# Questions and Poll on the Ferrox Code



## Dragoneer (Jul 3, 2006)

We are making good progresson the Ferrox update and will begin closed testing "soon" (read: I don't have an exact date!). For closed beta, and will bring on members from the communtiy to help test the beta in a closed environment before we take the system into open testing.

Yes, we are NOT going live until we have proper testing on the system and will NOT launch it until it is ready. We have additional coders working on speed, efficiency and improvements and the new version of FA will answer the long asked question of_ "How can FA suck less, rock more?"_

The answer? Soon. Our interest is in rockin' and leadin' the pack with a spoonful of liquified awesomeness.

*WRITERS:*
We can we do to better improve the upload and display process for stories? We know the system lacks some... finesse, and we're interested in improving story architecture on the site. What features do you, the writers, want?

*MUSICIANS:*
Anything we can do to improve music?


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## Silver R. Wolfe (Jul 3, 2006)

For writers, is it possible to get .doc support?


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## nobuyuki (Jul 3, 2006)

support for the following music formats would be nice, and also the option to remove the inline music player (since not everyone has quicktime and it's a real gimmick anyways):

MOD, S3M, XM, IT, MO3

If you guys have a boner for in-browser music playing I suggest you look into writing a java applet to do it, because you're not gonna find an up to date plugin that does.


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## Dragoneer (Jul 4, 2006)

silverwolfe said:
			
		

> For writers, is it possible to get .doc support?


Possibly, but we're also trying to consider alternative methods for uploading stories than having people merely download a document file.


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## WolfeByte (Jul 4, 2006)

Dragoneer said:
			
		

> silverwolfe said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Alot of sites include a java applet to enter stories directly, or even just allow display of basic html either from an uploaded file or directly entered again.  

But on the otherhand, with how much difficulties some sites have had getting either method to display correctly, maybe there's better options.  

I'd be more willing to add stories to my FA account with either option over and above the current download a file option though.


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## Firon (Jul 13, 2006)

UTF-8 will go far in helping the writers (the ones who like fancy quotes, and the foreign ones).


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## blackdragoon (Jul 14, 2006)

writers:

you already shot down my idea in regards to this matter a while back dragoneer so unless you make it so it can somehow magically open (.RTF) filetypes i haven't got a clue. also not gonna stop my using idea for tis my style atleast not till finished current story am working on....after that i'll behave i promise....maybe...no i will....


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## Dragoneer (Jul 14, 2006)

blackdragoon said:
			
		

> writers:
> 
> you already shot down my idea in regards to this matter a while back dragoneer so unless you make it so it can somehow magically open (.RTF) filetypes i haven't got a clue. also not gonna stop my using idea for tis my style atleast not till finished current story am working on....after that i'll behave i promise....maybe...no i will....


Actually, one of the things we'd like to do is allow users to post story text DIRECTLY and use BBCoding and Anchor systems. This way writers could modify their stories on FA, and for long stories, people could build their own chapter systems.

So, we'd do away with story uploading as it is now... and introduce a system that would REALLY benefit writers in every way possible.


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## blackdragoon (Jul 14, 2006)

[/quote]
Actually, one of the things we'd like to do is allow users to post story text DIRECTLY and use BBCoding and Anchor systems.

i haven't got a clue as to what any of that stuff is. but if it means everything will be better...then i'm game.still have one more of my "idea" stories to finish i swear. notice how i'm not stating what it is so as not to subvert the system by giving anyone any ideas.


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## Dragoneer (Jul 14, 2006)

blackdragoon said:
			
		

> i haven't got a clue as to what any of that stuff is. but if it means everything will be better...then i'm game.still have one more of my "idea" stories to finish i swear. notice how i'm not stating what it is so as not to subvert the system by giving anyone any ideas.


You gotta get a hand of those quotes, dude. =P


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## blackdragoon (Jul 14, 2006)

i have no idea how they work in truth. plz tell me as i have been wondering for some time now. mostly i just copy and paste. and sometimes it works and most of the time it doesn't.


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## Swampwulf (Jul 14, 2006)

Even a short bit of fiction can run a half dozen pages.
When you can figure out that you have to post in .txt to get a story/poem/whatever to show up on the page, you actually have to read, or skip over the entire piece, to get to the authors explination of what he's presenting.

This, I think, would be a much nicer layout for a piece of Prose, or a Poem:

[attachment=127]


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## Swampwulf (Jul 14, 2006)

Dragoneer said:
			
		

> Actually, one of the things we'd like to do is allow users to post story text DIRECTLY and use BBCoding and Anchor systems. This way writers could modify their stories on FA, and for long stories, people could build their own chapter systems.
> 
> So, we'd do away with story uploading as it is now... and introduce a system that would REALLY benefit writers in every way possible.




So, you'd like me to have to paste text into a window and then go through and hand edit it online to conform to the BBCode standard so that it displays properly?

Uh.. yeahhhh.. that sounds much easier than formatting it on my machine and simply uploading the attachment.


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## imnohbody (Jul 14, 2006)

Swampwulf said:
			
		

> So, you'd like me to have to paste text into a window and then go through and hand edit it online to conform to the BBCode standard so that it displays properly?
> 
> Uh.. yeahhhh.. that sounds much easier than formatting it on my machine and simply uploading the attachment.



Alternately, under the setup Dragoneer mentions you could format the message on your machine with BBCode tags, most of which aren't really all that difficult to figure out (even without the link reminder on every forum page), then paste the final result into the input window to upload.

Personally, I prefer having the text available in the actual page, instead of having to flip back and forth between the page and an external reader. YMMV. _*shrug*_


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## Emerson (Jul 14, 2006)

*RE:  Questions and Poll on the Ferrox Code*



			
				blackdragoon said:
			
		

> i have no idea how they work in truth. plz tell me as i have been wondering for some time now. mostly i just copy and paste. and sometimes it works and most of the time it doesn't.



Just use the big "QUOTE" button at the bottom of the post you want to quote.


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## Damaratus (Jul 14, 2006)

Dragoneer said:
			
		

> Actually, one of the things we'd like to do is allow users to post story text DIRECTLY and use BBCoding and Anchor systems. This way writers could modify their stories on FA, and for long stories, people could build their own chapter systems.
> 
> So, we'd do away with story uploading as it is now... and introduce a system that would REALLY benefit writers in every way possible.



If this is along the same line as what y!G had for writers, I'm all for it.  I can somewhat sympathize with Swampwulf as to the fact that you have to edit after cutting and pasting, but I found it to be fairly simple to click the right buttons, and then preview it before posting.  As long as there are the proper editing tools it's fine for me.

No matter what is chosen, I know there are a couple of things that really should happen.  If the document has to be uploaded, then it should show up on the page, I have to say that written documents that require the user to download it to read tend to get less exposure, we are a lazy lot.   Another is being able to make the piece look pretty.  While plain text probably makes for easier coding (?).  Part of a writer's style is how they format their works.  Plain text takes away all the frills, sort of like viewing a color picture on a monochrome screen.

I don't know if this last bit is possible, but if the idea of using a BBCode style system is utilized, is there a way to implement a spell check into it?  If users are going to cut and paste works into some kind of system, letting them have access to spell check would be a boon, both to the experienced and inexperienced writer (but more so the inexperienced :wink: ).


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## Damaratus (Jul 14, 2006)

Swampwulf said:
			
		

> Even a short bit of fiction can run a half dozen pages.
> When you can figure out that you have to post in .txt to get a story/poem/whatever to show up on the page, you actually have to read, or skip over the entire piece, to get to the authors explination of what he's presenting.
> 
> This, I think, would be a much nicer layout for a piece of Prose, or a Poem:



I agree about that layout, it's far more functional for the writer.  It is much nicer to have the description of the work visible before the actual piece to read.


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## blackdragoon (Jul 14, 2006)

Just use the big "QUOTE" button at the bottom of the post you want to quote. 
[/quote]

thas what i've been doing this entire time. still not working right. possible glitch?? i bet it don't work this time either.......


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