Three suggestions

sewer_monkey · 06-13-2002, 02:47 PM

The first suggestion is already somewhat implemented, but hard to get to. What I'd like to have on the main forum page is a link to search for any threads with zero replies. That's what I usually do manually anyway. I know there's a way to do that, but I can't recall how exactly...
The second suggestion is getting sponsored by Amazon or some other store like that... I believe there's a way to set up links where you actually earn commissions from each sale. We could actually have a Linux book of the week/month/day/year that we recommend. We could do votes on the book, and then post it.
Negotiating mass purchases with bulk sellers. Create a database of neat stuff (on such cool thing could be an 80GB Maxtor hard drive), and then get a list of people willing to buy it and strike deals with sellers to buy them in bulk with a discount... This really isn't my idea, I got it from here, and it seems to work for them. Sorry for not being able to give you the exact URL, but I've seen their ad for this "buying in bulk" campaign in the hard-copy version on their magazines (to which I am subscribed).

jeremy · 06-13-2002, 04:44 PM

1) There is a link at the top of every forum to "View all threads with 0 replies"

2) The link on the bottom of every page that says books used to be a LinuxQuestions store at Fat Brain. It looks like this no longer works though. I will update this.

3) I am working on a few things in this department....

Thanks!
--jeremy

sewer_monkey · 06-13-2002, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jeremy
1) There is a link at the top of every forum to "View all threads with 0 replies"

Yup! I just noticed it and was going to revise my original post...

I just wasn't 100% sure where it was exactly, even though I use it all the time (I kind of stumbled upon it every time in the past and used it). In any case, what I was suggesting is a link right underneath this on the main forum page:

Code:

Welcome back, sewer_monkey 
There have been 20 threads and
24 posts since your last visit.
View New Posts
View All Posts Without Replies

A link that says "View All Posts Without Replies" that would trigger a search of all the forums for any threads with zero replies... That way I don't have to do this search manually in each forum.

I realize that this kind of a feature can be quite horsepower-consuming, so here's another suggestion:

What about an extra table in the VBulletin database... Here's the scoop:

The trigger: a thread gets zero replies (it's just been created, or a moderator deletes all the replies to it, e.t.c.).
The reference to that thread is put in this new table.
As soon as the thread receives a reply, it is removed from the above table.

This little hack could easily be implemented as a procedure (or preferably a set of more specialized procedures) in PHP and should be called each time a reply is made, a thread is created and when posts are deleted (so that if someone deletes the only reply to a thread, it regains its "no replies" status). Some fool-proofness can also be added, for excluding locked threads and maybe an option for moderators to explicitly exclude specific threads from being put in this table (it all depends on how far you're willing to take this, if anywhere at all). I believe that overall, this may be beneficial over searching for replies with zero threads using the conventional VBulletin search function, as it will save system resources assuming that enough people do searches for threads with no replies...

The reason behind all this? To have a quick place (a cache, so to speak) from where to grab a list of threads with zero replies. Since this is chiefly a tech support forum, I think this would be useful overall... Not just in the sense of convenience, but for preserving system resources as well. For example, I always search for posts with zero replies... and if the above table existed, the search could just dump its contents at me, without having to go through the whole database...

Again, this is not crucial, and simply a "nice to have" feature in my opinion... You might wanna check out the logs for this board (if it's possible ) and see how many zero replied thread searches are made, and whether threads with zero replies are more likely to be answered than threads with at least one reply... You know just basic research before investing time on this... But then again, you know better.

Quote:

Originally posted by jeremy
2) The link on the bottom of every page that says books used to be a LinuxQuestions store at Fat Brain. It looks like this no longer works though. I will update this.

I was thinking more like a screenshot of the book cover, and voting for the book of the day/week/month/year... Nice passtime to keep the people busy... By "screenshots" of books I mean something like the right-hand-side pane on Wil Wheaton's web site.

Quote:

Originally posted by jeremy
3) I am working on a few things in this department....

Just don't forget your neighbours North of the border, eh?

It would kinda suck if the deals you strike were US-only...

MasterC · 06-14-2002, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sewer_monkey

...Just don't forget your neighbours North of the border, eh? It would kinda suck if the deals you strike were US-only...

You mean there are other countries than the US? he he he, j/k

sewer_monkey · 06-15-2002, 08:15 PM

MasterC, are you opposed to UnitedLinux? If so, why?

acid_kewpie · 06-16-2002, 05:16 AM

i'm not sure he really knows ;-). probably because they say it won't have iso downloads. hurrah for bandwagons

MasterC · 06-20-2002, 09:24 AM

Ouch, damn. Ok so I guess I am a mindless zombie who loves iso's. I think I should have my ass kicked for liking simplicity. Anyway...

Yes, I am opposed, I posted a response in the initial thread, but I will give ya my 2 pesos:

My main reason is they say something about "centralized" development or something. This, to me, sounds like MS. Another is that I like diversity, and choice. And when I see 4 distro's getting together to form a better distro, this limits the diversity. I have read that it will only effect the server end, but I see it 'bleeding' over into the workstation user's part as well.

I AM NOT against it because it may mean I will have to pay for CD with a distro on it, in fact that may be a good move. Linux needs some support (in the form of cash) that it just isn't getting. And I AM NOT against it because it will confuse me further. I am still enough of a newbie that any change to filesystem structure, I will probably never notice.

Those are a few reasons I have. That and that they don't look like they will be offering iso's.