Aletheia

I personally don't like Vbb 3.0 all that much. Just the look and feel of it is meh. The forum I use it on has alot of issues to, expecally with forum premisisons and user groups.

Halx

it's not about someting being broke.. it's about always changing and evolving..

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Nisses

My little opinion here is, that you can change the look of the board to whatever you will as admin. So you can still use the current pictures and style, if you modify it a bit to the new board.

So for most posters, it won't even make all that much difference.

If it makes life easier for mods, and has a few extra bells and whistles and doesn't require more bandwidth, then why not change it?

I would be for it, with a few threads backupped I suppose.

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Averett

I really don't want to lose the journal option

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Tophat665

Revising my opinion here. If it's an issue of room to grow, then by all means, onward to the next level.

If that is the choice, I am all for a clean slate. Classic Threads would be recreated, so there is no need to archive. Mostly, I would be glad to see the banned and voluntarily exiled names drop out of site. Maybe a taboo topic, and no judgement at all on the specifics of any of them, but it's jarring to run across them

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absorbentishe

Here's my take. I'm for what ever direction we need to go. If we need to upgrade, then so be it. If we can upgrade later, then that's fine too. I know eventually we'll have to go with the newer version, so what ever the decision, I support it 100%.

hu-man

Don't worry!
I say do the change, move the content, but remove all threads that haven't been posted in in over a month.

Mondak

I am in on whatever as far as upgrade is concerned, but I really don't want another fresh start. I like the way it is and can't really see the advantage in starting over with posts again.

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shakran

Since FlamingPeach mentioned that the journals could be saved (I don't use 'em myself but I know a lot of people really like them, so I think it would be extremely important to keep them around) it sounds like the switchover could be nearly transparant to the userbase. So I'll change my vote and say, if that's the case, go for it! New toys are always fun as long as they don't make your friends stop playing with you

Church

I say whatever you do, please try and move the database over to the new. Although, if you do have to start a new db, please let everyone have access to the titty board as well. Although I am an active poster in all sections, I still need my TB.

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Cynthetiq

I don't either. I've posted plenty for the past year, and since the last time we started over I had only lost about a week. I back up and back up this all the time now.

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krwlz

I this sounds the best to me. If we use this option, that includes a day or two of downtime? If so, I think we could all handle a day or two... as compared to the unscheduled cuple of weeks last time forced us to take.

Memnoch

I'd like to keep the board the way it is, until we/you are able to find a way to keep the journals. I feel the journals are an important part of this community, and I enjoy both reading and writing in them. Once this obstacle is hurdled over, I think upgrading with a fresh start would be a great idea!

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dy156

I prefer "sharpening the axe" -it sounds better.
This is just something I play with, like a hobby, and frankly, I hope you don't change it. I know this is really picky and superficial, but the new version seems very cluttered, almost like FOX news or FOX sports with lots of graphics. I really liked the recent design tweaks to this version of TFP, and the simple green color scheme.
If you changed it, I probably wouldn't care as much or participate, cause I like it the way it is now, and don't know that I have the time or the energy at the moment to devote to it like I did when I started.

However, if I were you and it were my baby, I'd most likely change it and make it the best it could be.

CinnamonGirl

Hmmm...I rather like it how it is...like dy156 said, the new one looks cluttered. It's not a huge deal to me, though; I'm sure I'd get used to the new version if that's how it goes...although I'd miss my The Cheat icon

About higher usage rates...is that a problem? I see new people posting all the time, so I'm wondering how long before an upgrade is inevitable...if it's not far off, then it WOULD make more sense to upgrade now.

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quadro2000

I'm very happy with the board we have now. The thought of losing the journals is a big deal to me.

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sailor

I think that if it is time to upgrade, do it.

I would try to make the board as similar as possible to this one, and I think the idea of archiving this one is a good one--there is a lot of good information on this site, and there is no need to kill it all.

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:::OshnSoul:::

like moonstrucksoul said, you can copy your journals into word and then copy them into your new journals.

water_boy1999

I like the current look of TFP. If any changes were made, I would like to keep the same format as it stands. I do think you should delete all old threads. I liked that idea. Start fresh in that respect.

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SecretMethod70

Same. Not sure if I like v3 or not, but I do know I would like to see the current database kept.

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water_boy1999

I like the current look of TFP. If any changes were made, I would like to keep the same format as it stands. I do think you should delete all old threads. I liked that idea. Start fresh in that respect.

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dy156

So that we can make an informed opinion, can you give us some stats about new users?
Here's why:
I, along with a whole passel of people came here after the TB was mentioned on fark about a year ago. When the policy was changed to make it so that rookies could no longer view it, there were lots of people that were already members, or stuck around.

I don't think there is anywhere on the net pointing to the TB right now, and I'm wondering about where new people are coming from and in what numbers, because unless the majority of them are from referrals, without the draw of the TB, can this thing survive a "reboot" as easily as it has in the past? Just curious.

Cynthetiq

400 entries. Been there done that.

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Captain Canada

I would stay with Vb2.

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quadro2000

Yeah, I've done that. Only then I lose all the comments, which in many cases are more valuable than the entries.

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Batman976

I like the look and feel of the current board. If that doesn't change too much, I'm all for the upgrade.

Also, my vote would be to move the current database over. What's the point in losing what we've already built? I'm not really that against starting from scratch, I just don't really see the point if it can be avoided.

I can't say I've ever used the journals, so I have no opinion in that matter.

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:::OshnSoul:::

oh, very true.

Cynthetiq

very astute observation... i've forgotten how some of the discussions below the post have just blossomed into more than the journal post itself

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

User Name

If we migrate to version 3 and lose everything, the veteran members won't be able to tell the newbies to search instead of posting. That would disrupt the entire class structure of the TFP, and soon it will go the way of the dinosaurs.

Seriously though, the obvious ideal option would be to upgrade, but have all of the threads remain in place. Since that's not possible, I think we should keep TFP the way it is.

Oh, and if everything is resetted, user name jacking is sure to ensue. Nobody wants that, right?

Halx

you have little faith in the populous

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irateplatypus

if it were my choice, i'd go with option two.

in the long run, 2 days down is nothing (even though i'd be itching till you brought us back up).

i don't mind missing the journals... i've not created one of my own and don't keep up with other's very much. i think i'm in the majority as far as this goes, but i'm sure they do mean a lot to those who participate in them.

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bernadette

well, from a member's point of view, i'm quite happy with the way things currently are...
...but if it'll make things easier for you & the rest who manage tfp, then i wouldn't complain if you upgraded nor if the board went offline for a few days or even a week.

...but personally, i would really really hate to see the old threads eliminated.
as it is now, we can perform a search & try to see if a topic has been previously posted.
we can make references to old threads.
there are many wonderful threads that continue to grow over time.

and one final personal note... i am a huge fan of the nonsense forum. we're a pretty tight bunch yknow.
i fear that if specific content gets eliminated, the nonsense forum might be one of the first targets.
that would sadden me to lose many of those threads.
they may seem frivolous & non-important to many, but to a good deal of us we love & value those threads.

i can, however accept losing some very old threads possibly... ones that haven't been usual for quite some time.

so, since you were kind enough to ask us all, that is my .02 cents.
and thanks again for tfp. i love it to pieces.

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greytone

Halx, it is your ball to do with what you want. My advise as an outsider in the computer world would be to wait for the rest of the world to work out the bugs of any new software. As a physicianm I rarely prescribe a drug until it has been out for six months or a year. I let everyone else find out about all the things that are not discovered during development.

While I am tempted by the "fresh start" approach, I am also frustrated by that possibility. I am under a lot of time constraints that were not in effect a year ago. I know that I would not be able to build my post count for months. The only reason that is important to me is that I really like having an avatar so I can find my posts easily. Of course many of my posts tend to be thread killers so I can just assume that there is no response to my rantings. Come to think of that, it might be a big time saver in the long run.

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World's King

I'm in the middle on this.

No opinon from me for once.

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santafe5000

It's your baby so i say whatever is easiest on you. Post count doesn't mean anything to me. I don't mess with or look at the journal's so that part is a dead issue with me. A fresh start would mean cutting down on the membership totals, but also cutting some deadwood. Thanks for whatever way you decide.

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440sixpack

Quick answer... I like option 2. I have the patience to put up with a couple days of down time. I do like the current look better, but assuming v3 is customizable then that's not really an issue.

As far as importing the old info, I have to admit I have selfish motives there. I'm not a frequent poster for various reasons, and in the year or so we've been on this version I have yet to even reach avatar status. But if it comes down to it, I'll just have to redonate and start working my way up again.

What it comes down to is the ringmaster owns this circus, and with a crack of the whip or two, all the rest of us will fall into line. Halx, do what you need to do.

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meembo

I like the start-over version -- it's so damn democratic, like an election. There is some temporary loss of status, but I think those who deserve it quickly regain it anyway!

I like the technical upgrade aspect of this choice as well.

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kel

I of the if it ain't broke don't fix it mindset.[
Unless VB3 contributes something specific, it sounds like a waste of time.

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GuttersnipeXL

I say leave the change and evolution to the people who contribute to TFP. Let us do the evolving within the site and with eachother. New site structure, to me, seems unnecessary. If capacity issues are a problem, couldn't you drop the thousands of accounts that never post to make room for new ones?...more later, as this thread evolves.

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bermuDa

I like the boards as they are, however I also like the idea of having new features....

What I'm most concerned about is the loss of some really decent threads. I personally wouldn't mind helping sift through the archives and pick out some choice threads for inclusion in the new format.

What also concerns me is the matter of the journals...There is a lot of content there, and while i probably have less than 20 entries and can easily copy them for my own purposes, there are so many people out there with tons of entries and comments that can't back them up so easily. Is there any way to leave the old journals up as an archive, then have everyone start over with the new format?

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