I hope that one more post doesn't exacerbate things, but I add my sincere thanks to all those expressed by other members. You are a kind and gracious host, and I sincerely appreciate the positive impact AR has had for myself and so many others.
My Very Best Regards--Don.

Thanks, Saeed. I think we all apprecite what you and Don have done. Especially y'all patience in the ignorance crater.

Awesome sight, keep doing what you're doing. This place can be addictive.

Cool DRG, are we going to have more "instant graemlins" aka Smiley's to choose from? And any other new features?



Photo hosting?









EDIT:



DEMO:

http://evedemo.infopop.com/eve/ubb.x?LOGIN_USERNAME=demo@infopop.com&LOGIN_PASSWORD=demo





UBB.x Details



UBB.x is eve's groupspace module. Think of it like a next-generation message board. Note that UBB.x (like eve itself) is strictly a hosted service. If you are looking for a downloadable message board, please visit our UBBCentral.com site, where you can learn more about UBB.classic and UBB.threads, our two message board products that you can install on your own server.



Community Content



UBB.x is designed to categorize and store content created by your community. It supports three content types- discussions, polls, and photo albums. Community administrators have complete control over how this content is categorized (via forums and categories) and who can access it.



Permission Management Via Eve



Because UBB.x is part of the eve community platform, community admins have complete control over just about every aspect of the groupspace. There are currently 50 different UBB.x-specific permissions that can be assigned via eve. These permissions can be assigned to individuals or to groups for maximum flexibility.



Interface



The UBB.x interface provides for many features, yet its use of advanced DHTML allows things to remain clean and intuitive. Tabs and buttons centralize related tasks, minimizing clutter. A handy 'Go" button is the easy way to jump to other parts of UBB.x or other eve locations (like chat rooms). Similarly, the UBB.x 'New' button allows a user to start a new discussion, poll, or photo album from anywhere within UBB.x.



Notifications



Because community content is very often abundant, it can be difficult for community members to keep track of new content. UBB.x solves this by offering numerous notification options. Community members can receive instant email notifications or daily or weekly digests based for individual topics, forums, posts by specific community members, and more.



Advanced Features



UBB.x supports attachments for postings, topic ratings, topic alerts (so users can report certain postings to administrators), topic favorites, UBBCode markup language, member post counts, and an online now display option that reflects who is visiting the community groupspace at the moment.



For administrators, the features are plentiful. All content can be moderated (approved), based on a many different factors. The strong topic management features allow administrators to delete, close, move, copy, feature, or archive topics. In addition, the control panel for administrators is extremely intuitive, allowing for quick creation of new forums and categories, as well as other UBB.x settings.



Integration With Eve



As mentioned before, UBB.x is an eve module. As such, it seamlessly integrates with eve's member management, display management, and reporting components. Participants in UBB.x are registered via eve and have one MySpace area for managing their entire profile within your community. It is in eve's MySpace area that you can manage each user, including any UBB.x-specific permissions or other administrative functions. With MySpace, you have a 360 degree view of each community member, with each module, such as UBB.x, integrated within that viewpoint. This makes it much easier to manage users across different modules and to ensure that each user can only do what you want them to do.



The UBB.x display is also customized via eve. Admins can customize the style sets for UBB.x- including fonts, colors, custom HTML, and graphics- as well as the wording, via eve's wordlet sets. Some plans also permit modification of the XSL templates (the structure of the displayed pages).





Impressive.

Saeed & Moderators,

Thank you for making this forum my favorite hunting & general rifle information forum.

I guess the best way I can explain my appreciation is to say that interacting with the participants of this forum is like being around a campfire at the end of a hunting day with a bunch of your like-minded friends, sharing information and experiences, picking each other's minds.
Priceless end of a great day.

Thanks,

Joe
in Houston
Always looking for BSA Lee Speed commercial sporters

Saeed:
Thank you for operating, maintaining and upgrading this site. You are performing a world-class service for a world-wide community. All of us appreciate your efforts and those of the other hard-working folks who make things happen for us. Good luck with the upgrade!

Yes, search is disabled until we migrate to fully to the new software (end of this week).

Don

Is the search function still disabled?

Saeed, Thanks for a very informal form.

Ladies and Gentlemen,



In our continous efforts to keep AR your favourite hunting site, we have to upgrade our software again.



It seems each time we reach a limit and upgrade, we look forward to at least 2-3 years of use out of that software.



But, as AR seems to be growing so fast, we have reached the limit of the current software much faster than we had anticipated.



Your Moderators have done a grand job of culling irrelevant posts, and kept those we deemed of value to the members of AR.



But, we still have about 600,000 posts, and, apparently, this is about as much as the current software will handle from about 10,000 members.



We wanted to archive some of the old threads, but this software does not allow that,



Our new software does allow us to archive older posts, and it also offers a more advanced search function.



Frankly, I have never been that happy with the search fucntion of our current software.



The upgrade will happen later this month, and we hope to have as little disruption to our members records and current posts as we can.



The new software has a number of functions which might add to the usability of the forums. WE will look at these once the software is installed, and see which function might be of interest to our members.



I would like to appologize for having to do this so soon after our previous upgrade, but, as I said, we really are left with no choice but to do it, if we wish to keep up with AR's popularity.



Of course, AR would have never gotten to where it is today without your participation, and I am sure I speak for all the visitors who come here when I saw thank you all for your ceaseless efforts of helping your fellow hunters and shooters.



AR, of course, will remain advert free, as it has always been.

Saeed,
If you and Don need any assistance don't hesitate to contact me.

Saeed: Thank you and the moderators for your tireless efforts providing all of us with the most fascinating destination on the entire Internet. AR really is simply the best, and I for one am deeply appreciative.

This site is the best thing going on the Internet. The tireless and devoted efforts that you and others have put in to make it what it is are unparalleled and I, like many others, find it hard to imagine a world without the AR forums.

Thank you, Saeed, very much.

Russ

600,000 posts!! Wonder when we'll hit ole' 1 Million mark. This site must be one of the most popular hobby websites on the web! Except for it is not a hobby anymore but a part-time job

Saeed:

AR is indeed a very useful and addictive resource. I for one have learned an extensive amount from the AR members. For that I am greatful. I would also like to thank you for all that you have done to make AR what it is...the most useful and readily available resource on many varied subjects concerning hunting and shooting, etc...AR is where I have learned about Africa!!! a wonderful place!!!

I appreciation all that you have done to make AR what it is....

Thanks again,

Jim

Saeed

Thank you for making it possible to talk and meet other hunters with similar interests.
It makes every day more exiting.
I like that fact that there are no advertisement on the forum it makes it very objective and trust worthy.

Cheers,

Andr�

Such occurrences are pretty standard when you are responsible for software application maintenance. Software, hardware etc does not live forever, and need upgrades from time to time. Sad, but there it is. Keep up the good work. A resounding "good job" to the admin guys!
- mike

Saeed,
Just put your trust in Chef Bula Bula and all will be fixed, he is a great witch doctor! No need for modern updates, he can fix anything, worked for me.

Saeed,

Thanks for the forums, they have been a valuable resource for one and all.

Now, about the Ignorance Crater.....

Saeed,
thanks from all to keep this entity viable and moving ahead.A huge task given the size of membership and rendered contributions.
I second jjs's note ,documenting the irreplacable value ,that this forum has for all true hunters and outdoorsmen around the globe.Prior to reading then studying the various contributions here I thought Africa "was for the rich or english Colonel's -.Contracting ever dwindling opportunities in North America made me search outside and this forum got me to Africa as it has many others.
In the future maybe into Asia/Mongolia who knows.This forum is a mirror of all opinions and personal experiences to learn from.enabling others to trod the path tried.
Thanks from me and all Saeed.

AR surely gives some meaning to the words of the old song : �The best things in life are free��.

Thank you Saeed for your continuous pampering of this great AR family!

We all probably owe AR more than we may realize.

B.Martins

Thank You SIR!!!!!

Thanks Saeed.
You are upgrading us every day, It�s only fair for our workhorse, the hard and sofwares be upgraded as well.
We trust You to sort the right posts out.
BTW I am building a mini web site ; I would like to translate and display some hunting accounts from AR. My aim is to upgrade the knowledge of the little English speaking French . I�ll ask You permission.
Yours gratefully JB

Your generosity is beyond belief. Thanks for all that you and the AR team do!

Dear Saeed,
Thank you very much indeed for all your efforts. There is nothing whatever for you to apologize for!

Regards,
Martin

Saeed,

Thank you very much for your wonderful hospitality and for the strenuous efforts that you and the moderators put in to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone here.

Good hunting and may you be rewarded for this with record buffalos!

I wonder how many of the 10,000 users realize how much it costs Saeed to keep this site up (and pay for all the upgrades!). I don't know myself, but I know it ain't chicken feed!

My thanks to Saeed for footing the bills for AR, and to Don for keeping this madhouse running!

Also, I'd like to thank Saeed for being a real gentleman and ignoring the jerks who use the Political Forum to attack him because he does not (quite!) worship at the feet of George W. Bush. I think Saeed does this partly for the same reason that (as a kid) I threw rocks at a hornet's nest -- it was fun to wath them come out crawling of the woodwork and chase each other around!

jpb

Saeed,

Any disruption is well worth it. Thanks so much for providing AR.

Regards,

Mark

Saeed,

I am full of wonder that you would so kindly apologize for disruptions to a fantastic resource that you are providing free to the user. I can only offer my most heartfelt thanks.

Saeed,



It perfectly fine, no need to apologise It's actually the members who should thank you and the moderators involved, providing this excellent forum



Hospitality and service is outstanding



Kindly, remind Waltherhog that he is a bit relaxed in his responsibilities as moderator :grin Suitable penalty will be no junk rifle from Germany on next years safari



Cheers

/ JOHAN

With the others, Thank you very much. It is appreciated.

Saeed,
Thanks for providing and maintaining the AR hunting site. There is nothing like it anywhere, and besides the camaraderie and hunting info exchange, it really helps in finding ones way through the maze of paperwork and licenses to plan and take a trip to Africa.

You really should be commended for this, and for hunting with Ray and his buddies , service above the call of -------

Thanks for the forum,

Dak

Thanks Saeed! You Jerk! Just kidding!

Saeed,

No apology needed. As the signs say on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, "Tempoary inconvience, permanent improvement."

Saeed:
Just another note of a heartfelt "thank you very much" for such a terrific site. You and the administrators really do go out of your way in providing a great service and it's very much appreciated. We may not always agree on everything but we all share the common thread of enjoying guns, hunting and the outdoors. No need for any apologies for anything. Sometimes I think you folks maintaing the site should get more "thanks" than is extended.
Bear in Fairbanks

Saeed,
The best part of my day is coming here to the AR forum (maybe I should get more of a life)! Thank YOU for your generosity.
Max

Words do not exist to express the thanks I have for AR.....

I relive my safari every day here.....so let me just say..

Thanks Saeed!!!

I've learned more in the last nine months on AR than in the previous nine years. This site is a 24/7 hour post graduate seminar in ballistics, zoology, metallurgy, Africa, natural history, gunsmithing, handloading and, most importantly, techniques for killing feral cats.

With regard to transitioning to new software:"the king is dead, long live the king".

JCN