Changes to the Website!

[norb]

ironsight wrote:

Estabu,
I don't think deleting your cookie solved my goofy download issues. That theory though it looked plausable at the time might have gone down the drain. I will however keep blocking all unnecessary cookies.

Based on Norb's last post here, its official policy now for members to have .png cookies...so enjoy those cookies of yours! :)

Estabu, if you could do me a favor though, can you keep your cookie off for a day or two so i can do a little more experimenting with some IE settings as i'm not a 100% sure of anything at this point because i'm still getting IE 'errors on page' text.
While i'm doing this i would like to exclude the cookie variable from the mix as there is a remote possibility this could be a compound root cause issue.
Before i throw in the towel, i'd like to uncover every stone within sight :S
Thanks

Just so everyone understands exactly what is going on. It is not a .png cookie really. That is just a file format, like .bmp, .jpg, they just chose to do png files. On any other computer a .png would be a graphic and it actually is a graphic on their computer too. But what happens is that when you go to their server to get the png file it does some other stuff too. My reason for this is so that people don't think that png's are inheritantly bad. They are no more dangerous than any other graphic format. It's the server, not the file type.

To avoid this, I suggest that you select "Only accept cookies from sites I visit". This prevents that cookie from loading at all and you just get the resulting png file. It's actually a good setting to keep spyware off of your computer. Fact is that most site don't server the spyware, it's the url flash and graphic advertisements on those sites that get the spyware on your computer. I would guess that if that graphic was on the MMG board you would get the same results. But since it is not being served by norbsoftware.com, but by xfire.com, that setting would prevent it from showing up.

So I'm just saying that they could do the same thing with bmp jpg dds or anything else, if you don't load graphics at all it would prevent it too.

[ironsight]

Estabu, thanks! look for your karma bump!

Norb,
just to add to your discussion, its my understanding a png file is basically just one of many graphics or image file formats. I believe uSoft Clipboard saves images in png format as a default. uSoft Paint can also display png formatted files.
They're similiar to BMP files in that they're bitmapped the main advantage being there is no loss of resolution or quality when decompressed unlike jpg files.

At the risk of re-poking a hornet's nest, the main reason i intend to block these things is because a while back there were a bunch of High Security Windows Updates to prevent malicious code imbedded in downloaded graphics files from infecting PCs.
Although no member here now would think of hacking someone's computer, who's to say what future members, game competitors, etc. would do.
All i'm doing by blocking these cookies is to err on the safe side especially considering they're unnecessary.

OK, i'm a self proclaimed pessemist with a little virus paranoia thrown in. :dry:
Thats all!

[estabu2]

Ok, I guess the I won't put the xfire thingy back into my signature. Ironsight, did that stop the error messages?

[ironsight]

estabu, no i haven't had any real quality time to look into this yet and i'm just about out the door now. Please don't delete your cookie permanently on my account.
Others might want to see your png file.
Just give me another day to play around with this.

[BOSTON]

I've enjoyed the website and the colorful cast of characters that frequent it, all with the same interest{s}. I found this site by poking and probing around other sites till Norbs' name came up, then "Vola!", I find a new CW game in development with a active community {I have never interacted with a community before}, which has been resourseful.
In my search of other sites, I did'nt see any LINKS to this website or news of an up and coming CW game, Like on PLAY HISTORY, or simular sites about this era of play. It seems to me this site needs more exposeure, so that people like me, lets say, who are not on the inside of the gaming world, can find out about it. I'm not making a critasisum, just an observation, if anybody enjoyed MMG they'd probablly love to see another site link.

Drafted in Boston, hoistingman4

[norb]

You are right, we do not have enough exposure. We usually rely on our community, that is the bums you see here, to get the word out and post links on other CW sites. Right now our of our time is focused on creating the game. Once we are done, we will work on getting the word out. But we appreciate all the publicity that others want to do for NSD. There are many sites that take links, and I am always willing to trade links with other CW sites. We also have had in the past people that spend a lot of time on other forums, getting the word out. Word of mouth is how most people find us, hopefully after we are done creating the game we'll get some advertising too.

[ironsight]

Norb or anyone:
I enabled IE 'error on page' to be displayed on the screen and here's what it says when downloads go awry. Anyone have any idea what this means.

Problems with this webpage might prevent it from being displayed properly or functioning properly.
Show Details>>
Line: 154
Char: 107
Error: Object doesn't support this property or method
Code: 0
URL:
http://norbsoftware.com/Portal/index.php?
option=com_kunena&Itemid=26&func=view&catid=38&id=1934&limit=20&limitstart=120

[BOSTON]

Norb

I'm not computer savey, but I'm willing to help out to spread the word, don't know how to post links and stuff like that, my gut feeling is that people are getting sick of turn based games that are soooo lame, what you have is alot more exciting. I'm a fan of the carryover scenerios and what ifs', like Stewart at Gettysburg before Lee, or a expanded battle plan before and after Gettysburg, whatever the case I"D like to see your game a success, for we all benifit from it.

Drafted in Boston, hoistingman4

[Hancock the Superb]

Norb:

There are civil War magazines, such as the American Civil War and the Civil War Times. As soon as the game come out, or is almost ready to come out, you should put an add in the magasin, for those are more than sufficiant to reach out to people.

[norb]

I don't know anything about that IE error. The only thing I know is that the Joomla site has problems with IE6. Since the site is working I try to spend most of my time working on the game and as little as possible changing the site. We'll probably do more once we are done, but don't have time to look at this stuff now.

I appreciate any help you guys can give getting the word out. I think you can submit links to our site, so make sure that you try and submit a link here to where ever you go to get the word out.

The team will discuss advertising once we are done with the game. We still have not settled on the sales avenue, but I have some ideas. We do have a business partner that is giving advice, but everyone is waiting for us to be done.