New Feature: Charles Spurgeon Morning & Evening Devotional Free Daily!

[Erwin]

You can now read "Charles Spurgeon's Daily Devotionals" on our homepage which will be updated twice a day every Morning and Evening. This means that each time you come to Christian Forums you can do your quiet time online as well. :)

I have reduced the number of "Latest Topics" on our homepage - this will reduce the load on our server. If you wish to see a full list of latest posts since you last marked all forums read, just click on the "Get New" button at the top of each page.

[Ben johnson]

I don't know how well the "get new" works, but I was very happy with the long list of "latest topics". This made it very easy to simply go to whatever topic looked interesting.

The NEW "latest topics" has only five entries---which equates to about the last 2 to 5 minutes. Hardly representative of the postings.

Perhaps not everyone realizes, some of us are on dial-ups. Which means, by the time I have done 4 or 5 page loads, HALF AN HOUR has passed. Each upgrade of this site has slowed (or halted) access for some of us. I do well to even LOAD "Christianforums" pages here; until the memory upgrade last week I could do only two page reads and one post per hour, THEN the computer crashed and required RE-BOOTING. This problem doesn't exist on any other message board.

And I am not allowed to edit any of my posts here. (The "edit" feature works at the library, faster service and more resources than here).

Wouldn't it make more sense to have the "devotionals" accessible, on a separate page, from a simple link on the home-page? Thus those who wish, can simply link to the page, and the familiar list-of-current-topics will be available to the rest of us.

Just a suggestion, don't mean to sound like a "whiner"...

[Erwin]

Reducing the latest threads from 25 to 5 on the homepage has reduced our homepage database queries from 80 to 40 even with the new Devotionals there (that is a savings of half). This should reduce the download time, and make things easier. The homepage queries for latest threads is inefficient - the Get New page uses much less database queries.

Overall, this serves to lighten the server load and makes it better for everyone.

Use the Get New button - you will get the same latest 20 threads, with less queries and thus server loads.

As to your computer crashing - refer to the Troubleshooting section of our FAQ. We advise that you use the latest browser (IE 5.5 or 6.0) and that you have your settings all correct - we run the latest web technologies on this site.

Also, switch on the "Hide member's avatars, user images etc. in read post" option to "ON" in your profile options - then when you mark the forum read, all old posts will not show the images.

[Ben johnson]

Thanx for the info. I use Netscape 4.75, am unwilling to upgrade to 6 (I've heard bad things about it). My non-use of Microsoft programs (very specifically in terms of email) has saved me from virus infections on several verifiable occasions.

Will "hiding the avatars" help on the "edit post" screen? It tries to load, but stops with the "Christianforums" heading and a solid blue screen. No amount of refreshing displays the "edit post" box.

Thanx again for your assistance...

[Erwin]

Ahhh... you use Netscape 4 - that explains it! :)

This site uses a lot of javascript and CSS, as well as occasional occasional XML and other scripts that is poorly compatible with Netscape 4.

For example, Netscape 4 users will not be able to use the "Hide avatars and user images in old post" feature. I think Netscape 6 can use it.

All our features will work with Internet Explorer 5 and up.

Okay, to fix your "edit post" blank page problem which will also fix your "new thread" and "post reply" pages (these instructions are in the FAQ Troubleshooting section too):

You can fix this by clicking on the "Profile" button at the top, then clicking on the "Options" link, and go to the bottom of the screen - just above the avatar section under the category "Other Options" in the option "Use Automatic Smilie Panel and Text Effects to post?" you must choose "NO". This should fix your problem for the moment. You should download the latest browser, preferably IE 6.01

Switch off the automatic smilie panel and Netscape 4 should work with this.

[Ben johnson]

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! It worked. It never occurred to me to check the "faq" page and/or trouble shoot.

I'm too sold on Netscape 4.75. It's simple, easy, the "history" and "search history" features valuable. And like I said, it's saved me from several "auto-upload-viruses". One last Fall on the LBMB...

Thanx again!

:)

[Erwin]

I'm glad it worked! :) It's those nasty javascripts that Netscape 4 has trouble with.