# IMPORTANT: Forum Software Migration



## Dragoneer (Apr 16, 2008)

[size=large]*Notice to all users:*[/size]
We are currently in the second step of our forum move: migrating the forum software to vBulletin. This new forum software is much faster, more efficient, easier to use and much more secure. vBulletin powers such massive communities as Valve's Steam gaming community, Notebook Review and countless others. It's a much beefier, solid platform much needed to help keep up with FA's largely growing population, and will allow us to roll out better features over time as well.

We plan to migrate the forums sometime between April 23 - 25th. Test migrations have put the downtime at around 6 hours, but we are expecting up to 24 hours to configure and test. Unfortunately, due to the migration process *passwords can not be migrated*. vBulletin uses a different security hash for passwords than MyBB, and the passwords are ultimately lose in translation (this is, unfortunately, true of most forum software).

Upon moving to the new forums users will be required to do a _one time password recovery_. At most, it will take roughly two minutes to get your password reset and update! Not too bad. * In order to ensure your transition to the new forums goes smoothly PLEASE check and verify that your forum e-mail is up-to-date.*  By udating your e-mail now you will help ensure a smooth, painless transition to the new forums.



Save yourself a potential headache - ensure your e-mail is up-to-date today!

- Dragoneer/Preyfar

*NOTE:* While you're checking your forum e-mail, you may as well take time to make sure your main site e-mail is up-to-date as well!


----------



## Ceceil Felias (Apr 17, 2008)

Woo, go vBulletin! m/

That's all I really have to say. ;; But I hope things work out smoothly for you!


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 17, 2008)

Ceceil Felias said:
			
		

> Woo, go vBulletin! m/
> 
> That's all I really have to say. ;; But I hope things work out smoothly for you!


I personally hate the idea of forcing people to do passwords resets, but... well, MyBB blows ass (yes, that's my professional opinion) and I looove using vBulletin. It's a much more fun forum platform.

I was going to go with SMF originally, but I liked vBulletin's plugin options. Lots of really interesting mods for the forum software.


----------



## Rhainor (Apr 17, 2008)

vBulletin?  Great...

Granted, I don't have any experience with the backend or administration of vBulletin, but personally, I much prefer any of the other 3 major BB systems (in no particular order, MyBB, phpBB, and IPB) -- not that I have any backend experience with phpBB or IPB either.


----------



## Eevee (Apr 17, 2008)

Would it not be nearly trivial to migrate the password on first login, by hashing the mybb way for users that have not yet logged into vB?


----------



## HiroJudgement (Apr 17, 2008)

So long as it works, I'm happy.

Okay, I lie, I'm just partial to Invision Board.


----------



## SkieFire (Apr 17, 2008)

Yay, Vbulletin has a pretty rich feature set for users with a huge community providing 'hacks' to add extra functions. And on the backend, its probably the best fit for a forum thats increasing in users so quickly.

Other than the managed message boards like lithium, its probably the fastest forum software about when dealing with a large number of users/posts/threads/spam/pr0n


----------



## jayhusky (Apr 17, 2008)

Ah ha, I moving to VBulletin are we? Right, cool Should provide a vast and quick home for us all. Plus with added benefits: Easy to use User CP and From what I've seen a decent Admin Center....

_-Sorry if I've just wasted time

--Furcity


----------



## RestrainedRaptor (Apr 17, 2008)

Will there be any opportunity to synchronize the furaffinity user base with the forum system, or is this now impossible?


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 17, 2008)

RestrainedRaptor said:
			
		

> Will there be any opportunity to synchronize the furaffinity user base with the forum system, or is this now impossible?


This is possible and we could do that, the problem with that? If FA goes down so do the forums. By having the system setup in such a way that the forums and FA's database are separate if we're upgrading and working on the site people can still use the forums.

The idea from the start was to keep it as a fallback Just in Case Bad Things Happen(TM). We may be able to tie it in later, however.


----------



## Rilvor (Apr 24, 2008)

Hrm. Alright. I'll check my email.

(Good thing I hit [Enough Posts to Break A Scouter] before the move  )


----------



## Takun (Apr 24, 2008)

Rilvor broke the boards, just admit it


----------



## Wolfbane (Apr 24, 2008)

Yep, Email is up to date Thank you for this reminder


----------



## Rilvor (Apr 24, 2008)

Hm. My email is hidden so I don't have random people emailing me...but the damn thing is hiding my email from me too -_-


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 24, 2008)

Rilvor said:
			
		

> Hm. My email is hidden so I don't have random people emailing me...but the damn thing is hiding my email from me too -_-


You may want to update it anyway... just to be sure.


----------



## Rilvor (Apr 24, 2008)

I'm going to have to, since there's no way for me to check it.


----------



## OnyxVulpine (Apr 24, 2008)

So are we gonna be able to change our own user titles?

Thats the first thing that comes to mind when I think of new features 

But it being faster than it already has been since the last transfer will be great.

-Onyx


----------



## Rilvor (Apr 24, 2008)

Also; Will it reset post counts?


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 24, 2008)

OnyxVulpine said:
			
		

> So are we gonna be able to change our own user titles? Thats the first thing that comes to mind when I think of new features  But it being faster than it already has been since the last transfer will be great.


The forums will be much faster over time, yes.

And since the user titles won't port over I'll be giving a one week repreive so all users can set their own user title. It's only fair.

So long as the namse are PG and within forum guidelines it's fair game.


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 24, 2008)

Rilvor said:
			
		

> Also; Will it reset post counts?


Nope. The only thing that can't port over is avatars, but that's not really a big deal. Everything else gets brought over smoothly.

Test Forums
http://forums.furaffinity.net/vb


----------



## Rilvor (Apr 24, 2008)

Hm. Looks new-fangled and great, it'll take some getting used to but I'm sure it'll be better.

Great timing (for me) on the downtimes, as the coming arrival of Oblivion means I'd be too busy anyway


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 24, 2008)

Rilvor said:
			
		

> Hm. Looks new-fangled and great, it'll take some getting used to but I'm sure it'll be better.


There's some additional tweaks to the forum layouts which still need to be made, but nothing major. I'll finalize some of the graphics and other things while the database imports, then work on the final configuration of things. The end result will be slightly different than what's on the test forums right now (those side bars are completely customizable and moddable).

The ads are still in learning phase right now, but Google is working with me personally to ensure they're tweaked and relevant.


----------



## OnyxVulpine (Apr 26, 2008)

Ok well, pretty different. A little less great than what I had hoped, but once everyone's avatars are back up the lively hood will return.

Whats up with the no sig images thing?

-Onyx


----------



## Dragoneer (Apr 26, 2008)

OnyxVulpine said:


> Ok well, pretty different. A little less great than what I had hoped, but once everyone's avatars are back up the lively hood will return.
> 
> Whats up with the no sig images thing?
> 
> -Onyx


Sigs were fixed. I'm tweaking/repairing a lot of things.


----------



## MadPlumber (Apr 26, 2008)

I have observed that my "ignore" list is empty.  Is the buddy/ignore lists of the former forums still slated to be imported to this forum or is it safe to say that they are casualties of the transfer?


----------



## Nightingalle (Apr 26, 2008)

Question.  Where can I go to change the theme, or is that no longer an option? I'm really not used to this dark theme D:


----------



## ADF (Apr 26, 2008)

KoiFishSushi said:


> Question.  Where can I go to change the theme, or is that no longer an option? I'm really not used to this dark theme D:



Same, the dark theme is getting on my nerves.

I am told it is in user options but I don't see it. Also I miss simply being able to click see recent posts and getting everything new, the recent threads side table is limited.


----------



## Magnus (Apr 26, 2008)

is it possible to remove those 3 side panels from you're side? cause when i do it keeps popping back when i refresh >.< i'm not the best at coding ;-;

but yeah, great job on the forum layout itself, i do hope skins shall come <3~ like a skin with the color of fender (the guy in the banner)

good work, that it is :3


----------



## Magnus (Apr 26, 2008)

also.... why is my sig gone... again?


----------



## Stratelier (Apr 26, 2008)

Magnus said:


> is it possible to remove those 3 side panels from you're side? cause when i do it keeps popping back when i refresh >.< i'm not the best at coding ;-;


Second that.  I'd rather not see them entirely, but I can't find a user CP option to do that.


----------



## SkieFire (Apr 27, 2008)

KoiFishSushi said:


> Question.  Where can I go to change the theme, or is that no longer an option? I'm really not used to this dark theme D:



Bottom left of every forum page.

Neer, can you shorten the gap between posts? Each post currently looks as if they are seperate entities and it looks weird, threads don't flow too well with such a huge gap (and the shiny bit on top of each posts title dosent help either. Who uses titles in posts in threads anyway?)


----------



## Magnus (May 1, 2008)

why does the skin keep changing back to the light one? 

its really buggin me


----------



## Arshes Nei (May 1, 2008)

Magnus said:


> why does the skin keep changing back to the light one?
> 
> its really buggin me




Did you go to your User CP and chose the theme you wanted as the default?

http://forums.furaffinity.net/profile.php?do=editoptions

Go under Misc options.


----------



## Magnus (May 3, 2008)

Arshes Nei said:


> Did you go to your User CP and chose the theme you wanted as the default?
> 
> http://forums.furaffinity.net/profile.php?do=editoptions
> 
> Go under Misc options.



nyaha forgive me ._.


----------

