Changing the Look A Little

Hi All,

Recently we changed the website’s style to allow for a bigger center content container to allow for the larger size being required for video content and the ads that keep us up and running. We’ve had to make some other changes along those lines.

You’re probably looking at the front page and saying “OK something is different here.” With the impeding volume of Breaking Dawn news that is soon to start coming in, much of which tends to be video and photo content, we really need to make sure our site loads quickly. Part of the new style lets the page load faster and then you can get to the story that most interests you quicker. It also, to be honest, helps us with our productivity and that in turn helps us bring you the coverage that you want.

Hopefully, you’ll get used to the change. Thanks for coming here for your Twilight News, and we’ll keep striving to give you the stories that you are looking for.

Site Update

Lady Di and Anny have been working so very very hard and I am pleased to report that all of the bios are completed!  Now the tricky part is that they have to be uploaded.  I’ve been going as fast as I can to post them.  For now the following bios are current and up to date.  Please let us know if a link isn’t working or if you find any problems!  And many many thanks to Anny and Ladi Di for their work!

Aro

Sulpicia

Caius

Athenodora

Marcus

Didyme

Jane

Alec

Demetri

Felix

James

Laurent

Victoria

Bree

Riley

Kachiri

Senna

Zafrina

Amun

Benjamin

Kebi

Tia

Stefan

Vladimir

Liam

Maggie

Siobhan

Huilen

Nahuel

Joham

Pire

Site Update

Here’s another quick update for those of you who love reading the bios.  We’ve updated a few human bios and even added a couple of new ones that have never been hosted here.  Many thanks go to Lady Di for her work on these.  We will have more updates for you next week.

And just FYI, Alphie’s parents are both doing really well!  Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.

Cheney, Ben

Crowley, Tyler

Mallory, Lauren

Marks, Austin

Marshall, Katie

Site Update

We have the first of what will be many site updates over the next few weeks.  I’m sorry that it’s taken so long to get all the information posted.  This was my (Alphie’s) job and with both of my parents being hospitalized, the Christmas holiday, and a family vacation, I just was over swamped!  I hope you can forgive me as I did intend for all of this to be posted by the end of 2010.

As it is, Anny and Lady Di have worked their fingers off to get these bios done!  I will probably post an update every couple of days until they are all posted.  Today we will start off with the Denali clan.  All the bios were prepared by Anny and I used the photos of the actors  sent in by Adonis until we have official photos from the film.  I hope you enjoy them!

Carmen

Eleazar

Irina

Katrina (Kate)

Sasha

Tanya

Vasilii

Lexicon Forums Re-Vamped…Pardon the Pun

Over the last several weeks the Lexicon staff has been working to update several features on our forums. If you haven’t checked our forums out, swing by and leap into the discussion. Big shout out to our forum mods who keep it all organized.

• Quick Reply
If you scroll to the bottom the thread in many (though not all) forums, you will now see a Quick Reply button, just below the last post. Clicking on this opens up a Post Reply Box right there at the foot of the page you are browsing. Type in your reply, hit Submit and you’re done — no need to switch to a new screen via the Post Reply button. With Quick Reply, you can scroll easily between the thread you’re browsing and the reply you’re writing. The downside: Quick Reply doesn’t give you access to the Colour Palette or any of the usual BBCode buttons (Quote, Bold, URL etc.). If you want to use those, stick with the ordinary Post Reply. (Or you can still type in BBcodes manually). If you started typing in Quick Reply and want to switch to the full Post Reply screen, just click on the Full Editor button — you can finish writing your post there. Note that there is no preview feature in Quick Reply.

This feature is not available in all forums, only those where replies tend to be short and fast. On the serious discussion threads, we’d just as soon users took time to phrase their response carefully and made use of the preview function! It really can’t be said often enough — when dealing with sensitive and complicated subjects, no one should ever post from the hip. The Preview Button Is Your Friend…!!!

• Approving New Users’s posts
One change you may have noticed for a while now: in order to eliminate spam and discourage trolling, we’ve put in place a “moderation queue” for newly-registered users. New users’ posts do not become visible on the boards until they have been approved by one of the mods. After a few posts, this restriction is lifted and users can post directly.

• Thread Lengths
On the old Lex, bandwidth limitations required us to keep thread length to a maximum of 100 pages. Nowadays, the system can handle longer threads, so we’re going to allow certain fast-paced threads (eg Randomness, The Person Above Me, etc.) to run longer (between 200 and 500 pages), so the mods aren’t constantly having to start new ones. Our rule of thumb is: the more serious the thread — and the more likely that users may want to navigate back to earlier posts — the shorter we’ll keep the thread. These new longer threads will state their revised length in the opening post. As always, if someone would pm a mod when a thread is nearing its page limit, that would be great!

• Username Colors:
You may have noticed users’ names appearing in new pretty colors. New Users are violet, ordinary Registered Users are blue , Moderators are green and Administrators are red.

• Se habla español – si parla l’italiano qui – Ici on parle Francais – Português é falado aqui
The forums are now available in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French versions. Certain buttons (Post Reply for example) will remain in English because they are graphics, not text. Note that thread content — the actual posts — do not get translated! (The current state of AI is still few years off a Universal Translator capable of swapping fangirl chatter from one language to the next). To change your language, go to the User Control Panel and on the Board Preference tab you will find ‘My Language’. This is where you can select your local language.

• Shiny New BBCode
The Post Reply box now features a couple of additional BBcode formatting buttons.

1. [inv] will turn your text a colour which is nearly invisible against the post background. Excellent for writing potentially spoilery information (but PLEASE be sure to preview your post to make sure it really did come out invisible!). To read “invisible” text in someone’s post, just highlight it with your mouse — the letters magically appear. Like this: [inv]Edward is hot: shhhh, don’t tell![/inv] <– (invisible text here)

2. [s] allows you to use strikeout formatting.

• PMs: Reply v. Reply all
The PM system can now distinguish between Reply and Reply All. If you receive a group PM and do not wish your reply to be sent to the other recipients, just select Reply instead of Reply All.

• Go-To Navigation Link
This handy feature isn’t actually new, but worth pointing out since it’s not obvious or widely known. Allows you to navigate directly to a specific page number — you don’t have to work your way up through the little numbered-page icons. Very convenient for threads with 100 or more pages! Just click on the words “Page x of x” which appear to the left of the little numbered icons and a Go To Page box appears.

If you have any problems, questions or comments about any of the new features, please don’t hesitate to pm one of the mods — or put up a post in the Accident Prone forum. If you cannot post there, we have a Tech Support Form you can fill out to get help.

Site Update

updateWe are nearing the end of our chapter summaries and hope to have them all posted by the time The Twilight Saga: New Moon hits theatres.  For today we have three more chapters from Breaking Dawn.  First up is Chapter 32: Company sent to us by the ever helpful Una.  Visit the message boards to chime in on the arrival and introduction of all the new covens and nomads.

Lady Di once again helped us out with Chapter 33: Forgery.  If you want to discuss the ever intriguing J Jenks and Bella’s plans, be sure to comment on the message boards.

Chapter 34: Declared was prepared for us by Cullengirl.  If you want to talk about the new covens and the possible fight with the volturi, be sure to visit the message boards.

Site Update

updateWe have a couple of new chapter summaries and discussions for you today.  First up is Chapter 30: Irresistible submitted to us by Lady Di.  Visit the message boards to discuss the Denali’s arrival and their thoughts on Reneesme.

We also have Chapter 31: Talented sent in by our new mod, Una.  The discussion on the message boards covers the Volturi’s reasons behind coming to attack the Cullens.

Site Update

site update We have a few additions to the site for you today.  First, we have added in the character bios for Huilen and Nahuel from Breaking Dawn.  Thanks to all of you who e-mailed us in the last few weeks to tell us these were missing.

We also have a few chapter summary updates for you.  We have just started with Book III of Breaking Dawn and are returning to Bella’s PoV of life as a vampire.  We start, as always, with the Preface to Book III. Make sure to head over to the message boards to answer the questions about the battle the preface mentions provided by the ever wonderful Una!

Chapter 19: Burning was summarized for us by Una as well.  She did double duty for us this time!  Hop over to the message boards for discussion on Bella’s transformation.

Last, but not least, Chapter 20: New was given to us by jenni_elyse.  Visit the message boards to talk about Bella’s first few moments as a vampire.

Also thanks to the folks at Intoxicating Scent for naming us their site of the month. Awe shucks, guys.

Site Update – Finishing up Jacob’s Book

site update We have the last chapters in Jacob’s Book from Breaking Dawn for you all today.  First up, and winning the prize for the longest chapter title EVER,  is Chapter 17: What do I look like? The Wizard of Oz? You need a brain? You need a heart? Go ahead.  Take mine. Take everything I have. Be sure to visit the message boards to discuss Jacob’s failed attempt at imprinting and the impending birth.  Thanks go to Una for helping us out on this one.

Next we have Chapter 18: There Are No Words For This sent to us from Goodnight Elizabeth.  Visit the message boards for discussion on the gruesome labour as well as Jacob’s successful imprinting!

Spring Cleaning-Affiliates re-do

As part of our site overhaul we are now up to re-doing our affiliates page. If your site has been around for over a year and isn’t currently listed with us, respond on this post with a way to get in touch and we will link you up.

Current folks if you want a different banner, let us know.