2022 is the year for upgrading MLU Forum

[Hanno Spoelstra]

All,

It has been a long time coming, but Geoff's son Shawn Winnington-Ball and I are (finally) going to work on migrating the forum to a newer version of the software and to a new server. Both the hard- and software are outdated and need to be upgraded for improved robustness and security.

To minimise our work load, I have temporarily suspended new registrations.

We will be staying with the vBulletin software - see https://forum.vbulletin.com/ for the look and feel of vBulletin v5 (we are cuurently using v3).

Please post your suggestions and comments in this thread, we're always considering improvements.

Thanks!

[Matthew P]

No suggestions from me. Just kudos and know that we will be patient with you through the transition.

Matt

[m606paz]

Great!! Forums need upgrading!

[Robin Craig]

My only comment, thank you for doing the work to make it happen.

[Phil Waterman]

Thank you for all your efforts to keep MLU rolling along.

Cheers Phil

[Bob Carriere]

........ will there be a need for additional financial support from users???

At the price of monthly magazines today MLU is a bargain and offers a unique source of information and camaraderie.

[Lionelgee]

Hello Hanno,

Thank you for your continued stewardship of MLU and keeping a great site running.

Will the new version have the opportunity to click on things like "Thank" and "Like" a comment?

Kind regards
Lionel

[m606paz]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Will the new version have the opportunity to click on things like "Thank" and "Like" a comment?

Agree!

[Tim Bell]

Nothing to improve!

Great resource, so much nicer than the social media platforms around.

Good luck with the upgrade

Tim

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Just talked to Shawn tonight to discuss the migration plan he set up. It looks good, next step for him is to contact vBulletin to make arrangements for a test environment to be set up. This means we will migrate a copy of the database of this forum and set it up to use the new front end (the part which you see and use through your PC / laptop / mobile device). We will then test to see if the functionality we are used to works as it should.

For this testing I am looking for a couple of members to log onto the test environment and go about doing your thing as you usually would. So do a couple of searches, start a new thread, reply to an existing one, attach a few photos, send a PM, etc. I will look at the admin side of this and Shawn and vBulletin will tackle the technical stuff.

Who can help? Please send me an email if you are willing to spend a few hours testing the new software and share your experiences.

If all looks good after testing, we will do the final migration. This means that the current version of forum will be taken down for a few hours - maybe even a full day - for the then current database to be migrated, the software to be set up and for the new version of MLU to go live.

I will let you know the date for that well in advance, so you can plan and spend your day in real life as Shawn suggested So instead of gazing at your computer screen you can take your significant other out for dinner, go out dancing or see a movie. This will earn you loads of brownie points to be spent on many hours on the new & revamped MLU.

Stay tuned,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Thank you for your continued stewardship of MLU and keeping a great site running.

Thank you Lionel.

Will the new version have the opportunity to click on things like "Thank" and "Like" a comment?

It certainly does! Check https://forum.vbulletin.com/ for a look & feel of the new software version.

[Tony Smith]

Can I be the first to say:

[Bob Carriere]

DITTO





One supplemental question......

Hanno....are we ....... or soon to be on the new format......????

Thanks to everyone for the hard work!!!

Bob C

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks Tony and Bob

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

One supplemental question......

Hanno....are we ....... or soon to be on the new format......????

Not yet, see vBulletins (the software provider) own forum https://forum.vbulletin.com/ to get an idea of the look and feel.

Transition date is t.b.d., it depends on the availability of people to solve some issues. I do not want to migrate to the new software version before the issues are addressed. Hope to finalise it all during the summer.

[m606paz]

Hi Hanno
Add me to check the new version.
I have time and you know I like to browse and search the forum.

[m606paz]

Something to have in mind.
We must ensure that the url addresses keep the format of this forum,

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3667

so the shared links can continue to work, otherwise it will happen as when MLU had .org or other....

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by m606paz

Hi Hanno
Add me to check the new version.
I have time and you know I like to browse and search the forum.

Thanks for the offer Mariano - will do

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by m606paz

Something to have in mind.
We must ensure that the url addresses keep the format of this forum,

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3667

so the shared links can continue to work, otherwise it will happen as when MLU had .org or other....

Exactly - that’s one of the issues which needs to be solved

[Mike Cecil]

The addition of a section for members to review books they have read/purchased would be welcome. We all spend significant cash on buying books, sometimes to find the contents less than accurate. Having a trusted review source would either encourage purchases of good, accurate and reliable reference books, or save members from wasting money.

I also like the idea of a 'like' button to acknowledge an informative post.

Mike