melev

The website was taken down due to a serious infestation of SPAM. If you were following along on Facebook, I was posting updates daily. We updated our software to the latest version, which was key to locking down potential security leaks. To make this happen, the entire site had to be rebuilt from the ground up, and I want to thank Ed for doing his webmaster magic to reassemble everything so our site would work correctly. He removed over 25,000 spam-based blog entries!

Some things you'll notice that are different:

• Color scheme. There were some areas that were hard to read. To fix them wasn't as easy as changing out a font color because the text commands are intergrated throughout the software. You can't just change one spot without affecting others. This one has been a big deal that we could never resolve easily, so it was tabled. With the lighter look of the site, everything will be legible.
• Column width. The front page has content down the center, with columns on each side. When reading articles, one or both would overlap the content. The new system allows you to read without issue from the right column. I checked my iPad 2 and it worked. Images are getting trimmed, but we may be able to create a workaround.
• Blog entries. The blog now auto-saves every minute as you type. Just something I've noticed, but I don't know where it saves to. Still, you won't lose data when typing up a lengthy one. Also, you must assign a category to the blog or it won't post. The editor is enhanced with more features than before. Image attachments in Safari are better supported now.
• Articles. The View All has been replaced with page numbers, and you can now view all articles from the home page, or from the various categories. Much improved.
• Search Engine. The search engine is amazing, and I've been testing it heavily. The Advanced Search is even better. You can search blogs, comments, articles, tags and more.
• Photo Gallery. The photo gallery is now visible once you log into the site. You can peruse the many images uploaded by our fellow addicts, and of course submit your own. If you want to include images in your blog entries, you can link from your gallery quite easily. The IMG URL is right under the picture in the lower right screen.
• Classifieds. This is brand new, and to start things off, it will be free for the next month. As of November 1, paid members will have access to sell drygoods and livestock on RA. I've always felt strongly that everyone that sells on a site should have to help pay for the upkeep, and hobbyists should feel motivated to do so. We are simply testing it out now to get a feel for how it works, so some of the current ads are in jest, while others are real. It's an integrated system, with buyers & sellers receiving notifications in their profile and PMs.
• What's New. This new tab should show you some of the latest additions to the site, based upon your last visit. We don't use forum software here, so the most basic function of What's New is unused.
• Navigation Bar. The new navigation bar (at the top of the screen) has additional features, only seen if you are logged in. And the sub-bar changes based on the part of the site you are in, giving you more choices.
• New ads. The Blog section has a new ad area, and I'm using it exclusively for MACNA 2012 this month. If you've not signed up for next year's MACNA yet, it's a mere $85 for the entire three day experience. Don't miss this opportunity to register today. The price jumps up on October 1^st to $109. For the price of a pretty coral or MH bulb, you can get so much more. Hang out with us; DFWMAS is my club... the host club for MACNA next September (28-30, 2012). We will be at the Sheraton in downtown Dallas. Room rates are $114 per night, plus $8 parking. Carpool and split the room with a buddy, and enjoy the entire time without spending a lot of cash. Click the banner, and it will take you to www.dfwmacna.com to get your registration locked in. If you wait, you'll only lose money. What are you waiting for?
• You gotta be logged in. We've had our share of silent surfers on the site, and they will continue to view portions of it, but once you are logged in you can do more. You can read the comments, use the search engine, purchase from sellers, and of course the more obvious stuff like post your own blog, follow your favorite authors, and upload your best pictures to a personal gallery.
• Promote features. You may not have noticed, but blogs, articles and images can be given up to 5 stars. The more you use this feature, the better the software can list them. Most Popular Blog entry, Most Popular Images, etc. Please use that option as you navigate the site, and over time these votes will help others discover the best of the best here on RA.
• And more to come... We are always looking to improve our site and think outside the box. Your suggestions are welcome.