Can VK add a "downloads" tab?
 

I just got some 1967 Zenith full-line (!) sales brochures from ebay that are just too good not to share and I have access to a giant scanner.

What keeps from doing so is limited memory space on what I've attached over the years.:sigh: Using a hosting service to link in content is too complicated.:scratch2:

It would be nice to have a tab like vintagehifi.net where members upload schematics, service manuals and sales artwork.

That is a great idea! After joining AK and fishing through their database, for manuals, service lit, and sales brochures I found myself wondering "why doesn't VK have a database?". We sort of do via the ETF technical literature pages, but they are not password/member restricted and thus vulnerable to copyright Nazis demanding they remove newer content....I'm sure more lit would become available to the community through VK if we did this, and we would likely get new members joining to utilize that resource.

I've got pretty much all Zenith factory color TV schematics, and MANY full repair/adjustment manuals I'd be happy to upload, and I may also have access to a good scanner at my new job (haven't tried the scan functions out on the new machine yet). Myself and others have digital copies of the complete Riders TV manuals on disc, as well as many Beitman's Most Often needed TV and some sam's. Add to that one of our Canadian members has rare Canadian TV service lit he is trying to scan. ...We VK'ers could assemble the most complete library of free TV, and TV service documentation on the internet.

I hope those who have the power to make a "VK database" see it the same way.

AND I'd like to post some software
 

that would especially be helpful in the test equipment section.
First is showjpg.exe for displaying jpgs on a dos level machine.
Second is mono.exe which is a test pattern program featuring the famous Philips EBU test pattern. Also for dos machines.

A good idea!

In the meantime its easy enough to goto hostingpics.net and upload your stuff! (No scripts needed -- A GOOD HOSTING SITE!!)

They haven't even fixed the reply to thread page (or when making new threads, the editor is completely fubarred) and you want them to add a new feature? ;)

Good luck with that.

http://i.imgur.com/RiGuif4.png

You raise a valid point.

When they did the last VK maintenance shutdown and asked for donations afterwards. I thought: "Sure I love this site I'll make a good donation....Wait they said they would get on the advanced reply page. I'm going to wait till they do that free fix before I contribute towards the expensive stuff (most of which seems like it goes to AK)"...So far my contribution trigger has not been tripped...:no:

It's sad, a few offered to help fix it, but it was felt on dead ears. We all would love to help fix the parts that are broken, since the admin said he didn't know how to fix it. From what I heard it's referring to graphical resources at the wrong location and simply needs to be pointed to the right server. I could fix it also if offered the chance to help them.

But until the issues get fixed, I don't see them adding any new features in the near future, and you're right, why donate if they haven't fix something as changing a string of text in the boards theme?

I personally used to design themes for ProBoard way back around 8 or so years ago. It's literally so easy to fix this bug.

Decisions like that are above my pay grade.....unfortunately.

Look at it this way....it's the same thing as asking upper management in a company to look at a few things. Pretty soon they have their hands in everything trying to "improve" it ;) .

Since AK has ditched vBulletin in favor of Xenforo, my guess is that any improvements would be tantamount to changing the entire site's software. We don't want that, do we? :)

Well we can't leave the current system broken and looking ugly, it's falling apart. You can't even use the advanced reply editor at all. It's been broken for ages, and people have been willing to help.

Changing a string of text in the theme files aren't that hard or even trivial, as has been claimed. We want to see this place fixed, not fall apart.

I've got Luther looking at this now.

The advanced editor is now fixed. My apologies it took so long. I was only made aware of it today. The only time I ever check in here is when someone asks me to. This isn't a paying gig, I just do it in my spare time.

If I find any bugs on the forum, is there a way I (or any of us) can reach out to you directly, so that way members don't have to wait so long next time?

Thanks again btw (in addition to the thanks I said on the other post).

Let any admin or moderator know and they can contact me.

This thread needs to get back on the original topic of wanting a downloads function.

Further discussion here of the 'reply to thread' page will result in post deletion. Further criticism of moderation by anyone will result in a 1 day posting suspension, as will complaints about this post.

-Tom (being the bad guy to save a topic I like from being closed) Carlson

Vintagehifi.net is using SMF forum software with a third party hack to manage that. The issue is this site runs on vBulletin 3.8.4 which is totally different and very old. The download managers I have found for vB require a newer version of vB or a current license.

Let me know if someone digs up an old hack that will work with this software.

Now for uploading files, what are you uploading? PDF's? What size files do you need to upload?

PDFs would be the most common. I can foresee some odd document formats like DJVU, so making it PDF and ZIP capable would be good. And ZIP would be able to shrink files and hold any oddball file types that would be a pain for users to convert to PDF. Typical File sizes would probably be under 10Mb, there are possible cases where a document might be larger (some early color TV documentation is 2-3X that), but it should be possible to divide those rare cases into smaller parts...What say others interested in this.?

If a user uploaded a PDF, is it possible to have the server compress it itself so that way it uses less server space, and then downloads as either .Zip or .PDF, giving the downloader the option (Incase of dialup if they are still using it)?

Most of my post-1998 manuals for flatscreens/CRTs are in the 25-30MB range, with some training manuals up to 135MB. It's a pain having to FTP them up to a temp site, wait for the other(s) to download them, only to find I have to upload them again because they waited...

How about an off-VK hosted solution with OwnCloud? A friend uses it with a $11.98/month webhost (up to 100GB up/down..), and has about 62GB of data stored in her account right now.

https://owncloud.org/

I realize I may just be making noise, so I'm out of the final discussions... thanks for listening.