Time for a new forum?

[Carl-NC]

Now that I'm done traveling for a while, I'd like to put a little more time into this website. One thing I've been thinking about for months now is switching the forums over to a new format. I wrote the current forum scripts many years ago, when there was very little to chose from, and there were specific features I wanted. Like multiple image uploads, auto-email, and full thread views for printing & emailing.

Now there are lots of forum scripts to chose from, that do everything I want and lots more. Findmall has switched some of their forums to new software, as has TreasureNet, and some other sites. At first, I didn't care for the funky new format, but as I got used to it, found I liked it more & more.

In the switch over, I would like to divvy up the forums into some more specific topics which will help better organize the discussions. I will also switch all of the old posts to the new format, so nothing is lost. (Every post ever made on this web site is still there.) Benefits of a new forum format is better organization, more powerful search capability, easier editor, more image upload options, and cute little emoticons.

So, I'd like everyone's opinion on this move. The software I'm leaning towards is vBulletin. It's $160, a bit more than the free forum software that's available, but has by far the best search engine and most complete features. See http://www.vbulletin.com/forum.

--Carl

[Robby_H]

Re: Time for a new forum?

I find this format quite good as it is but it would be great if any new format kept the pictures on site that were posted by members. This has been a problem elsewhere especially when a search is made and the pictures are no longer there due to them being dependant on whether some outside link still exists or not.
Just a thought.
Rob.

[Chris]

Re: Time for a new forum?

Hi Carl,

the forum is quite okay....special I like the function "View Thread" where you can see the whole posted threads at once. In other new style forums you don't have this function or it's difficult to follow all post's & reply of a reply and so on...

Chris

[Carl-NC]

Re: Time for a new forum?

The picture problem exists on all forums. People can either upload an image to the forum server, where it is saved for all eternity, or they may link to an image on another server, where it may disappear tomorrow. It would be possible to force a copy of the image to the local server and display it from there, but that gets into copyright issues.

--Carl

[Carl-NC]

Re: Time for a new forum?

That was one of my early gripes with the newer forum scripts, but (1) I've gotten used to the formats and (2) the formats have improved a bit. Ferinstance, vBulletin lets you chose between flat view & threaded view, and even has a "printable" view that dumps all the eye candy.

--Carl

[Eric Foster]

Re: Time for a new forum?

Hi Carl,

I expect the new format would have it, but a hit counter is a useful feature. You can see what interest a particular subject has generated, which includes read only viewers.

Eric.

[proscan]

wish list cont.

Hello,

I have subscribed to the forum, and receive emails when a new message appears.

Would it be possible to add a link in the email that makes possible to jump directly to a particular message in the web browser ?

All I can do now is to click on a link to unsubscribe :-(

proscan

[Yves]

Re: Time for a new forum?

Hey all
Carl i can send vbulletin gold 3.03 spyfixed
to you ,if you need it
then you must not pay for it
and spent the money on your projects
let me know
where i can send it
email me
i hope i can help you
you helped people for years to
sorry for bad english
Greeting Yves

[Luc]

Re: wish list cont.

Hi
IMHO this tribune works well, fast to read and to unload, the emoticone they do not serve, lacks a contatore encloses to you to side of every message that indicates the length.

[Luc]

Re: wish list cont.

Hi,
IMHO this forum works well, fast to read and to unload, the emoticone they do not serve, lacks a counter encloses to you to side of every message that indicates the length.
Sorry my bad english

[Luc]

Re: wish list cont.

Hello,
IMHO this tribune works well, fast to read and to unload, the emoticone they do not serve, lacks a counter length attached message and.

ReSorry for my bad english :-)

[Carl-NC]

Re: Time for a new forum?

Yes, a hit counter is nice. I used to have that on this forum, but the count file kept getting corrupted, so I ditched it.

--Carl

[Carl-NC]

Re: Time for a new forum?

>Carl i can send vbulletin gold 3.03...

Thanks, but I'd prefer to keep everything here on the level. Besides, the new version of vBulletin has a lot of nice enhancements.

--Carl

[Carl-NC]

Re: wish list cont.

>Would it be possible to add a link in the email that makes possible to jump directly to a particular message in the web browser ?

Done.

[Beachcomber]

Re: Time for a new forum?

One of things I have always liked about this Forum is that it is fast and efficient. The Forums that Findmall switched over to the new format are terrible, slow, and I have stopped going to those particular forums. It especially ruined the Classified Forum because you can no longer tell if something has been sold without opening the original post since you no longer can see any of the threads until the original is opened. I haven't been back to Tnet since they changed thier Format either. The new format is just a major time waster to use. The ones that Findmall hasn't changed are nice and the Format that the Treasure Depot uses is fast,
efficient, and easy to use too. A lot of today's software isn't necessarily better. It's just bigger and usually slower.
JMHO

HH

Beachcomber