Website Upgrade - Site Downtime

Sharky

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On Sunday evening (2nd May) at 11pm, the site will be taken down for approx 3-4 hours so we can perform the first major upgrade to the site since Feb 2002, and the first of a series of upgrades planned for this year.

Older members of T2W will know that the site evolved through four very different styles since it was launched back in Jan 2001 - (http://www.trade2win.co.uk/about/history.php). The present look 'n feel has proved so successful that it's largely remained intact for the past two years.

Hence, the style updates to the site this time round are really just refinements to the existing graphics (to give a slightly more polished and refined look) and colours, dropping the drab grey in favour of a more attractive and upbeat blue

Besides the cosmetic changes we'll also be upgrading the forum software (the first major upgrade since the site began). An upgrade that we believe will offer our members the most advanced forum system of any trading related website. The improvements include the following:

General

New User Reputation System (in addition to the current ranking system)

Enhanced FAQ System

Forum Index

Show the title of the last posted to thread for each forum on index.php

Forums/Categories

Subscribed threads are indicated with an icon on thread / forumdisplay listings

Subscribe to forum, and choose whether to receive email notification

Threads/Posts

New Post layout, streamlined

Posting/Editing

New improved WYSIWYG Editor for major text input fields (IE 5.5+, Mozilla, Firebird)

Attempting to post a duplicate thread now results in an error message, and the user being sent back to the forumdisplay listing

Attachments

Multiple attachments to a post!

Automatic thumbnail attachments!

Preview safe attachments

Email

Digests: new posts/threads in selected forums daily/weekly/monthly

"excerpt of message:" are now in the new reply email notifications

Login

Login/logout ability in all pages, with user/pass form -- single login system

Password break-in watches -- too many failed attempts warning with a preset wait after too many failures.

PMs

Completely revamped PM system

Integrating Tracking with the Regular Folders

Mass download of PMs in CSV, TXT, or XML format

Preview PM before sending

Ability to send PM to multiple recipients

Mark PM(s) as read/unread

Private messages are now grouped by sending date, and each group can be collapsed to conserve screen space

Polls

When you vote your name is highlighted when viewing results

Poll results ordered by most to less voted

Ability to post a poll AFTER a thread had started

Threads that do not already have polls now include a link at the bottom of the posts lists that allows users (with permissions to create polls) to add a poll to that thread

Search

Get daily for just one category

Search only in subscribed forums

A list of ignored words or words used in a search are added to the results page

Option to find only started by 'username'

Display matching forums in results

Support for searching custom profile fields

Quoted text excluded from search

Search system is improved with regards to speed. Even faster now!

Select multiple forums to search

User Options --> User CP

Settings / Options Section:
- Option to enable / disable daylight savings time
- Option to select default type of subscription in User CP (rather than just subscribe or don't subscribe)
- Requires password when changing e-mail address

Subscribed Threads Section:
- Subscription to Threads/Forum without receiving e-mails
- Change selected subscriptions to selected type (e.g.: like the PM system, with check boxes next to each message, and an option to move, delete, or download them)

Miscellaneous Section:
- Users may remove attachments directly from their attachment manager via UCP

Other:

- Pop-up auto-refreshing buddy list with ICQ-style alerts when new buddies come online.
- Validity check for homepages
- vCard download (must be enabled in users' control panels) to allow the user profile to be placed into the address book

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In addition, the Arcade get's an update too with new games and a new "Arcade Challenges" system that let's users play 1-on-1 contests.

As always we look forward to hearing your feedback about these changes. As the first of a series of planned upgrades it promises to be an exciting year ahead for the site and we'd like to thank everyone who's supported us this far.
 
Fantastic Sharky, although I can't imagine the site being improved as it is allready superb. You're not only a great trader but also a fantastic webpage designer. Congratulations on establishing the best trading website. I take my hat down to you, for spending your time making and improving this website

P.S Shall we have a little countdown thing until the new design :cheesy:
 
T2W Joins Europe too - history is made :cheesy:
Paul - looks good but I'll wait until breakfast on Monday to try to sign in :cheesy:
Some of those new features look really helpful!
 

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Perfectionists always strive to be even better......and keep at it...

Sharky is one of them.....and it shows...
 
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I agree with FTSE beater,
I've met him, and he's only 12 or so I think... mind you, in the mirror I'm about 30 so I'm not all that sure my estimate is all that hot. (Paul, for the interested types, is at least 23)
I'll look forward to the new revamp, it would be nice to see T2W continue to grow.
Dave
 
Which mirror's that Dave? :LOL: :LOL:

Mine's even worse :rolleyes:
 

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Just a quick reminder that the site will be unavailable this evening from 11pm for about 3-4 hours while we upgrade the site. No doubt the majority will be asleep when we finish this process, so forewarning that you'll wake up to a slightly different looking site!
 
Feels as if were are counting down to the new year, good luck with the upgrade Sharky
 
The majority of the upgrades to the site are now complete. With such a major upgrade there are bound to be some teething problems, so please notify us on this thread of any problems you've found.

The remaining style updates to the rest of the site will hopefully be finished tomorrow, along wih any other remaining tasks that didn't make it into tonight's release.

Enjoy!
 
Sharky a question if I may, where is the forex chat room?

Great job on the site, looks fantastic!
 
Excellent Sharky

Whenever you think things can't get much better than this Sharky always pulls it off!! and goes one better.

There will be more people flocking to this site now to see the talent of one of the best web page designers.
 
nice new look sharky, not that there was anything wrong with the old one but hey still a nice new look
 
I didn't think you could improve this site but you have and what a job you have done!
I love the new colours thinking about painting my house the same.
Only thing is i can't seem to find the Forex chat room.

Faris... :p
 
I Reallylike the new text editor :LOL:
and the ability to click onto a members nick to pm them
 
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