Zeta is the first software to be built from the ground up specifically for hosting in a multi-forum environment. It features page execution times up to 6000 times faster than our old InvisionFree software, and over three hundred new and improved features. From a central resource database that everyone can submit into, to inline moderation and an enhanced PM system… ZetaBoards will allow forums to be easier and more fun.

We’re coming up on five years of operation… here’s to another fifty!

That is all.

Testing shall ensue.

• No way to block a board from sending tickets
• No way to let a board close their own tickets
• No auto-expiry
• No knowledge base
• No way to log into a user’s board until they set up an account for us
• No way to throttle the number of tickets a user can have open at one time (to prevent spam like Mr. 2500+)
• Hard to answer many tickets at once

But Christina, Jay, and I teamed up to take ‘em out B)

However, the real goodies came after the movie. A chocolate party! I had two marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate, a pretzel dipped in same, a double chocolate cookie, a chocolate fudge brownie, and hot chocolate. And some Hershey’s Kisses. Yum. I don’t want any more chocolate for awhile now.

Oh, and the IF2 Bug Tracker got finished today. It will be shiny and make QA for IF2 much, much easier. 

(20:38:56) Nhlmaster28: Hey this is chaingang28 from the invisionfree forum and since your admin I was wondering if you could validate my account?
(20:39:10) Seth: sure, what is your e-mail address
(20:39:18) Nhlmaster28: Nhlmaster28 at aol.com
(20:39:46) Seth: validated have a good night
(20:39:51) Nhlmaster28: thanks you too

• He identified himself immediately, and stated his request, all in the first message
• No “hey” or “yt?” messages
• His request was not for support, it was for something related to the forums, of which I am the admin
• He was nice about it

I salute you, Mr. Nhlmaster28; may others learn from your example

We feel that FreeNode provides a more professional working environment and will be working in the coming weeks to legitimize the IRC channel as a supported point of contact for InvisionFree staff. Stay tuned.

• Provide an easier way to read the dozen-plus staff blogs
• Increase readership of our blogs, and insodoing,
• help you to get to know the faces behind the badges a little better

The Planet was also created because I’m lazy. But we don’t talk about that one.

So if you’re reading this via Planet, welcome! You’ll get to know the InvisionFree staff better. If you’re not reading via Planet, go check it out! The variegated personalities here are sure to entertain you.

Remember that our postings may not represent the view of InvisionFree as a company and that each staff member is solely responsible for his or her writing. Enjoy!

It really has been fun working the other side of the tech support table these last few years. Interesting to pick out the little quirks inherent to tech support that you then see when getting help from other companies’ tech teams. What you need to realize, whether you’re calling, writing, typing, whatever, is that the support people (usually) don’t know you from Adam. What they will know, however, is what you’re trying to hide, because they’ve seen the same trick 1,000 times before. Whether that means you broke your motherboard by plugging a card in backwards, or want a database dump, they’ve seen it. Just tell them what you really want, and more likely than not, they can still help. Promise.

So, you think that because I make my IM addresses publicly available, that I want to talk to you, eh? Well, let’s run down a set of criteria for IMing or otherwise harrassing me. My IM addresses are some of the easiest to obtain of all InvisionFree or ASO staff… I do this because I want to be available for those that really need immediate help. Let’s talk about what to and not to do.

Please note that if you don’t immediately identify yourself, where you come from, and why you’re IMing me, you’ll probably get blocked. It’s not that I don’t like you… I just get waaaay too many spambots, support requests, etc. to do anything but block, block, block.

And so we begin:

I’m from InvisionFree. I need help. Your name is red; help me!

Well, for you we have some wonderful support options available. The Support Forums are very active and you’ll find lots of resources such as the Documentation to help you out. Or, you can open a Support Ticket in your Admin CP and get a direct line to the support staff. We prohibit IMing staff for support because this slows things down for everybody. And I definitely don’t want to talk to you, I get enough IMs and PMs as it is.

I’m from InvisionFree, and I need a name change or my board got cracked etc.

Ah ha, this is what I’m there for. I’d be happy to talk to you.

I’m from InvisionFree, and I (want to be staff | want to host my own free forums | want to buy InvisionFree | would like to affiliate with InvisionFree)

Do you have one (1) million US dollars (USD)? If so, you may IM me, otherwise LOLOLOL.

I just want to talk.

If I know you in person, you work with me, etc., great, I like to talk. Otherwise, get a life and go talk to some real people. Please, I have work to be doing too, y’know.

I’m a pretty girl and I just want to talk.

Say no more.

I have a question about (IdioPoll | your website | Mozilla software | PHP)

Cool! I’ll talk to you and help you out as much as I can.