Forum starting to show its age

shiney · 08-03-2016, 11:44 AM

Hey fam,

This forum is starting to kind of bog down the server with the weight of 28394 years* of history on it, the spambots that have figured out how to abuse some functions, the cost of maintaining a multi-gigabyte database... I'm considering closing down this forum and raising a new one that is so fresh and so clean, clean, that will be faster and more responsive than our current guy. But, you guys who have held on for so long absolutely get to be a part of that decision. So I want to ask you guys how you'd feel if I create a new NPF on some new software and decommission this one. I would leave it up and available for ~6 months so people have time to get all the cool stuff they wanted off it, download threads, etc, (though no posting) and then I would more or less shitcan it.

Thoughts?

* (well, slight hyperbole, although I do wonder about the number of human hours spent on this forum across all users)

Kyanbu The Legend · 08-03-2016, 12:09 PM

Yeah it has gotten to that time now. Archive is starting to breed it's own life forms like the mini fridge in Cowboy Bebop.

Probably for the better to start anew and provide a redirect link or outright delete the archive.

phil_ · 08-03-2016, 12:29 PM

A new forum would make Great Cartoonist's yearly post in the NPF Comic/Song/Poem/Picture thread awkward, since there's pretty much no reason to revive it.

Other than that, all I can think I'd want to save are some RPs. I'm not much on digging into the forum for old stuff, and though I'd love to save the comic thread, multiple efforts over the years proved that den of broken links and in-jokes only works as a living thing. It might be sad to see the member count go from 10,871 to twenty, but that's just reflecting the reality of the current situation.

You should put a message up on the front page (or maybe every page) before the move that shows that a move is being arranged and where we're moving to. I don't want to leave anyone behind, even the lurkers who only check in every six months.

shiney · 08-03-2016, 12:37 PM

If we do choose to move to a new software I would send a forum-wide email (which would probably trigger spam alerts! hoho!) to members to say "So long, thanks for all the fish, we loved you!" before moving to new software.

But yeah, the old software is getting clunkier and the server loads it causes are stupid and I don't want to upgrade cause that's mcspensive. So I'm like huh. :S

Other option would be to dump the archives and anything older than x years but that would be quite the herculean undertaking as well.

pochercoaster · 08-03-2016, 01:13 PM

A new, shiny forum sounds good to me. 6 months is plenty of time to dig up and save what I want.

mauve · 08-03-2016, 01:35 PM

A new forum might be nice. I'll miss all my shiny green rep gems and post count, but I think I can survive that. I'm with Phil about saving the rps and comic threads. So much effort was put into those forums back in the day. A lot of good memories there.

phil_ · 08-03-2016, 02:16 PM

Speaking of Rep and the like, we are going to keep it simple, right? Posts arranged chronologically and and such, rather than upvotes and nesting replies and all that? It should go without saying that our old school forum with little enough activity that it is feasible to read every post would want to remain old-fashioned, but maybe someone here wants that stuff and could share an opinion.

Is there anything anyone would want added, functionality-wise? All I can think of is webm support, but I don't really need to post obnoxious animations so badly that gifs aren't currently sufficient.

Edit: Do the goth colors stay? They're staying, right? It was such a mess last time we tried to escape this look.

BB · 08-03-2016, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil_

Speaking of Rep and the like, we are going to keep it simple, right? Posts arranged chronologically and and such, rather than upvotes and nesting replies and all that? It should go without saying that our old school forum with little enough activity that it is feasible to read every post would want to remain old-fashioned, but maybe someone here wants that stuff and could share an opinion.

Good gravy, if this forum stops being a forum I'll have lost all my forums.

I miss forums.

shiney · 08-03-2016, 02:46 PM

I'm leaning toward NodeBB, which yes is an actual forum but a bit more optimized for today's browsing and good on mobile and stuff. I use it for another forum I run for my WoW guild peeps and it's shiny and good.

I'm gonna try to do the gothy colors thing though

pochercoaster · 08-03-2016, 03:40 PM

Also, we should still have an easily accessible chat, despite how little it's used, imo. In case we actually successfully set up chat nights or other events.

08-03-2016, 11:44 AM	#1
shiney Derrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The land of fartz and buttz Posts: 8,266	Forum starting to show its age Hey fam, This forum is starting to kind of bog down the server with the weight of 28394 years* of history on it, the spambots that have figured out how to abuse some functions, the cost of maintaining a multi-gigabyte database... I'm considering closing down this forum and raising a new one that is so fresh and so clean, clean, that will be faster and more responsive than our current guy. But, you guys who have held on for so long absolutely get to be a part of that decision. So I want to ask you guys how you'd feel if I create a new NPF on some new software and decommission this one. I would leave it up and available for ~6 months so people have time to get all the cool stuff they wanted off it, download threads, etc, (though no posting) and then I would more or less shitcan it. Thoughts? * (well, slight hyperbole, although I do wonder about the number of human hours spent on this forum across all users) __________________ boop

08-03-2016, 12:09 PM	#2
Kyanbu The Legend Local Rookie Indie Dev Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,497	Yeah it has gotten to that time now. Archive is starting to breed it's own life forms like the mini fridge in Cowboy Bebop. Probably for the better to start anew and provide a redirect link or outright delete the archive. __________________

08-03-2016, 12:29 PM	#3
phil_ Just sleeping Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: At home, probably in bed. Posts: 6,482	A new forum would make Great Cartoonist's yearly post in the NPF Comic/Song/Poem/Picture thread awkward, since there's pretty much no reason to revive it. Other than that, all I can think I'd want to save are some RPs. I'm not much on digging into the forum for old stuff, and though I'd love to save the comic thread, multiple efforts over the years proved that den of broken links and in-jokes only works as a living thing. It might be sad to see the member count go from 10,871 to twenty, but that's just reflecting the reality of the current situation. You should put a message up on the front page (or maybe every page) before the move that shows that a move is being arranged and where we're moving to. I don't want to leave anyone behind, even the lurkers who only check in every six months. __________________ Be T-Rexcellent to each other, tako.

08-03-2016, 12:37 PM	#4
shiney Derrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The land of fartz and buttz Posts: 8,266	If we do choose to move to a new software I would send a forum-wide email (which would probably trigger spam alerts! hoho!) to members to say "So long, thanks for all the fish, we loved you!" before moving to new software. But yeah, the old software is getting clunkier and the server loads it causes are stupid and I don't want to upgrade cause that's mcspensive. So I'm like huh. :S Other option would be to dump the archives and anything older than x years but that would be quite the herculean undertaking as well. __________________ boop

08-03-2016, 01:35 PM	#6
mauve So Dreamy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Someplace magical Posts: 6,863	A new forum might be nice. I'll miss all my shiny green rep gems and post count, but I think I can survive that. I'm with Phil about saving the rps and comic threads. So much effort was put into those forums back in the day. A lot of good memories there. __________________ Yoo Hoo!

08-03-2016, 01:13 PM	#5
pochercoaster rollerpocher tycoon Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,808	A new, shiny forum sounds good to me. 6 months is plenty of time to dig up and save what I want.

08-03-2016, 02:16 PM	#7
phil_ Just sleeping Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: At home, probably in bed. Posts: 6,482	Speaking of Rep and the like, we are going to keep it simple, right? Posts arranged chronologically and and such, rather than upvotes and nesting replies and all that? It should go without saying that our old school forum with little enough activity that it is feasible to read every post would want to remain old-fashioned, but maybe someone here wants that stuff and could share an opinion. Is there anything anyone would want added, functionality-wise? All I can think of is webm support, but I don't really need to post obnoxious animations so badly that gifs aren't currently sufficient. Edit: Do the goth colors stay? They're staying, right? It was such a mess last time we tried to escape this look. __________________ Be T-Rexcellent to each other, tako.

08-03-2016, 02:46 PM	#9
shiney Derrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The land of fartz and buttz Posts: 8,266	I'm leaning toward NodeBB, which yes is an actual forum but a bit more optimized for today's browsing and good on mobile and stuff. I use it for another forum I run for my WoW guild peeps and it's shiny and good. I'm gonna try to do the gothy colors thing though __________________ boop

08-03-2016, 03:40 PM	#10
pochercoaster rollerpocher tycoon Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,808	Also, we should still have an easily accessible chat, despite how little it's used, imo. In case we actually successfully set up chat nights or other events.

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