Some site news...we're moving! [Update in Post #138 4/6/21]

Declan A Walsh · 02-06-2021 1:42pm

Will my old PMs, i.e. before the change over, be visible to anyone else going forward, under any circumstances? That's my main concern at the moment.

Or should I start deleting them, if I don't want them seen, to make sure?

KyussB · 02-06-2021 1:45pm

It's quite risky to do a "no going back" major site switchover. There's no way to know how the userbase will take it - the precedent of past sites that have done this (including this one), shows the userbase generally takes it badly - and if the userbase don't like it, the site will shed a lot of people.

If the switchover isn't seamless - i.e. the users can't even tell it happened and that the platform is different - then it carries the above risk.

Thought Boards would have learned this from the last time. Or from the dozens of other major websites that sprinted into a wall in this fashion.

Declan A Walsh · 02-06-2021 1:48pm

KyussB wrote: »

It's quite risky to do a "no going back" major site switchover. There's no way to know how the userbase will take it - the precedent of past sites that have done this (including this one), shows the userbase generally takes it badly - and if the userbase don't like it, the site will shed a lot of people.

If the switchover isn't seamless - i.e. the users can't even tell it happened and that the platform is different - then it carries the above risk.

Thought Boards would have learned this from the last time. Or from the dozens of other major websites that sprinted into a wall in this fashion.

This could well be different but I remember a few dedicated radio forum websites that did not last long, and I think one of the reasons was that at least some of them were overrun by spams.

02-06-2021 1:54pm

Can you please revisit the so called swear filter, it is obviously American and therefore blocks quite a few words that are in face not swear words at all.

for example

There are many other examples where a certain town scunthorpe for example gets blocked as well, the filter needs to have some intelligence to recognise context.not dumb letter patterns.

edit I see Scunthorpe is now allowed

a fat guy · 02-06-2021 1:58pm

Gotta agree with not changing the reactions, negative reactions are only used to bully/be ****heads in my experience.

Heresy online (a warhanmer website) had a "reputation" system where you could gift and remove reputation points from each other based on a users post, the more you had the more you could add/subtract from others. Some arsehole destroyed all my Internet points one day and that was enough for me not to bother with the site anymore.

They're still going, but that website was dying off for a good while before they removed the rep system entirely.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 2:27pm

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Will my old PMs, i.e. before the change over, be visible to anyone else going forward, under any circumstances? That's my main concern at the moment.

Or should I start deleting them, if I don't want them seen, to make sure?

Your old PMs will carry over to the new platform but will not be visible or accessible by anyone other than you and the other recipient(s). You can of course start to delete any PMs that you no longer want to keep.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 2:29pm

KyussB wrote: »

It's quite risky to do a "no going back" major site switchover. There's no way to know how the userbase will take it - the precedent of past sites that have done this (including this one), shows the userbase generally takes it badly - and if the userbase don't like it, the site will shed a lot of people.

If the switchover isn't seamless - i.e. the users can't even tell it happened and that the platform is different - then it carries the above risk.

Thought Boards would have learned this from the last time. Or from the dozens of other major websites that sprinted into a wall in this fashion.

Doing nothing is also very risky. Users are rightly put off when the site becomes unreliable, when their good feature suggestions can't be implemented because of how difficult it would be to do something simple on vBulletin and by a lack of more modern features that they see elsewhere.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 2:30pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Can you please revisit the so called swear filter, it is obviously American and therefore blocks quite a few words that are in face not swear words at all.

for example

The swear filter remains the same as it is now but it's a discussion we can have at a later stage. Unfortunately we just don't have the bandwidth to look at it before the migration.

Overheal · 02-06-2021 2:41pm

If I click a thread it will still take me where I left off right

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 3:20pm

Overheal wrote: »

If I click a thread it will still take me where I left off right

Yes it will still act as threads and clicks act now.

Overheal · 02-06-2021 3:40pm

What about my friends :pac: and :rolleyes:?

EmmetSpiceland · 02-06-2021 3:59pm

Will we still have that weird Valentines “matching” thing where you got a list of users who you like, or like you? I was never too sure which, to be honest.

02-06-2021 4:06pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Will we still have that weird Valentines “matching” thing where you got a list of users who you like, or like you? I was never too sure which, to be honest.

I always thought that was an April fools gag one year, but it never got deactivated afterwards.
It seems to be a simple counter of replies to another poster, if you frequently reply yo the same poster, then the "love" score was high.
Same if somone always replied (countered) your posts, so more like love/hate

.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 4:18pm

Overheal wrote: »

What about my friends :pac: and :rolleyes:?

There is a full range of emojis including a rolling eye one but no pacman :pac: :eek:

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 4:19pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Will we still have that weird Valentines “matching” thing where you got a list of users who you like, or like you? I was never too sure which, to be honest.

Deleted User wrote: »

I always thought that was an April fools gag one year, but it never got deactivated afterwards.
It seems to be a simple counter of replies to another poster, if you frequently reply yo the same poster, then the "love" score was high.
Same if somone always replied (countered) your posts, so more like love/hate .

No it won't be coming with us, as dolanbaker says it was built one year for a bit of fun as far as I know and just got wheeled out every Valentine's Day since!

the_pen_turner · 02-06-2021 4:20pm

Would there be an option to hide certain sections from your main feed. A bit like the opposite of your subscribed feed in that its everything bar your hidden ones.
I would like an option to turn off sections like fitness where they have all kinds of names for threads that give you hope for a thread but then you open it and it's not what you want.
There are lot of sections that users would have no desire to see and it would be great to hide them

the_pen_turner · 02-06-2021 4:24pm

Would the be a way to colour code sections so that you new post list is a lot easier to read.
Let's say fun and social is blue and each sun section is a different shade. Transport and commuting is green etc.

Even better if you could personalise it to your profile

Boards.ie: Niamh · 02-06-2021 4:25pm

the_pen_turner wrote: »

Would there be an option to hide certain sections from your main feed. A bit like the opposite of your subscribed feed in that its everything bar your hidden ones.
I would like an option to turn off sections like fitness where they have all kinds of names for threads that give you hope for a thread but then you open it and it's not what you want.
There are lot of sections that users would have no desire to see and it would be great to hide them

That is a new feature suggestion that I can add to a list to be considered after the migration is complete. I know a few people have asked for something similar in the past, seems to be a somewhat popular idea

In the meantime if you use the Desktop site you can set My Forums or My Threads as your default homepage tab in the User Control Panel.

Gatling · 02-06-2021 4:49pm

Will there be clean slates for incurred mod actions ie infractions and the like ?

Leg End Reject · 02-06-2021 4:52pm

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

No it won't be coming with us, as dolanbaker says it was built one year for a bit of fun as far as I know and just got wheeled out every Valentine's Day since!

I'll miss that, I was waiting for the year Emmet would "appear" on my "list".

Muahahaha · 02-06-2021 4:59pm

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

As I said in the initial post, at the start only Thanks will be enabled.

We do have the option to add other reactions at a later stage if we want. I think you are right in that negative reactions don't add too much to the conversation and that the more positive ones might be more beneficial. "Thanks" isn't always the right response when someone posts, for example, that a loved one has passed away or something else awful has happened so it'll be nice to add a small variety of options.

The flip side of that though is posters clicking 'Lol' to the death of someone. I think overall having a Lol button to react to posts would be attractive to trolls and wide open to abuse. If there is a death of a famous person there are definitely going to be posters clicking Lol to try to wind other posters up

The homepage will look the same as it does now with a tab for the most thanked posts.

If you can it would be great to extend the amount of space for most thanked posts from three pages to four or even five. Many days the most thanked posts section is all clogged up with Coronavirus sh1te with poster after poster shouting at the clouds and 20 to 30 people thanking the post. Its gotten a bit old now and it means better content never even makes it to the most thanked post page because its clogged up with posts ranting and raving about the virus most days.

JustAThought · 02-06-2021 5:12pm

All sounds brilliant and so exciting
Hopefully it won’t end up
like the orgy of gibberish that is Reddit.

Best of luck with it!!!
And thanks for all the hard work done for us!!

Looking forward to being somewhere new even if I don’t move!

JAT

PS will the people who force you to take your shoes off before you enter their house be let play?

Seth Brundle · 02-06-2021 5:21pm

Just thinking - will shortcuts still be available e.g. using ;) for

, :) for

, :D for

:pac: for :pac: or :confused: for

or pressing the Alt & S keys (in Windows) to submit a post

igCorcaigh · 02-06-2021 5:33pm

If it fixed the missing posts bug, I'd be more than happy!

EmmetSpiceland · 02-06-2021 5:41pm

Leg End Reject wrote: »

I'll miss that, I was waiting for the year Emmet would "appear" on my "list".

Me too. If it was a “manual” choice I would have, certainly, have had you on my list, L. It’s like something, or someone, was trying to keep us apart.

Very strange.

Night owl gal · 02-06-2021 6:24pm

Will we also lose the ability to see who viewed your profile?

Will we be able to post during the changeover?

_Kaiser_ · 02-06-2021 6:26pm

Night owl gal wrote: »

Will we also lose the ability to see who viewed your profile?

Will we be able to post during the changeover?

The second one no... you'll be able to read existing posts I gather but not reply/create new ones or threads.

Suckit · 02-06-2021 11:23pm

Will we be able to embed videos from other sites than just youtube?

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 8:20am

Gatling wrote: »

Will there be clean slates for incurred mod actions ie infractions and the like ?

I'm afraid not

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 8:26am

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Just thinking - will shortcuts still be available e.g. using ;) for , :) for , :D for :pac: for :pac: or :confused: for or pressing the Alt & S keys (in Windows) to submit a post

Just checked and no, they don't work, you need to select them from the emoji list.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 8:28am

igCorcaigh wrote: »

If it fixed the missing posts bug, I'd be more than happy!

It should fix all of that and more

Night owl gal wrote: »

Will we also lose the ability to see who viewed your profile?

Will we be able to post during the changeover?

You will not be able to see who has viewed your profile and no, when the site is read-only no one will be able to post. If they did somehow manage to their posts would be lost in the changeover.

Suckit wrote: »

Will we be able to embed videos from other sites than just youtube?

Yes, I have only checked Vimeo so far which works but if there are any other sites you want checked just post them here and I'll take a look.

03-06-2021 8:30am

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

Just checked and no, they don't work, you need to select them from the emoji list.

I tend to use my phone or tablet for boards, will there be an emoji list on that site ( I think it's touch?)

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 10:05am

You'll be able to use your phone's emoji list from the keyboard as you would for a text/whatsapp and they will display in the post (they don't always now on vBulletin)

osarusan · 03-06-2021 10:12am

About the private messages/private chat...if I understand what has been posted so far correctly, Posters A and B can be having a private discussion, and then either poster, without the need for approval from the other, can invite Poster C to the discussion, and Poster C can then see the entire history of the discussion?

Username here · 03-06-2021 10:35am

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Will there be an option for users who aren’t “keen” on a Reddit style interface to use the “classic” version?

As for the PMs, when you say someone can be added to the “chat”, and they’ll be able to read the whole thing, will this require the approval of both users involved in the initial “exchange”?

I, myself, use the PM function quite frequently and would not be impressed a third party being invited in to view, what may well be, a somewhat “sensitive” dialogue.

Considering this is a time for change, would it be possible to look into making the “Current Affairs” forum more attractive to, the more, “problem” user.

This could be achieved through easing up on the moderation of the CA forum, itself, which currently seems to take up a lot of mod hours, and tightening the moderation in the normal forums, particularly “After Hours”.

When threads more suited to CA are left to fester in AH it really brings down the “tone” of the entire forum. Users with a more spiteful, angry and fearful outlook flock to these staging posts and see it as a way to move out, infecting the other threads as they see fit.

Transplanting these threads, and users, back to a freer CA, and containing them there, would mean a lot less work for the mods, giving them more “capacity” to focus on running the site.

That’s not a criticism on how they are “functioning” now but it just seems that they are beyond flat out at this stage and I would be concerned for anyone in a position like that.

Fingers crossed the switch works out. While I’d be a little hesitant I am open to giving it the old “college try” but it would be nice to know if there’ll be a way to use the old version, if possible.

Best of luck and thank you for your time.

Will there be any option on the new platform to filter out the ridiculous amount of superfluous double quotation marks that are sometimes included in posts? Some posters clearly do not understand what the appropriate use of them is, and apparently think they're a requirement in most sentences, which makes for a difficult read.

Thanks.

ArrBee · 03-06-2021 10:47am

There is one feature I would love to see added to boards.
I'm not sure if it would be possible or not in the move??

I'd love to be able to assign my own (private) tags to a poster, so that as part of their name/status, it displays the tag I created without anyone else seeing it.

hullaballoo · 03-06-2021 10:49am

Username here wrote: »

Will there be any option on the new platform to filter out the ridiculous amount of superfluous double quotation marks that are sometimes included in posts? Some posters clearly do not understand what the appropriate use of them is, and apparently think they're a requirement in most sentences, which makes for a difficult read.

Thanks.

A cynic might think that he "wants" people to be butthurt about it. :P

Seth Brundle · 03-06-2021 11:26am

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

Just checked and no, they don't work, you need to select them from the emoji list.

grumble...grumble...grumble

Baggly · 03-06-2021 11:37am

Farewell sweet : pac :

Shield · 03-06-2021 2:00pm

Will we be able to send images/videos as attachments or embeds via PM?

Thanks.

Overheal · 03-06-2021 3:53pm

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

There is a full range of emojis including a rolling eye one but no pacman :pac: :eek:

No! Save Pac-Man!

Suckit · 03-06-2021 4:08pm

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

It should fix all of that and more

You will not be able to see who has viewed your profile and no, when the site is read-only no one will be able to post. If they did somehow manage to their posts would be lost in the changeover.
Yes, I have only checked Vimeo so far which works but if there are any other sites you want checked just post them here and I'll take a look.

Thanks. Not sure of a list of sites, No doubt others will have more. Mainly the ones often used in the funny pics and vids subs.

imgur.gifv example - https://i.imgur.com/i38fefZ.gifv
imgur.mp4 - https://i.imgur.com/EV5Qdng.mp4
itemfix.com - https://www.itemfix.com/v?t=egtjj4

Neowise · 03-06-2021 4:31pm

Is there any mention feature on new site? where one user can mention another user, like @Baggly and that user sees they got a mention?

AllForIt · 03-06-2021 4:40pm

On other online forums I'm on that have upgraded their platform I find Badges and multiple versions of 'thanks' to be rather annoying and unnecessary. But maybe that's just me.

ShaneU · 03-06-2021 4:41pm

Noooo save pac-man!

Beagslife · 03-06-2021 5:00pm

Dark mode for me too. Most of my content is now viewed this way.

Let's see how it goes and good luck with the migration ðŸ˜Ž

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 5:43pm

Suckit wrote: »

Thanks. Not sure of a list of sites, No doubt others will have more. Mainly the ones often used in the funny pics and vids subs.

imgur.gifv example - https://i.imgur.com/i38fefZ.gifv Inserts a still, you have to click on it to open a new tab and watch the gif
imgur.mp4 - https://i.imgur.com/EV5Qdng.mp4 This one failed
itemfix.com - https://www.itemfix.com/v?t=egtjj4 This one came up as a link with a thumbnail that you still have to click to access on a new tab.

So they don't really work too well I'm afraid.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 5:44pm

Neowise wrote: »

Is there any mention feature on new site? where one user can mention another user, like @Baggly and that user sees they got a mention?

Yes you can tag other users and they can tag you. You can switch off notifications for people tagging you if it's not your cup of tea.

Boards.ie: Niamh · 03-06-2021 5:44pm

Shield wrote: »

Will we be able to send images/videos as attachments or embeds via PM?

Thanks.

Yes you can do both (attached or embedded).

the_pen_turner · 03-06-2021 5:53pm

will there be a way t get rid of that annoying banner at the top with the drop down menus. . the 2 middle ones arnt too bad but the talk to an adverts ones are really anoying . they are far to near the most used buttons and far to sensitive. they are always popind down in the way..
i would be happy if you had to click on them at least

Some site news...we're moving! [Update in Post #138 4/6/21]

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