"Number of users active in this forum"?

One aspect from the old site that is a remaining imperative inclusion.

Everyone wants to be where is popular and that was easy enough to distinguish on the old platform with then "X number of active users in this forum now" note beside each subforum name.

It seems these old important features are being gradually re-introduced, but just for whenever there is the manpower to make it happen, to me this is one of the most defining features missing from the old version, on the new platform.

Also the "search" function is diabolically dysfunctional.

Deja Boo

Without the active users list, it feels (very much) like we are posting in echo chambers with no one around. Takes the soul out of the community feel.

....then again, maybe they don't want to reveal the low number of posters these days.

There's a general misconception that everything like that has to be done through Vanilla, and is thus impossible.

It's a pity.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118905235#Comment_118905235

Do you mean boards developers couldn't code it themselves?

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118966889#Comment_118966889

More like they don't want to give away how few people are posting.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118966889#Comment_118966889

They don't own the code or develop it directly. They rent the service from a Canadian company.

Technically, a change like this is like modifying a car stereo.

If you want to do integrate it fully, you make it play nice with all the rest of the car. You change the car's systems so now the steering wheel controls work and the car's logo is on the new screen. This is bananas difficult. You have to modify the car's ECU and risk introducing new problems everywhere in the car.

Now imagine you rent this car and only the company can make these changes. Even though you're happy to do all of this work, they have to approve it, and all the other cars they rent will have the same changes made to them. All customers now have this upgraded stereo and potential new bugs if you didn't implement it right.

The alternative is installing an Android Tablet in the dashboard, giving it power, and hooking it up to the speakers. The company renting you the car doesn't even know you did it.

The latter is called a microservice. A $5/month server that has its own little database that tracks forums and users. When you are in that forum, your browser contacts the server and says My name is Ads By Google and I'm viewing Feedback. When you view a forum, your browser asks the server Who is here? and the server gives the list of people.

Boards.ie don't really know that these microservices are an option. And they don't want the community to be responsible for any code as they think it's unreliable to depend on user contributions.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118904856#Comment_118904856

Agreed, but I think the problem here has been redefining everything. "Threads" now being "discussions", and "forums" being either "groups" or "places". (I have no idea what the difference is between those last two...)

Deja Boo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118968405#Comment_118968405

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118904856#Comment_118904856

The entire Vanilla system is diabolically dysfunctional ...and will inevitably be our downfall.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I'll take your word for it - vanilla to me is non-kinky sex ;)

A community fundraiser for a transition to Xenforo.

What kind of purse would we be looking at?

Or one of my most visited websites,

https://www.sherdog.com/

"Evolve Media Holdings".

Are they the hosting platform? No idea but their forum is silky smooth.

It's Xenforo. A licence is $140/year iirc for the basic one but they'd have to run it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118969081#Comment_118969081

I simply have to ask, how did you figure that out? (and what's your background/training?)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118969158#Comment_118969158

Ah no skill required.. There are sites that can analyse other sites for you.

https://builtwith.com/?https://forums.sherdog.com/

https://trends.builtwith.com/websitelist/XenForo

If a licence only costs 140, why in lawds name would a transition be considered so purse heavy?

Glaceon

There would be the ongoing cost of hosting it yourself, either by paying for rackspace in a datacentre and buying servers, or (more likely nowadays) hosting it in the likes of AWS or Azure.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118969246#Comment_118969246

Yeah but they're paying Vanilla for that anyways.

Whatever the rationale for switching from vBulletin, this platform unless it gets some gnarly add-ons/mods, it's not going to retain a meaningful client base.

Xenforo = slick like Fonzy.