Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group ** Important KickAS NEWS UPDATE **

Hi everyone!

The time has come for the BIG KickAS.org host move and forums-software version UPDATE!!

• When? This coming Monday 16th of November.
  
  For this big switch-over, KickAS.org will probably be closed and may even be OFFLINE for a day or two while all the tricky work gets done but we promise to be back online as-soon-as-possible!
  
  
• Why? The UBB Threads software that drives KA was quite a few version-updates behind. This update should ensure KA's strong and continued presence, site security, solve existing glitches in the registration process, and provide us with some new features and functionality. It is a new and improved version of what we have today!
  
  
• Where? When the new home for KickAS.org is back up and running, members should be able to find KA easily, the http path will be the same, and you should all be able to log-in without a problem. If your membership account is set with 'remember me' we expect the automatic-login should still work too. While it is temporarily offline, you can expect to see the standard 'We cannot proceed' browser error message.
  
  
• What to expect? There will be one brand *new* forum dedicated to offering Rheumatoid Arthritis Support!! Since RA is an inflammatory arthritis, similar to AS, we feel KickAS.org has the right formula and is in a unique position to expand our support and hope this will grow much like KickAS did! If you have RA or know anyone else with RA please invite them to join this new support group!
  
  Our new home will *look* slightly different. There are some cool new features that you will notice right away, like a 'Shoutbox' on the Main Portal Page. There is a public and private calendar. Private messages have this fantastic ability to 'group' conversations automatically. (Anyone familiar with Googlemail will know what this means - it is a handy feature!) So there are a few new novelties to play with but the main essence of the KA we know and love will be identical.
  
  Members will be able to customise their view of KA. 'My Home' has a new name called, 'My Stuff'. This is probably one of the first areas you will want to explore! Under My Stuff > My Preferences, you can view and choose between a selection of stylesheets and turn the new side columns off or on again, as you wish. (A little hint: 'Off' will most closely resemble what you are presently familiar with.)
  
  Please explore this area before asking the team 'How to' do something, or look to see if your question has already been answered in the Technical Support forum. When posting a new question in Technical Support, please create a title that will help other members to find the information also. The team will be trying to answer questions as quickly as we can, but please be patient with us; there are going to be many things we're busy with behind the scenes.. all the last minute touches.
  
  It is probably a good bet that we can all expect some glitches initially, so please bear with us!!
  

Here's to wishing us all luck and many more years of success in Kickin' AS in our new home!

On behalf of the team, thank-you for reading... and hold onto your hats! lol
mig

Big thanks for the rheumatoid arthritis support, Mig!

Cheers for KickAS.

Hi Mig,

Thanks for sneaking us in some details.

If it's not too much too ask, could we also fix the donation link too?

Quote:

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Gentle Hugs Incorporated
Payments By PayPal
Return to Merchant

This recipient is currently unable to receive money.

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Take care,
James

Thank you to all our admin staff for this. KA is already the best place on the web. You guys are working to make it even better (if that's possible really).

YOU ROCK!!

Warm hugs,

Hey Mig and IT team,

Thanks for all your work behind the scenes - we really do appreciate it!

I have an idea for the suggestion box - inspired by an 18 yo patient of mine, who has had a a "seronegative arthropathy" since the age of 12 - and is now developing all sorts of allergies and gut symptoms.(Hmmm..... I wonder)

She has nobody her age to compare notes with, chat with about how having chronic pain makes her feel, what she says when others think she must be a nutjob etc. She always books in for my last appointment, and she and I and her mum chat about all sorts of this stuff, but I feel she would get so much out of talking to younger folks.

With the advent of an RA forum - I wondered about the possibility of a "For the Juniors" forum - private or public, I dunno..... what do you think?

I know there are others on here who are the parents of teens with AS, or whose kids as well as themselves have all sorts of inflammatory joint and fatigue issues etc.

Thanks for listening to a happy customer,

Louise

I don't know if I'll be able to handle the day off.

I also don't know if I'll be able to handle the change from 'my home' to 'my stuff'

This is all a little too much.

Thank you all so much for your efforts. I now know the biggest reason I am not in Admin. I wouldn't have a clue how to do all of the things you do. I appreciate you so much.

There will be a world wide group of people wandering around in withdrawal Monday.

Thanks again.
Possi

Hi James - ohhh that's a good point!

Yes we can and will absolutely be fixing the donations link as soon as possible. We've already taken some steps to do this but apparently there is a little more to completing this task. I am not sure when it will happen but one of us will make a new post later on to let everyone know.

Thanks for bringing this back to our attention James!!
mig

Thanks Kat, we are trying to ROCK but pleeease keep your fingers crossed. We aren't there just yet. lol

Thanks Louise.. we aim to please and hope to keep you a happy customer. lol

Before my time in Admin, a private Youth forum was tried for a while but unfortunately (or fortunately?) it was a bit of a ghost town, without enough under 18 y/o members to keep it interesting or helpful enough for the few who did use it.

It is certainly an idea worthy of re-visiting (it's the 2nd time I've had this request just recently!) now that KA has grown, and we will give some new thought and consideration to it once we have ALL of this bit nicely in working order.

Thanks for the suggestion!
mig