Hello new forum software!

[Dan]

Hello new forum software!

Feel free to post to this forum etc. Loads need doing, including porting the likes over etc. But it's usable. Anything you post on here will be kept and stay online when we switch back to the correct domain name. We're just using this domain name for the next few hours while we fix the issues with NGINX. Some software we use on the server.

Things that need doing include styling the usernames and that kinda jazz. And perhaps double checking and fixing user permissions for access-only areas. Which wont take too long. I just want to get this switched to the new domain first so am working through the issue related to that.

Tapatalk wont work yet either. And other add-ons/customisations we had on the old forum need adding again to this. Which wont take long once we're on the actual domain.

 

[Darkwood]

Looking good so far, I did panic when I saw my likes had gone so glad you took the time to keep us informed.

Keep up the good work

 

[Dan]

Yeah, we had a customised like system on the old forum. So the standard importer wouldn't work with it. I use some clever commands in the database to pick up the old likes from their tables and drop them off in the tables we have on this forum software. But I need it on the proper domain first really before I start to tweak that kinda jazz.

This is just the core software, with everything except the likes imported.

 

[7029 dave]

Looking good so far, I did panic when I saw my likes had gone so glad you took the time to keep us informed.

Keep up the good work

Yes I thought will have to start all over again (with the likes)

 

[Dan]

Yes I thought will have to start all over again (with the likes)

You wont that's for sure.

Any you 'like' until we do transfer the old QTY over though will probably get lost during the process as I'll have to start with blank tables.

 

[Dan]

Try the software on mobiles and tablets and stuff. It looks and works lovely. Also try portrait and landscape. Kinda adds more information when it can in landscape.

 

[Leesparkykent]

does it have an activity stream?

 

[Sintra]

Looking good so far Dan.

 

[Dan]

You've got the new posts area: http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/find-new/37/posts
Recent posts is then clickable from a link within that page. New posts will be all threads with new posts in it for you, so not including ones you've viewed, whether replied to or not. And recent posts is ALL recent posts in order of their last post.

Then the notifications block / drop down in the top right corner of the forum. Which the full page to is this: http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/account/alerts

Then you have your actual activity stream too: http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/account/news-feed

Which will need collect data for all your accounts as you all post etc. Because the old forum didn't have that.

So yeah, in the plenty.

 

[Darkwood]

It will take abit to get used to but looks simple enough for members, the staff options I'm also getting up to par with as its just a matter of finding there new locations but Yeah - seems good, I get latest posts through the members sub-section but as we have very few members in here posting it's only really showing this thread.

I tried through mobile and yes its alot better, I'm sure we will have plenty of members asking where this and that is but I doubt it will take long for everyone to get used to the new set-up.

 

[Dan]

It's really really intuitive. You tend to find most users will get used to it much quicker than when we've changed things before. The likes will be a biggy. Everybody will clock they're blank. But rest assured they'll be back.

 

[Dan]

Okay so we're live now and I'm off to get some shut eye for a few hours and will be up early to carry on.

Thanks for your patience lads. Today/tonight has been a bloody ball ache.

 

[GMES]

Yeah everything is looking good Dan so far, and as said we will all get used to it. not bad for a place you can come free of charge and chat with your friends and get helpful advice at the same time. and still the best Electricians forum out there.

 

[GMES]

And I also like the pop up description when you hover over any section on the list. Also the the same pop up explanation box contains little adverts for our sponsors, which isn't invasive at all. Nice job you've done Dan.

 

[rooftopsolar]

Great update!

 

[markc123]

Thought i was tripping ...

Mind cannot cope with this much change at once. Will take some getting used too, looks good though.

 

[Lou]

Welcome to the future ElectriciansForums!

 

[Spinball]

General message to Electricians forums members about the new forum software Dan has installed from someone who has gone through a very similar process.
Migrating from one forum platform to another is probably the most difficult operation a forum owner can do.
All the information from users (avatar images, signatures etc.) their content (threads, posts, likes etc.) and the forum structure (categories, forums, other pages etc.) have to be mapped from one database to another and it's often a complicated and lengthy process.
Migrating our website avforums.com in October 2013 took about 9 hours.

It appears that Dan has completed the job of migrating the data fine. Now he has to deal with relatively minor issues like the styling of elements of the site.
And an important job is to address the members who don't like the new user interface. There will be plenty because it's different and people understandably don't like change.

At this point, Dan has had little choice but to migrate since vBulletin is dead software (vBulletin 3 & 4 no longer developed and vBulletin 5 a disaster).
In my opinion he has made the right choice to move to Xenforo, which is the next largest platform in the market and the one we chose for AVForums.
There are lots of advantages of the new software including better support (particularly important for security), better integration with the rest of the internet (social media) and user interface improvements like overlays (when you click on someone's avatar).
There is also a more vibrant community at Xenforo.com where developers have created a lot of very useful addons and the community is extremely responsive to requests for help.
We use around 100 addons which give extra features such as moderator tools (some very useful anti-spam measures), competitions, trending topic widgets, similar threads, featured threads and post ratings.

So this post is to congratulate Dan and encourage all the readers here to support him positively following the difficult but inevitable decision he has made.

 

[Dan]

General message to Electricians forums members about the new forum software Dan has installed from someone who has gone through a very similar process.
Migrating from one forum platform to another is probably the most difficult operation a forum owner can do.
All the information from users (avatar images, signatures etc.) their content (threads, posts, likes etc.) and the forum structure (categories, forums, other pages etc.) have to be mapped from one database to another and it's often a complicated and lengthy process.
Migrating our website avforums.com in October 2013 took about 9 hours.

It appears that Dan has completed the job of migrating the data fine. Now he has to deal with relatively minor issues like the styling of elements of the site.
And an important job is to address the members who don't like the new user interface. There will be plenty because it's different and people understandably don't like change.

At this point, Dan has had little choice but to migrate since vBulletin is dead software (vBulletin 3 & 4 no longer developed and vBulletin 5 a disaster).
In my opinion he has made the right choice to move to Xenforo, which is the next largest platform in the market and the one we chose for AVForums.
There are lots of advantages of the new software including better support (particularly important for security), better integration with the rest of the internet (social media) and user interface improvements like overlays (when you click on someone's avatar).
There is also a more vibrant community at Xenforo.com where developers have created a lot of very useful addons and the community is extremely responsive to requests for help.
We use around 100 addons which give extra features such as moderator tools (some very useful anti-spam measures), competitions, trending topic widgets, similar threads, featured threads and post ratings.

So this post is to congratulate Dan and encourage all the readers here to support him positively following the difficult but inevitable decision he has made.

hahaha just realised who you are!

* takes a bow to you (and also books in a few mods inc check point and trending which we have on some other forums already).
This is the second to last out of 12 or more perhaps.

The DigitalPoint graph thing shows the VB to XF migrations are MASSIVE compared to any other software to any other software. IPB and VB are rubbish in comparison. And best of all, XF is mostly British.

 

[gccs]

Dan, the CCS is loading a little funky in Chrome (for me at least).
Navigation bars are over lapping at the top, and right hand column loading under left column.