Overgrow 2.0 Development progress

Community
#1

Welcome everyone!

This is private beta access. We are running from development server and everything you see is work in progress.

Why is the site loading so slow? You are connected to non-public development server. This will be perfectly fine and fast once in production mode.

We have opened this private beta access to test site features with invited friends. Of course, you can invite more people, but please do it privately, do not disclose Ovegrow startup publicly yet… Thank you.

We now have time to “warm-up” the site, correct bugs and finish development.

Please try to make your own topic, upload few images and test the site. If you find any bugs please let us know in this topic. We are eager to know what you think about it…

Later in September the site will be switched to production mode on Overgrow.com address.

Thanks to everybody for helping with startup!

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Chat room 2017-2019
#2
#3

In case your user activation email doesn’t arrive, let us know to admin@overgrow.com and we’ll activate your account immediately!

#4

YEEAH… We are officially LIVE on production server! :tada:

I took many hours to transfer everything from development server but we’ve finally done it! Cross your fingers in future hours so that there are not many bugs to fix

Please report all errors you may find…

Thanks for support during upgrade… Now it is time for a chill and large hit from the bong

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#5

Email delivery

We have fixed some e-mail delivery issues, so you should get activation mail (and all those notifications) correctly now…

Speaking of notifications, there is very advanced feature in this software which allows notifying through e-mail or browser (if your browser is capable of it, you can get notifications practically in real-time even if you don’t have the page open currently - your browser /chrome/firefox/ monitors the site for you). Your capable browser will offer it to you automatically… Then see your profile settings (clicking on avatar in upper right corner) to fine tune which notifications are you interested in.

SSL encryption

HTTPS:// (SSL) is now fully enabled and forced what means that all incoming connections are redirected automatically to encrypted version of the site. And the site doesn’t allow plain-text connection…

Our SSL Certificate got B-grade from SSL Labs, but we’ll try to improve it to get A grade soon…

[UPDATE]

We’ve got A+ grade now … Run the test yourself @SSL Labs

overgrow-ssl-certificate-a-grade.jpg1074×624 149 KB

#6
#7

I’ve noticed that there is bug when viewing topic with photo attachments (uploads). Normally it is possible to zoom any photo to full size, but currently it is not working. I hope to fix it soon.

If you encounter any other strange behaviour, just let me know :slight_smile:

#8

Photo zooming is fixed now, it should also improve speed of loading of topics as there are now optimized (smaller) images loaded first… Full size image is loaded after clicking on thumbnail.

#9

Hello,
major core update was done today. (btw in the middle of Google blackout - probably longest in Europe in past 5 years). After some testing it is workable now…
I’ve fixed many bugs in GrowFAQ which should be ok now, audited also security features so we can welcome new moderators on board and published three great features:

Showing Who’s Online

I’ve added small section to the top of “Discovery” pages (Homepage / Latest / Categories / Top) which now shows users currently online. Only registered users are shown.

Thumbnails in Topic list - in Image Gallery forum category

Thumbnails in Image Gallery (forum category) are now enabled. When you browse through the topic list, you can see small thumbnail on the right.

I’m now looking for some solution to have bigger thumbnails also in the topic itself, so one doesn’t have to scroll down through big list of uploads. I’d prefer gallery arrangement with medium sized thumbnails, possibility to click thumbnail to zoom photo to full screen with arrows left/right to step through individual photos attached in the topic.

overgrow-gallery-topic-thumbnails.png705×934 53.5 KB

Homepage Carousel with Latest Galleries

Last updated gallery topics are now listed straight on Homepage. You can get there by clicking on logo in header or going to /latest in discovery mode. Carousel is scrollable and you can scroll right / left also on tablets to see about 15 gallery topics total.

overgrow-homepage-gallery.png1262×611 91.3 KB

Let me know if any problems / browser bugs arrive :slight_smile:

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#10

This place is really coming along nicely Joe.

Appreciate all your hard work brother, it’s definitely noticeable!

Stay hazed,
Jake

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#11

Is there a way that I can opt out of showing as online? Did I miss it somewhere under preferences?

#12

You haven’t missed it, it is not there (yet)… But thanks for pointing this out. I’m sure we can add “Invisibility mode” for it. That would be good security improvement.

Long-term we still need to rework Who’s online design so that it is capable to display more than 20-30 users concurrently online :sunglasses: without taking too much screen estate.

#13

It is now over a year since I’ve started development on OG. It was a challenge in a way that I chose much different technology than I’ve work with so far. And every time you try and use non-proven technology you have to start learning it step by step and risk running into many obstacles and dead-ends in which you have to throw out many days work.

Anyway it was worth it and I’m happy to see you all browsing around…

Time to re-evaluate a little… By now you probably have enough experience using the site to tell if the site missing something.

Let’s do a brainstorm about future changes and ideas. I can’t promise to turn them all into reality but I welcome any suggestions.

So far we’ve got few requests:

  • Mobile friendly chat section / application
  • Profile setting to opt out of showing as online
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#14

Great job so far @LemonadeJoe. Doing the OG legacy proud…

  • A members gallery for images - upload once, link to many posts after.
  • An easy way to “watch” discussions, and/or sub-forums, for new posts.

Overall I like the Discourse format. Don’t do much on mobile, but PC and laptop formats work well.

Haven’t figured out what the green dots beside members’ names are - posting totals? Likes? Membership age? Hopefully, not the dreaded Karma. I swear that killed the old OG long before the DEA did.

-b420

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#15

I am happy with the site. Well done and keep on keeping on.:grin:

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#16

Thanks for support @Baudelaire and @ryasco!

LOL :smiley: it resembles karma with its design, but it is derived from Likes. Also each added point is like crossed milestone and difficulty for reaching another increases. You need to double number of Likes to get another point :slight_smile: …

It is another fun feature like member badges…

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Using likes to reward quality posts :heart_eyes:
#17

You are doing great thanks. How about the flags for nationality like in 1.0!? LOL

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#18

I’ve almost forgot that yesterday we’ve accomplished great milestone - We can celebrate 1st Year Anniversary of Overgrow 2.0 going online.

Thanks to you all for great support and enthusiasm, it has been a great year with you. Great community is forming here and I must say that I love the spirit that we’ve been able to establish here as true followers of OG1!

Btw there is about 20 GB of photos in member galleries and it is growing exponentially ! :slight_smile: This number is doubling every few months.

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#19

We are not only overgrowing the world this time around, but overgrow is becoming a milestone in our lives, if it didn’t happen already in 1.0.

Not only are we followers, this is “The Cult of Overgrow”

PS.: I won;t be a year old until like May next year… I found out late about overgrow being up and running. I didn’t find out really u know. I used to type overgrow in the address bar many times a year, and one day BOOM! There it was.

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#20

I just saw my notification that I got the Anniversary Badge! My my, how time flies! Who else has been on for a year already?

I’m so grateful for this community.
Jake

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