PLEASE READ: THE FUTURE OF THIS SITE

[valpo04]

Cross-Posting from Forum Information board...

Hi All...

As you probably have noticed yourself, our board here is running on an older software, and due to upgrades in the version of PHP that it runs on, it is reaching end of life.

As a result, I have begun planning for how to best transition to a new platform, that will enhance usability, and most importantly, sustainability. I have looked into several options, understanding that none will be perfect.

My goal is simple: To continue to maintain a site that is easy to use, and provides a stable platform for our community, free of charge to users, and also modernizes the usability, features, and functionality as much as possible.

I believe I have found a suitable solution for us for when this platform ultimately meets it's demise. To that point, I have settled on an implementation that works within our existing Wordpress site, that I believe, will work for us.

I have set up the new site as the homepage here: https://www.valpofanzone.com/. Please take some time to register and play around. I am looking for feedback on usability, feature requests, etc.

There is a specific board/thread for feedback here: https://www.valpofanzone.com/community/testing-grounds/

Please note: there are some advanced features that are not implemented by default. These are add-on modules that need to be purchased (PMs, video embeds, etc.) that I will add if we decide to go this route.


Here are some answers to questions I anticipate:

- When do we have to move?
I was hoping to explore options after the current basketball season, but with the latest PHP upgrade, I had to move the timeline up. I'll keep us here as long as I can, hopefully through the basketball season. But we will need to address this as soon as we can, and before the site breaks completely. Expect this forum to go read-only by March 15.

- What happens to our history?
Migrating information from one platform to another is a long, fraught, and messy process. There are tools that help, but with the age and number of customizations implemented in our current platform, I suspect that trying to import all of our history would ultimately be messy, if not outright unsuccessful.

What I will commit to, is keeping this board alive in read-only mode for as long as possible. But ultimately, I will not be able to preserve it forever.

- Can't we just upgrade the current platform?
Yes. That was an option I considered, however, even that is likely to result in errors and issues that simply would be beyond my level of expertise and skill set. Additionally, the upgraded version, in my opinion, is still an outdated interface and as a standalone install, would require a lot more time and energy to maintain.

My current proposed solution is neatly integrated within Wordpress, and is regularly updated, and offers much easier administration tools and options.

- Do I need to create a new login?
Most likely, yes. A long time ago when we first created this site, many folks created a Wordpress login along with their forum login. If you go to register and it says you already exist, let me know and I can get you reset. Otherwise, just create a new login there and you should be good to go.

It should go without saying, but please don't take someone else's name there. If you notice that someone has already registered your account, please send me a message and I'll take care of it.




I know this news will likely upset some of you, and I share your disappointment that we can't continue with our rich history over the past 13 years here. I certainly don't take this lightly, and I wouldn't do it unless absolutely necessary. Ultimately, I do believe it is the right move, and I hope the fresh start, with a slick and updated interface will help soothe some of the pain of moving on. I have no doubt that we can continue, and build a better, more functional community on the new platform.

Thanks for reading, and for understanding.
-04

Please see original post, and comment here: https://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=4648.0

[valpo04]

Update:

I have set up and switched on the new forum: https://www.valpofanzone.com. The test site is now read only. I have also updated the links in the original post.

If you have registered for an account already, you should have access to this live site as well. Feel free to begin using it.

I have created a "testing grounds" board like we have here so you can try out the new board, provide feedback, and get a feel for how things work: https://www.valpofanzone.com/community/testing-grounds/


-04