Erik

Post Note: Please post all problems in the Bugs section of the forums so I can address them as I get to them. Thank you.

When crap hits the fan around here it normally does so in fine fashion. Because I'm right in the middle of this resolve and the sites are back up barely limping along I'm going to keep this short and to the point. Our servers update software routinely just like your machines do when they grab updates from Microsoft, etc. An update to our port 80 machine (web server) caused a segmentation fault in the software. Fixing it has been an enormous task. Please standby and further downtime or errors may occur while I'm fixing all this. Erik

It was from 2009 and I removed it. Take care.

I don't think it's you ... I think it's a permissions issue. I'll have to dig into this but in the meantime can you create an album as a test and try uploading to it? If the answer is yes then I'll at least have a starting point. Thanks.

As a test can you create a new album and try to upload images there? It may be a permissions issue that I'll have to dig into if you are able to do that. Thank you.

Submariners Give Rare Glimpse Into ‘Silent Service’ Defence Talk — By US Navy on August 25, 2010 ABOARD THE USS RHODE ISLAND: On a recent sun-soaked morning hundreds of miles off Florida’s Atlantic coast, this Trident ballistic missile submarine surfaced for an unusual operation. About a dozen journalists, many representing the military, watched from a contracted 250-foot support vessel as the sleek, black back of the submarine ascended above gentle waters in the open ocean and maneuvered alongside the boat. With just a few feet separating the two vessels and a Coast Guard cutter on watch, the support boat’s crew extended a catwalk bridge from its deck over to the Rhode Island. A pod of dolphins played in the wake below as the journalists hobbled quickly over to the submarine. “Keep moving! Keep moving!” a submariner shouted, as a slowdown easily could lead to a foot or leg getting caught and injured, or causing a “man overboard” situation. After exchanging quick greetings with the attending crew, the journalists climbed in turn through the hatch and down the steep, narrow ladder into the belly of the sub. The Aug. 16 media visit offered a rare glimpse into what is known as “the silent service,” the community of Navy submariners who man and control the vessels that carry weapons under the sea. Journalists were invited to embed on the Trident after a military-commissioned survey showed that Americans know less about the Navy than the other services, and even less about submarines and those who serve on them, Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, public affairs officer for Submarine Group 10 at King’s Bay Naval Base, Ga., said. The visit also coincided with increasing media attention on the submarine community following two major changes in Navy policy earlier this year: lifting the ban on women serving on submarines, and ending smoking on subs. The Navy chose 21 women early this summer to begin the 15-month training to serve on subs beginning in the fall of 2011. The smoking ban takes effect Jan. 1. The Nuclear Triad The Rhode Island is an Ohio-class submarine, the largest model in the U.S. fleet. At about 560 feet long and 42 feet in diameter, Ohio-class submarines hold 24 Trident ballistic missile tubes and four torpedo tubes. The Navy’s fleet of 14 SSBNs is based at King’s Bay and at Bangor, Wash. The Trident subs, known as “boomers,” are powered by a single-shaft nuclear reactor. They can carry more than 16 tons, travel more than 20 knots -- more than 23 miles per hour -- and submerge more than 800 feet, according to Navy officials who keep their exact capabilities secret. Part of the nuclear deterrent triad along with land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and Air Force bombers, the Tridents’ sole mission is to deter a nuclear attack through its ultimate strike capabilities. A command from the President, passed through U.S. Strategic Command and ultimately to the ship’s captain, allows the crew to fire a long-range ballistic missile in a matter of minutes. The Trident is a three-stage missile powered by solid rocket motors. It’s about 44 feet long and 7 feet in diameter, and weighs about 120,000 pounds, according to information provided by public affairs officials. Each has a range of more than 4,000 miles. Touring the Boomer The boomer’s design of massive missile tubes occupying the bulk of the midsection and extending vertically through four levels is the focal point of the vessel and a reminder of the singular mission of deterrence. The space between the tanks makes up the hallways. Small rooms, such as the nine-person enlisted berthing cabins -- three sets of bunks with three beds each -- and a couple of bathrooms, known as “heads,” are tucked in between. The galley and crew’s mess are nearby on the same level and they present a nearly constant hub of activity. The Navy is known for providing good meals, and if the Rhode Island is an indication, submarines are among the best. The boat’s head chef, Petty Officer 1st Class Daniell Pinero, a former chef for the secretary of defense, and his crew provide three hot meals each day as well as late-evening snacks. Stocking the galley for a three-month tour is no small undertaking. A lengthy shopping list includes, for example, 530 pounds of coffee, 22,140 eggs, 800 pounds of butter, 504 bags of microwave popcorn and 21,000 biodegradable weights to sink trash in the ocean. Because all food must be purchased and stored before the start of the tours, fresh produce is a scarce commodity enjoyed in the early days of each patrol. Still, there are few complaints. Pizza, spaghetti, turkey and dressing, ham and sweet potatoes, rolls, cakes and pies -– all homemade -– were provided during the media visit. “I gain 10 pounds every time we go out,” Cmdr. Robert J. Clark, commanding officer and captain for one of the Rhode Island’s two rotating crews, said. Exercise equipment is placed sporadically around the ship – cardio machines and free weights – wherever there is a little spare room. But as Clark and others noted, any weight gained on board is lost during shore duty. A Tight-knit Community Clark is the commanding officer and captain of the Rhode Island’s blue crew, which carried the media representatives during their visit. His executive officer, or second in command, is Lt. Cmdr. Paul Pampuro. Each Trident sub includes two crews of 15 officers and about 140 enlisted men, known as the blue and gold crews, each with its own commanding officer. Each crew rotates onto submarine duty about every 112 days, while the other crew stays at base for training and preparation for the next time at sea. A snapshot of the crew is one that is young, smart, and committed to the mission and fellow crewmembers. The average age is 23, and many have engineering, math or science degrees. Ask submariners what they enjoy most about their work and the answer usually is the camaraderie of a tight-knit community, the highly specialized work, and the importance of the mission. Lt. Colin Myers is a Naval Academy graduate who serves as the sub’s main propulsion assistant, assistant security manager, intelligence officer and ship self-assessment coordinator. He said he enjoys the Rhode Island because of the quality of the crew. “These are a lot of really smart guys,” Myers said. “Some are double majors. It’s a volunteer force, so they really want to be here.” He added that because the submarine force is small, there are many opportunities and officers advance quickly; some obtain command by their mid-30s. Serving on a submarine -– mostly submerged for three months with only periscopes to see out -- also can be stressful, tedious and boring, submariners say. The days are long, sleep is minimal, and submariners are surprisingly disconnected. E-mail is sporadic, only coming through every couple of days when an antenna is connected to the sail -- a submarine’s exterior tower-like structure -- and attachments are not allowed. There are no phone calls; no text messages. Still, some say they don’t mind being disconnected. “You either love it or hate it,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Calvin Hurt, the torpedo room supervisor. Reality in Mission Control Around 9 p.m., some off-duty crew members gather in the mess to wind down with a movie. The chef has made pizza and buffalo wings, and someone pops in the 1995 submarine movie, “Crimson Tide.” “This is a comedy!” a long-time submariner proclaimed as the crew laughed at the creative license Hollywood took in producing the action-packed drama of a Trident submarine executive officer, played by Denzel Washington, who leads a mutiny after the captain, played by Gene Hackman, decides to launch a ballistic missile at a perceived Soviet threat. In the real world of Trident subs, protocol and procedures rule. In the control room, the sub’s nerve center, each area is manned in six-hour shifts with full attention on the equipment. The mission is to keep the boomer undetected, while detecting everything else around it. In the front of the room, three enlisted men watch location and conditions on monitors while two of them do their part to “drive” the sub with long-handled steering wheels. Behind them, two others man multiple screens that track sonar and acoustics, analyzing sounds from as far away as 75,000 yards. Behind them, an officer always is watching through the periscope, and those images are provided on computer screens. Coordinates are constantly being called out above the sound of the equipment, and the standard response “very well” acknowledges receipt of the information. Many of the screens are marked “Secret,” and all of the crew has security clearances. While each has his own job specialty, all are cross-trained and expected to be able to do multiple jobs, Rolinger said. “Everyone is an expert at damage control,” he said, noting the crew practices multiple drills -– from firing torpedoes to putting out fires –- several times per week. During a missile release test, Clark stands in the center of the control room receiving information from every possible data point, some relayed repeatedly to ensure conditions have not changed. “All missiles will be released,” he announces along with the exact time so all clocks are synchronized to the exact second. “This is the captain. This is an exercise,” Clark says over the sub’s speaker system. Down the hall, two crew members man the missile control center, divided between “launcher” and “fire” controls. The U.S. ballistic missile fleet fires four test missiles each year, and has had 134 consecutive successful tests in 20 years, Cmdr. Michael Sowa, deputy chief of staff of strategic weapons for Submarine Group 10, said. The tests also serve as a deterrent, and foreign countries are notified before testing begins, he added. “The system works well, even better than it was designed to work,” Sowa said. The British, French, and Russians also test ballistic missiles, and the Chinese are developing the capabilities, he said. “The SSBN mission is to deter,” Sowa added. “So, if we must launch, we’ve failed our mission.” Earning Their Dolphins A more likely scenario than the release of a Trident missile is the release of a torpedo. Back toward the front end of the sub and down the stairs next to the smoking room, two crew members man the torpedo controls, watching red and green lights for the status of torpedoes that lie horizontally on hydraulic lifts. They hold several exercises each week to practice firing torpedoes, and avoiding torpedoes from an enemy. “Everything we do down here, we get one minute to do it in,” Hurt said. A submariner for four years, he said he now loves the job that is very trying for the first two years. Three sailors earned the title of submariner here on Aug. 16 when they were presented the coveted Dolphin pins, which come only after a new crew member proves within 10 months that he has a basic understanding of everything on the boat. Clark presented the pins during a ceremony in the crew’s mess. “The whole thing is a little overwhelming,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Iverson, 20, of Freeport, Ill., said after receiving his pin. “With this, you know you’ve earned the respect of your fellow shipmates.” Petty Officer 1st Class Herwin Marcia, who has served on submarines for 13 years, still remembers the stress of being new on a submarine. “It’s a big culture shock,” he said. “You have to catch up to where you can support everyone else. You have to be ready when called on. We don’t have time to wait.” Defence Talk

Uploading and downloading from any site especially large files can be difficult. Can you share a ping session and trace route with me? Large files require that your connection to the site be consistently stable. Given that most people's connection to the internet depend on so many variables it's hard to say why, but I'm happy to help where I can. Erik

I don't have a problem seeing your profile either as a guest or logged in. Is this still an issue?

On any image page there is a link located top right called "Share Image". If you click that it will produce a drop down menu with links at the bottom. You can use the direct link by copying it and then selecting the image/photo insert button while posting, that is where you'd put that link from the gallery. Example:

Yeah .... This is a tough one. One of the most expensive things we do around here is physical disk space to house all the content, images, files, backups, etc, etc. That said when the forum was originally set up we put limits on the amount of content users could upload. This was done merely for scaling purposes. Imagine 10,000 users all using 3MB of space and you can see quickly that we'd need to amass machines filled with nothing but physical disk space just to store member content. Now the problem has been outlined let's look at the solutions. 1. Put images in the gallery where there are no restrictions on file space, then link those images into your posts. 2. Remove some of the non-used or older upload content associated with your account by viewing this link. http://combatace.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=attachments 3. Upgrade your account to a subscription account which will raise the limits on your storage space. 4. As your member status upgrades through the ranks (NEW, VALUED, JUNIOR, etc) so will your storage space. We did take into account that the members who have been here longer and have more posts need more storage space. That's all I have for now. Hopefully one of those will work for you. Thanks. Erik

Fixed. Thanks.

To be specific I think you're having a problem with the cropped image size. You can upload any size image in any format but we are going to shrink it to conform to page layout standards. The problem with sizing images for a specific need is that not everyone is using the same type of monitor or resolution settings. From the design prospective you always aim to support the old technology to keep everyone happy. I'm not sure what I'd want to do concerning this request I'll have to give it some thought and go from there. Thanks for the valued input though. Erik

The gallery is a total re-vamp of software. I'm sure there are some oddities that will arise but hopefully nothing that is crippling or unfixable. Let me know if something like that arises tho. Erik

Roger. Done and Done.

Please post any issues or concerns you may be having with this latest version of the site software here. Please include the following helpful information if it's available. Operating System: Browser Name: Browser Version: Forum Skin in Use: (example CA Classic, OFF, CA Dark) Error Message Received: Reported Display Issue: Reported Functionality Issue: You may also post suggestions for improvements. In addition to the above please include a brief description of what you'd prefer to see also list the following. Area of Site: (example: home page, forums, gallery, downloads, chat, search, etc) If you would like to express any compliments or likes of the new software feel free to do that as well. Your input is greatly appreciated and it goes a long way in creating a place you enjoy using, being a part of, and want to come back to. Thank you in advance.

Made some changes. Use the "Upload New Version" Link it's what the "Edit File" Link used to be. The functionality should now be there now to handle updates aka revisions. Let me know. Erik

Yes. I am working on getting them back online. The mirror link has been enabled again but I'm still working out some minor bugs in the system. Everything should return to normal soon. E

I've trimmed some of the fat out of the download section and there will be more changes coming soon. I'm on the fence about some of the stuff being fluff and some of it being useful, that's a direct reply to the "clutter and emblished content". The reason I mention this is because I can't count the times I've seen, "where is the weapons pack?" when it's the most downloaded file on the site. Sure to those of us who are old hat it's a no brainer but to those less familiar new content, most downloaded content, and highest rated content makes for deciphering the thousands of files a bit easier. Those options when used by the members correctly especially file ratings can sure go a long way. Reviews and ratings are a big thing. I can't tell you the last time I haven't read a review on something or valued what others thought about it before I took the time download it or purchase it whether it be software or a large appliance. Some of the concerns might just be attributed to change. I know most of us like things that are familiar to us but I'm confident the changes that were made are so minimally invasive that adapting won't be hard. The form and function remains the same just things have moved a bit. I'm confident even this change will soon become common place to everyone so much that if we made a change back in a couple weeks to the old stuff the new stuff would be missed. Concerning the "time/motivation" thing if you knew anything about me you'd find that very humorous so thanks but that's never been and never will be an issue this community has to worry about. E

It's a work in progress. Is everything working okay for you now and looking more familiar? I'll be working until we're back to normal. E

I don't have time to answer all of this, but can you confirm this layout is what you were looking for more or less? The functionality of the download section has changed quite a bit with some vast improvements to the front end not the back end. I could go into detail but it's boring babble unless you're into that sort of thing. What hopefully everyone will understand is that upgrades on a community of this size require vast amounts of time. I would not commit myself and others to this drudgery unless it was necessary, and it was. Thanks. E

Can you confirm that on this skin "CA Classic" the problem is NOT there? Thanks E

Skin related issues. I've removed the skins that have this issue and moved everyone to the classic skin. Once I've mastered this skin set I'll port the changes back to the other skins and release them. Can you guys confirm that the issue doesn't happen on this skin for you? Thanks; E

Dave this is a skin related issue. I've removed those skins for now until I can get this skin into a release master then I'll port those edits to the other skins. Can you confirm this does not happen now in the classic skin? P.S. If you'd like to change the SF2 cats around in the download manager. Feel free. I'm sure it won't be a problem as long as we retain the same settings as the other categories. I'm sure you know the drill, let me know if I can help. E