Update Instructions for the use of our SMS System

[John]

Folks,

I am sure that you have now seen the announcement for our SMS system, a system, which allows you to exchange short text messages, while you are browsing the site.

If you haven't read about this functionality, please visit this thread (http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=5351).

Today, I made that system even more flexible. Until now, the reception of the SMS messages, was only possible, if you were browsing our site. If you closed your browser window, the messages were no longer delivered to you. Well, this is no longer true.

If you check the site out today, you will notice that (for those who have activated the SMS feature) there is a new link in the NavBar, just above the Sponsors Panel, called SMS Watcher. When you want to leave from the Forums Site, but you still want to receive the messages that are send to you, click on that link. A small window will open, together with the main forums page. Leave that window open and shut the Forums window. As long as that small window is open, new messages send to you, will be delivered to your computer.

You can leave that window open, or you can minimize it at your task bar, no matter what is its condition, if it is still active in your computer, you will receive the SMS messages, other members are sending you.

If you close that small window, you messages will not be lost of course, you will receive them the next time you log in your favorite Forums Site.

Finally one word of caution. When closing the other browser window (the one in which you were browsing the forums), do not log out from the forums site. Obviously, if you log out, the cookies are cleared and the system can't tell who you are, so no messages are delivered. Just close the browser window, in which you were viewing the forums.

Please use this thread, if you have problems with this new feature and want to discuss those problems.

Rgds

[gottripletsNC]

John,
When I logged on this morning, it showed where you sent me an SMS back but nothing in it, so I closed it, and when I would go back to the page everytime it would say that I had sent myself a message with nothing in it.

Am I doing something wrong?

[Tom]

John, I just want to say "You're swell", just like you told me to. :D

No, seriously, this SMS thing is pretty cool. I got the little pop-up sitting out there, and will test it out.

You do good work, John. BZ

[John]

John,
When I logged on this morning, it showed where you sent me an SMS back but nothing in it, so I closed it, and when I would go back to the page everytime it would say that I had sent myself a message with nothing in it.

Am I doing something wrong? The empty messages, without a sender and without a text, are appearing some times, because another window have captured that SMS first, and when that happens, the SMS gets erased. So the next window which opens, has no SMS to display. It happens some times, I know, and I'll try to correct it, but it is nothing to worry about, you haven't lost an SMS.

You see, SMS are erased, the moment they are displayed, so if two windows try to fetch the same SMS, only the first one will succeed. Unfortunatelly, the window and its contents are two different things, the one is pure presentation, the other comes from the database, so some times, the window opens, but it has no contents to show.

[Hawkmoon]

Well, the report from Joe Blstvszk here (remember the little guy in the L'il Abner comic strip, the guy whose name had no vowels and who always had a black cloud over his head?) is that I turned on SMS a couple of days ago, as instructed by our fearless leader, I have just fired up the computer this moring ... and I do not have any little pop-up box. I have two windows open -- the home page for m1911.org, which I use to click to the forums, and the forum window.

That's all I have.

[Tom]

I have just fired up the computer this moring ... and I do not have any little pop-up box.

Just shot you an SMS message.

[John]

You probably turned the SMS on, while it was under tests. At that time, the default behaviour was for all to receive SMS's. But I changed that, so that you have to turn it on yourself, or else, people would go crazy here. Turn it on, and the next time you go to the Forums Home, you will see the little window.

[Hawkmoon]

John --

No, I turned it on manually in the User CP, after your post telling us to do so. I checked this morning to be sure that it was still turned on, and it is. But I have no little window.

IslanderFan --

No window, no message.

Both of you --

I am running Netscape 7.2 (or Netscrape for you, Tom) under Windows 98 on a Dell computer.

[John]

It's indeed turned on, now you have to tell your Netscape to allow pop-ups from M1911.ORG, is there such an option? Also, do you have Javascript enabled? Make sure it is.

Come on man, use Firefox, I do not even remember the options of Netscape 7.2.

[wichaka]

Firefox doesn't have an application for MAC.

[John]

Firefox doesn't have an application for MAC. Hawkmoon does not have a MAC! Do you have one Steve?

[John]

Folks,

Please read the updated instructions, in the first post of this thread. I changed the functionality a bit today. The way I had it yesterday, the small window would open, even if you were browsing the forums. Some times, this created a problem, because the small window was competing with the other pages, for the SMS messages you had received and ended up in showing you a blank message, in some cases.

The way I've changed it today, the small window, called SMS Watcher, will not open, while you are browsing the forums. Your SMS messages will be delivered to you, as normally, whenever you change from one page of the forums to the other. When you are done browsing, and you still want to receive your messages, just remember to click on the SMS Watcher link, to open the SMS Watcher, who will make sure that all your messages are delivered to your desktop, even if the forums window is now closed.

I'll be here to answer your questions.

Rgds

[Tom]

When you are done browsing, and you still want to receive your messages, just remember to click on the SMS Watcher link, to open the SMS Watcher . . .

So where exactly is this SMS Watcher link, Jefe?

[Tom]

So where exactly is this SMS Watcher link, Jefe?

Nevermind. I founds it. ;)

[John]

LoL, RTFM (I am sure you know what that means!).

[Tom]

RTFM (I am sure you know what that means!)

No, John. I don't. Would you please explain it to me in clear detail? ;)

[John]

Well, still more changes to the SMS system:

You no longer have to open the SMS Watcher window yourself. It will open for you automatically, when you go to the first page of the site. From there on, you will be able to receive your SMS messages, as long as you keep that window open.

I also added a "Send an SMS" link in that small window. So now, if you just keep that window open, not only you will receive your SMS messages, but if you just remembered that you want to send some one a message, you can do it, without visiting the forums site.

And if you no longer want to receive SMS messages, just shut that window, your messages will be kept in the system, until you visit the site again.

I hope you like the new features.

[Joni Lynn]

Thanks John!!! You're the best!!!

[wichaka]

Hawkmoon does not have a MAC! Do you have one Steve?


Yes, I use a MAC. The IE browser doesn't allow the features of the site like Netscape does. For example, it doesn't have the drop down box for new posts, you know the "since your last visit, last hour, etc." While my Netscape version does.

Will have to surf the net to find something better.

[Tom]

Will have to surf the net to find something better.

If you listen really carefully, you'll hear it:

"Mozilla. Mozilla. Mozilla"

I also added a "Send an SMS" link in that small window. So now, if you just keep that window open, not only you will receive your SMS messages, but if you just remembered that you want to send some one a message, you can do it, without visiting the forums site.


BZ for the improvements, John.

[wichaka]

Will look into it, thanks..........

[Joni Lynn]

I like this system. I leave the 1911 forum open most of the time when I am online and this is an added bonus.

[Tom]

. . . and this is an added bonus.

Yeah. An added way for you to bother me. :p

[Joni Lynn]

Every little bit helps.