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Does that mean I can expect to see emails from noreply@mail2.codeproject.com again? 
3x12=36
2x12=24
1x12=12
0x12=18
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A few more updates to the aging UI have been released so I thought it worth walking through a few of them and providing a little rationale.
First, the homepage is, clearly, a little different. While the old page had high information density, it was so high as to be approaching noise. I always thought of the homepage as a newspaper front page - lots of boxes with lots of info all available at a glance. That's great when you know what you're looking for, but terrible if you are casual cruising or if you just want to quickly scan a page and quickly look through what's new.
And that's what most homepage readers do: see what's new and move on.
So the design of the homepage was done to allow someone to take a quick peek at the homepage, see what's new, what's interesting, and then get on with it. There is still a little tweaking to do in terms of the actual data shown, but the layout itself is as it will be.
You may have also noticed that I've removed the sidebar on many of the pages. My idea with this, way back when, was that readers would come to the homepage, diligently read the entire page, then peruse the list of chapters and sections and (diligently) work their way through the article.
Except that everyone just hits Google and then goes directly to the article they need.
So, instead of the sidebar navbar we now have a simple link to the main Site map, and we also have a fly-out sitemap under the "Article" menu. Removing the sidebar gives us two benefits: vastly reduced page size (and quicker download/page render) and more screen space. The homepage is now around 18K vs 77K (give or take) which means a lot when you're mobile or on a slow connection. Further speed increases are coming.
I've also added visual hints in the top scrollbar showing where you are in relation to the nav bar navigation. A small thing but a useful thing.
The survey has been moved from the bottom to the side. While the surveys are not exactly the most scientific of research (let's be honest - Sunday night and a bottle of red and hey presto! A new poll) they are hugely interesting, but they were buried. Just watching the partipation rate this week showed the move has been good for the polls.
There is also a nice bonus for those who feel advertising is the root of all evil in this world. I've removed two ads from the homepage and replaced with a smaller box ad. I, personally, always read our ads because I always see stuff potentially interesting (a requirement for any ad we run). However, I'd rather have a cleaner layout than advertising any day, so I fired one of them.
One non-UI addition is that sign-in and profile update is now all done via SSL. I know this won't help issues with packet sniffing over unsecured Wifi networks, but what it will do is protect your passwords. People hate thinking up and remembering passwords so there is a ton of password reuse. By keeping the passwords out of the hands of miscreants, and hashing, not encrypting, passwords, we can do our bit keep your private business your own.
There are also a few smaller touches around the place. A little shading and shadowing, highlighting of the currently focused text box, a small tweak to colours but nothing that, I hope, will cause tempers to flair.
The point of all of this is the old maxim in editing: remove half of what you write; then remove half again.
While I will never claim to be a designer I can claim to be a user, so my focus is on making the UI work for me, and for the majority of those who use the site. While this will never make 100% of the users happy, creativity can certainly help me bridge that last little gap.
More soon.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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A minor update of the general layout sees the green nav bar back under the ad, and the search bar back on the right hand side. We've tucked a few things inside pop-ups (CSS, not Javascript) as a way to neaten up things a little.
All in all: 26 or so extra pixels of screen space recovered. As an added bonus about a dozen minor but annoying bugs have been squashed.
Now - who will be the first to complain about the lounge link?
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Chris Maunder wrote: Now - who will be the first to complain about the lounge link?
Me!? 
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Nothing really huge, more of just a recognition that voting for a question or answer is different than voting for an article.
Voting is incredibly important in helping filter the good and the bad, but useless if no one votes. Voting can be, however, detrimental to the motivation of authors if downvoting can take place without accountability.
My feeling on this is that articles, technical blogs and Tips are permanent references and their vote has weight. Questions are ephemeral and nowhere near the amount of effort has gone into posting a question as would go into, say, posting a tip - let alone an article.
In light of this I've removed the features for questions and answers that requires a comment to be provided on a downvote. With the introduction of the comment requirement the number of votes fell dramatically, and the votes that did occur were not always useful. By removing the barrier to voting, Quick Answers now falls into line with the discussion forums with voting now easier and more likely to be cast.
We'll see. Maybe this is a Very Bad Thing. Maybe we put comments back on answers, but not questions. Maybe we change the voting to simply be yay/nay.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Seems a reasonable argument.
------------------------------------
I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
CCC League Table Link
CCC Link[ ^]
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Dear Chris,
It is good thing to keep Voting for the answer , also there should be some way where the question poster once he gets the answer he should vote appropriately , not only take use og the forum answer, I want to add some more points to the quick answer section, most of the people are posting thier comments as answers this not correct as posting comment will get one point and posting answer 10 points
Regards
Rajesh
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We have a new article layout!
After an absolute marathon 3 weeks I'm happy to let our new baby free into the world. A cleaner layout, less clutter, no more left-hand side bar, and a rationalised top-menu.
While doing this we also added a few more things:
- inline posting of answers in the Quick Answers section
- Next / previous buttons on Quick Answer pages to allow you to whiz through them faster.
- Source code browsing
- A flyout sitemap of Chapters and sections (see the sign post at the top left of articles)
- A slightly (and I mean, slightly) improved iPhone experience.
- A few niceties for non-IE users, and a couple more on top of that for Opera and Chrome users.
- 'Learning Zones' - areas where we will bring together content on a given topic for new (and advanced) members
- You can add your Twitter name to your account to give a little exposure to your twitter feed.
There are definitely a few little surprises around. I had to be brutal in removing unnecessary stuff and even now I still want to remove 50% more.
There will be a period of weirdness where the site is half-in, half-out of the new design, but I wanted to at least push forward with the article design since that brings the biggest benefit to the majority of our readers who simply come here for a 5 second quick fix.
Enjoy, and as always, bugs and suggestions in the Bugs and Suggestions[^] forum.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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One of the obvious ways to make something faster is to give it less to do (excepting, of course, that well known adage that if you want something done, give the task to a busy person). Caching is the prime method of speeding up a website and takes many forms: SQL server caches results, your data layer may cache results, your business objects may be cached, ASP.NET has a cache object, Appliction and Context objects, the session object, disk caching, your user controls and pages have output caching, there is server side caching within IIS, partial page caching, and client side caching within your browser itself.
Just to name a few.
Unfortunately your web.config file doesn't have an entry <caching level="11" for="everythingIncludingTheKitchenSink" />
Setting up caching requires attention to detail and an understanding of where the load is best relieved, what type of data synchronisation issues you may have (working in a webfarm?), what member you have, the length of time you wish to cache and your caching resources (memory).
For the last couple of weeks we've been focusing on the client side trying to understand what is causing the page to download slowly, and what we can do to speed up rendering. To this end the obvious fixes were to ensure IIS caching was enabled, and not just enabled, but enabled correctly.
IIS caching requires you to explicitly tell IIS that you want caching. Because, you know, you might enjoy having your readers download those images every...single...time. So you turn it on - ensuring you enable it for both static and dynamic content - and you find it works for your IIS6 servers but not your IIS7 servers (yes, we mix and match. We're crazy like that).
The trick is removing the eTag. Do a search and you will find the trick is actually setting the eTag changenumber to 0, which requires downloading the IIS Metabase editor, cranking it up, adding an arcane key and crossing your fingers. This then ensures that the eTag, a value that should be the same for a given version of a file on all servers, is the same. Change the file, the eTag changes, and the file is re-downloaded by the client and cached until it next changes.
However, the eTags between IIS6 and IIS7 differ so the only way to get around this is remove the eTags. An eTag is just an HTTP header so in IIS6 you just manually ask IIS6 to add a new header to the output stream called "eTag" with the value "". Voila, no eTags.
Except that this doesn't work for IIS7. People say it does, but it doesn't. You'll need to write a HttpModule to strip the output of the eTag manually.
So...
You now have caching working. You've enabled it, set the expiry as a date in the far, far future, removed eTags if required, ensures static and dynamic are cached, and all is good. Speed skyrockets. Well, perceived speed.
However, you still have many readers who come once, and once only. Caching is no use for them. So the next step is compression.
Compressing your downloads (zips, images, HTML content itself) is again set by IIS but it's, yet again, a PITA in IIS6. I'm not going to go through the details - just do a search for "IIS compression metabase.xml" and you'll find the instructions for enabling compression properly on your servers.
And again you now have compression. You're sending small packages downstream, sending them less often, saving bandwidth, saving processor time, and everyone wins.
Just make sure you make copious notes of what you did, because when it comes time to adding a new server or repairing a failed server, you really don't want to go hunting around for all this stuff again.
Now where is that web.config setting we all need...cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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1. The trees start turning in Quebec mid-August. This, to me, is totally unacceptable until a mate pointed out that we could have our first snow within 8 weeks. It's currently so hot outside the tarmac is sticky.
2. Raccoon poo can burn wood
3. I have a dray of squirrels going ballistic in our trees and a gaze of raccoons treating our roof like a trampoline that opens at 5am. Gaze and Dray - your words of the day.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Hello, I am a Chinese, a C # programmer, you are in Canada, learned?
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Or colorization if you live in certain countries.
A small thing but it does solve two problems:
1. The code looks better.
2. Smilies are no longer injected into PRE blocks.
The programming forums are due for a serious upgrade so while this change won't mean much in the short term it does make life slightly, slightly nicer in the interim.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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I'm on it - just haven't had a chance to upload. We just had massive electrical storms come through Toronto which killed my chance to do an upload tonight 
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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A lot of my time over the past few weeks has been spent weeding out spammers. Spammers in the forums, spammers in the articles and spammers in the member pages.
The latest (well, latest that I've noticed on CodeProject) trend is to go to a site that allows a member to have a profile page, create a page that contains whatever loathsome spam-ridden message you want to pass on, and then send a spam email with links to that profile page. Actually, links to about 20 profile pages spread across different sites.
This is a sneaky way to try and get around email spam filters. I'm assuming the theory is along the lines of: The links in the email aren't to banned sites so they get through email filters (even though "viagra" is the main topic of the email). Spammees get the email, think to themselves "That's exactly what I need in my life!" click the link, go to CodeProject, see the profile, click another (fatal) link and get their machine infected with zombieware and leave unsatisfied.
At least that's as close as I can guess.
The upshot is that I spent probably 2hrs a day analysing the results of the filters, with each new IP or keyword or pattern unearthing a new motherlode of fake accounts for me to shovel through.
We're getting there, and while I appreciate (but am equally horrified) at the large spikes in page views we get each time one of these mis-directed spams go out, it is getting a little old.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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We were thinking about the following:
You’re in Visual Studio 2008 working on a nasty block of code. Remembering that one of your Code Project cohorts recently posted an elegant solution for a similar problem you highlight some code and hit search. Up pops the exact article in The Code Project Add-In window. No time wasted. No pulled hair and exasperating searches. Valuable information is just one click away.
So we wrote it. The Code Project Add-In for Visual Studio 2008[^] does this, and will do a whole lot more once we're through.
We wrote this add-in so our members would have quick access to our 23,000+ articles in addition to MSDN and Live Search. No more toggling back and forth between your work and web searches. We hope this will make your work easier. It’s free and it's available now. Does it get any better than that? Download here[^]
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Hi chris
I am a student and I have to do a project about jenetic algorithm I would be so grateful if you could help me. it is about the implementing the genetic algorithm which was used in an article in C language. the name of article is:
solving uncapicitated hub location using genetic algorithm. I would be so grateful if I had your email inorder to sent it to u
Thanks in advance.
abbbas
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hai sir
can i use in contentplaceholder in child page
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Urgent Enquiries About Share Point Work Flow.
Naposon Group LMT.
30b Martin Street Lagos
Nigeria .
Tel +234 8025066097
Fax +234 0198993
Hello Chris,
You are receiving this mail from Naposon Group we are newly appointed government Share Point designer which gives us an eager over our rivals here, But the truth is that we have not been able to complete most of the project that is given to us and this is really giving us BIG concern.
We would like to partner with your company so you can assist us sort most of the difficult part of it, We are ready to abide by your laws and we wish this will showcase your companies power in my country,
Hoping receive an urgent response this email so as to enable us put a hold to most of the work we have at the moment.
Thank You.
Mr Uche Howard
Ceo.
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Tonight I closed The Soapbox.
I started the Code Project with David nearly 10 years ago. My goal was to provide a place where software developers could come together and share free source code. Our site grew quickly and attracted an amazing group of developers who were instrumental in providing content for others. Fundamental to the atmosphere we created on The Code Project was the rule that members treat other members with respect.
We opened the lounge soon after we started the site and, boys being boys (at least mostly at that time) things sometimes got a little rowdy. We then opened the Soapbox so that members would have a place to extend discussions on software development to areas not suitable for a PG audience. Language would sometimes get a little blue, discussions on why C++ was better than VB would get personal, and comments on MSDNs latest anchorwoman would, well, go where they would go. It was still all in good fun and (reasonable) good taste for a long time but then it started going downhill.
The Soapbox today is simply a place for a core group of members to discuss US politics, Global warming, religious sterotypes and to launch personal attacks. Often in the same message. The soapbox is no longer a place I can send errant messages, but instead has become a place where errant messages are encourage and condoned and a place that has absolutely nothing to do with what I orginally imagined our site to be.
There are so, so many other sites on the Internet where these topics, flame wars and personal vendettas can be indulged but our site is not one of them. So as of this evening I have closed the soapbox.
I'm sorry to those who genuinely enjoyed the hurly burly of it all but with the realisation that the forum does nothing other than fuel the very behaviour we don't want to see on our site it no longer makes any sense to keep it.
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Thanks Chris that's a good move, but are you sure you electrified all the fences in Lounge? 
As a serious reply, I had a little thought. When so many online business minds are struggling so much to attract people to their sites, you got them so easily in the soapbox. Well I'd say SB should never be a part of CP for sure, but you could have moved them out of CP's sight and kept it alive & running somewhere. A simple redirect would do. It might have been worth few Clicks!. Or you might have sold off the entire mob to some online forum-setup craze heads. 
For example :
www.CPSOAPBOX.com
-C'mmon let's fight it out here 
I know I suck at business ideas, but just my 2 cents 
OK,. what country just started work for the day ? The ASP.NET forum is flooded with retarded questions. -Christian Graus
Best wishes to Rexx[^]
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I've asked for the SB to be deleted myself, in the past. Oddly enough, I have my doubts now... but I just hope said troublemakers don't come over to the Lounge or the other forums.
I'm curious, Chris, what was happening last night? Did someone write a bot to tag other people's messages as abuse?
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Vikram A Punathambekar wrote: Did someone write a bot to tag other people's messages as abuse?
Someone just had way too much spare time.
It isn't the voting or the deleting of messages I care about in the least - if the Soapbox crowd wishes to play with the system like that then it's their choice. It was purely a content and purpose issue.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Chris Maunder wrote: Someone just had way too much spare time.
Chris, some of those messages were being deleted where the majority of votes were 5's, and only 2 - 4 votes had been cast. My first thought was sock puppet, but that would still have required in an excess of a half-dozen votes, wouldn't it?
Jon
Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
Algoraphobia: An exaggerated fear of the outside world rooted in the belief that one might spontaneously combust due to global warming.
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Yep - it does look like 'mark as abuse' messages were being cast without a corresponding score vote being added as well. Not exactly a security issue (as far as I can tell) but more a cosmetic issue since it does look weird having a 5/5 message marked as Abuse.
I'm still digging to see where the missing votes are going.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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