- Joined
- Jul 13, 2016
- Messages
- 3,012
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UPDATE - 14 May 2017
We will do the migration to the new software on Tuesday 16 May 2017. We will shut down the forum around 8.30AM for a (hopefully) maximum of 24-48 hours, most likely less.
Thank you for your patience and support!
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Dear Forum Member,
As our forum grows, and technology advances, it has become evident that the forum software we are currently using is no longer capable of meeting our needs. The current software we use is vBulletin 4, which is now almost 8 years old, and at the end of its life cycle. As such, the makers of vBulletin 4 no longer provide updates other than the most critical security patches and even some bugs are beginning to creep up that will no longer be patched, as per the vBulletin developers themselves (the space bar bug in quick reply for instance).
Unfortunately, the developers of vBulletin are now focusing on their vBulletin 5 software, which by our own experience (this is what LIIF was updated to), and by many other forum administrators, is considered a failure. We have tried to forestall this, but the longer we postpone this, the more difficult it will be when the inevitable happens.
Therefore, we have decided to move on to an improved platform, a software called Xenforo. We know that transitioning successfully to a new platform can make or break a community which is why we have been working behind the scenes for several months now to ensure a smooth transition. We are now ready to advance to the next step: involve our community in this transition.
For the past week, a select group of users* has been selected for a sneak peek preview as well as to test the new software and get some invaluable feedback. We are now moving onto the 2nd testing phase with a public testing period of one week or so (depending on our availability).
Once we have tested the new forum thoroughly in terms of bugs, functionality and usability, we will then do an up-to-date copy of the old forum, and hopefully seamlessly transition to the new forum. No address change will be required. We will turn-off vBulletin 4 on https//forum.expatindo.org, do the migration, then turn on Xenforo at the same address.
Some of the advantages of the new platform:
- Mobile responsive design. Our data shows that about 70% of our users use mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets to access the forum. In Xenforo, the mobile version is far superior and easy to use than on vBulletin. The forum will be responsive to your device and adjust the layout automatically to the smaller screens of a mobile phone, which means that the mobile version will feel very familiar compared to the full size version.
- A Private messaging system that allows multiple participants. You are no longer limited to 1 person direct messaging.
- More integration with the sister website. We will eventually install a plug-in that allows people on the website to comment on articles, which will link to the forum. We hope this will encourage more participation from current readers.
- Better post quoting. The quoting system in Xenforo allows for much more flexible quoting, by just highlighting what you want to quote. So no more deleting superfluous text when quoting.
- Customizable personal alerts. You can choose to get alerts when your post is answered, you receive a private message, or when you receive a “like”, etc.
- Better social media integration
- Frequent updates and bug fixes. As the developers are still active developing this platform, we expect kinks to be worked out rather quickly, enhancing both usability and security.
- Administrators who have switched to Xenforo from vBulletin have seen significant improvements in terms of:
- User activity: Existing members were more active on the forum due to it’s better layout and responsiveness which encourages participation
- Search Engine Optimisation: because Xenforo uses a more modern “code” which is more likable by search engines. This translates in better ranking on Google and increased traffic.
- Less stress on the server: because the software is well optimised, the server doesn’t have to work as hard to make the forum running which in turns helps us to save on hosting costs in the long run.
- It’s a huge improvement for us behind the scenes. It feels like upgrading from an old clamshell phone to the latest iPhone in terms of features and usability.
How to participate in the 2nd testing phase?
Simply head over to this thread where you will find all the instructions to access it.
You will also notice that as a registered member, you will see a new sub-forum called Test Feedback. This is where you will find all the information regarding our progress so far as well as the best place to provide your feedback
Here are some useful threads in that sub-forum:
- Frequently Asked Questions: We update this section as we go with the feedback we receive from our testers.
- Planned Features / Feature Requests / Bugs: This is where we accumulate feature requests as well as features we are planning and our progress on those. We also added a bug list with progress.
- Reputation System / Likes: Information about the reputation system, likes, thread ratings and trophies.
- The far superior quoting function: Learn about the magic of quoting text and posts in XF.
- PMs are now "Conversations": Learn how Private Messages have improved in XF.
We look forward to your feedback!
Enjoy!
The Expat Indo Team
* A special thank you to our members who helped with the testing of the first phase:
Anglian
Bad_azz
CaturMuka
Davita
Euc
fastpitch17
jstar
macvert
Nimbus
steveandpenny
waarmstrong
William King
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