Changes to download section - members and creators please read!

[Delphy]

Hi All,

Short version:

Todays changes to the site include:


Addition of /creator/ shortcut, to go directly to a creators profile by name
Addition of /member/ shortcut, which acts like the above
Change to the download pages, whereby the Featured items now get shown in pages other than the download root, so you can, for example, go into the Sims section and see only the featured Sims.
Changed some of the links to the members profiles on the download screen to use the new shortcuts above


Long version:

Firstly, As you know, on MTS2 - as on every vBulletin board - member profiles are traditionally accessed via your userid (the id number you get when registering - mine is id 1 for example).

Some of you may have known about the /members/ shortcut to access your profile for a while, however, previously this just did a straight redirect to your profile. Today I have slightly changed this system to the following:

- All download pages now reference the creator by using /creator/creatorname, for example /creator/Numenor or /creator/V1ND1CARE
- You member profile (and thus, downloads), can be referenced by using /member/membername. This is essentially the same as the creator shortcut above.

What does this mean really? Well, instead of being http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=1, you can be http://www.modthesims2.com/member/delphy (well, ok, you can't really be me, but you know what I mean). Essentially this gives you a "home" on MTS2 thats linked to your creator or member name directly - much more friendly and above all it's easier to remember.

You can put your /member/ shortcut in your signature, on other boards - wherever you like, and you'll be much more accessable.

Secondly, I have extended the featured creation system so that it follows you as you "drill down" through sections. Click on Downloads has traditionally given you only the latest 3 featured + a random one. This has meant that once a featured item is bumped off the front page, it's only accessable through the normal download browsing or through the special Featured page.

Today, when you browse down through sections, you'll see that sections featured downloads at the top. As an example - if you go to Downloads and then click on Lots & Housing, you'll see only the featured items within Lots & Housings. Then, if you click into Residential, you'll see only Residential Featured items. It means that Featured items are much more visible and also gives the staff a little more flexibility since bumping something off the front page wont be as detrimental to a downloads popularity anymore.

That's it for today - small changes, but some nice ones. I'd recommend that everybody start using either the /creator/username (for creators), or /member/username (for normal people).

Additional information: 12th December 2006

I have implemented a caching system for the Featured item slots on the download pages. This saves 2 mySQL database queries per user per refresh of the download pages, but has the caveat that the "Random" featured item (the right most one) only updates every 30 minutes now - however this has the knock on advantage of creating more exposure for older featured items in addition to having them on the sub-forum download pages.

Don't be suprised if, after being used to having random featured items show up on the download pages, you see the same one for a while. :)

End of changes

As usual, any comments or feedback or questions, let me know.

Regards
Delphy

[clovests2]

Nice Update!

Clovests2

[Khaibit]

Being John Malkovich is outdated - Being Delphy sounds much better, No. 1 (Poser! :P ) As long as it's just temporaty...
The new member "homes" (either the creator or member way of finding a certain one - it even works to find a creator with his/her member name only ;)) are great, a lot better than trying to remember a number! (I made it to remember 2, too lazy to search all the time :lol:) :up:
Took me a moment to understand what you mean with the Featured Item improvement (because of language troubles) but after understanding I think it's a clever solution, offers better fitting featured items, cool!

Very well done!

[Paleoanth]

I love having a name instead of a number. I feel like a real person with my pseudoname now. sniff.

Thanks, seriously. Those are thoughtful changes.

[Ben♣]

Nice update and thanks for everything you've done for MTS2 Delphy ! :)

I have a little problem... as you can see there's a weird character in my name ( ♣ ) so clicking on it to see my profile isn't possible now... maybe I shouldn't have registered with this character but I hadn't had any problems until now.

[patul]

Awesome, it will be very easy to write credit an thanks lines !
thank you http://www.modthesims2.com/member/delphy :lol:

[Eowyn1]

Cool, seems to make things a bit easier, thanks.

[mickey_inlimite]

This really will help out those linking to people, now they dont have to remember the ID, all they need to know is how to spell their Username! :)

Thanks alot for these great changes! :)

[Delphy]

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the report - the "foreign" and strange characters obviously aren't liked by the member.php script. I'll see if I can fix this.

[syn28]

Great update as usual, Delphy. You're like a vBulliten Deity.

or how about... The G-O-D of P-H-P?

I dunno... I've just had too much coffee today. Excuse my idiocy. ;p

[Jessy500]

Very good Idea, Thanx SO much Delphy!

[General Oohoh]

I like the changes, it'll make things much easier! Thank you Delphy! :)

[crocobaura]

I wasn't aware we had numbers, but nice improvement. Feels better than a number. Like patul said it will be very easy to write credits and thanks when linking directly to a creator's page as it's much easier to remember names than numbers. Thank you for the thoughtful updates. :)

[Delphy]

Okay, Ben, (and this affected Marylou & Numenor too), I've fixed the problem with the illegal characters not linking to the right profile - thanks for the heads up.

Regards
Delphy

[animebooklover]

The changes are all great, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get to the featured items now.

[Khaibit]

As usual, Downloads -> Featured Items, then choose a Subsection OR Downloads -> Section, there click the Featured Object on top of the page.
Roger? :)

[animebooklover]

Thank you :D

[alkaloid]

Ah, I love how the creators aren't normal people. ;)

BTW, thank you very much! This will really improve site usability.

[fanseelamb]

Ooh these "member" urls are fantabulous, but the "creator" ones don't seem to be working right. Examples:

http://www.modthesims2.com/member/Numenor :)

http://www.modthesims2.com/creator/Numenor :(

http://www.modthesims2.com/member/fanseelamb :jest:

http://www.modthesims2.com/creator/fanseelamb :cry:

[GoldenSimmer]

Great idea, thank you.

[tiggerypum]

Now we know the truth about creators, we don't really exist :D
I am sure it's just one little character or something that slipped in there... :P

[Artephius]

I'm not sure if I should thank you for the improvement, or pout because you've made a site that is already so well-designed and friendly even more fun to navigate around-- my loved ones are going to hold an intervention if I spend anymore time here than I already do!

[Delphy]

fansee, thanks for the heads up - turns out when I added support for the foreign chars in the names I broke the /creator/ links :) It's all fixed now though :)

[dream_operator23]

I like the idea about the featured downloads being applicable to the type of download you are browsing. It took me almost a year to actually get to browsing the featured downolad area and I noticed that I had missed a lot of great stuff.

Dream

[Mcswain27]

As usual, Downloads -> Featured Items, then choose a Subsection OR Downloads -> Section, there click the Featured Object on top of the page.
Roger? :)

I still can't see the full-list of featured downloads anymore - whenever I click on the 'featured downloads' link it bumps me to the root download menu, and the featured list is empty...

[VêRtÏgØ]

As you can see on the left my name is just plain weird. i never knew that it would be so hard logging in whith such a name. i have to copy paste and everything now into the boxes. so what can i do? is there a way to solve it?

[Khaibit]

Mcswain27,
I just checked again - and Delphy didn't break these links :D They're still working.
When you choose Featured Downloads the next stuff to choose from (Objects, Lots etc.) are the featured ones.

copy paste, eh VêRtÏgØ :D
Did you try to mark "remember me"? When your cookies work correctly and you don't logg of you should automatically stay logged in.
Well, maybe Delphy can help you to change your name into a simpler typing :D (How do you pronounce it correctly?)
And maybe you could delete the 2nd of your double posts? :)

[AbstractSIMmer187]

These are exclellent changes, i guess thats why MTS2 is the best sims 2 site out there :D

[Delphy]

McSwain,

Are you talking about the link that goes to featured.php? If so, that hasn't changed in this update. :)

Vertigo,

I see no issues with clicking on your name to get to your profile - the site correctly encodes the special characters as it should.

[Khaibit]

Ehm, what's this? Was playing with the name vs. number and for some users, also user no. 1 I got this This user has not registered and therefore does not have a profile to view. when trying to use the old number-selection. Names work. Are numbers turned off for some members now?

Delphy, did you quit? :D

[fanseelamb]

Khaibit, the number URL is a little different.

http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=1

http://www.modthesims2.com/member/Delphy

http://www.modthesims2.com/creator/Delphy <-- it works now! yay! :bunny:

[Khaibit]

I didn't enter the URLs manually but via clicking the member in postings, sometimes they work with numbers still, sometimes appeared names. The same happened when clicking Papa Smurfmenor: in a thread, talking he was displayed in his profile with his old number, should be 4406 - now only his name appears... (http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=4406 now http://www.modthesims2.com/member/Numenor) and via creator info in one of his downloads his name was displayed - and everything works fine.
Trying your link to No 1 and then clicking "View My Forum Profile" doesn't work, Delphy doesn't exist as a number anymore.
Either it is another Opera trouble or it is a linking trouble from "viewing member" to "viewing profile" - clearer now?
I am addlepated but not completely dumb so I can keep seperated the different ways the URLs work :D

Edit: Your link works as your name is displayed, cannot check it with your number... don't know my own neither or numbers from other creators but I fiddled around and creators profiles (either if they appear as /member/ or as /creator/ - as long as something is available for download it doesn't work) can't be displayed via the number-URL for me. So what's this?

[NessyOriginal]

I think that is cool.

See you :)

[fanseelamb]

Ohh yes okay I see what you mean, Khaibit. If you go to a Featured Creator page via the number URL - which is the URL you get using search or browsing the members list - the "View My Forum Profile" link is broken. Examples:

http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=1

http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=13790

http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=4407

http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=193792

http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=117050

[Paleoanth]

McSwain,

Are you talking about the link that goes to featured.php? If so, that hasn't changed in this update. :)


Actually I get the same thing. I just clicked on Featured Items from the main download page. It took me to a menu area and when I clicked on Sims, there were all the sims people had made sorted by date uploaded. The link says featured.php, but it doesn't seem to go to just featured anymore.

Am I just looking at the wrong area?

Edit: This is where clicking on featured Items takes me:
http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

[Khaibit]

At least it isn't caused by Opera this time :D
Didn't take care of the fact that I tried it with featured creators only - clicked in several threads several names :lol:

Now that you know what I mean I guess Delphy should be able to understand you at least - in cases like this, noticing a confusing "happening", trying to find words in English to describe what I mean, which means concentrating on language in first place and not getting lost in checking the "happening" itself on my own though I'm getting distracted by "English" is bloody difficult to me! *feeling helpless, once more*
I didn't even realized that I mixed 4406 and 4407 up - and the 4407 is one of the 2 numbers I made it to remember (the other is 23182, Nouk) ... ok, maybe I'm just too dumb to use this forum or my English is just too bad, maybe both...

Thank you, Fansee, that you took the time to fiddle out what I mean and made it clearer :)

Paleoanth,
at least this works fine for me so in case you clicked right (I suppose :) ) this "error" doesn't happen all the time...

[patul]

:help: I have problem to see *Matheus* profile... sorry :(
What about the system characters : /\?...
;)

[Khaibit]

This worked for me too! *feels so successful* :D
Patul, did you try http://www.modthesims2.com/member/Matheus

[patul]

It is not the good one !
He has a new uploaded lot, if you want to make some tests : http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=209307
and the link in the main dwld page is also weird.
:)

[Khaibit]

Great... *feels successless again*
I didn't think you mean the "**" included :faceslap:
This time it worked with number only, the name was not found on this server.

This one worked for me http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=192487

BTW, why do you think the other one is a bad one? :D

[Paleoanth]

FYI-

The featured items link works for me now! Excellent.

[Delphy]

Okay the people with other funky characters should work now too :)

Also, see the first post for an update.

[GLachaille]

Wonderful update, but I just came across something very odd...

Every thread I see seems to be created by one person - V1ND1CARE - but when you click on the actual thread its started by someone else - in the case of the first item shown in the image - the Creator is listed as kg4bet on the actual download page.

http://www.saimhe.net/MST2Oddity.gif

[Delphy]

Already fixed GLachaille :)

[ead425]

thank you, I really like it.

[phoenix_phaerie]

I can't access the Featured section any more. Every time I click the 'More Featured Items' link, it redirects me to the root Downloads forum. Is this a bug or the intended result??

ETA: No matter where I navigate from, the .../featured.php link always redirects me here: http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

[osikowim]

The version 1.1.8 on the Q-
Expresss insaller does not work. When i click on the orange Q to download something, my q-express program wont take the download. At the bottom of the program it says "cannot open http://......................." Please Help this is really bugging me big time

[karen82869]

Nice changes. Thanks, Delphy!
Has anyone else noticed this? As far as I've been able to tell, when viewing profiles, it appears everyone now shows as "offline."
Even I currently appear as offline, yet I am clearly here, typing away! <tap, tap, tap, click-click.>
I may not be "normal," but I haven't chosen to be invisible.
Maybe a glitch related to the recent changes...?

[Delphy]

karen,

Thats been like that for a good couple months now, and is entirely deliberate.

phoenix,

Please check if you have "Do not use Core Pages" ticked in your User Options.

osikowim,

This is not the Q-Xpress support forum - please post over there. (http://www.q-xpressinstaller.com)

Regards
Delphy

[Judfer]

Very nice. I have always hated having to scroll and click through numerous pages to get to the creator I want. Now I can just remember that it was a cute outfit by SimFashionista or something, and go straight to it!! Cool beans.

[squall117]

Changing from great to even greater... as always :)
Thanks a lot for your work Delhpy

[amycapdet]

I think this is a great improvement -it makes urls easier to remember when you want to go back to a item to check other people's feedback, for example, and also enhances each creator's work; always rather a name than a number. Thank you, Delphy.

[osikowim]

It still doesn't work, i dont know why but i cant download anything now. i checked if i had do not use core pages and i dont have it selected. give me some more things i can do. its not working!!! how come i can't download an earlier Q-express installer?? the latest one does not WORK!!! please help me delphy

[djsclaus]

great updates Delphy, and great job cutting down on 2 database queries

On a site like this, just 2 per person should have taken up a ton of bandwith!

[Delphy]

djsclaus, it's not about bandwidth, it's more about how efficiently the database server works. For something that doesn't get updated that often (like Featured items, News, Tutorial lists etc), it's way better to simply cache and update on-demand rather than make 2 queries per page refresh per user for what is effectively static content

osikowim,

You are hereby banned from this thread - do not post here again. Re-read my previous instructions. Re-read them again, and then a third time. This is not the Q-Xpress Support Line, I will not put you on hold for 34 minutes - I simply will cut you off or play irritating Christmas music till you stop hijacking this thread with your issues.

[osikowim]

sorry delphy, wont do it again

[lilaviel]

Fabulous. The changes keep getting better and better.

[Ashen]

Am I doing something wrong, or it could be that this old brain just doesn't get the change when it comes to the featured items:

When ever I click on them I get redirected to the Downloads page - so both from the main and when I try accessing it from the Download page (ie it seems as if I hit refresh, returns me back to the D/l page). I didn't think this was part of the changed but as I've said maybe I misunderstood. So basically I can't get to Featured Items page at all.

[ltorres]

Thank you so much for making the site more convenient. It is an excellent feeling knowing that the creators of this site have our best interests in mind.

I have a small suggestion :bunny: As I browse through the creators and members I found that I often visit certain ones regularly. I was wondering if there was a way there could be a "favorites" list on our profiles so we have all of our favorite creators in one place. ... but I imagine that must be a big project... so don't feel pressured! Just a small shout from the crowd...

Thank you for everything so far!

[Sadisticpyro]

I seem to be having difficulties getting to the Featured section as well.

I checked for core pages, and it's not ticked. Whenever I try to access the featured section, it directs me here (http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38). What am I doing wrong?

[chanceofrainne]

Wow, Delphy, these changes are great! Thanks to you and the MTS2 team for all your hard work! :lovestruc

[j030977]

Terrific changes. I noticed before I read. Thanks.

[simal10]

I can't access the Featured section any more. Every time I click the 'More Featured Items' link, it redirects me to the root Downloads forum. Is this a bug or the intended result??

ETA: No matter where I navigate from, the .../featured.php link always redirects me here: http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

I have the same problem like you have! sometimes I go to the featured items but sometimes when I click on the featured items it directs me to the same link: http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

[daemonbreed]

In the Pets download section there are no downloads! :help:
There are the Featured ones but all other pets downloads are gone. I have no idea if this has to do with the new update or not but i would like to download some pet stuff since i just got pets.

Btw - The upload is great, it will make navigation so much easier

[Sadisticpyro]

In the Pets download section there are no downloads! :help:
There are the Featured ones but all other pets downloads are gone. I have no idea if this has to do with the new update or not but i would like to download some pet stuff since i just got pets.

Btw - The upload is great, it will make navigation so much easier

Make sure you have 'Pets EP' ticked off in your "compatible games" section.

[daemonbreed]

Make sure you have 'Pets EP' ticked off in your "compatible games" section.

Oh yeah thank you

[Ashen]

A lil' update - I seem to be able to see the FI's just fine now, so no more problems, so what ever you did worked :D

[stupiddog]

Great changes, but I want to know why everytime I try to download something, I am asked something about inserting a disk (i'm trying to use Q-Xpress installer) called Paperport. I know that there is NO traces of anything to do with paperport on my computer, and its disabling alot of my programs. Eeep.

[Delphy]

Absolutely no clue but thats not a site issue, thats an issue with your PC :)

[stupiddog]

I figured.:P It only seems to occur when I use Q-X press, so I'll go on without it till I find a cure for my crippled little computer.

[Blalala]

Why cant i be you Delphy? :(

[vdrm]

great idea, congratulations ;P

[Batman'sRobin]

Uhm, I can't see my profile - it says it's not registered. :huh:

[bornagainmammabear]

Marvelous, simply marvelous....thank you for those revisions....Makes gleaning so much easier....And relocating my lost items are going to be a breeze now....if I could only keep my poor little computer's brain from failing...I've downloaded way to many goodies...

[PhantasyGurl]

I give it two thumbs up!

[[burning up]]

thanks! :D

[Ashen]

Delphy,

it seems like the Featured Items is still a bit buggy for me, so just like for the other poster - sometimes I do see them, like last night, but right now I can't ie it again returns me to the Downloads page. Most odd.

[MisfitRocker]

These updates are really useful, thank you Delphy!

[~Jessica~]

i like the new changes :)
i encountered a bug right now trying to view .Hanna.Webster.'s profile
the link: http://www.modthesims2.com/member/.Hanna.Webster.
comes up with a 404 error page.

[Jolijnn]

I actually can't download anything, and i already deleted my cookies :blink: How do i solve this problem, cuz i loooove the new and improved download section :anime:

[-its-only-time-]

hmm who updates the Q-Express programme? Version 1.1.9 does not work with me on my laptop, which has Vista Home Premium, but works fine on my desktop running XP Professional SP2... Any chance of an update to it... I get a "Run Time error (i think ~ 11) Division By Zero" Message with Vista and no problems on XP... Ive tried Uninstalling and Reinstalling, Letting the Firewall run it as an exception, and running as an administrator (even though I am the admin - stupid vista...), and uninstalled Norton because that interferes with some applications...? Anyone have any ideas, or is it just not Vista Compat..?

[Canoodle]

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=251429 Please see this sticky in site issues.

Can we now get back on topic?

[star/screamer66]

ok that site doesnt help at all- we need recent info pretty please or at least xpress should be updated for 2008 users

[Delphy]

How about: "It doesn't work / has not been tested / is unlikely to be tested for quite some time"? :)