Site update news ...

[gerryvz]

By the way I made another small (but significant) change last night. I had the site set up some months back to not let any search-engine spiders crawl/index the site because of a massive problem I was having with sometimes several dozen spiders coming on the site simultaneously from the Chinese search engine Baidu. But what I realized later on was that other search sites like Google and Bing, which in fact are desirable, were not indexing the site and thus 500Eboard was not showing up in search results.

So I tweaked the robots.txt document in the root of the site and removed the restrictions on non-Baidu spiders, to permit indexing and encourage search-engine listings for this site. I've already seen some "good" spiders indexing things, so I know we're on the right track. Now it's just a matter of time to get the site caught up with the proper spiders.

Anyway, just thought I'd let y'all know about that small but notable tweak.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Interesting that the site just hit 15,000 total posts. When I migrated the site over to vBulletin in July of this year, it had about 10,800 posts and about 630 users or so.

Just 4 months later, we're almost at a 50% increase in posts and about a 25% increase in the number of registered users. So I think the new vBulletin move has been a success. Slowly but surely (albeit unfortunately and sadly) the 500Ecstasy legacy continues to fade into the background.....

 

[gerryvz]

There are certain times when it has become apparent that 400E/E420 topics have really warranted having their own sub-forum, although quite a lot of 500E/E500 discussion here at 500Eboard relates directly to the .034 too.

When there are things that are 034-specific, I have created a new, 034 forum in the "Other Discussions" section of the board. It's up to users' discretion as to how and when to use it, but I'd say that the litmus test should be 500 applicability -- if it pertains to the 500s, then put it in the appropriate 500 section. If it's 400/420-specific and ONLY relative to those cars, then put it in the new "034" forum.

Enjoy the new forum. I don't create them lightly.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[szvook]

Yep, that's what happens when you leave the door open...all creatures of the night crawl in.

 

[gerryvz]

I will be taking the site down later tonight for 30 minutes or so for a minor software upgrade to version 4.1.9. It's a minor feature-add but a point-rev so worth upgrading to.

Just an FYI to everyone.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Upgrade successfully completed, 2:40 AM Central Standard Time on Sunday morning.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500Eboard Status & Philosophy (w/regard to 500Ecstasy)

I will be updating the site software to the newest version of the vBulletin software, version 4.1.10, which was released today. Probably will do this in the next 48 hours barring any show-stopper bugs found in the software. When I do the upgrade, the site will be down for approximately 30-45 minutes.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500Eboard Status & Philosophy (w/regard to 500Ecstasy)

Done

 

[gerryvz]

A quick update --

The 500Eboard Wiki will be going live very soon. It will be fully integrated into the Forum/Site. I'll post more information at the time it goes live. I am really looking forward to having folks contribute to the wiki and it will continue to be around for a long time to come.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[szvook]

 

[gerryvz]

A quick update --

The 500Eboard Wiki will be going live very soon. It will be fully integrated into the Forum/Site. I'll post more information at the time it goes live. I am really looking forward to having folks contribute to the wiki and it will continue to be around for a long time to come.

Cheers,
Gerry

Hello 500E runners,

The 500E Wiki capability is now enabled and fully functional. It is 100% integrated into the 500Eboard forum main page, and I set it up as a separate forum category on the main page so that it stands out on its own. You should be able to enter information into the Wiki in a similar fashion as to how you post to threads on the other forums.

There are two ways to get to the Wiki ... a link up at the top of the page (directly underneath the page header photo) and of course the direct Wiki category link on the forum home page.

I hope you find this integrated Wiki functionality to be easy to use and beneficial to the entire community. It utilizes similar protocols and capabilities as the Wikipedia software, so that edits can be made by anyone, changes made, changes tracked, and discussions held in the background of a Wiki entry about that particular topic.

I am really excited to add this capability and hope that everyone contributes as their experiences and expertise allow. The collective knowledge of this board is fantastic, and the Wiki is another great way to capture it. Of course, Wiki information is fully integrated into the search/search engine capability of the rest of this site.

Enjoy !

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Jelmer]

Yay, well done!

Is there a way to link tags from the tag cloud to a certain article? So that clicking it would lead you to the definition of the word/object?

 

[gerryvz]

I still have some configuration work to do with the Wiki. I may well upgrade to the "paid" version, for which a license is about $70. It adds some desirable functionality.

That being said, there is some work to do in terms of adding sections to the wiki pages (so that it looks and acts like a wiki page) as well as getting the "read and unread" icons sorted out. Not rocket science, but this is a new software package so I'm still getting used to it. Lots of research to do in terms of tweaks and final setup.

But ... by all means PLEASE DO use the wiki, particularly for How-tos and informational pages (for example, I'd love to see Dave create Wiki pages on 124.036 and 124.034 LH units and EZLs). I also plan to create a page on M117 EZLs too.

Jelmer - yes, that tag functionality should be enabled. I think there is a "create tag" button for each wiki page that allows you to create tags. Having a "mouseover" definition is a feature of the "advanced" wiki software, which I think I'll pay some money for and upgrade to tonight.

Yes, that functionality is available though .....

Cheers,
Gerry

P.S. The next site feature on the roadmap, after successful implementation and configuration of the Wiki, is the implementation of the Registry & Database. This, of course, will be a major undertaking. This section of the site will be restricted -- it will only be made available to people who are active contributors to the site (i.e. who have above a certain level of posts) or important people to the worldwide 036 community.

I am still deciding how to implement the Registry -- whether to use a "vBulletin-centric" approach (like the Wiki does, which is highly integrated into the vBulletin site), or to use a separate SQL database and front-end for performing and displaying database queries. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method. I do know that the sheer amount of data that I have is going to up my hosting costs (and web traffic levels) tremendously once the Registry is implemented.

 

[T-500]

Are you accepting $$ as well as info contributions towards what is now becoming a valuable independent Internet historical database and resource?

 

[gerryvz]

In short, no.

Guys -- I just upgraded to the paid version of the Wiki software. Looks like there may be some teething / configuration problems.

The site may be up and down for the rest of the night tonight. Just wanted to let you know that. Don't panic.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Jelmer]

Having a "mouseover" definition is a feature of the "advanced" wiki software

Awesome! Looking forward to those new functions, well done!

 

[gerryvz]

All:

I have added a new feature that indicates how many members have visited the forum during the current day. This display is located at the bottom of the main forum page. It goes on a "midnight to midnight" time frame.

Be default, it just shows the number of members. However if you click on the arrow, you can expand the display to actually see who has dropped by since 12:01 AM.

Cheers,
Gerry

P.S. There is still some good amount of work to do in terms of configuring and setting up the wiki. It is 100% usable, and I would encourage folks to create wiki pages. As you know, wiki pages by design are intended to be edited and revised as new or more authoritative/accurate information is obtained. So even if a page looks sloppy, there's a good chance that someone else will come along and clean it up, and add value to it. So I encourage you to create those pages on factual topics of interest.

Some ideas would be:

- explanations for certain acronyms (from Jelmer's post) detailing certain MB systems. You could add photos or link to photos where relevant.
- details of systems such as different LH units or EZL part numbers, with a table detailing which models they are assigned to and are compatible with & superseded to
- pages on production information, colors of various cars, a page about the Limited
- pages detailing specific and detailed changes to parts and systems by model year
- details about wheels and offsets, what wheels are bolt-ons, what require spacers, etc.
- brake options, brake pad options, part numbers, etc.

the list is endless. This wiki could indeed become the most authoritative source of information about the cars !! EVERYONE has something to offer

 

[gerryvz]

I have installed a new feature to the 500Eboard site -- a "gallery" feature where each user can post tons of photos and arrange them by individual "photo albums" according to subject/topic.

I know for myself, I am going to remove the photos of my 560SL and 560SEC on my "owner" page and create albums for them, so that the purpose of my "owner" page remains primarily E500-related.

You can access this "Gallery" feature using the "Navigation Bar" which is directly below the banner photo (see screen shot attached). That way it is always accessible if you need it. It is right next to the "Wiki" button.

This also consolidates all of the 500Eboard users' photos into one easily accessible Gallery area.

Just another feature brought to enhance your 500Eboard.com experience Hope you enjoy it !

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Jelmer]

Sounds like a nice new feature, indeed. Are there any storage limits? Maximum size per picture, etc?

 

[gerryvz]

We have added a few new smilies to the mix.

One issue we had was a particularly graphic (not to mention, offensive) smilie ..... this one ....

For our more "mature" members, we have provided a more ... well, restrained version ....

Couple of other good ones: wned: :Texas: (of course!)

 

[Jelmer]

eh? Mature members need censored smilies? Welcome to the USA!

 

[gerryvz]

Yes, in the US we are considerably more uncomfortable than Europe with regard to nudity and sexual topics, hence the need for a less graphic smilie ....

I think the biggest problem is that I still have a bit of 12-year-old inside of me and so I have a few of those "off-color" smilies included in the list !

 

[Ron500E]

I think the biggest problem is that I still have a bit of 12-year-old inside of me

Re:

Which bit?

R

 

[gerryvz]

FYI all:

Later tonight I'm going to upgrade the 500Eboard forum software to vBulletin 4.1.11. Site should be down for about 30-45 mins, maximum.

 

[Trae]

Gerry,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting this together. I have learned more about the 500E in the last a couple of days than I have in the years of owning these cars.

Trae Martin

1992 Renntech 500E
1993 500E
1994 E320
2001 SL500

 

[gerryvz]

Site software has been successfully upgraded. Sorry for the inconvenience late this afternoon -- couldn't get to it last night because of the LCA Christmas present !!

 

[Jelmer]

Your afternoon is my near-midnight. Perfect time to do such maintenance ;-)

Thanks for your work, again.

 

[gsxr]

Yaaay! I can edit the Wiki pages in Chrome now. Previously it would not work in IE8 or Chrome for me, only in Firefox.

 

[gerryvz]

Yaaay! I can edit the Wiki pages in Chrome now. Previously it would not work in IE8 or Chrome for me, only in Firefox.

Does that mean you'll be doing more in the Wiki now, in terms of new entries? We desperately need a .96x .97x and .98x differential & tech specs entry.

 

[gerryvz]

One of the things I do plan to add soon are a few new "skins" -- options that you as members of the forum can select as to how it looks, colors, etc. 500Ecstasy had a couple of options for look and feel and I eventually plan to add 3-5 options to this site.

Just FYI.

Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Hello all,

Just a quick note to inform everyone that the 124.034 has received a promotion !!

What I mean by this is that I have created a specific "124.034 Discussions" section of the forum, and have elevated the .034-specific "General Discussions" and "Magazine articles" daughter forums to full "sub-forum" status. I also added a "Cars for sale" sub-forum to delineate .034s on the market from .036s.

This is to recognize the increased participation and membership of .034 owners on this site. I am not opposed to adding additional 034-related sub-forums as conditions warrant; however the cars are close enough, in most day-to-day respects, with the .036 that I would assume that from a mechanical perspective that most 034-related running & maintenance topics would indeed be covered in the main 036 forum collection.

I am not aware of really any other specific forums that cater to .034 owners, so this is a salute to y'all. Please feel free to invite any .034 owners you know to register and contribute here. I hope the additional level of delineation is helpful to you .034 guys. Seemed to me that this site was the best and most logical place to have .034-specific information. I will be scanning and adding some factory information on the .034 that I obtained some years back from the MB Archives.

Enjoy your new home, .034ers !!

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

A new smilie, for your posting pleasure ......

 

[Jelmer]

Can I request another smily?

 

[gerryvz]

You better watch out or that "smilie" will become your permanent avatar & signature image.....

 

[Jelmer]

Yes, Boss.

 

[Jelmer]

Hey Gerry, congratulations! Your little corner on the internet now has 1,001 members!

Thanks!

 

[gerryvz]

Wow, the milestone happened sooner than I thought it would. Thanks for the heads up. We're about 1/3 of the way to where 500Ecstasy was when it died.

 

[bing]

Can I request another smily?

Yeah! why can't we have this smilie? Ca'mon, do it, do it!

 

[gerryvz]

Oooh ... nice avatar Bing !!

 

[bing]

Yeah, wicked, me like!!!

Cheers!

 

[Ron500E]

Yeah! why can't we have this smilie? Ca'mon, do it, do it!

Trivia question for the future:

What movie stars two former US Governors?

Answer: "Predator", Arnold (who needs no last name) from California and Jesse Ventura (Minn.).

Ron
Useless Information Specialist

 

[gerryvz]

Another new smilie made its way to us today .... by way of an anonymous 500Eboard contributor.

Thanks !!

 

[Jelmer]

Aaand 20,000 posts, congrats again !

 

[gerryvz]

Hello all,

I took the site down for about 30 minutes earlier tonight to perform a software upgrade. vBulletin released a mandatory security bug-fix this evening that I decided to patch sooner rather than later. I hope this down-time wasn't much of an inconvenience to anyone. All in the interest of keeping the site safe, secure and up to date !

Cheers
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

It's not very often that I add or delete forums here; part of the attraction is the stability of the structure of 500Eboard. However, in recent months I have added .034 related boards to cater to our 4.2-liter brethren, as well as for C126 related topics as a bulwark against the inanity of other 126 forums such as the one found on Benzworld, and some of its more ... well, DRAMATIC ... denizens.

I added a new sub-forum called "Recommended Repair Resources" along with several child forums corresponding to regions of the country. People are welcome to list the shops and dealerships they know and have experience with, in terms of knowledge of and repairing 036s.

Because I added this new sub-forum, I decided to remove the least-used sub-forum, Factory Diagrams, which only contained one post that I moved to another forum.

If this repair resources forum doesn't get significant traction over the next 6-12 months, I will remove it too. So please use it, or lose it !!

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Right now, we are in the final stages of creating a new feature/capability/service for the members of 500Eboard:

We will provide a searchable database of MB parts prices (dealer, wholesale, retail prices) to go along with the part numbers that are obtained through the EPC. These prices should be fairly up to date (may be a couple or three months out of date depending on when the information is obtained) but should be a general guide for people as to how much parts can be acquired for.

This database is quite large, consisting of more than 235,000 rows x 5 columns (1.175 million fields).

Stay tuned on this. The database has been created; we are just designing the front-end by which the database can be searched !!

This is a prototype for the eventual VIN database we'll be adding. This VIN database will only have around 11,000 rows, but also approximately 100 columns (1.1 million fields).

By the way, we will be implementing support for the Tapatalk mobile client software very shortly.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

We have now implemented comprehensive Tapatalk mobile client support for the 500Eboard forum. It is now listed and accessible through the mobile clients for iPhone, iPad, Android, Crackberry, etc.

The Tapatalk app is available through the Apple App store, Android Store, etc.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Board is going to go down in a little while tonight, for about 30-40 minutes, in order to perform a software upgrade to vBulletin 4.0.12

Just sayin....

Cheers,
Gerry

P.S. In addition to the recent support we added for the "Tapatalk" mobile application, we have also implemented support for the "ForumRunner" mobile client for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. There is a free version as well as a $1.99 "paid" version of these apps. ForumRunner allows access to a multitude of different types of forums around the world, as long as they are registered.

 

[gerryvz]

Added a new smiley for you guys ....

 

[Jelmer]

[sub]You where just asking for that, no? I prefer my [/sub]