Important News!!

10-10-20 · 14-08-2025 11:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123720323#Comment_123720323

Techie questions:

Do we know roughly what the database size is, and critically, does the privacy and data protection policy facilitate the transfer of the non-PII data to a third-party? And what is the organisation's posture towards migrating this data to a third-party entity...?

corkie · 14-08-2025 11:28PM

@10-10-20 As they had already transferred from Vbulletin to vanilla before I don't think it would be a problem? But interesting query nonetheless. As boards doesn't have in house developers, if they want to migrate to a new platform it would also involve outside entity doing the process. So theory of migrating may not even be an affordable option!

M.T. Cranium · 15-08-2025 07:46AM

I haven't followed the history or development of boards.ie very closely despite being a member for nearly twenty years. But I wondered if a part of the solution could be some form of community directory so people in Ireland (which does not include me, I'm a resident of Canada) could have access to lists of service providers who happen to be members (and by this time, subscriber-supporters) of Boards. This might improve the rates at which people take up a subscription on an annual basis, given there might be a payback to them from the patronage of fellow boards members? Or does this already exist? Just a thought and probably one reflecting my user name. I will look into how I can help, at first glance I may not have easy-to-access options for getting 50-100 euros into the hands of the right people (and no doubt I will now hear from multiple wrong people with suggestions). I provide daily weather forecasts on this site in the weather forum and I will back the fundraiser there starting soon. I am moderately optimistic seeing a gradual increase in the rates and amounts raised so far but it looks like a formidable task.

If this effort is successful, will access to Boards be somehow limited to paid-up subscribers, and if not, will there be any differences in access? (my previously stated idea about service directories would qualify as a difference in access, I suppose).

championc · 15-08-2025 07:46AM

Why all this talk of migration ? If Boards is on the premium version of Vanilla at around $24k pa, that's still only a quarter of the overall costs being sought to run it annually.

I've said it before, there isn't a hope in hell of reaching 1000 let alone 2000 imo.

IMO, Someone new needs to take it on, with a new objective look at it. It almost needs to go into an Examinership type process, where someone else looks at it in a completely businesslike way, looking at all costs, rather than it being a pet project which ballooned.

FrancieBrady · 15-08-2025 09:14AM

Am I the only one who hasn't experienced a huge amount of bother using the vBulletin site or the Vanilla version?

I don't get the outrage or why you'd leave the site altogether over it.

New Home · 15-08-2025 09:46AM

Am I the only one who hasn't experienced a huge amount of bother using the vBulletin site or the Vanilla version?

Probably.

jj880 · 15-08-2025 09:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123724116#Comment_123724116

Maybe I wasn't a heavy user around the time of basic vanilla as I can't seem to remember any great problems using the site. There were outages when fixes were going in weekly around a Thursday a while back. Perhaps when we get the test version of vanilla (being posted here soon I think) it will jog my memory but overall Im the same as you.

Dodge · 15-08-2025 09:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123724116#Comment_123724116

I remember the change being a bit of a chore and initially it was way different, but over a few weeks they made some changes and it started to look “normal” enough again.

I’d imagine for casual users it made no real difference at all. Some clearly felt passionate about it, but as ever on here (and other forums) the loudest voices rarely represent the majority

I’m not suggesting their concerns/complaints were wrong or misplaced. I’m just suggesting most people don’t really care enough about it

corkie · 15-08-2025 10:33AM

Some small memories my self of basic vanilla.

If I'm correct it won't have the top bar navigation in place.

Here is a few example sites using it, I think:-

See more here:- https://open.vanillaforums.com/discussion/21867/sites-that-really-utilize-the-potential-of-vanilla

@championc People have a distaste for basic vanilla, hence why they want migration to an alternative platforms.

It is a bit redundant anyway, boards don't have in house staff to implement it, so it would require paying a third party developer to do the migration process. Boards are trying to reduce costs, etc.

SickBoy · 15-08-2025 10:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123724377#Comment_123724377

The real question here is are Boards trying to cut costs in the short term or in the long term because you're closing statement is very short term based.

If is not a long term solution then we are doomed unfortunately.

Quantum Erasure · 15-08-2025 01:49PM

Bring back m.boards

:pac:

J Mysterio · 15-08-2025 01:59PM

Losing :pac: was sad, but also how we were able to format text and quote sections of commentary as relevant. I still haven't figured out how that can be properly done in Vanilla. Maybe it can on desktop, but it's woeful on mobile, which is how I have used Boards for years.

Then there is the navigation of Boards which went to the toilet, and also search, and trending threads.

Finally, the thanks feature, and seeing who thanked posts. Some think this was about ego or cliques, but I think it helped conversation and flow and build warmth between posters.

You could also see e.g. when a poster you had built some seeming enmity with thanked a post which could lead you or he to mend bridges etc. basically seeing where reasonableness could come in to the equation. Sometimes a thanks worked better then a text response.

Comhrá · 15-08-2025 02:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725072#Comment_123725072

Great post. Sums up Vanilla nice and concisely.

New Home · 15-08-2025 02:13PM

@J Mysterio (and anyone else who's wondering):

I still haven't figured out how that can be properly done in Vanilla.

Copy the part you want from the post you want to partially quote.
Paste it in the comments box and select it again.
Go to the bottom left of the comments box, click on the button and select the inverted commas, then Quote. The text you originally paste should now look like a quoted post (like I did for yours above).

corkie · 15-08-2025 02:18PM

Quoting on mobile can be done but finiky to do so: -

:pac: was sad, but also how we were able to format text and quote sections of commentary as relevant. I still haven't figured out how that can be properly done in Vanilla. Maybe it can on desktop, but it's woeful on mobile, which is how I have used Boards for years.

Just did it for the above on mobile.

Isn't navigation going to get a lot worse with the basic Vanilla platform?

@J Mysterio

J Mysterio · 15-08-2025 02:19PM

Thanks. This is how it used to work!

[quote="New Home"]anyone else who's wondering[/quote]

Also [i]italics[/I] and [b]bold[/b]

:pac:

ancapailldorcha · 15-08-2025 02:19PM

What is the pac thing?

J Mysterio · 15-08-2025 02:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725148#Comment_123725148

It was the loveable pacman style laughing emoji, similar to that in @Quantum Erasure's avatar.

PmMeUrDogs · 15-08-2025 02:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725148#Comment_123725148

:pac typed out would change to @Quantum Erasure 's profile icon, basically a very old school laugh emoji

Esel · 15-08-2025 02:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725147#Comment_123725147

Search Markup for formatting tips - bold, italic, strike-through, list etc.

New Home · 15-08-2025 02:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725148#Comment_123725148

OMG, YOU'VE FORGOTTEN THE PACMAN EMOJI!!! GET THE PITCHFORKS!!!!

corkie · 15-08-2025 02:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725148#Comment_123725148

@J Mysterio Remember that quoting thing now!

Glaceon · 15-08-2025 02:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725147#Comment_123725147

It still works that way on Digital Spy, despite it being Vanilla-based!

New Home · 15-08-2025 02:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725147#Comment_123725147

Le sigh. I remember. I was there. (*insert nostalgia emoticon*) [BTW, here for italics you just need to add an asterisk before and after the word/sentence]

FrancieBrady · 15-08-2025 02:47PM

Gosh, are those the reasons why there was outrage and exits from Vanilla?

Seem very minor gripes tbh.

New Home · 15-08-2025 02:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123725277#Comment_123725277

No, obviously. But if they feed you cod liver oil and don't even give you lollipops afterwards, you're going to be left with a bad taste in your mouth.