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Comments on the forum software change / problems discovered

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binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
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I may still fiddle with the rep transfer during the upcoming week of testing - it's not that it's impossible to do, just that occasional rep resets aren't a bad thing. Once rep has been running for a bunch of years, it ceases to mean anything since the regulars will all have impossibly high reps.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
I may still fiddle with the rep transfer during the upcoming week of testing - it's not that it's impossible to do, just that occasional rep resets aren't a bad thing. Once rep has been running for a bunch of years, it ceases to mean anything since the regulars will all have impossibly high reps.
i've finally got my rep to where it needs to be.... over 9000
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
Perhaps it's just my curiosity, but outside of the current software being "outdated and bloated", what are the improvements offered by the new system?
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
There are a bunch of aspects that will make it easier to manage and develop for, including a vastly improved plugin system and better theming support (VB themes are awful and break every time you upgrade). That's not immediately visible but puts us in a better long term position.

It has immensely better spam management as well so that should cut down on spam on the board.

From an immediate perspective, between the skin and a lot more AJAX/in-page functions, I find it a lot more friendly to actually use and navigate. Mobile is a ton better because it's not a new skin - it's just a re-organization of the desktop skin, so functions like rep aren't hidden away and inaccessible.

I'm also hoping the planned classifieds will bridge the gap between both systems - when the new system went in, a lot of people complained because it's kind of separate from the forums, but some people liked it because it has better functionality than just a forum post.

Also hoping to introduce new plugins/functionality over time. Right off the bat there is going to be a post ratings function which will let users mark posts as good, bad, helpful, etc. Initially it will be limited but I want to extend it so that people can search for the "most useful" posts, for instance.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
iPad optimized layout then. Sh!ts terrible currently.

Tapa is kinda lame in some ways, but it's twice as fast to read stuff and move around when you're on the mouseless device.
 
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binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
The new skin works pretty well on mobile devices, IMO.

So here's the thing with Tapatalk:

There have been multiple, major security breaches with the product that haven't all been addressed quickly. The product itself hooks directly into the database, which means a security breach basically leaves you wide open. That in itself is a big problem.

Second, it directly costs the website money. No ads can be run at all - Tapatalk takes our investment (the site), has us spend time installing and supporting it, then charges you for it without giving anyone else a nickel. Basically they're selling you our hard work. I realize that it's not a bad deal to pay a few bucks for that app but it essentially is a double drain on me: it loses ad revenue AND costs me time to maintain.

Let's start with the new skin and see where we need to go from there. If Tapatalk brings enough value to the table, it's not necessarily out of the question... but it'd take a lot to convince me to install a security risk that costs both time and money.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
ipad doesn't burn your leg or break as easily if you chilling on the couch with a beer making smart ass comments about linkages.

hear you on Tapatalk and ad revenue, plus additional support time.

That said not everyone is stealing the boss's time to forum-commando at work, and tablets seem more casual evening couch-time friendly, imho.

Mice and trackpads may be going the way of the dodo.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
That said not everyone is stealing the boss's time to forum-commando at work, and tablets seem more casual evening couch-time friendly, imho.

Mice and trackpads may be going the way of the dodo.
Totally agree... have you looked at http://betav2.ridemonkey.com on your tablet? Your login will work.

It's still not 100% complete but we're getting there.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Yes, the trial conversion I did with the image editor that handles animations looked terrible. You may have to re-upload your avatar after the conversion... but the board software supports animated avatars so it should be fine :)
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
rabble rabble rabble!
I may still fiddle with the rep transfer during the upcoming week of testing - it's not that it's impossible to do, just that occasional rep resets aren't a bad thing. Once rep has been running for a bunch of years, it ceases to mean anything since the regulars will all have impossibly high reps.
Waaaahhhhh...I want impossibly high rep!
 
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