What do you think about the new forum features?

[Andrew]

I'm really quite thrilled with the new forum features! Some things, like sticky threads and polls, I expected to enjoy. However, I'm pleasantly suprised at how much I'm enjoying the avatar and location options.

It really is nice to be able to see, at a glance, a member's prefered weapon and country of residence.

[Federico]

Love the new forum features.

[wolviex]

It's great! But it takes some time to accustom to all these colors, graphics, signs etc.
The name has changed! Does it mean we can post not only edged weapons in here (firearms, for example ?). This will widen members list in the future I think, and it may widen our interests
Best regards and congratulations!!

[Radu Transylvanicus]

Wolviex: I like that avatar of yours my brother, Very much on my taste... let me take a wild guess and correct me if I am wrong: Polska szabla husarska ( known to us the West as: Polish saber ,,a la hussarde'' ) I would say late XVIII early XIX century, can`t see very well the deco details but I see the thumbring (paluch) is there... sweet blade ... Is it from your museum ?
I bet even Colonel Wolodyjowski would be happy to own that little baby !

[wolviex]

Radu My Friend!
Yes, it is hussars sabre (Polska szabla husarska) from the best period, second half of 17th century, and it is from National Museum

The experts consider, there are three super b, extra perfect known hussars sabres in Poland - this is one of them - with excellent proportion (that's what experts and sabres lovers are saying about this beauty). Made by Lvov's (Lviv's) Ormians, with beautiful niello work, with thumb ring, the blade with two fullers and an inscription "IESVS MARIA IOZEF DEVS SPES MEA".

I can make some detail photos for you, just let me know (via email wolviex@poczta.onet.pl )

Andrew: sorry about digression in your topic and many thanks for bringing my avatar to live.
Regards

[Lee]

wolviex - yes, shields, bows, clubs and even firearms are welcome for discussion, though the emphasis should always be on ethnographic and cultural items and away from 'modern' machine mass produced items.

everyone - I have enabled direct avatar uploading from your computer. The size limit is 100 pixels by 100 pixels and 20 kb. You are still more than welcome to send images to me for resizing and attachment to your profiles, however.

[wolviex]

Oops Lee, that is You of course I should thank for bring my avatar to live. Sorry for mistake and once more best regards

[RhysMichael]

I am still learning them but right now it looks like a giant leap ahead. Good work and thanks to all that made it happen

[Henk]

I'm very happy with this new area. A giant leap ahead and good looking. Those who worked on it did all do a wonderful job.

[Mare Rosu]

This is a most enjoyable upgrade to the forum.
I thank Dr. Lee that did the hard work so that we could enjoy his efforts as well to all the other staff folks.

[Mark]

I am still learning my way around the new features, but I like it so far. Dha pictures to follow ...

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Mark Bowditch

I am still learning my way around the new features, but I like it so far. Dha pictures to follow ...

Hi Mark.

Great avatar! Do you know what the statue in that picture is? You may recall I bordered my Ayutthaya presentation with it last March in Timonium. A friend of mine used that image when helping me put the powerpoint together. I was delighted that he did, I just wish he remembered where he found it.

I really like it, and would love to know what it is. I assume a demon from the visage. Is that a sword hilt it's holding?

[RSWORD]

I am enjoying the new forum format. I want to thank Lee for all the hardwork to change over. I am thrilled that the consensus was to lump it all together. The Avatars were a neat idea!

[Rather]

You did a marvellous job. The features are very enjoyable indeed. In my opinion, the best is the possibility to upload pictures, not having to use own server space. Makes handling of posts much easier!

[wilked aka Khun Deng]

Now that I've spent the last day playing around with everything I love all the new features. Avatars are great (and I learned a new word). I even finally figured out how to quote. Gives everything a much more professional appearance.
I am still dismayed by the pic postings though. It takes me numerous tries to get my photos down below 200kb so they'll be accepted and then when I upload them it it lists them at around 50kb. They end up so small you lose all detail. Could it be that my 5.0mp camera is taking too fine a picture? Still find it much faster to upload to photobucket then imbed with IMG, but that kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it. Probably just the operator malfunctioning. I'll keep tweekin till I find something that works.

Oh Yeah and how come Andrew gets a saying under his signature and we don't have that option (pout, pout).

Dan

[wilked aka Khun Deng]

Andrew, Mark's avatar is called a "yaak" translates as monster. I don't know the mythical signifigance, however many of the old preist knives I've seen have a similar figure in the same pose. I overheard a guide at the palace say they were gaurdians, they have one on each side of the entrance to many of the bulidings. The staff? he holds is also represented in many illustartions, it has a sword type handle but doesn't present as a sword. I've seen some of these in the antique shops made of wood but didn't think to ask their signifigance.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by wilked aka Khun Deng

Andrew, Mark's avatar is called a "yaak" translates as monster. I don't know the mythical signifigance, however many of the old preist knives I've seen have a similar figure in the same pose. I overheard a guide at the palace say they were gaurdians, they have one on each side of the entrance to many of the bulidings. The staff? he holds is also represented in many illustartions, it has a sword type handle but doesn't present as a sword. I've seen some of these in the antique shops made of wood but didn't think to ask their signifigance.

Hi Dan. Thanks (again) for the great information.

If you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, please look me up: I owe you a beer or two. Or three.

By the way, we decided to disable the signature feature on the fora. Prior to opening for business, I was testing the features, and input a signature that I use on another board. Until you mentioned it, I didn't realize it was appearing in my profile. I'm not special, just oblivious at times. Too many balls in the air, I guess.

Best regards,
Andrew

[JPSF]

Great job and kudos to all who took the time to produce these excellent results.

[Jens Nordlunde]

It is not only good - it is very good.

Jens

[Battara]

The features and new forum lay out are wonderful, just beautiful (I'm going to cry!..sniffle, sniffle...).

[Mark]

So that is what they are called ....

I think the thing it (he?) is holding is a club. Demons in Japanese art hold sort of similar, very long iron clubs. It is sort of a symbol of their strength and power, as I understand it.

By the way, Dan, who is the fellow in your avatar? Do you know how old the statue is?

[wilked aka Khun Deng]

That little fellow is about 8' tall . At the entrance to the Royal Thai Supreme Command (their Pentagon) they have a statue of King Naraesun on his war elephant surrounded by the normal four man guard element (which every elephant had). The statue is probably not more than 40 years old and could be earlier than that. The time period it depicts is Ayutthaya, 2127 (1584 A.D.) after the King declared victory over the Burmese. He was a nephew of Queen Suriyothai. Here's a couple of shots.

[Naga Basuki]

Great features. Especially like being able to post pictures easily.

[Tim Simmons]

Marvelous,every time I use the PC I just have to take a quick look.The picture upload is really helpful making a fast picture response possible even if the picture is not already stored.

[Mark]

Cool. I was of course wondering how historically accurate the dha might be. They do look to be Ayutthaya period.

[wilked aka Khun Deng]

Well here's a shot of the late Ayutthaya period swords in the grand palace for comparison (this statue represents late Ayutthaya period), I'd say a little atristic license was used.

[tom hyle]

Andrew, I have no idea what any of those options and abilities you're talking about are, but the thing still seems to work, even for me, and truly I cannot post on some internet fora, due to simple technical inability, so user freindliness still seems good. Someone can leave me a "private message" here; someone did; is this an odd feature, or is it just me. It worked.....

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by tom hyle

Andrew, I have no idea what any of those options and abilities you're talking about are, but the thing still seems to work, even for me, and truly I cannot post on some internet fora, due to simple technical inability, so user freindliness still seems good. Someone can leave me a "private message" here; someone did; is this an odd feature, or is it just me. It worked.....

Hi Tom. Descriptions of the forum features can be found at the bottom of this thread:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4

One of the best features of this new software is that you now have the ability to upload images directly into a post from your computer. This eliminates the problems inherent in online photo hosting sites (e.g. crashes or the like replacing linked photos to the ubiquitous red x of doom). It also makes for much quicker posting of photos and less burden on Lee.

Private Messages (PMs) are enabled, and are, essentially, inter-forum email. They cannot be read by anyone but the parties, as opposed to public fora.

Surf around the site a bit after reading Lee's descriptions. Most of the features are very user-friendly.

Good to see you here. Happy holidays.

Andrew