BR Forum Feedback

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 06 Mar 2015 11:05

Got it. RF

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 07 Mar 2015 00:33

I am finding BRF forum inaccessible. I can access it via proxy server and its quick. I wonder if anyone is having similar problems? OR AM I IP BANNED?

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 07 Mar 2015 02:24

^^ Same here, but I have had this problem for over 6 months. Can't access the forum from my home ISP

. Does anyone know if individual IPs are blocked by the forum server?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 07 Mar 2015 02:28

You're not banned. Maybe you're being assigned a banned IP dynamically. We'll check.

Added: none of your IPs are on the IP banned list. That list itself is very short. Perhaps your ISP or DNS configuration is the cause. Try switching those to something else, like Google's DNS or OpenDNS configurations.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 07 Mar 2015 04:29

Thanks Suraj, will try alternative DNS servers. The ISP (Comcast) says they are not blocking anything, and traceroute shows a timeout after the packet leaves the Comcast network.

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 07 Mar 2015 09:41

arshyam, am wondering if the packet takes an extraordinary long route from your host to hosted box and TTL exceeds the limit. Am not sure you could do anything in this case.

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 07 Mar 2015 11:38

Thanks Suraj. Will try alternative DNS.

Melwyn · Post by **Melwyn** » 08 Mar 2015 21:52

Are there any plans for redesigning the BR homepage?
It looks awfully dated like from 80s.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 08 Mar 2015 22:59

See the 'Mainsite Refresh: Volunteers Wanted' thread at the top of every single forum.

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 10 Mar 2015 22:07

Admins, is it possible to add a "Like" link or a star which is like a counter? i have seen some forums having that. So good posts have a higher Like count.

archan · Post by **archan** » 13 Mar 2015 09:07

Are those boards running phpBB?

negi · Post by **negi** » 13 Mar 2015 13:13

I like BRF's retro look , new flasy stuff is a distraction and not good for those who surf BRF at work.

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 13 Mar 2015 22:53

It occurrs to me that positive feedback is fine (since people like positive responses) but negative i..e dislike button would be at the lowest level of refutation. Essentially giving no reason.

Overall like this format and look.

partha · Post by **partha** » 14 Mar 2015 09:02

KJo wrote:Admins, is it possible to add a "Like" link or a star which is like a counter? i have seen some forums having that. So good posts have a higher Like count.

Yeah, that would be nice. Right now, the only way to express approval or appreciation of a post is to explicitly reply and add something to the reply. Many times, you just like a post but not necessarily have anything to add. Likes will also be a feedback for the poster.

negi · Post by **negi** » 15 Mar 2015 13:52

Someone has uploaded some gif animation in nukkad, it is causing the Chrome to hang .

johneeG · Post by **johneeG** » 16 Mar 2015 09:17

partha wrote:
KJo wrote:Admins, is it possible to add a "Like" link or a star which is like a counter? i have seen some forums having that. So good posts have a higher Like count.
Yeah, that would be nice. Right now, the only way to express approval or appreciation of a post is to explicitly reply and add something to the reply. Many times, you just like a post but not necessarily have anything to add. Likes will also be a feedback for the poster.

Yea, I too feel similarly. But, I have seen this 'like' button being misused or abused in some other forums. There can also be a sort of competition among people to acquire more likes and it can quickly degenerate. Silly or simple one liners can get many likes. In one forum, I saw people 'liking' each other's posts. Sort of you scratch my back and I scratch your back thing. For some reason, these stats can really influence our thinking, so people want to have higher post counts and higher like counts.

So, if there is a like button, I think these likes and post counts should not be shown in stats of the poster(in the posts). They should only be shown in poster's personal profile space. Then, each post can stand on its own merit.

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 16 Mar 2015 12:04

Can't we have tags per post. There is a lot of cross dependencies on subject matters. Sometimes it is difficult to focus only on political matters without cultural issues seeping in. Economics and politics. These are intertwined. And since each thread has single focus mods have to stop the thread derailment (in the current form).
We can have single purpose threads. The individual posts carry the default tag of the subject. If additional subjects are brought in, it is the poster's responsibility to tag appropriately. If no proper tags, warning can be given.
This way, the readers can use strict filtering while reading and ignore extraneous issues. Site wide searches with tags makes sure you don't miss out on your pet subject.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 16 Mar 2015 21:17

We'll have to consider forum bells and whistles at some future time. Currently, our imperative is to fix the out of date main site, and revive the BRM/SRR , and that is what will get attention. Updating forum software is a generally hairy exercise and multiple mods who had to deal with the mess of the last update may be in no hurry to implement the next one.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 17 Mar 2015 16:34

Is there a way to embed tweets in posts?

archan · Post by **archan** » 17 Mar 2015 20:01

not that I know of.

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 24 Mar 2015 03:42

Can someone guide me on this -- All embedded shockwave-flash videos in various dhagas are not playing in firefox for me. It is version 36 on linux and windows. In windows the frame shows up but on clicking just vanishes. In linux even the frame is not showing up. Any ideas/suggestions. I've upraded mozilla and reinstalled adobe/flash plugins.

Tested with opera and firefox on win7 and fedora-21 -- same result. Internet explorer on win-7 works fine.
The videos show and play in IE on win7 though.

K Mehta · Post by **K Mehta** » 28 Mar 2015 15:13

Should a thread on IMF WB AIIB etc global banking institutions be in strategic forum for the geopolitical aspects or in economy forum?

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 28 Mar 2015 15:20

better to focus on econ aspects. in strat we would end up generating far too much hot air.

K Mehta · Post by **K Mehta** » 28 Mar 2015 17:24

thread created, rename it if necessary.
PS: Indranil you have mail

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 05 Apr 2015 18:04

Can I start a thread on Indian unorganised sector?

member_23857 · Post by **member_23857** » 06 Apr 2015 07:40

All of a sudden, I cannot see the YouTube links embeded in the posts. Especially my favorite multimedia link thread

. This seem to be happening only in Chrome and the links show correctly in IE. Not sure if there is a setting I need to turn on in Chrome. Any pointers welcome. TIA.

partha · Post by **partha** » 06 Apr 2015 07:50

johneeG wrote: In one forum, I saw people 'liking' each other's posts. Sort of you scratch my back and I scratch your back thing.

Anonymous likes will solve the problem.

partha · Post by **partha** » 06 Apr 2015 07:56

sappunni wrote:All of a sudden, I cannot see the YouTube links embeded in the posts. Especially my favorite multimedia link thread . This seem to be happening only in Chrome and the links show correctly in IE. Not sure if there is a setting I need to turn on in Chrome. Any pointers welcome. TIA.

That's because brf link is a secure one (https) but embedded youtube links are that of http. Such embedded links are blocked by Chrome. ~~Either posters should embed https youtube links or~~ forum software should automatically change the http youtube links to https links.

Edit:

Try this. It worked for me -
https://productforums.google.com/forum/ ... rwppKWbKnc

In the address bar at the right end should be a 'shield' icon, you can click on that to run insecure content.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 06 Apr 2015 22:19

Instead of locking and deleting threads after 100 pages, is it possible to have a rolling window, like keep deleting the first few pages of the thread so that the thread's page limit never crosses 100, and you always have context for some pages? I know it will be difficult to do it manually, but does the forum software support any such feature?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 07 Apr 2015 01:29

No it doesn't, as far as we're aware.

member_23857 · Post by **member_23857** » 07 Apr 2015 06:46

partha wrote:
sappunni wrote:All of a sudden, I cannot see the YouTube links embeded in the posts. Especially my favorite multimedia link thread . This seem to be happening only in Chrome and the links show correctly in IE. Not sure if there is a setting I need to turn on in Chrome. Any pointers welcome. TIA.
That's because brf link is a secure one (https) but embedded youtube links are that of http. Such embedded links are blocked by Chrome. ~~Either posters should embed https youtube links or~~ forum software should automatically change the http youtube links to https links.

Edit:

Try this. It worked for me -
https://productforums.google.com/forum/ ... rwppKWbKnc
In the address bar at the right end should be a 'shield' icon, you can click on that to run insecure content.

Partha Saar you made my day. It worked. Thank you !!

sunnyP · Post by **sunnyP** » 11 Apr 2015 20:30

Is the cricket thread meant to be locked or has this been done in error?

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 11 Apr 2015 20:35

whenever a thread is locked at 100 pages or more, please start a new one.
no need to ask.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 19 Apr 2015 08:25

What I've learned in the last few days on the LCA thread is that for as long as Indians genuflect to the Indian armed forces and treat them like Gods, all is well. The moment you say a word questioning whether the armed forces too should flex in the direction of the taxpayer, you know - the ones paying for the upkeep of the armed forces, by accepting domestic products even as they are improved in tranches, or by accepting domestic products with a greater level of maturity than the level of maturity the armed forces have accepted in foreign products, then you are found guilty of undervaluing the life of the armed warrior by undermining his or her need for a fully developed system. That the Armed Forces themselves have done worse by accepting sub-standard under-developed and under-performing systems from foreign companies is taboo. The Armed Forces reserve the right to idiocy. Carry on, mods. Keep banning people who vent their frustration. That will solve the problem, surely.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 19 Apr 2015 08:35

disagree with the points raised, not the person(s) raising the points.
no unsubstantiated namecalling or insinuations.
mind the language.

follow these dictums and everything is ok.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 19 Apr 2015 08:47

The name-calling was not unsubstantiated. It was goaded by bullying from a moderator. I reported the moderator's post, which was really an abuse of his position as a moderator. The moderator's tone in his posts was very aptly captured by the word used by the person who has now been banned for a month. The word was used after I had already reported the moderator's post. The word used was obviously provoked. I know I'm not entitled to know what action has been taken against the moderator. But I know that I am entitled to say that his action was like a simpleton's.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 19 Apr 2015 09:18

~~I am making this post because I detest the following people~~ - no strike that

I am making this post to see if something that was not possible earlier is possible now.

Would it be possible to get links posted on the forum to open in a new tab when they are clicked?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 19 Apr 2015 12:37

PratikDas wrote:The name-calling was not unsubstantiated. It was goaded by bullying from a moderator.

It wasn't 'goaded'. Posters were asked to maintain decorum, quite brusquely too, considering by that point it was a free for all. Instead posters took on the messenger. From a moderator team perspective, many posters consider it their 'right' to post whatever comes to their mind, with absolutely no regard for the consequences. "If I want to call a personality names, I will. If I want to call an institution names, I will. If someone blames me, I'll point fingers elsewhere and claim I was 'goaded' into saying so." This is BRF - Bharat Rakshak Forum, not MKBKF - Mein Kuch Bhi Kahunga Forum (I'll say whatever I like forum).

The anonymous and impersonal nature of an online forum provides many freedoms. It also takes away many senses of responsibility with which we normally converse in daily life. Most of those who post angry rants here are completely different characters in real life, far more mature, collected and careful about how they speak.

DexterM received a well deserved ban. Several posts of trolling, followed up by attacking moderators personally. Your own earlier post is an interesting example of this behavior:

What I've learned in the last few days on the LCA thread is that for as long as Indians genuflect to the Indian armed forces and treat them like Gods, all is well.

This is the kind of perverse mis-characterization of another's motives that leads to the kind of trouble in that thread. Poster doesn't like the argument that water ingress might have been an issue, or that IAF did not accept original radomes. Therefore it's ok to say:

DexterM wrote:It is shameful that now we can simply say maybe that rainwater is so serious that the FOC must be delayed. Shameful and utterly self-deceiving. Worse, it comes from a mod. Either don't participate or don't moderate. That genuflection comment was a disgrace to the IAF as well.

It is "shameful" . "self-deceiving" . "worst coming from a mod". "Do this or that". Take a polemic out of context and attack that as well.

The thread stopping being about the thread topic about 4-5 pages ago. It's mostly angry talk. The forums just a place for many who posted there to use as a punching bag to let their frustrations out at. God forbid anyone get in their way. Other posters ? Attack them. Mods ? Who cares, take on them too. When asked to calm down by not one or even two, but FOUR moderators, nothing.

Instead we get forum feedback that posters should have the freedom vent as they wish, with the moderators supposed to be the nannies running behind to clean up. On the other hand, posters also must have the 'freedom' to ignore any and every mod when it suits them. That's all very convenient. And no, none of it is acceptable.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 19 Apr 2015 15:58

I have said my view, a long time ago, as a non-moderator, that "Same as we are reminded of wartime sacrifices, the military brass should be reminded that, a lot of civilians died during peace since 1947, so funds are available for the shiny stuff they ask for imports. Funds that do not get spend on health/road safety/education/policing et al during peace"

But that does not mean I call names at a moderator, if he says, "Utter tosh! You, a civilian have no idea what it is to be at the border during shelling"

PratikDas wrote:The name-calling was not unsubstantiated.

But I know that I am entitled to say that his action was like a simpleton's.

PratikDas no, you are not entitled to say that, as DexterM found out. There is no need for action against rohitvats. You got a month long ban for bandwaggoning with DexterM's approach, despite my warning in LCA thread.

SanjayC · Post by **SanjayC** » 19 Apr 2015 18:12

shiv wrote:~~I am making this post because I detest the following people~~ - no strike that

I am making this post to see if something that was not possible earlier is possible now.

Would it be possible to get links posted on the forum to open in a new tab when they are clicked?

Press Control while clicking on a link - it opens in a new tab. Works, at least in Chrome and Firefox.