Important News!!

antodeco · 09-07-2025 09:03PM

I've been registered with this account since June 2002. 23 years ago. I've been a paid subscriber for many years. I've found boards.ie to have been an excellent source of conversation, information and wallet stealing bargain alerts. Great conversations on alot of the forums with the annual toy show always a good laugh.

However in recent times I've found the moderation to be very poor. So much so, that I stopped posting/asking alot of questions/sharing opinions because of the sniping etc.

I hope boards.ie survives. Fix vanilla, fix the moderation on some forums and you can be back to where things were.

DrPhilG · 09-07-2025 09:06PM

So…

If boards is currently broke, why did they seemingly discontinue the previous subscriber system which people had been happy to continue?

Headshot · 09-07-2025 09:06PM

It's really hard to justify paying a subscription for Vanilla even if posters wants to support boards.ie

Vanilla has done awful damage to boards.ie, it's one of the biggest factors of users leaving.

Has boards ever considered an alternative to Vanilla?

Vestiapx · 09-07-2025 09:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618550#Comment_123618550

Mine was nothing to do with culture war i called a user out for lying and once he became a mod year later he picked on me

Tgis too will pass

Conte_Partiro · 09-07-2025 09:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618584#Comment_123618584

Here is the leaving cert thread.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055582041/english-paper-2-leaked-keep-all-discussion-to-this-thread-duplicate-threads-locked/p1

antimatterx · 09-07-2025 09:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618752#Comment_123618752

Yeah I hate vanilla.

antimatterx · 09-07-2025 09:11PM

I find reddit much less of a community

Kermit.de.frog · 09-07-2025 09:14PM

The Vanilla change was hard to stomach for everyone but I think over zealous and biased moderating by some (by no means all) has played a big part in the decline of the site.

It doesn't strike me as the best business model for would-be subscribers of which I would have been one happily.

Being reasonable and fair minded with posters should be the foundation. Also, an understanding that you might vehemently disagree with someone's opinion but that opinion might well be driving interaction and interest in a discussion.

I hope it works out, i'd be sad to see it close.

listermint · 09-07-2025 09:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618496#Comment_123618496

Its literally pinned to the landing page on the top.

Its also the first thread in the home page forum lists due to traffic.

Am I missing something here with all the complaining about how to find something that's pinned to the top of the website.... I mean....

Burt Renaults · 09-07-2025 09:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618752#Comment_123618752

This pretty much sums it up. I'd happily donate, but only if there was a plan to ditch Vanilla in favour of proper forum software.

Cluedo Monopoly · 09-07-2025 09:20PM

Happy to pay for Boards. It's a great forum.

FrancieBrady · 09-07-2025 09:24PM

.
Not my first rodeo in terms of forums, I was on Creative Ireland before here and I was a member of another Irish one before this one and I have recognised various posters from there on here over the years.

Thought the world was gonna end when it announced it was closing, and I can’t even remember it’s name now 🫢

. ‘Politics’ has been strangled by over zealous modding for instance, I counted 6 posts over 3 days recently, 4 on one thread. Disaster and a disgrace really. CA was destroyed by an over zealous mod.

A good site that lost it’s way.

All things come to an end and boards is no different and has been dying a while for various reasons

A sub would be like morphine to a dying person. Kills the pain for a while but you know where it ends.

Loughc · 09-07-2025 09:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617900#Comment_123617900

+1 on a donation option.

I don’t like subscriptions but happy to throw €20 here and there when needed.

We could also run planned donation days where we push donations across all forums and plan activities/chats etc

been on this site for years. Would never want to seen it go. Many happy memories on here.

Oscar_Madison · 09-07-2025 09:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618746#Comment_123618746

I’m about 5 years behind you in terms of membership - while I “agree” with you, I don’t see these as insurmountable problems - but yeah, I wouldn’t be paying money given the current moderation set up - the site I could live with - but moderation has to calm down - it’s gone from no moderation last summer to FOAD moderation 2025-

sorry now mods, no it’s not me- - it’s not the site- it’s not the posters -it’s YOU! - but that’s mostly CA forum not general topic mods - I don’t have an issue with mods in specialist topic forums

Vestiapx · 09-07-2025 09:33PM

Gerry ryan

Cd burner

Trent https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055716814/my-first-go-title-the-madman/p1

Angus

The anagram whatvtge fcuk was the anagram from Pig head r.rated

Biggins http://unitedpeople.ie/

Dudess

<snip>

911

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/30985/omg-turn-on-the-news

**** weding

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/90747832#Comment_90747832

TgThere's Loads more we need to keep tge.

BBut Where's the post in the last 5 years that's this relevant

pinkypinky · 09-07-2025 09:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618810#Comment_123618810

I tend to agree, but donations are not as reliable as X number of people who have committed to an amount per month. It won't allow for financial planning.

Loughc · 09-07-2025 09:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618832#Comment_123618832

Agree on that too. But they could offer both methods to increase all possibilities.

Lemming · 09-07-2025 09:40PM

Been a member since July 2000; joined for Quake, TFC, & Counter Strike, stayed for the rest. Was a subscriber back in the day, did the whole boards.ie blog thing too, spent a stint as a moderator and then a cat.mod, made some friends, and it would be a shame to see the site disappear in the wilderness. I mostly lurk these days, but I would entertain another subscription model to keep the lights going

fritzelly · 09-07-2025 09:41PM

Further to my earlier comment I'm guessing a lot of money is being paid to Vanilla to host Boards (tho what they charge cannot be found, seems to vary - in this case probably around a 1000 euro a month, maybe less, maybe more). So why don't you self host on your own server (costs a pittance) - that there saves thousands every year. Flarum is another forum software and there's even a converter from Vanilla (or will Vanilla charge you thousands to get our data)

I can find no justification to pay a sub that ultimately is just being used for the profits of another company whilst providing an inferior product (and worse to come when all mods are ditched in favour of a vanilla Vanilla) and to pay a tech guy to try and fix their problems every time they do an update.

_Kaiser_ · 09-07-2025 09:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618832#Comment_123618832

Neither will a monthly sub of €6 that can be cancelled anytime - the only real option is the €50 single payment to try and collect enough to keep the site open for a year more while realistic long-term options are explored - including selling it.

In fact, HAS that been explored?

Having read several more pages of posts on this since my own earlier today, I find myself questioning my earlier instinct to support regardless. Changes, transparency and regular updates are all essential to make this place sustainable. Collecting (realistically) a few grand at most and rolling back to Vanilla 1.0 won't do it! Likely the opposite as I said previously.

Without a real shift in the ethos of how the site interacts with its users (which pretty much everyone agrees is a core issue), what are we trying to save?

Glenomra · 09-07-2025 09:42PM

I virtually gave up my irregular posting after a lengthy post I spent a good deal of time writing, earned me a warning. It was in the Immigration forum and my contribution was about the imminent allowing of modular housing in Ireland , how modular houses will radically change the availability of houses in Ireland. I explained the advantages and disadvantages of modular houses etc as I saw it. One minor part of the post was an innocuous reference to the experience of a family member regarding housing. Hey Presto a Warning. It actually was a wake up call for me. I am not sensitive but i asked myself why was I wasting valuable time contributing. I know that same question could be asked here!!! I concluded that spending time trying to make a positive contribution to Boards, was mostly with some very informative exceptions, a waste of precious time. So this poster doesn't really care whether it survives or not. If it goes, so does the temptation to spend valuable time reading it.

Hyperbollix · 09-07-2025 09:44PM

I'd pay the yearly sub. Boards has been with me since the early 2000s, many hours in college spent here. It's a different world now, and I'm not 22 anymore, So I don't be on as much, but I still find it hugely useful for Irish specific stuff. Sold a car via a quick msge on boards last year. Got advice about tech issues and saved myself loads by checking the forums. Fond memories of the Tubridy payments scandal thread of '23!

Despite Vanilla, it's a worthwhile resource and wouldn't like to see it go.

TheMilkyPirate · 09-07-2025 09:48PM

Sickened to see this. Been on boards 20 years now and it's pretty much part of my life at this stage. I'll happily pay a sub or donation but tbh it doesn't sound good. Such a shame.

mossie · 09-07-2025 09:50PM

Boards hasn't been the same since the Vanilla switch. Traffic on most forums is a fraction of what it used to be and actual basic functionality has never returned to the level of the old boards. Going back to basic Vanilla will only make it worse. I hope it can survive but I think the switch to vanilla was the end of Boards as a usable and enjoyable experience. It's a pity as it's been a great resource over the last 20+ years.

PixelCrafter · 09-07-2025 09:52PM

If this is shut down, should the site be archived somewhere? I mean, even if it's not active - it's a major piece of Irish social and cultural history, particularly the earlier years - it's been around 27 years!

It's a long time in tech.

Telecom Eireann was only around for 16 years, yet is somehow still mentioned like as if it's a thing.

Twitter only lasted 17 years, RIP.

Facebook only just turns 21 this year.

Darkglasses · 09-07-2025 09:57PM

I'll think about it. Really loved this site until the big switcheroo, and now can still hardly bother to read it for more than 5 minutes.

DayInTheBog · 09-07-2025 10:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123618380#Comment_123618380

Weve had discussions and it only got worse.

DayInTheBog · 09-07-2025 10:03PM

Easily transferred to Reddit if needs be.

_Kaiser_ · 09-07-2025 10:04PM

I'm just watching the thanks counter on the OP - 103 as I post this at 10:03pm

Assuming every one of those pays the €6 minimum subscription, that's only €618 for the month.

I know it's not even 12 hours since the post went up, but are there even 2000 regularly active users? - as in daily users who would be the most likely to contribute.

I don't think I've seen even popular heavy post threads get much more than 1xx likes.

I'm not an expert, but I would think the first 24/48 hours are critical to getting the message out.

SonderP · 09-07-2025 10:05PM

I don't care about what's gone before and who did what or not and why or why not. I first joined years ago and Boards saved me in so many ways. I haven't been a member for a few years but I won't forget the positive impact it had in me. You can count on me to contribute to keeping it alive.

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