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Recent Changes To Hill Country Explorer

October 16, 2023
  • Removed underutilized news headlines section from some sites.
October 6, 2023
  • Modified the contact us page to cut down on the amount spam received.
June 27, 2023
  • Increased track file upload size limit to 30MB.
November 18, 2022
  • Fixed photo layout for devices with smaller screens. Photo albums no longer hard coded to three photos per row. It now dynamically shows 1, 2, or 3 per row depending upon screen width.
August 5, 2022 July 14, 2022
  • Modified My Logbook page to use the same section layout as main page.
June 23, 2022 March 10, 2022
  • Fixed layout of the My logbook page for smaller screen sizes.
November 21, 2021
  • Removed topo maps option since that seemed to break all maps all of a sudden. We'll work on getting this back eventually.
October 1, 2021 March 2, 2021 September 13, 2020 August 29, 2020
  • Re-implemented Amazon recommended items.
August 19, 2020 July 31, 2020
  • Moved all of the sites to a new hosting provider following a hacking attack on the old one.
December 17, 2019
  • Improved social media sharing functionality to include relevant Twitter tags where possible.
October 23, 2019
  • Fixed mileage ranking page bug that was causing errors.
  • Restrict new user names from using the @ character. Email addresses as user names are not a good idea!
September 1, 2019
  • Fixed the show mapped hikes page for users. For example, Lone_Star and Eveline.
July 24, 2019
  • Removed the "Share on Google" button from pages since Google+ is no longer supported.
July 8, 2019 May 10, 2019
  • Updated the Austin Explorer virtual cache confirmation page. Layout is a bit better and it can now handle any virtual cache, even those outside of the Austin area.
March 13, 2019
  • More SEO and performance fixes.
  • Limited photos on a location page to the latest 12 and paginated remaining photos on a separate page. See San Angelo State Park for an example.
  • Updated the show location logs page to paginate when the count gets high. See San Angelo State Park for an example again.
February 26, 2019
  • HTML validation and performance fixes.
February 15, 2019
  • Fix photo orientation issue with uploaded images that contain EXIF orientation values.
January 24, 2019
  • Deprecated external article pages.
December 24, 2018
  • Scale images on the ShowImage page so that photos are not clipped on smaller screens.
  • Improve Amazon item caching.
November 18, 2018
  • Fixed pricing errors on Amazon items.
  • Update Maps page instructions to be valid for tablets as well as PCs.
July 6, 2018 July 2, 2018 May 27, 2018 May 1, 2018
  • Fix bug in the add a location page that caused improper location field settings to appear.
  • Fix bug in show location page that showed deleted pictures.
January 24, 2018 January 15, 2018
  • Info window pop ups on map markers added for increased mobile device usability.
December 30, 2017
  • Use latest recaptcha code on contact and registration pages.
November 28, 2017
  • Fix links to user pages from image thumbnails.
November 26, 2017
  • Update forum code to the latest version.
November 24, 2017
  • Start of work to modify page layout using Bootstrap to improve displays on tablets and smartphones.
December 17, 2016
  • Restore latest log list to Hiking Trailhead front page.
November 12, 2016
  • Remove Geocaching log support from AustinExplorer.com.
November 5, 2016
  • Improved GPX track file parsing.
August 7, 2016
  • Fixed bug that allowed new track files to overwrite existing track file for locations.
June 1, 2016
  • Added social media markup to locations pages to make them easier to share.
May 4, 2016
  • Fixed URL links when socially sharing locations and photos.
  • Fixed aspect ratio for some photos placed within location writeups, such as these.
  • Updated advertising page with updated info.
October 15, 2015
  • Fixed bug that allowed some non-Texas hikes to be listed in search results on Texas Hiking.
September 8, 2015
  • Fixed the code so that we refrain from showing log entries for hikes not actually covered by the website.
September 7, 2015
  • Fixed external article pages.
October 9, 2014
  • Added ability for users to archive photos that may have been uploaded by mistake.
September 3, 2014
  • The first track file uploaded to a location will automatically be marked as the featured track and shown on the location page.
  • Fixed bug that caused some hike track file links to be improperly formed.
  • Modified some links between pages to look simpler and cleaner.
March 26, 2014
  • Fixed a bug that prevented some track files from properly displaying in a large map.
December 6, 2013
  • Increased photo upload size to 12 MB.
November 29, 2013
  • Updated the add and update log entry comment box code to resolve some compatibility issues with Internet Explorer and Chrome.
November 18, 2013
  • Consolidated file upload code for photos and track files. You shouldn't notice much difference, but this was an important step for infrastructure improvements going forward.
  • Size limitations on uploaded photos has been changed to 5MB.
October 31, 2013 August 11, 2013
  • Increased maximum GPX file upload size from 1MB to 10MB.
April 14, 2013
  • Added the ability to filter out locations from Find Locations search results for which you've already logged a visit. Now it's even easier to find new places to explore!
  • Fixed broken document icons that indicate locations with writeups in the find locations search results.
March 31, 2013
  • Added scale indicator to Google Maps to give a frame of reference for trail length of a location's surroundings.
  • Fixed bug in the view all hike log pages that was preventing logs from showing up.
February 28, 2013
  • Added a brand new forum to the websites. The forum is now available for the first time to users on Hiking Trailhead.
  • Through the forum now (and other parts of the websites later), introduced the concept of Gravatars (avatars). Set up your gravatar now so that your profile and log entries will be ready when support for them is expanded.
January 31, 2013
  • Display error messages on pages that require Javascript when a user's browser has Javascript disabled.
September 24, 2012
  • Fixed a bug in the ShowImage page that prevented photo owners from changing the photo's caption and description.
  • Modified the ShowLog page to show the log owner how many log entries and/or trail miles would be needed to move up to the next applicable rank. The informational text will be displayed for a day after entering the log.
  • Added support for embedded YouTube videos in forum postings. The forum that exists on sites that support it needs to be replaced, but this is a stop gap measure to make some posts more interesting in the meantime.
September 16, 2012
  • Added the first cut at a ranking system for logs and mileage. Look for the link to a user's rank on their activity pages and follow it to an ordered listing of activity accomplishments for log count and mileage where appropriate. Look for some more features related to this in the near future.
August 26, 2012
  • Add code to fix some format issues with Run Keeper track files so that they can be properly displayed after uploading.
  • Fixed an issue with improper display of the page footers.
  • Added page of related websites showing all of the sites that share the common database and infrastructure with Hill Country Explorer. Your login account here works on all of those sites.
August 5, 2012
  • Some more map tweaks:
    • Expanded the use of the latest Google Maps to pages other than just the main map page.
    • Added a marker on maps pinpointing a specific location when something other than a track file is being shown.
  • Fixed bug that prevented photos from being shown with some articles.
June 28, 2012
  • Enhanced the main map page:
    • Expanded the size of the map.
    • Added the option to only map those locations that the user has actually logged.
    • Added the ability to remove or add location types without having to reload the entire map. Only applicable on sites that support more than one location type such as Austin Explorer.
    • Defaulted map links from "My" pages to default to only showing locations logged by the user.
March 4, 2012
  • Added the ability associate your social logins with your Hill Country Explorer login account. We currently support Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter and Yahoo. For now, this allows you to login using your social network credentials and not have to remember another password to log in here. Eventually, you'll be able to broadcast your adventures to your friends and family via your social network accounts.
  • Fixed an issue with the find location page that prevented some valid queries, such as finding a list of hikes that don't allow bikes.
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 Hill Country Explorer. 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 Hill Country Explorer.
  • 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 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 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.
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