My70s2.0
Our station's website is in transition.
Partly due to the desire to freshen things up, and partly due to the need to update old code that is being disabled by the web host.
The biggest change. Sadly, due to the changes from the web host, our beloved chat system must go. ClearChat is clearly the best chat system I've ever used or seen. However, it requires a forum board software (called php-Nuke) that has been abandoned over 10 years ago, and it used code that is now deemed as a security risk. I've contacted numerous software companies to see if they could rewrite this chat module into a more up to date forum system (phpBB, WordPress, Joomla, etc.) but, so far, none have wanted to take on the task.
I've been looking for a decent replacement for the chat. In particular, I'm seriously looking at some software called BlaB! It won't look the same as ClearChat, but is fairly configurable and I hope to modify it enough to make it as fun as the way we were use to using ClearChat - smilies and other images. If you are reading this particular thread, which is on the new forum, that means that we are already switched over to the newer forum (phpBB) and that the new chat system might already be in place.
Another change, which is already in place (but may still undergo some tinkering) is the Song Request feature. It has a new look, including album art now, but is otherwise very similar to what we had before. Previously you clicked on the song name to make the request. Now there is a button for making the request (although I might make the song name clickable too). There are also buttons for looking at more information about the track. As before, if the track was donated by someone, that person's name is shown in the list too. Another feature, which I had previously turned off but have put back in, is the Top 10 Requested songs. I'm also considering having a Top Donators list (although you can go to the Donators page- link to it is in the Search box of the Request page). And, if I build the next change I'm thinking of making (see next paragraph), I might have a Top Requester's (people who have requested) list too - although it won't be able to take into account the requests you've all made these past 11 years.
The next change - a biggie. This may or may not be received well by some people. Presently, anyone can request songs - registered listeners or not. Everyone has the same limits - depending on what I tell SAM to allow. I'm seriously considering setting up a registered listener only requesting system. It will still be free. Registering to request will provide some key features that I've been wanting for quite some time. I want to have variable request limits. This means that my designated DJs will be able to put more songs in the queue at a time than regular listeners. I might create a guest account that will allow 1 request an hour (or something along those lines). Newly registered listeners can have 5 an hour (or something). The other feature this will provide is being able to see the name of the listener that made the request. Presently this is optional and many people just close the box without entering something. Using the new registration will make the name automatically be attached to the request. Dedication or comment would still be optional.
I have a list of other things that I've always wanted to do to the site, and maybe with these forced changes, I'll get around to doing some of them.
So, we bid adieu to our old friend, ClearChat. Chatting will never be the same without it, but it will continue on.