Forum Features & Updates

Thanks Rob for this update and the A-Z Index. There is such a wealth of information on this site and anyway to make it easier to navigate is good. I think a decline in posts can be due to a wide variety of reasons such as demographics, people getting older and not able or interested in going online any more. If younger people don't come along, you get fewer active members. Plus there may be a more widespread decline in social media with all the hacking going on, people do get worried about internet security. And it could be as you say- something comes along that is new, gets very popular, then the novelty wears off. And there are many sites for sharing memories and anecdotes about Cov in the past, as I've recently discovered doing research for my Dirty Stop Out's Guide to 1970s Coventry. A few years back, setting up a Facebook page for example would have attracted loads of people but now it's like, 'not another....' (as Brenda of Bristol would have said!!) I'm sure this forum will keep going an be a great repository of the Coventry we are rapidly losing and of our own shared histories and memories. Many thanks!

Thank you Ruth, I appreciate that. Like you say, with the number of media sites around now, it has to water things down a bit. The A-Z index does appear to have revived a small handful of older topics though, so maybe it's starting to bring back a few subjects that had become buried in the depths, so to speak. And you'll have to tell us a bit more about "Brenda of Bristol" some time....

'Like' button

Evening all Clarification discussion for when we state that we like a post. I often tick a like, even if the subject is sad or depressing, as I respect & appreciate the posting. What is everyone else's take on this?

I quite agree Philip, sometimes it seems "the right thing to do" to "like" someone's post because of its sincere or kind nature, even if it might be about something sad or downbeat. I guess it's up to each individual member to decide if they feel comfortable doing the same, as some might possibly construe it as a bit strange to "like" something that appears to be on the negative side. I'm sure most will understand the thinking behind any such decision, though, and not think badly of it.

I agree, I usually click on the "like" button as an an acknowledgement that I agree with the sentiments of a post.

IMPORTANT NOTICE Just a quick post to let you all know that the web-hosting company that I've been with for the last 16 years is changing from today. I'm sincerely hoping that none of you will even notice this, and the changeover, in theory, should be seamless. I've enjoyed the services and extremely good technical support of "virtualnames.co.uk" all this time, and hopefully the company taking them over, "names.co.uk" (coincidence of name I believe), will be just as good. However, it will involve all the HC and forum data being transferred to a different server, probably some time today or tonight.... so please be patient if there is a temporary break in service, or if any posts that just happen to be made at that point go missing. I'm afraid I have no idea what actual time it will switch over. Fingers crossed! Rob

Well, the changes appears to have taken place, and after a brief gap of a few minutes while it settled down and grabbed all the live data, it seems to be working. Having said that.... if this post doesn't work, then there's a problem, and you'll not see this anyway. Hey ho, here goes....

LIBRARY PICTURES AND ROB'S PICS I've just introduced a feature that should make inserting images from either my own collection or the Library collection (blue buttons on the left) much easier. If you're searching or browsing either of those libraries, and see an image that you'd like to include in a post, you no longer need to download it, store it and re-upload it again..... Beneath every picture is a new button named "Copy image URL for forum". Click this if you want to use the image. A little window should pop up to confirm - click "OK" to dismiss it. If you were in the middle of creating a post, then next to that button is another one named "Return to creating forum post". Click that to get back to typing your masterpiece of a message! (Hint - while initially typing your message, you should click "Preview message" before shooting off to the library, to store what you'd done so far.) Once you've either returned to creating your post - or starting a new one - a new button marked "Libr" will appear just above the white text-entry box, on the right, with the name of the image next to it. In the usual way, simply click this button to insert the chosen picture into your post. If you press "Preview message" again, to store that, then you can return to the library multiple times to insert more images into one post. I hope this works for you folks!

After the recent request, I've now added the ability to upload an "XL" picture size, for those special photos that deserve to be seen in more detail. I know our members will be sensible in using this sparingly - but it will be nice to see certain shots blown up in size. As an aside, external images stored elsewhere but displayed here on the forum have no limit in size, and will automatically fill the page width.

ROB'S PICS I've made some improvements to the search system for my own image collection, so it's now easier to locate the pictures you are looking for. For instance, typing in key words like 'cars', 'trams' or 'temporary' will pull out photos featuring cars, trams or Broadgate's Temporary Shops, respectively. And while I was at it, I uploaded about 70 more images, making 834 in total now. Have fun!

Nice one (again!) Rob. I've not seen all of your collection TBH - that will while away some time! As you probably know I seem to have amassed quite a collection now - all gratuitously taken from one source or another so cannot claim they are mine but have them stored away for whenever someone is after an appropriate shot. Need to make sure I keep a copy or two but I'll always pass on to here anything of interest. Cheers again bud

ROB'S PICS Last night I uploaded 91 more images to my collection for you all to use or share. They mostly consist of 1970s colour photos from a Coventry Council slide-show of that era, showing off what the city had to offer. It's a strange and eclectic mixture! While I was at it, I've added a small feature..... you can now select, via a drop-down box, whether to order the images alphabetically (the default), or "most recently added first", so you can easily check out those new additions to the collection. I can also confidently announce that all images are virus free!

Brilliant photos them Rob. I looked and found the only photo I've waited to see straight away. The altar in the old cathedral with the wooden cross and the cross of nails on the same photo. PS. I printed one off to show the rest of the family next time we're down, hope it's O.K. as I think you said we could.

Great stuff as usual Rob

Brief update - about 40 more images added this evening - all of the Stoke area. Sort by "most recently added first" to see the new ones. Total now 1069.