In meny servers (I use Apache/1.3.33) filenames with "!" generate 404 error.

I was wrong.
Ther are errors in some template files, ther is "./images/!pix.gif", need "./img/!pix.gif"

ahh.. thx, for your note. we'll fix it!

suggestion: transparent GIFs sucks.

try to use css' margin/padding instead. ;)

regards

Suggestion: open source rulez. If you have another style of CSS-programming than us, edit the templates and live in peace. The same way we can tell that margin/padding sucks.

"./images/!pix.gif" problem is fixed in RC1d.

sorry if i sound rude.

i can list a lot of problems in using transparent gifs, but i think my credibility has gone to trash. Sorry for that, i was just trying to help.

can list a lot of problems in using transparent gifs

That's a real way to talk. Saying "this and this sucks" without arguments you have no respect, and your help is doubtful. If you give me examples, what is wrong with .gifs, I could even agree with you. Until that... you know. Life sucks, too ;)

My english isnt one my better skills. So i try to say shorter as possible.

Ok, lets go to the point:

1) webstandards: GIFs wasnt made to format layouts (this topic can give us other 1 million problems)
2) huge traffic: in very high traffic sites, each unnecessary request, each unnecessary hit could result in a crash or spend more money than necessary (in upgrades and stuff).

- <img src="./img/!pix.gif" height="42" width="10" border=0 alt="miniBB: The Bulletin Bird"> is 90 bytes. it is an extra gigabyte of traffic at each 10 million pageviews.

Ok, now is the answer.

1) I agree that transparent .gifs weren't even planned for this. But in reality, this is really SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE solution, which works the same in MOST browsers. Don't you think we have not tried to use CSS instead of it? Of course, we tried. But nothing funny was there. Orienting mostly on Internet Explorer and Mozilla, maybe little bit Opera, making a layout using transparent .gifs is the only best solution for now, because CSS is looking DIFFERENT.

2) So, miniBB is not for 10 million hits, and we are not propagating it. If you have this amount of hits, you need to buy more serious software. On another hand, even if it could be, you are wrong saying that it will eat your traffic. !pix.gif will be stored in browsers cache, and since it is identical on all pages, will be reloaded rarely.

I still haven't heard exact solution from you. If you offer to change !pix.gif to something, what something?

what something?
CSS.

You can reach the exactly same layout with css. If i get some more time I'll implement it and post it here.

2) we are not propagating it. Ok. But if a forum is simple and minimalistic... well...


need to buy more serious software
don't minimalize your work, man :)

!pix.gif will be stored in browsers cache
i was talking about the code used to call the GIF.

- more lines in apache's log
- more hits (ok, 302 code hits)
- more more more when, in my point of view, "mini mini mini" is better :)

Again: i'm just trying to help you in any way, as you helps me a lot since 2001. Don't be bad with me for that :)

I am not bad :) If i get some more time I'll implement it and post it here - this is EXACTLY what I'm waiting from you ;)

ok, let's go.

main_forums.html, line 8 and main_last_discussions.html, line 13.

Why not simply use a blank space (see bellow)? Firefox, IE and Opera looks fine...

<td width="25" class=caption4>&nbsp;</td>

instead of

<td width="25" class=caption4><img src="/img/!pix.gif" width=25 height=1 alt=""></td>

we can also eliminate this cell, use a colspan and a CSS margin for that.

(i can go foward in other templates when we finish this first step)

Ok. I am too lazy for that, but here's my proof:



I hope, you understand the idea. I want to make left-cell-column in forums list EQUAL to left-cell-column in Last Discussions. Width varies depending on browser and text inside. Also, strong padding with .gif makes it looking better.

Any new suggestions? :)

ok i got the point.

it will need some css hack. i will try something later