Forum Upgrade Most Likely Coming Soon

[jackelope]

The forum software has been upgraded multiple times in the past with little to no visible changes.  Just because there’s a software update or upgrade happening doesn’t mean automatic doom and gloom.

[jackelope]

I'm just one person but my vote would be that, hopefully, y'all keep the forum format the same.  Like many I belong to multiple forums, one being RFC, and they recently upgraded their forum.  I'm not alone in saying this but it hasn't really been a welcomed update and I think more dislike it than like it.  But, I also don't know all the particulars to owning/running a forum so I understand sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

What's the full name of that forum so I can check what software they are using?

Pretty sure he’s referring to www.rimfirecentral.com

[b23]

I'm just one person but my vote would be that, hopefully, y'all keep the forum format the same.  Like many I belong to multiple forums, one being RFC, and they recently upgraded their forum.  I'm not alone in saying this but it hasn't really been a welcomed update and I think more dislike it than like it.  But, I also don't know all the particulars to owning/running a forum so I understand sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

What's the full name of that forum so I can check what software they are using?

Pretty sure he’s referring to www.rimfirecentral.com

That is correct.

[bearpaw]

I'm just one person but my vote would be that, hopefully, y'all keep the forum format the same.  Like many I belong to multiple forums, one being RFC, and they recently upgraded their forum.  I'm not alone in saying this but it hasn't really been a welcomed update and I think more dislike it than like it.  But, I also don't know all the particulars to owning/running a forum so I understand sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

What's the full name of that forum so I can check what software they are using?

Pretty sure he’s referring to www.rimfirecentral.com

Thanks, I looked and they are being run by Second Media Group, if there was a substantial change I suspect the forum was purchased by Second Media, after which they probably converted the forum to their own proprietary software, thus the substantial change. Second Media owns a lot of outdoor forums.

[bearpaw]

The forum software has been upgraded multiple times in the past with little to no visible changes.  Just because there’s a software update or upgrade happening doesn’t mean automatic doom and gloom.

Change is harder for people who are less techy, and I understand that. Our biggest update since I have been on the forum was going from version 1.0 to 2.0, that was quite a few years ago, then various patches (smaller upgrades) addressing issues through the years has brought us from 2.0 up to 2.0.18. A while back 2.0.19 was released but I haven't upgraded to that yet.

So with this upgrade from 2.0 to 2.1, there will be some substantial changes. The biggest change will be in the default theme (overall look) of the forum. The default theme changes, however, I asked Liroy (our tech guy) to hire a coder to try and recode our current theme to work with the new version of SMF (type of software we are using). What that means is that the new version of SMF we are updating to will look more like our old version of SMF that we have been using.

After being upgraded the forum will have "Responsive Design" (meaning the forum will automatically resize to fit smaller screens like phones and tablets), currently many forum members are using tapatalk to resize the forum for phones, that will no longer be needed. Responsive design is something that is increasingly being required by the search engines. I had to start converting my outfitting website a couple years ago because it was being given less relevance, eventually I expect that all websites will be required to be responsive or not be listed on search engines at all.

Some members may wonder why we have to change the forum. In addition to having :Responsive Design" the new upgrade will keep us up to date on forum improvements and patches which are continually being released. SMF 2.0 our current software version will be supported for the forseeable future but will no longer have security updates and eventually most likely will become unsupported. So by staying current with the new update the forum can install new patches as they become available to keep the forum current and as safe as possible from hackers who are continually finding new ways to compromise web sites.

As a result of "Responsive Design" this forum will appear most differently to members who use phones but do not use tapatalk. But, after the forum upgrade anyone who has trouble finding their way around can make a post and get help. Members using laptops or desktops will likely not see as much visible change.

[Magnum_Willys]

Thank you Dale!   Hopefully  they have a button to “View as desktop” for us iphone guys who don’t need or prefer the mobile look.  Those Im saying that without seeing their mobile version.

[bearpaw]

With responsive design it only resizes for smaller screens, laptops and desktops should look pretty similar to the way it looks now if the coder can get our current theme to work on the SMF 2.1 version.

[KFhunter]

The responsive size is gonna be sweet!   

[bearpaw]

I am told with the upgrade that mentions will work for everyone and attachments will be easier. Here's the major changes as noted by SMF:

Notable changes in 2.1

The changes between SMF 2.0.x and SMF 2.1 are too many to count, but here are a few highlights:

 New features for users (H-W members)
 - A new WYSIWYG editor, SCEditor
 - Real-time alerts in addition to email notifications
 - A new default theme with full support for mobile devices
 - Draft messages (you can save & resume later)
 - Mentions using @name syntax
 - Drag & drop attachments
 - Attachments can be embedded directly into post text

New features for moderators and administrators
 - An improved Administrator Control Panel
 - Support for moderator groups, not just individuals
 - Many security enhancements, including support for optional Two Factor Authentication.
 - IPv6 support
 - Designed with GDPR support

 New features for modification and theme authors
 - A massive expansion of the number of integration hooks available
 - More powerful BBCode possibilities
 - Background tasks
 - New capabilities in the Package SDK

[KFhunter]

Alerts are cool, I'd turn off the email alerts though.

I like alerts that show me who's given me a thumbs up, down, or other rating and also when I've been quoted.   

It's a nice feature that encourages users to go back to that post and respond.   


It's really good for users who don't log on as frequently so their quoted post may never get seen. 

[Jpmiller]

Lol I didn't understand any of that but hope it goes smoothly. Appreciate all the work that goes into keeping the forum up to date and running well. I gave up the internet for Lent and this and the mariner updates are about the only thing I missed.

[jackelope]

Lol I didn't understand any of that but hope it goes smoothly. Appreciate all the work that goes into keeping the forum up to date and running well. I gave up the internet for Lent and this and the mariner updates are about the only thing I missed.

Most of us don't understand 90% of that.

A few of the things mentioned there are fixes for some of the most complained about challenges here on the forum. Maybe change isn't always bad.

[bearpaw]

The first and easiest step of the upgrade has been completed, it's probably going to take a while to get ready for the next much bigger step, I'll try to provide a warning when the forum will be going down for that step.

[trophyhunt]

The first and easiest step of the upgrade has been completed, it's probably going to take a while to get ready for the next much bigger step, I'll try to provide a warning when the forum will be going down for that step.

You should shut'er down about 2 weeks after the deadline for permits comes around!!!     

[bearpaw]

The first and easiest step of the upgrade has been completed, it's probably going to take a while to get ready for the next much bigger step, I'll try to provide a warning when the forum will be going down for that step.

I'll also add that when the forum does go down for the upgrade if needed members can check our facebook page for updates: When the forum is down we use the facebook page to keep members informed: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingWashington