Please read - Major Forum Upgrade

[HAVOCA]

Hi everyone

We have finally decided to upgrade the forums. In most respects it should be painless but we will lose some functionality. The upgrade will stabilise the forum and make it easier to modify later. Future upgrades will be much more efficient.

Upgrade date: 1 September 2016

Sadly we will lose:

The Blog system
Ability to 'thank' users for their posts.
Links to Facebook, news and chat will also go, although the pages will still exist.

I appreciate some users utilise the Blog system. So want to give everyone plenty of notice. The upgrade will take place in a month. Before this time we highly recommend Blog users cut and paste any important verses they wish to keep. After the update, the blogs and everything in them simply won't exist.

If you have any questions or concerns about the upgrade, please ask.

Jamie

[Jamie]

I also want to confirm:

No posts or threads will be lost
Forum will look and feel almost the same

The real benefit of the upgrade makes the site easier to manage, more efficient and safer overall.

We will do a major back up before the upgrade as a 'belt and braces' precaution.

[ashridge_mack]

Hi Jamie

I really like the thanking system. Any reason it has to go?

I find it's a really useful way of supporting a post without having to actually make a whole post of your own....

Cheers, AM

[Jamie]

Hi Jamie

I really like the thanking system. Any reason it has to go?

I find it's a really useful way of supporting a post without having to actually make a whole post of your own....

Cheers, AM

Yes, I agree. Despite lots of concern in the early days, from some members, I think its quite successful! I will miss it too.

Unfortunately the 'thanks' modification isn't supported by the new version of the 'engine' we are upgrading to.

This isn't to say it won't become a feature later on, a phpBB3 developer may design a new 'thanks' modification that is compatible.

phpBB3 is the type of language used to define the way the board/forum and database communicate with each other. The source code is 'free' and hence developers all support each other and develop improvements and enhancements that are then made available to everyone at no extra cost (in most cases). Its one of the main reasons why HAVOCA uses phpBB3. Our current version is quite old and hence has a few modifications/enhancements already added on. Each time there is an upgrade i have to spend a few days working out how all these modifications sit and re-integrate them into the new version. The 'thanks' modification is one of those 'add-ons'.

The upgrade will mean any future add-ons will just 'plug' straight in and out. Sadly, the 'thanks' mod is one of the mods that doesn't commute across. It will therefore disappear for now, until a developer designs a new one.

I hope that makes sense.

Jamie

[ashridge_mack]

Hi Jamie

Thanks for taking the time to explain - it's nice to know. As a web developer myself I was pretty sure it was something like that, so it's easy to understand.

Fingers crossed someone gets to designing the plug in soon....

Cheers

[Jamie]

I just wanted to remind everyone that the upgrade is still planning to take place and therefore if you'd like to copy your blogs across, now is the time to do so.

[Teddys friend]

I think we can all rely on you and the team to know what's best for the forum Jamie. tf

[Jamie]

Thanks Teddy
Upgrade date now set for 6 Sept.

[Jamie]

3 Days to go

Please copy all your blog posts if you wish to keep them!

[Iamintheresomewhere]

Hi Jamie,
I am not sure if this is related to the upgrade. I use Firefox and Tumbleweed. And every time I click on a link on havoca.org, I get the mobile style. And clicking to the full style for every page is getting a pain. I am reluctant to change the user agent in my browser due to concerns with other sites. Do you have any tips please? Thanks in advance, Chris.

[Jamie]

Hi Chris, I'm afraid its your browser asking for the mobile style every time. You have to change the setting in the browser unfortunately.

You could try selecting 'prosilver' from the styles menu under board preferences in the forum User Control Panel - but that is a long shot.

[Jamie]

Upgrade planned for tomorrow.

[Jamie]

PM - Uk time.

[Jamie]

Planned for this afternoon.

[Jamie]

Everything is done.

Youve probably noticed subtle differences already.

If you have any snags please let me know straight away.

Thank you very much.