Proboards and stuff they change

[Mikéy]

Time for a thread on what the Proboards company changes! So outside of the obvious huge switch from V4 to V5, which I'm sure most of us are used to by now, it appears that they continue doing stuff and adding features and junk, but very subtly.

Something I've just noticed that seems new: They polished the "Last Post" section of the main board index. It's now much bigger, and appears to show the full thread title no matter how long it is. I don't recall that being a thing, and I'm not sure how long it's been like that... I just remember it being a little different. Shorter, and cutting off thread titles, iirc.

E: Also, the thread title "wraps" down a line in the last post section if it ends up being a bit too long, still showing the full title.

I'd say it's a fairly good change.

[Chiz]

How's about this for shenanigans: all external links on this forum are now being rewritten by Proboards to be a redirect through their advertising/monetization/analytics partner/contractor, VigLink. No opt out that I've found yet, either.

Example: www.rockmandash-legends.com occasionally becomes http://redirect.viglink.com/?key=bbb516d91daee20498798694a42dd559%20&u=http%3A//www.rockmandash-legends.com/

EDIT: I believe this is the relevant JS inline with the page:
<script type="text/javascript">
   var vglnk;
   $(document).ready(function() {
       $('a').each(function() {
           if ($(this).prop('href').indexOf('login.proboards.com') !== -1) {
               $(this).addClass('norewrite');
           }
       });

       vglnk = {
           api_url: '//api.viglink.com/api',
           key: 'bbb516d91daee20498798694a42dd559'
       };
       var vglnkSrc = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? vglnk.api_url : '//cdn.viglink.com/api') + '/vglnk.js';

       // VigLink ProBoards Convert Code (using above key)
       var s = document.createElement('script');
       s.type = 'text/javascript';
       s.async = true;
       s.src = vglnkSrc;
       document.body.appendChild(s);

       var retry = 0;
       var reV = function() {
           if (typeof vglnk !== 'function' && retry++ < 5) {
               setTimeout(reV, 500);
           } else if (typeof vglnk !== 'function') {
               $('a').not('.norewrite').each(function() {
                   var url = $(this).prop('href');
                   if (url.indexOf('http') === 0 && url.indexOf(document.domain) === -1) {
                       $(this).prop('href', 'http://redirect.viglink.com?key=bbb516d91daee20498798694a42dd559 &u=' + escape(url));
                   }
               });
           }
       };
       reV();
   });
</script>


[Bowen Aero]

This development could either be minor enough to shrug off, or could be a potentially major security risk for the unaware.

[Mikéy]

...I'm guessing that since we're still stuck using their service, we can't "filter" those links out?

[Chiz]

May 26, 2016 19:24:55 GMT -5 Mikéy said:

we can't "filter" those links out

www.proboards.com/tos

19d,e makes it a violation to filter them out or use any kind of unwanted content scrubber/blocker. 19i,m potentially makes it a violation to even look at the page source code and identify the script like I did. Oddly enough, though, 19f,g makes it a violation to do exactly what they're doing right now by tagging links which they've granted themselves immunity to with 15. Naturally if there's any violation, you also violate 18g which makes it a violation to violate as well as speaking ill about Proboards. 20b potentially makes it a violation to say 'Proboards'. 18,25a allows them to delete everything if we violate anything, which basically means "on a whim" and this point, and 23 says if they delete everything it's not their fault. 1 makes it a violation if you didn't already understand all of this yet agreed with it anyway.

[Mikéy]

Figured as much.

I like that you pointed out that they're violating one of their own terms but ensured to give themselves immunity to violations. As far as the links are concerned, I don't think any legitimate link has been prodded with viglink on my side, but I'll keep an eye out when hovering over a link from now on, I guess.

I'll drop it there, so we don't have to climb aboard the [[CENSORED]] train again.

[Dashe]

Their TOS sounds an awful lot like our registration forms, only not satire. I call copyright infringement on that.

[Bowen Aero]

So, who do we call for this issue? Edgeworth? The vonKarmas? Definitely anyone but Paine, you don't want to deal with another nervous wreck.

[Fatman X. Jones]

So here's the rub: Why are we still using Proboards and not some alternative if they're doing this? Convenience? 'Cause if this is one of those "but changing requires -effort-" moments I'm just shakin' my damn head here. I would think the integrity of our user base is more considerably to lean towards making the necessary efforts and data migration to a different provider than to just let things lie as-is. Please, please tell me I'm not wrong here.

[fAB]

We're not exactly a bustling community here, but if there's one thing we have it's a strong sense of history. With a ridiculous amount of work we could archive all the threads, but there's no way to migrate all the member accounts and link them to the posts that go with them. This has been my primary argument whenever the idea of finding someplace else has come up, and it only gets stronger the more time goes on.

I've also never seen what the big deal is regarding any limitations or changes Proboards may subject us to. It's a free service (that doesn't go down when the main site occasionally does), and again, it's not as if we're a bustling community with major needs that they're failing to accommodate.

[Bowen Aero]

Well, I suppose that settles that, then. Guess we'll only migrate should some disastrous change ever happen. But hey, glad to see you alive and talking. If only that were the case in the Discord chat, if the fAB in the Discord chat is you, fAB .

[fAB]

Don't know if "the fAB" in the Discord chat is me or not.
A few days back I did click the link once out of curiosity, to see what it was like and if it was faring any better than past MMLS chat suggestions.
I didn't go in there with the idea of chatting, though I would have said hello if anyone was actively talking at the time, but they weren't.
I generally don't say anything when I have nothing to say.

[Bowen Aero]

That's not very reassuring. Some of us are kinda suspicious that it's an imposter. But I guess it is you, if you're deciding to just remain completely silent through every conversation we're having.

[Mikéy]

Pffff. Regardless, "the fAB" in there will remain unassigned until we know for sure who it is through conversation. It's not like it's hurting anything if he stays. We can find out for sure because I've got something non-pressing I'd like to ask fAB about, so it'll lead to revealing whether that fAB's real or not.

That's not what this forum topic is about anyways.

[ShadyRounds]

This was a fun thread to read. On that note:

The situation: You just read a great fanfiction, it's 4 chapters a page, and 12 paragraphs a chapter. You get to the bottom, and want to move on to the next chapter.

The question: Why isn't the "page index and arrow buttons" at the bottom of the page like they are at the top? It's a petty comp-quest (complaint/request), but I still felt it worthy of a post.

That is all. EDIT: No it's not. I want to quote Chiz in a meme, obviously spinning the words around so we're not breaking the 20b rule of "fight club".

I'll make 2 memes, one actually referencing fight club, but this one I spun off Apple.