1. Faster loading time due to the use of frames. You'll get to the messages quicker! (You have a choice of a Horizontal (the default) or Vertical frame. If you use a Vertical Frame, you should increase your screen's resolution so everything fits.) Note: WebTV users will not use frames.

2. After you post a message, you'll automatically be taken to your post, and the Main Index page will still be there. No more clicking around!

3. The NEW icon will now be .

4. A "Top Posters" list.

5. Complete bans from the Forum (if needed).

6. IP Addresses will be placed in the "Message Posted" screen, just to keep some people on their toes.

7. You'll have more choices of how you want MagicTalk to look on your screen! Just go to "Set Preferences". There's even an "Alphabetical Listing"!

8. An improved "look", especially on the Message Pages.

9. Made the body text optional to allow "NT" messages. (This graphic will automatically appear! Now you don't even have to type "NT".)

10. Editing/posting directly from the Preview Screen.

11. Email addresses are auto-hot linked as are URL's.

12. Commas and slashes are now allowed for auto-hot linking of URL's in posts.

13. A SPELL CHECKER -- but it won't work for a Macintosh browser, yet.

14. If you try to use more than two exclamation points in the Subject Line, the message will not post. Same for the Message Body. (You'll get a "naughty language" notification.) This is to keep Board looking clean.

15. User profiles with edit features, photos and passwords. This is really neat!

16. Posters' passwords Ñ which are now used for the above profiles as well as for message deletion Ñ are now stored in their cookies.

17. A "Mixed Threaded Guestbook Style" index listing has been added. (This style lists the thread headers on the index page from newest to oldest, but the actual messages in a thread from oldest to newest.)

18. The various Threaded Guestbook listings can now be paginated.

19. It is now possible to respond to specific messages from within a Guestbook-style display. This is a feature I've wanted for a long time!

20. When the script returns a submission error (because the "required" elements in the submission form weren't completed, for example), the page now includes the same form which appears on the "Preview" page, eliminating 
    the need to rely upon the browser's "Back" button.

21. Many, many, many behind-the-scenes improvements that will make life easier for me and my assistants!

22. And, "Smiley" Codes:

    If you include certain ASCII "smiley" characters (also known as "emoticons") in the subjects or bodies of your messages, they'll be automatically converted to graphics, as follows:
    

    :)			:(
    :O			:D
    ;)			:8)
    :b			:\
    :s(			:|

    Additional Smilies
    (Be sure to use the ":" before and after the code.)
    

    :s3:			:s12:
    :s6:			:s20:
    :s7:

23. Formatting Codes

    The following codes are available to you if you want or need to specially format your messages. (These will work only in the bodies of your messages.) Simply put the appropriate formatting codes before and after the text you want formatted, and voila, you've moved out of the world of plain text!

     

    [b]Bold Text[/b] =	Bold Text
    [i]Italic Text[/i] =	Italic Text
    [list][*]Item 1[*]Item 2[/list] =	¥ Item 1 ¥ Item 2
    [quote]Quoted Text[/quote] =	Quoted (block-indented) Text
    [code]Fixed-Width Text[/code] =	Fixed-Width Text
    [center]Centered Text[/center] =	Centered Text
    [red]Red Text[/red] =	Red Text

    For example, the following message:

    This is a [red]test[/red] of the Emergency Formatting System. This is [i]only[/i] a test. If this were real formatting, you'd need to do the following: [list][*]Read the Message[*]Memorize It[*]Destroy It[/list]

    Would appear on the forum as:

    This is a test of the Emergency Formatting System. This is only a test. If this were real formatting, you'd need to do the following:

    ¥ Read the Message
    ¥ Memorize It
    ¥ Destroy It

Important General Tip

Never assume that your message will look the way you expect it to look! Previewing your message before you post it is always a good idea, anyway, but is even more important if you're using the above codes, since if you mistype something, the message won't look the way you expect it to look.