Bugs and Feature Requests

Quoted from eugene in post #46444

This is somewhat what I asked for. There used to be a database as part of the old ZCF where you could sort all members by name, joining date, post count, etc. You could also see the last time they logged in and search their posts.

Got it.

As admin I can see all the member details you listed. I could make the feature available to all registered members, but I will have to do so responsibly. I will see what I can do.

In the mean time, you can use the available search feature to search for posts by member. Steps below:

0. Click Search in the menu bar. On some mobile devices, Search is found under Menu on the top right corner.
1. In the Search page, select the Posts tab.
2. Enter the username of the member you want to the search for in the Posted By field.
3. Click Search Posts
4. Results should be displayed at the bottom of the page.

Refer to the attached screenshot.

Quoted from dandy in post #46494

Hello admin! I believe you've made a mistake.
I never made an account on the old ZCF, was only a lurker there :)

Yes indeed! I got the usernames all mixed up. I meant Dubois. Damn I need to get more sleep 🥱😴

The forum has a new home: https://zimbabwecricketforums.com

Tell a friend to tell a friend

Quoted from shukla8596 in post #46618

@admin can you put the setting of forum in such a way that recent post posted by a user should be shown in the up above all. It is showing one by one down but 3 month ago it was showing up whenever a new post added . Kindly do it as it is very convenient for users to read .

Hi shukla!

Thanks for the suggestion.

I hope I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that the post order be reversed. When a user clicks on a thread, you want to view the latest post first. Is that right?

Right now the posts are displayed from oldest to newest. Navigating to most recent post is quite easy actually. Have you tried the following?:

1. The Latest Button: At the top of every thread is a "Latest" button. If you click on it, it will take you to the most recent post. See first screenshot attached to this post.

2. Jump to Unread: The forum keeps track of the threads a user has opened and the posts you have seen. So, from the forum home page, all threads with posts that you haven't read will be highlighted. Clicking "Jump to Unread" will take you to the latest post. No need for you to scroll through posts that you have already seen.

Let me know if you are still having navigation challenges.

By the way, good to have you back on the forum!

Quoted from shukla8596 in post #46640

Yes , you are understanding me correctly. I am suggesting that post order should be reversed please. When a user clicks on a thread, I want to view the latest post first. Then the older than that in that order. Old ZCF was also using the same . By this it will be very convenient for users to read the topic and comment on that after a long time also . Please implement that .
Thanks n regards.

I get it.

I'll make to possible for a user to reverse the post order. It will be optional though. It should be up to each individual user to choose whether to reverse the order or not.

I will let you know when the feature has been implemented. Be a little patient with me though. It may take a 2 to 3 weeks to deliver because I have loads of other projects I am working on and other features that were requested that I haven't implemented.

Cheers.

Quoted from admin in post #46443

[*]andrea lanzoni — 4 posts | Joined old ZCF: 22 Mar 2021 | Joined revival: 03 Aug 2026

😂😂 old lanzone

How you doing, you bloody legends?!

I haven't had much of an opportunity to visit the forum lately, but I found a small window to come over, add a few new features and squash some bugs before disappearing back into the wilderness.

Quite a lot has changed under the bonnet, so here is the non-nerdy version of everything that is new.

1. Avatars

All members with at least 20 posts can now set a custom avatar.

To change yours:

1. Inside any thread, click/tap your avatar next to one of your posts.
2. Your member profile will pop up.
3. Click/tap Change Avatar next to your avatar.
4. Choose the image you want to use and save it.

You can also view other members' avatars by clicking/tapping their avatars next to their posts.

To see a larger version, simply click/tap the avatar inside their profile.

A few important housekeeping notes:

• If you use an inappropriate photo as your avatar, you will be terminated. From the forum, obviously. Probably.
• andrea lanzoni, feel free to upload your portrait like you did on the old ZCF, mate!
• zimbos_05, please bring back the Eddo Brandes avatar.

2. Muting

If you think certain members are ruining your otherwise peaceful and spiritually enriching ZCF experience, you can now mute them.

To mute someone:

1. Click/tap their avatar next to one of their posts.
2. Find Mute in their profile.
3. Smash it.

Once you mute somebody:

• Their posts will automatically be hidden from you unless you choose to open them.
• They will not be able to send you private messages.

Personally, I don't really care what the f**k you guys say. Very little on this forum is capable of offending me. But I also understand that not everybody is wired the same way.

My job is to give people a place where they can express their opinions freely without forcing everyone else to read every single word produced by every lunatic wandering around ZCF.

Hopefully the mute button helps with that.

3. Changing Post Order

This one was requested by shukla.

I have to confess that I am not particularly crazy about this feature. I only added it because I said I would, and apparently my promises now have consequences.

If you prefer threads to appear in a different order:

1. Click Preferences on the top toolbar. On mobile, open the Menu first.
2. Choose your preferred thread order.

That's it.

If the entire forum suddenly looks upside down afterwards, please remember that this was shukla's idea.

4. Zimbabwean/Rhodesian Cricket Family Connections

Earlier this year, Andy started the Zimbabwean/Rhodesian cricket family connections thread. The more I looked at it, the more I thought it deserved to become something bigger than a normal forum thread.

There is a ridiculous amount of Zimbabwe cricket history buried inside ZCF, but finding information in a 15-page thread can sometimes feel like conducting an archaeological excavation with a teaspoon. So Family Connections is now a proper ZCF resource.

You can browse it here: Zimbabwe Cricket Family Connections

It currently contains hundreds of Zimbabwe cricket people and their family relationships, organised into individual family networks so that you can browse the information much more easily.

The original discussion thread is still here: Zimbabwean/Rhodesian Cricket Family Connections Thread

Please continue using that thread to suggest corrections, missing people and new family connections.

The idea is that the resource can continue growing as members uncover more information.

Andy, since you started this whole rabbit hole in the first place, if you are interested in continuing to manage the resource I can make you a moderator. Moderators are able to add, edit and maintain the Family Connections database.

I'll send you a private message so we can discuss it.

5. Private Messages

ZCF now has private messaging. However, for security reasons I am not opening it fully to everybody just yet.

At the moment, only I, as the administrator, can start a private conversation with another member.

If I send you a message, the Messages icon at the top of the forum will turn red. Click it to open your inbox.

Once I am satisfied that nobody is going to use ZCF private messages to plot international terrorist incident, overthrow a small government or plan something that gets me interviewed by people wearing suits, I will gradually open private messaging to everyone.

Baby steps.

6. Match Threads and Series Threads

Since we revived ZCF, only I have been able to create proper Match Threads and Series/Tournament Threads. That obviously creates a problem because I am not always around.

Moderators and administrators can now create and manage:

• Match Threads
• Series/Tournament Threads

Everybody else can continue creating normal discussion threads as usual. If a match starts and there is no moderator or administrator around, don't sit there waiting for divine intervention. Just create a normal discussion thread and start talking about the game.

An administrator can convert that discussion into a proper Match Thread or Series Thread later without destroying the existing conversation.

Series Threads have also been improved quite a bit. Moderators can add fixtures as they are announced, update existing fixtures and manage the series as it develops.

This should make the whole thing considerably less dependent on me.

7. Viewing ZCF Membership and History

This one was requested by eugene a while ago.

Unfortunately, it is taking a bit longer to finish than I expected.

It also doesn't help that I am not getting much time on the forum these days. I thought I could squeeze it into this round of updates, but this feature sprint eventually looked at me, looked at the clock, and told me to f**k off.

So this one is still coming.

eugene, in the meantime, if you are interested I can make you a moderator so that you have access to some of the existing member-management tools.

I'll send you a private message.

Where ZCF Goes From Here

If you look around the internet, old school forums like ZCF are disappearing. Younger audiences have largely moved to social media, Reddit, Discord and other dopamine-hungry applications out there. And yet ZCF is still here. More importantly, people are actually using it.

We are getting hundreds of unique visits every week and when Zim are playing, thousands. Old ZCF members continue to return, new members continue to register, and people are still spending an unreasonable amount of their lives arguing about Zimbabwe cricket or watching people argue about Zimbabwe cricket. That tells me there is still an appetite for this kind of community.

So I think we can officially stop talking about reviving ZCF. The revival worked. The next phase is growing ZCF. What exactly that means is something I am still thinking about.

Maybe we try to bring more former and current players onto the forum. Maybe we eventually start a ZCF YouTube channel and interview players, coaches and other people around Zimbabwe cricket. Maybe we find other ways of turning all the knowledge accumulated here over nearly two decades into something useful. These are ideas rather than promises. I haven't sat down and planned them properly yet.

The only thing I know for certain is the objective: I want ZCF to be the go to place for Zimbabwe cricket discussion.

We have already proved that this strange little corner of the internet refuses to die. Might as well see how big we can make the b*****d.

Cheers,
admin

Quoted from dandy in post #47075

Heyy Admin

From all the features (implemented and to be done) I personally don't think messaging is such a good idea. Primarily because it sort of "disturbs" the anonymity of the forum? Where users can only interact on message threads, but not with each other. The other thing is I believe it would perhaps increase the tension in the forum.

That aside, I have some doubts in the technicalities of this - messaging implies blocking needs to be a feature which just compounds the complexity of the site?

Apart from that, I have no other complaints! :)

Hi dandy,

You make a good point.

I only considered implementing private messaging because it existed on the old ZCF, but I have had some serious reservations about bringing it back. There are quite a few ways it could create problems, from unwanted messages and personal disputes spilling into private conversations to the additional moderation and blocking tools that would inevitably be required.

More importantly, I am not convinced that private messaging really adds much to a forum like ZCF. The whole point of the place is the public discussion, and keeping interactions within threads also keeps conversations visible and accountable.

So, at least for now, I will keep private messaging restricted to admins and moderators.

Quoted from BTFan in post #47435

How many posts require approval?

Only 3. You have 4 now, so you're good.