New Features & Fixes - May 21 2009

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erik

Today we did some small but important updates.

Messages: Biggest issue is that our "messages" table was getting totally out of control. It was 24GB :) And while that doesn't sound huge, consider that the whole database is about 30GB. We had to remove old messages and lower the # of days that messages are kept. The messages table is now only 2.8GB!

  • Basic Members - 21 days
  • Gold Members - 60 days
  • Platinum/Diamond - 1 year
  • Sent items (for everyone) - 21 days

Other Things:

  • You can now filter upcoming tournaments by "My Friends are TD"
  • Made unsubscribing from group alerts easier (now links to unsubscribe in the messages)
  • Streamlined registration flow
  • Added "Site Messages" which make it so that important messages are auto-opened (some of you won't like it - sorry :( )
  • Preparation for improved Explorer!
  • iPhone API - pushed code live to allow for iPhone testing (coming in 1-2 weeks!)
  • Fixed misc. typos and minor bugs

Upcoming Stuff:

  • Making it easier to find the daily columns and columnists
  • Totally redesigned homepage (MUCH better)
  • More under-the-hood optimizations
KnightNotHorse

As always, thanks for the great communication...appreciate the info!  Laughing

RyanMK

Improved Explorer!! (It'll still be open to gold members, right?)

batgirl

Thanks.

 

If messages are such a major problem (and will only get worse as the membership expands), why not limit ALL messages to 21 days (or even 14 days) by default, but allow paying customers to individually select those messages they may want to save for an additional 21 days - something they could repeat x no. of times/per message, depending on the whether they are gold or platinum?

RyanMK
batgirl wrote:

Thanks.

 

If messages are such a major problem (and will only get worse as the membership expands), why not limit ALL messages to 21 days (or even 14 days) by default, but allow paying customers to individually select those messages they may want to save for an additional 21 days - something they could repeat x no. of times/per message, depending on the whether they are gold or platinum?


 I like the idea, but having to reselect it every 21 days may get annoying, or one may forget. How about setting the default to get rid of messages after (14? 21?) days, and allow Gold and premium members to permanently store up to some number of messages. Still allow them the option of deleting those "permanent" messages  to make way for new ones.

Narz
erik wrote:
Preparation for improved Explorer!

I hope you're going to re-implement the ability to search chess.com member games (at least some of them)!

Barefoot_Player

You're doing a great job Erik! =)

 

Barefoot_Player

LokiMundane

How about setting up something so that we can have in group matches organized like team matches.

Narz

How do you envision that working Loki?  Why not just have a group tournament?

Nelso_125

Nice work, erik and staff!

*clap clap*

Smile

Kernicterus

Thanks for the link to this Karl.  I'll try to delete my unnecessary messages from now on!  :)

Kernicterus

Oh...and can we please please make tournaments searchable by just Theme Tournaments?

VLaurenT

I wonder what are the improvements in store for game explorer, but I would suggest to refresh the database once in a while Smile

HiggsBoson

Erik,

If you don't have 20 beta testers for the iPhone app, please consider letting me help. I am a DB admin and software developer (in-house ERP for a manufacturer), own an iPhone 3G and I am an enthusiastic gadget geek. I'd be glad to help.

Thanks,

Roy

 

PS. To be fair, I've only just begun looking at Objective-C.

PPS. I have the 3.0 beta on my iPhone right now, if that matters.

LouS

One feature I would like: an optional mode that asks for a confirmation on each move.  I have lost several games due to slips of the mouse.

Narz
Karl_ wrote:
Narz wrote:
erik wrote:
Preparation for improved Explorer!

I hope you're going to re-implement the ability to search chess.com member games (at least some of them)!


We can still do this.  It is the option Other Players Games in the GE


No, that's not what I mean.  You have to type in a name to search, I'd like if we could search ALL games at once (or at least games within a certain perameter like >2000 players' games) like we used to be able to.

Dan_V

A warning about losing our messages would have been nice.  I had advice from 2000+ rated players in my messages that I would have taken notes from if I knew they were disappearing...

erik
Dan_V wrote:

A warning about losing our messages would have been nice.  I had advice from 2000+ rated players in my messages that I would have taken notes from if I knew they were disappearing...


sorry - it was an emergency :(

PhilipN

Will the auto-opening of site messages affect all messages that list "CHESScom" as the sender?

erik
PhilipN wrote:

Will the auto-opening of site messages affect all messages that list "CHESScom" as the sender?


nope. just some after the registration process to welcome people to the site and orient them, as well as membership reminders.