Recent Changes To Texas Hiking

January 16, 2012

• Further enhanced the new email system to queue up failed emails in case of an email server error.

November 27, 2011

• Implemented changes to use a new email service, which should cut down on the number of errors that email generation has caused.

November 21, 2011

• Enabled all users, not just registered ones, to view Hiking Trailhead.
• Implemented a new user registration process that validates email addresses at the time of signup. This change was put into place to try and cut down on the number of bogus accounts being created on Texas Hiking. Please let us know if you encounter any problems registering with the new system.
• Increased the size of track files that can be uploaded to 1 MB.
• Increased the size of photos that can be uploaded to 350 KB.
• Added the ability to reference articles on hikes or locations not stored on Texas Hiking.
• Added the ability to enter trails over 3,200 miles long. Yes, they do exist!

September 25, 2011

• Enabled the add location page for all registered users. Now if you know about a trail or site that needs to be added to the database you can do so right away without having to shoot me an email.
• Enabled login capability for all registered users on Hiking Trailhead. For now, unregistered users are still not able to visit the site.

August 1, 2011

• Fixed cascading drop down lists for geographic areas on Hiking Trailhead

July 3, 2011

• Photo upload page will now warn when photo description length exceeds allowable size.
• Fixed some problems with the report an error page.

May 31, 2011

• Fixed the layout of photos in a log entries photo album (such as this one) so that they properly align.
• Fixed layout problem of My Logs pages that affected both Austin Explorer and Hill Country Explorer

May 2, 2011

• Redesigned sites for wider pages. The wider pages allow for more spacing and larger maps.
• Added the ability for certain users to add locations to the database. Do you want to be added to the list of users who can add locations before it goes live? Email me your request.
• Started beta testing for a new site, Hiking Trailhead. Hiking Trailhead will eventually cover hiking trails all over the world. If you'd like to be added to the beta users list, contact us.

December 12, 2010

• Removed the "Log It Now" button from location listings that have been archived.
• Revamped the membership system backend for future features and products.
• Added a change password page.
• Modify the login page so that it will display a reasonable error when login fails.
• Reworked some of the backend code to allow for the rollout of Hill Country Explorer and eventually other sites.

October 18, 2010

• Fixed a bug in the add log entry page for caches on Austin Explorer that proper logging of virtual caches.
• Fixed a bug in the view log entries pages of My Logbook that caused any page other than the first one to fail to show all available columns.

September 14, 2010

• Fixed a bug in the Show Maps page that prevented Internet Explorer from checking location type boxes that were being displayed. This affected Austin Explorer only.
• Fixed a bug in the reset password system.

August 22, 2010

• Modified the ShowLocation pages to allow for the display of historical marker text when such text is available. This affects AustinExplorer.com only and you can see examples here and here. Look for more of these in the near future.
• Fixed bug in code that always indicated more than 10 log entries and providing a link to the show all log entries page.
• Changed title of /My/ page to include "Logbook" instead of "Activity".

August 8, 2010

• Added larger printable map pages for tracks and locations.
• Added the ability to center maps on your current location, if your browser supports the W3C geolocation standard. Look for the "Center" button that now includes a drop down list of center options. "Website" centers on the coordinates at the center of the website's coverage area. If your browser supports geolocation you should also see "Your Location". This has been tested with Firefox 3.6, Chrome 5 and the latest Android browser. IE 8 doesn't support it.

July 12, 2010

• Limited the list of log entries that show up in the Show Location page to the last 10 entered. A link can take the user to a page where all log entries for the location will be shown.
• Fixed the Captcha control on Texas Hiking that was preventing registrations contacting the site without logging in.

July 5, 2010

• Added some redirect pages so that old links will continue to take visitors to the new location pages.

June 27, 2010

• Reorganized pages internally, making way for future products and enhancements. This list of changes now apply to AustinExplorer.com, TexasHiking.com and new sites that are in the pipeline.
• My Explorer and My Hikes menu items are standardized to be named My Logbook on both sites.
• The login link is now on the upper right hand corner of the screen, easier to see and following the example of many other websites.
• Added list of recent log entries to the main page for AustinExplorer.com. This includes all supported location types that support log entries (cemeteries, hikes and historic sites) with the exception of geocaches (which would overload the list).
• The menu on the left side of the page has been revamped. Nested sub items allow for the menu to take up less of the screen, particularly for Austin Explorer. It's also now possible to get right to an item you want, such as a map of historic sites, without having to load up the main map first and then filter the other location options.
• The find a location page has been fully consolidated so that you can search for any kind of location that the site supports. On AustinExplorer.com you can also now search for locations of different types at the same time, say any cemetery or historic site containing the keyword McKinney. The list of values returned in the search results differ depending upon the location types searched for.
• The "My" page has been generalized to provide recent activity for an individual, whether that be for all location types, or only for hikes, caches, cemeteries or historic sites. Even the My Hikes page on Texas Hiking has a few new items in summary.
• Photos have been moved to a separate server, which should make the sites a bit more responsive.
• Added a real topographic map layer to the Google Maps shown on the site. The "MyTopo" link at the top left corner of the maps give you the option of looking at the location's surroundings with the backdrop of the government's USGS maps.