Forum software change

[Shaun]

Hello everyone,

We've been using the new IPS forum software for 14 months now, and whilst it has offered us some new features and allowed us to expand the content of the site, I have decided not to continue upgrading it.

Instead I am going to move CycleChat to a new software platform.

It's not a decision I have taken lightly or without a good deal of consideration for the impact on you fine ladies and gents (I realise the last move was a big wrench for many of you and doing it again so soon might have you all sighing and rolling your eyes!!), but the new software should make CycleChat easier to use and therefore be a positive improvement for pretty much everyone.

We will also be able to use all three domains again - like we used to before - so www.cyclechat.co.uk and www.cycle-cafe.net will start working properly again.

I will be spending the coming months working in the background to try and replicate as much of the current functionality as I can, and I'll report back as things progress, but I'm confident that the move will be a positive and permanent one and we won't be moving again for a very long time!

It's months away but I wanted to mention it now so that everyone is aware that some changes are coming.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[crazy580]

What software are you planning on changing it to?

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Don't forget tapatalk mr admin ....... tap tap tap

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk

 

[Shaun]

Don't forget tapatalk mr admin ....... tap tap tap

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk

AFAIK it's supported, or at least will be by the time we move to it ...

 

[phil_hg_uk]

AFAIK it's supported, or at least will be by the time we move to it ...

Excellent carry on

p.s. do we get social groups back

 

[Shaun]

What software are you planning on changing it to?

Xenforo. It's not quite ready for CC yet - it needs a few more features adding (that are coming later in the year) - but after using it for GeeksChat I have found it very easy to use and think that, for CC, getting back to a simpler forum system and a cleaner layout will be a good thing.

The team behind it are the key developers of the popular vBulletin 3.x series software (that we used before moving to IPB), so they have a great pedigree and I'm confident that moving to XF will be a good investment for the longer term for CC.

I'm going to spend the next few months getting to know the inner workings of it, and hopefully when the time comes to move I'll be able to offer a better transition package this time around (I was so busy fire-fighting and getting used to the new settings myself last time that I never really had chance to help anyone else figure out where things were; this time I'm hoping to take it a bit slower and prepare transition docs in advance).

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Shaun]

p.s. do we get social groups back

I'm not sure if there's an add-on for that, but I'll check.

 

[coffeejo]

I've not spent much time on GeeksChat but the software is most smooth

 

[LosingFocus]

Please dont lose a version of the mobile skin.

 

[Shaun]

Please dont lose a version of the mobile skin.

I'm not sure how XF deals with mobile devices, I'll find out.

 

[Dan B]

If this means a less buggy editor, I'm all for it

 

[Red Light]

Any chance of making it compatible with off-line readers like Forum Pilot and Web Forum Reader for those of us on the move?

 

[ColinJ]

If this means a less buggy editor, I'm all for it

+10[sup]27.5[/sup]!

 

[Shaun]

Any chance of making it compatible with off-line readers like Forum Pilot and Web Forum Reader for those of us on the move?

Something I can look into, but I do know that XF will bring a return to individual RSS feeds for each forum - something I know a number of people have missed since we moved away from vB.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Shaun]

If this means a less buggy editor, I'm all for it

Yes, the editor is much less buggy than the current one. XF uses the TinyMCE editor.

Cheers,
Shaun