatile and should provide a good replacement to the previous forum profile. We are still adding to it to make it as robust as possible, but for now you can access your profile virtually anywhere on the site by clicking your avatar in the profile area of the right sidebar. We were not able to import any information from the old forum profiles, so any personal information you’d like to add will need to be updated, as well as your avatar. In the near future, we will also have links to your collection and want list directly in your profile for easier access!

New private messaging system. Within the new profile area, you can now directly PM any member simply by going to their profile and clicking the Message icon. This will open up an easy to use chat window. There are two areas we’re still working on for this – instant notifications, and the ability to add attachments. Look for those in the coming week or so.

User image galleries. Members can now upload images to their own galleries within their profile. The easy sharing of images within the website hasn’t been implemented yet, but that will come soon down the road as well. Regardless, members can always access your images directly from your profile!

Collection & Want List Privacy in new profiles. As I mentioned before, one thing that has been a huge headache for new members (and a few existing members) has been the sharing of collections, and making collections private or public. Again, this was due to the settings being in the old forum profile, and a lack of a bridge between the forums and main site. The ability to change your privacy settings is now in the new profile, so once you’re in the profile all you need to do is click the “gear” icon and go to Edit Profile. Existing users, your settings should have been transferred over from the old forums, but it wouldn’t hurt to double check these.

I’d again like to thank everyone for your patience while we work through this issue. I’m really liking this system and think it will be popular and more user-friendly, especially as we add more features to it – and trust me, this is just the start! We’re always up for any feedback, so if you have any regarding the new features, please comment here!