1 Topic by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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  • From: Strathpeffer, Highland
  • Registered: 16-12-2008
  • Posts: 535

Topic: IMT change

I notice that the default format for the IMT has recently changed to 'hybrid'.  Is this a planned change based on evidence that this is what we want, or another 'random' event that will revert next week, or something just done to brighten up our dull lives?

My personal view is that the road network, placenames etc. cluttering up the display is a mess, though I would be interested to hear why someone interested in the UK distribution of an organism would have at the top of his/her mind the question of whether it was on the motorway network or closer to Huddersfield than to Oldham. Has anyone been asked for an opinion?

This happens in both Chrome and Opera.  Yes - amazingly, for the past week Opera has handled the IMT splendidly except for the fact that it will not allow switching between the different map formats.  A couple of weeks ago the IMT would not load at all in Opera, continuing the inexplicable unpredictability of G5. I am filled with excitement to discover what unexpected variation in display is in store for us this week.

Murdo

Syrphus's Website

2 Reply by matt.debont

  • matt.debont
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  • From: Peterborough
  • Registered: 04-11-2013
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Re: IMT change

Hi Murdo, I will pass this on to the developer who is working with the IMT, he is on leave at the moment but I am fairly sure that this was a requested change from a long time ago.

As before I am still unable to recreate your issues with Opera and as I have said before Opera is not a high priority for us, it should just work as it is a webkit browser (and the IMT works fine in all the other webkit browsers I have tried including Opera so far for me), but obviously there is an issue that I haven't been able to find and recreate as of yet.

Matt

Matt Debont
Application Developer
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK

3 Reply by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Re: IMT change

Thanks, Matt.  I think there are lots of 'requested changes from a long time ago' which many would have thought were more pressing, but which have not been implemented as we charge towards G5's first birthday.

The Opera thing is important not so much because it is inconvenient for me (though it certainly is inconvenient), but because it is quite evident that for some reason unknown to you and (I assume) to other IT staff, there is instability in the system.  Nothing has changed at my end, yet I never know if the IMT will work or not in Opera until I try it.  I know of no other site where this happens, and I a lot of sites that are as complex, and even more complex, than the Gateway.  If I were responsible for the software I would want to know WHY it happens - is it a software bug, or are you making changes the effects of which are not properly assessed, or what?  And what other hidden instabilities are lurking in there?

M.

Syrphus's Website

4 Reply by matt.debont (edited by matt.debont 01-09-2014 09:56:06)

  • matt.debont
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Re: IMT change

I think you have misunderstood me somewhat on the Opera issue, I am interested in why it happens and would love to find out why it is happening and solve the issue, but it is not a high priority issue in the grand scheme of things. We have to prioritize all development work and this issue very often loses out in favour of new development and more serious issues, purely for the reason that Opera traffic is such a small proportion of our overall traffic and has thus far proved elusive whenever we have had time to look into it.

The default map changing on the over hand is a single line change in the code and was done as part of other work when the developer was just working around this particular area.

Matt

Matt Debont
Application Developer
Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK