Replacing Xenforo with Invision Community

[RadioRob]

UPDATE 5/13/21:

Given the positive feedback from members, I'm going to look at plans to move forward with changing the forum software. My goal is to do this in approximately 2-3 weeks, most likely on a Friday or Saturday evening. (Once I know the specific date, I'll post it.)

 

In order to make the transition, I will need to take the boards offline for approximately 6 hours. Once the initial conversion is complete, I will need to manually set group permissions and start configuring various features. I anticipate this taking another 1-2 hours... at that point, I'll be able to unlock the doors and let everyone back in. Once the forums are re-opened, legacy posts may look funny and some posts may appear to be blank. Given the sheer size of the forums, it will take around 24 hours for all posts to be reindexed and rebuilt. This will naturally straighten itself out as the posts rebuild in the background. (This may also mean the site is a bit slower for the first day since a lot of resources are going to be dedicated to the rebuild/reindex process.)

 

-----------------------------

 

Now that the migration of the forum to it's new long-term server is complete, I'm starting to look at slightly longer term stuff for the site. One of the biggest challenges I'm running into is the software powering the site itself.

• Our Xenforo license is expired. As a result, I can't download security updates/patches.
  
• Xenforo itself is software I don't fully know and understand. When problems occur, I can try to figure it out... but it can take significantly longer to do.
  
• If we ever want to do anything with the review site later, Xenforo does not have capabilities of supporting it.
  

As a result, I want to look at switching the forums from Xenforo to Invision Community. In a nutshell, Invision provides not only forum software but a full suite of software designed around helping webmasters build virtual communities. This includes forums, image galleries, blogs, software downloads, e-commerce (donation support), etc.

 

I realize most people most likely don't understand the full implications of what this means, so I've setup a demo that you can actually take for a spin.

 

Take a look at https://www.companyofmen.org/beta/

 

You can login with the same username/password you use here on this site. I've basically imported a COPY of our existing board into the new software. (This is from a backup I earlier so anything that happens on that test site will NOT happen here and has no chance of breaking anything here. This test instance will eventually be deleted and anything on it will be lost. So don't post anything there that is important!)

 

Some features I think that are worthwhile to mention include:

• Improved text editor for easier posting of messages.
  
• Ability to attach files. (No need to restrict images to remotely hosted files.)
  
• Clubs... ability to have a sub-group within the site that can be managed by individual members. (These can be public, semi-public, or private/invite only.)
  
• Ability to accept donations directly via the website.
  
• Calendars/events... we have a number of different events that the community tends to attend/support such as the DC Meetup, Palm Springs Get Together, MAL Weekend, etc. Whomever is organizing an event can have an area for people to RSVP, post messages about the event, etc.
  
• Ability to pick their own photos from their computer, or find stock photos to insert.
  
• Ability to pick how content should be viewed. (If you don't like the "card" view of the forum list, you can switch it to the classic grid view, or a topic display view. It remembers your setting per member. So your view does not interfere with how another person views the site.)
  
• You will not lose your password, avatar, or signature.
  

Feel free to login to the test site and play around! Make posts and in general kick the tires. I'm going to note a couple of things:

• There are many areas that are still unconfigured. It does not make sense for me to spend days tweaking the software yet as I'm going to lose all of the changes when we do a final "live" upgrade.
  
• If you use the beta site to harass other members or break our normal rules, we reserve the right to take action against the behavior on the "live" board.
  
• If/when we do migrate the site to Invision, it will take several hours to fully convert. I will need to take the live site offline while the conversion takes place so that we don't lose posts while everything is moved. In my test import, it took about 5 hours to get the data converted.
  
• I'll be able to turn the site back on after the initial conversion completes, but some individual posts may look a bit weird or show up as having no content for the first 12 hours or so as almost 2 million posts have to be rebuilt in the background.
  

I don't have any sort of plan or ETA for if/when we would actually make a change. In terms of the Invision license itself, it would be my donation to the community since I had an extra unused one from another site I managed. It's cost is annually around another $50 per year, but includes a lot of features not available today and includes our ability to support a new review site if we're so inclined.

Edited May 14, 2021 by RadioRob

[mike carey]

It's 5pm so not the ideal time for this old brain to start fiddling around with a beta of the site in a new operating system, but I plan to give it a go on another day.

 

An observation, though. The site has managed well with the old software, but that doesn't mean it's the best it could be, I simply don't know. But in any system, the people operating it become accustomed to what it can do. It can take a new person in a job, or in this case a new administrator, to see opportunities to change the system, improve it or add to it. Or in this case be aware of a different propriety solution that offers new possibilities. From what @RadioRob has outlined in the post above, the possibilities from Invision Community sound great. The ability to load images directly rather than simply links would be very useful. Although the storage that needs was probably the main reason for the current capability, I recognise that petabytes of storage probably cost no more than megabytes 10 years ago, so its salience as an issue is declining. (It might add a copyright issue by having the image on the site's servers, and it means that an image would no longer disappear from here if the copyright owner took it down.)

 

From what Rob says above, my approach will be to assume we should proceed and in kicking the tyres of this software be looking for reasons 'why not' rather than the opposite approach.

[RadioRob]

When I setup this test board, I had a few different goals in mind:

• Get some experience in testing the Xenforo conversion process.
  (This includes getting an understanding of the time it takes convert the database.)
  
• Let users get experience with the new software and see the benefits of it.
  
• Have a period of time where both forums were online so that there would not be a "shell shock" from the change.
  
• Document what is changed during the beta process so that I can do it again when we do the "real" conversion.
  

You'll notice I tried to stay true to the legacy look and feel of these forums, including preserving the primary colors, logo, etc. At the same time however, I wanted to add some fresh/modern touches to it. Hopefully it feels somewhat familiar to everyone and is not something that feels totally out in left field.

 

Regarding storage, what is happening is that when a file is uploaded... it is not actually put on OUR server. It's stored on a 3rd party service called Wasabi (https://www.wasabi.com). Uploads are simply taken, put on the remote host and then embedded into the post. We can store 1TB (meaning 1024GB) of data for $5.99 a month with no extra cost for bandwidth.

[+ JEC]

Rob thanks for all you are doing. I'm an IT guy myself so understand and appreciate what you are doing and why. I'm also used to things changing all the time and am pretty easly adaptable. In my business getting the users of our tech to change and adapt is always a challenge. They all eventually come around, but it is a process and there is invariably some grumbling (at best) along the way. So, prepare yourself for that...and members, let's try to be patient and give these changes a try....set some dedicated time aside to "play", take several deep breaths, you will figure it out!

[+ poolboy48220]

I really like the look and feel of the current forum software, it's amazingly user-friendly in my opinion. But I'm totally willing to take a look at the new alternative.

[+ sync]

The new look is somewhat overwhelming for me right now, but I'll make every effort to adapt. It's my nature, way back when, I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the Windows software technology, now I barely remember those days of DOS and Xtree.

[+ poolboy48220]

The new look is somewhat overwhelming for me right now, but I'll make every effort to adapt. It's my nature, way back when, I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the Windows software technology, now I barely remember those days of DOS and Xtree.

After just a few minutes looking at the new forum, I tend to agree with "a bit overwhelming". Did I understand you when you said you copied over the existing forums; did that include all the existing posts? I clicked around a bit and I couldn't find any of the existing threads. I tried submitting a test post but can't figure out where it went.

[Scott Virginian]

I have no idea what any of @RadioRob 's words mean, but it looks good, so ???!

[RadioRob]

After just a few minutes looking at the new forum, I tend to agree with "a bit overwhelming". Did I understand you when you said you copied over the existing forums; did that include all the existing posts? I clicked around a bit and I couldn't find any of the existing threads. I tried submitting a test post but can't figure out where it went.

It’s a point in time snapshot. This was from right after I reorganized the forums. It was not meant to be a “live mirror” of this site.

 

Your test post was a status update. These are in your profile:

 

https://www.companyofmen.org/beta/profile/2529-poolboy48220/?status=1914&type=status

 

Where were you trying to post?

[+ sync]

After just a few minutes looking at the new forum, I tend to agree with "a bit overwhelming". Did I understand you when you said you copied over the existing forums; did that include all the existing posts? I clicked around a bit and I couldn't find any of the existing threads. I tried submitting a test post but can't figure out where it went.

You must have picked up on someone else's posting about having copied over the existing forums. I have no IT abilities. Sorry.

[CatDaddy]

Wow!!! It's greatness!

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

The new beta looks a lot like the old design of BoyToy.

 

My feeling is that less is more when it comes to maintaining this particular audience.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I am very used to that layout. Not only Boytoy but also the Argentinean forums use it. It would be a very easy transition for everyone, and it is very easy to ignore the extras. For instance, I never explored in Boytoy anything but the forums.

[+ jrhoutex]

I agree, the new layout does look familiar. I'm sure we will adjust if you decide to move forward. You are volunteering your time to this project using a software product that you are proficient should be expected.

 

I may be a little worried about the ability to post images that are saved to this site due to current FOSTA/SESTA regulations. You never know what folks may post that is being hosted here.

[BuffaloKyle]

The only thing I don't like is the huge images for each sub forum on the main page but looks pretty much the same once you get into each of them so shouldn't be too much of an adjustment.

[rvwnsd]

A couple of things:

1. Xenforo will undoubtedly change as technology evolves. In other words even if we don't change platforms, the look-and-feel will change at some point.
   
2. Several of the Forums I belong to already use Invision Communities and IMO it is a nice package.
   
3. Change, including within our own bodies, never stops. When change stops, you die.
   

[RadioRob]

The only thing I don't like is the huge images for each sub forum on the main page but looks pretty much the same once you get into each of them so shouldn't be too much of an adjustment.

You can switch off the card view that displays the images. There is an option to change the display when viewing the site from a desktop. Once you set the option, it will remember it for you.

[+ José Soplanucas]

When change stops, you die

 

Change does not stop. We do die.

[lonely_john]

The new look is somewhat overwhelming for me right now, but I'll make every effort to adapt.

My feeling is that less is more when it comes to maintaining this particular audience.

The only thing I don't like is the huge images for each sub forum on the main page but looks pretty much the same once you get into each of them so shouldn't be too much of an adjustment.

• Ability to pick how content should be viewed. (If you don't like the "card" view of the forum list, you can switch it to the classic grid view, or a topic display view. It remembers your setting per member. So your view does not interfere with how another person views the site.)
  

Edited May 10, 2021 by lonely_john

[lonely_john]

nice package.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself

 

width=188pxhttps://media.tenor.com/images/805a18faeb83cf78d364507290bb693a/tenor.gif[/img]

[lonely_john]

• Clubs... ability to have a sub-group within the site that can be managed by individual members. (These can be public, semi-public, or private/invite only.)
  
• Ability to accept donations directly via the website.
  
• Ability to pick their own photos from their computer, or find stock photos to insert.
  

width=338pxhttps://media.tenor.com/images/e1bd91a6f8d30a607b756008d0a00d14/tenor.gif[/img]

[Islesguy]

Looks much like a hockey board where I used to be a member so no issues for me.

[foxy]

You can switch off the card view that displays the images. There is an option to change the display when viewing the site from a desktop. Once you set the option, it will remember it for you.

 

I don’t care for the images either. I can understand why you chose them but they just don’t work together. I’m not sure I understand what you mean about changing the display.

[RadioRob]

I don’t care for the images either. I can understand why you chose them but they just don’t work together. I’m not sure I understand what you mean about changing the display.

If you don't like the images, you don't have to see them. You can make it look like the traditional table. Find the "Start a New Topic" button. To it's left should be 3 buttons. Click the first one. It will switch your display back to the traditional forum index view.

 

[+ poolboy48220]

Where were you trying to post?

I was just trying to see the existing content, forums and threads. I kinda feel like an idiot here, seeing that others like it, but I can't make head nor tail of the new format. Is the concept of different forums (like Gallery, Spa, etc) still there, and if so how do I get to it?