Massive Free Republic Changes

[John Robinson]

There will be some massive changes to Free Republic from now through the end of the year. I'll quickly iterate those changes now.

1. Most important, on the 27th, Free Republic will be down while I move my network along with Free Republic to a new host. We're moving from UUNET to Verio. This in itself is a massive undertaking, and availability of the site may be intermittent. We will use all available resources to mitigate outtage. Verio underbid UUNET by about $17,500 on a one-year contract, so this is really worth it. ;-) Overall, bandwidth will be less expensive 2002 by about $25,000 which will be passed straight to Free Republic.

2. I'm making massive changes to the structure of the database, will be replacing the posting program, and the latest posts program. While I'm converting the database and working out bugs some features may be down. Hopefully for not too long.

3. When Free Republic's new posting program is online, the routine to post an article will be different. First, an article will be indexed into many topics. So instead of a pulldown to select the topic, there is a field where you can list as many topics as you feel appropriate. And at any time later an article can be added to additional topics.

   Second, no more "Category" and "Section". Both have been replaced by the extended topic system.

   Third, the posting of an article and a comment have been decoupled.

   Fourth, there will be different types of articles you can start. Shouldn't really call these articles anymore, discussions is a better term. The very basic "Discussion" requires just a topic, title, and body. "Article" requires topic, title, body, source, source url, etc. Some topics may not allow some types of discussions. There will be only 'article' type threads in "Breaking News" for example.

4. The topic system in general will be completely changed. Once again you will be able to create your own topics. But to keep the topics from becoming the anarchy they were before my 1999 changes, all topics will live in topic groups. Those groups: General Interest (all existing topics); Highlights (Breaking News, Extended News, etc -- these are their own topic now); Hot Topics (current interests, such as Anthrax Scare, etc.); Local Topics (These will replace the Locales); User Defined (a sea of Freeper topics.)

5. Bump Lists will be integrated with the new topic system. Bang_List could have its own topic.

6. It will be possible to host many forums within Free Republic. Each forum would have its own management features, user list (with independent user levels), moderators, etc. Some forums may be private, some may be created for special projects, some may just be alternatives to Free Republic.

7. Finding articles should be much easier. There will be a title search, you will be able to list articles in a specific topic, or with a specific keyword. Maybe full searching of the article itself or its comments. (Looking for the right technology.) And Author and Source searches will work again.

8. Sidebars. Any topic can be added to your collection of sidebars.

9. There are more features, but I'm really pressed for time. :-)

[lonevoice]

"Private forums at FR? Pretty shady. If anyone has something to say, they should say it to everybody."

I agree with this. One of the many great things about this forum is being able to just read a diversity of opinion on topics I may not be knowledgable enough to contribute to, but enjoy learning about. I'd hate to see a system of gated communities. Maybe you could clarify your intent on this? Other than that, all the rest of the changes sound wonderful! Merry Christmas to you, and thanks.

[jackbill]

I'll have to plan a book to read. Or a floor to scrub. Or a feast to cook. Or a day out of the house. Or a building. Or a breakdown...

Ever think about shopping??

[1John]

I am glad you are on the job asking the tough questions. I am also interested in the obvious fraud being perpetrated on FReepers by the infamous Robinson Gang. I plan on publishing an expose very soon on my secret website whose address I only reveal to other true believers. If you will send me an email with your real name and address and the information on a major credit card, I will tell you where to go.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

FYI

[Redleg Duke]

Thanks for the update, and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[FrogMom]

Shopping? I've just spent over a grand on Christmas and I HATE shopping. Don't wanna. Unless it's hardware and/or software. Or books.

Any other suggestions?

[Sungirl]

Uh Oh...each forum will have its own MODERATOR? I hope they are all animal lovers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[1John]

Those in need of a Mac version of a spell checker which has a "floater" on the screen at all times and in all applications and which is FREE, will have to trust me (for a one time email) with their email address. Try SpellTools once and you'll just smile when PC users talk about spell checking problems. I especially like the feature that removes the "<" from emails. There are other tools, too!

As soon as I can get moved from @home to Charter Pipeline, I will provide a download on my website and on my FreeRepublic profile page. Meantime, I will have to send it as an attachment to an email. The company (Newertech) that originally published it and offered a free download is no more. The website was http://www.newertech.com but I notice that it is no longer on the web.

[lonevoice]

LOL! Goood answer

[womanvet]

AAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!

[WIMom]

Goon, get a real life.

[Don Joe]

"If you will send me an email with your real name and address and the information on a major credit card, I will tell you where to go."

Do you by any chance happen to work for "Auctionwatch"? I can no longer post there because I refuse to give them my credit card number. What amazes me is that so many still do post there, although the traffic volume does seem to be a fraction of what it used to be.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Works great with FR's reply boxes.

Thank you, thank you thank you. All of the Freepers on whom I have inflicted numerous misspellings thank you.

[WIladyconservative]

Oh sure, just when I'm about to fill in the Daily Dose for Rintense while she's on vacation, you go and change the format . . . can't make this easy for me can you??? (tongue firmly implanted in cheek, Jim - /sarcasm off)

Merry Christmas

[WHATNEXT?]

Watt did yu sa?

[sweetliberty]

Will we lose anything that we have stored in our FReepmail boxes. What about bookmarks? And what about that all-important wonderful new toy...the FReeper beeper! I'm sure you know what you're doing John, but I'm getting nervous. Should I ask my daddy to get me a pacifier for Christmas to get me over the hump?

[Don Joe]

Here's something else I'd like, and I bet I'm not the only one. I've several times screwed up and sent a private message when I intended to post a reply to a thread.

I'd like to see the [Private Reply] link made a different color, or moved far to the right side of the "button" list, or, eliminated entirely, with private replies handled via the posting screen. It shouldn't be too difficult to craft a workable layout, a la the Agent newsreader's methodology.

Basically, you'd decide at posting time whether you wanted your reply to go to the group, to the author, or to both. The default would be to reply to the group. Thus, anyone wanting to reply to the author would have to make the conscious effort to check the "Send to Author" (or "Both") option button before clicking the "Send" button. This would completely eliminate the possiblity of inadvertently sending a private reply by clicking the wrong link.

As a stopgap measure (read: "if nothing else"), can you make the Private Reply message editor have a colored background and blaring headline saying "PRIVATE REPLY"? As it is now, the two editors are virtually indistinguishable when one is focused on composing and submitting the message. (Requiring people to carefully discriminate between two near-identical interfaces (with very different outcomes), and requiring them to read the label on two identically placed buttons, runs counter to most ideas of intuitive design that I'm aware of.)

Just a combined IMO/plea for help!

[RonDog]

A personal question. How does one get on the Bang List?

YOU do not get on the bang-list, the THREAD does.
A thread is marked for a bump_list when someone posts a reply on that thread, i.e. To: bang_list, as I am doing right now.

Once a thread has been marked in this way, it will show up whenever anyone clicks on the link for the bang_list, which is currently: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/involved?group=152.

Bump-lists in general are sort of like using the Find in Forum function that you can access from a FReeper's profile page, i.e. jackbill - Find in Forum, except that the bang_list is not a REAL PERSON. (And most FReepers are...)

See:
Free Republic "Bump List" Register
Posted on 9/30/01 4:46 AM Pacific by John Robinson

and

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list
(Official Register of Free Republic Bump Lists)

Of course, the preceding was all correct BEFORE John Robinson's MASSIVE new changes. ;o)

Perhaps things will be even BETTER after the transition.

[ThePythonicCow]

when you use the word "massive" - it scares the heck out of me ... "massive heart attack", "massive earthquake" ...

"massive tax cut" (scary because it is a term used only by liberal Democrats, ... to refer to a limited time 1% reduction in upper bracket rates to homeless single mothers who collect social security)

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

If Verio underbid UUNET by $17,500, how is the bandwidth charge $25,000 cheaper. Did I miss something?

My guess is that UUNET offerred to reduce prices by $7500, since bandwidth is getting cheaper. But Verio underbid them by $17,500. $17,500 + $7500 = $25,000 cheaper, right JohnRob? (By the way, what about the archives?)