Thanks Bob, sorry to hear the software is going to be orphaned. I hear you that you aren’t going to worry about it now, but look at the software https://www.GScaleCentral.net uses, it has all our features, and embedding pictures is very easy and has the upload as well as the URL features.
It also does not spazz out if you post a picture as http:// instead of https://
No idea on the cost, and if you can host it on “your” hardware or offered as a service only.
Greg
Yup, all the good stuff eventually goes away. Its a shame…
The Large Scale Central Forum appears to use the following software based upon the text at the bottom of their homepage.
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Rooster well if you want to be a queen…
Naw, I am not doing that.
Reopening this thread, as Ive been doing some evaluation of software, and looking at the logs to see exactly how LSC is being used.
Any kind of migration to a new package isnt going to be fun, and much of what’s out there is written using older tooling. There are a few packages that stand out, and Im spinning up test versions of these all so I can try to import, and then see how they handle the load. None of these have a direct importer from the package I currently use. Not many have any kind of importer at all. Many packages get around the “large site” problem by archiving, or outright deleting, older messages/inactive users/etc. Something I really have never wanted to do. So I need something that can handle a large amount of data.
Leading my evaluation are vBulletin, Discourse, SimpleMachines, and Thredded. Each has its own plusses and minuses. vBulletin feels familiar, but you are also buying into the whole community, its very bloat heavy, and that feels very much like the package Im using now. Discourse is an interesting take on traditional forums, breaking that wall with a flat view of posts (which, most of you go to first anyway), and then you can ‘tag’ posts with categories. Its intriguing. SimpleMachines and Thredded are both traditional-looking forums. Thredded is bare-bones without a lot of bloat, but I’d have to write a lot of the site myself.
None of these comes with an easy-to-implement chat package, but chat is actually pretty simple, and there’s a bunch of ways I could implement this.
Anyway, this was just a note that Im deep diving into the evaluation, so stay tuned.
Bob McCown said:
…Many packages get around the “large site” problem by archiving, or outright deleting, older messages/inactive users/etc. Something I really have never wanted to do. So I need something that can handle a large amount of data.
…Discourse is an interesting take on traditional forums, breaking that wall with a flat view of posts (which, most of you go to first anyway), and then you can ‘tag’ posts with categories. Its intriguing. …
Hiya Bob. I get the part about not hosting pictures because you don’t have the space, but it never occurred to me the site itself would keep getting larger just on its own with what amounts to a lot of text (I guess).
If old stuff gets deleted, doesn’t that turn us into Facebook or social media or something where you can’t find things? (Unless you’re running for political office and then they can find stuff you posted years ago.) I don’t know. I’d like to be able to find, for instance, old stuff from the Challenges. I must admit in realilty how much do I actually go back in time? Not much. It’s more a reassurance knowing the stuff is there.
And a lot of times you go back to find something and all the pictures are gone anyway because the hosting service died. No pictures, no use.
Anyway, if you have to completely redo the forum, if that’s what Discourse is, to keep us going, then I say go for it. I’ll adapt to any amount of change.
Thanks.
Oh boy, the fun begins for your winter projects. Good luck and keep us posted on your findings
Same here … What ever it takes to keep this site going is fine and we also can adapt if we had to(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Hey Bob, let us (me?) know if you need/want some help, including writing code to import the old site into the new (i.e. turn the export from the existing site into the import into the new one).
Bob,
my take based on your research and other factors is that these platforms are not being supported going forward and everyone is expected to get in line with face book. personally I have no interest in face book at all. but have given it some thought.
Al P.
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
Some threads may take a year to complete, and the forum is a very valuable resource to see the evolution of a topic over time, whether it is a build project, layout redo, investigation on a problem.
This is basically impossible to do on a flat system like facebook, and if it is like facebook, then just go to facebook itself…
This ability to keep information organized by specific topic is what led me to build a web site and to host vignettes, since they can help others as reference material even years later.
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
Some threads may take a year to complete, and the forum is a very valuable resource to see the evolution of a topic over time, whether it is a build project, layout redo, investigation on a problem.
This is basically impossible to do on a flat system like facebook, and if it is like facebook, then just go to facebook itself…
This ability to keep information organized by specific topic is what led me to build a web site and to host vignettes, since they can help others as reference material even years later.
Greg
Greg,
I have been looking at this Facebook thread of an English railway for ideas inspiration since it started in 2012.
https://www.facebook.com/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway-246392918762922/
I am starting a new layout and would like to document it and save the information using facebook is one option (just need an account). I have considered a blog and posting on a forum but as I, like you, am a member of multiple forums this would mean duplicating all the data and as I have found recently some forums just fade away through lack of posts or the owner is no longer able to run it.
If that happens then eventually the data will disappear.
I do not think I have the technical expertise or the resources to build my own website (it would just add to my stress trying to do it) so facebook is looking as the best option with a link being inserted into threads created on the forums I frequent and bumped up as new data is added.
Your and others thoughts on this appreciated.
Bob,
Apologies for high-jacking this thread now back to the subject
My company uses a forum website so we can share fixes on various machines. The HO website I used to moderate, and my company’s forum use the same software.
Its free, and I do not know how capable or scalable it is, or could be. Bob, if you have looked it and decided against it, ok. If you haven’t, then maybe you should give it a look see. I am not a computer guy, I am a hardware guy, so, like I said, I dunno if it will work for your application or not.
Greg Elmassian said:
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
Some threads may take a year to complete, and the forum is a very valuable resource to see the evolution of a topic over time, whether it is a build project, layout redo, investigation on a problem.
This is basically impossible to do on a flat system like facebook, and if it is like facebook, then just go to facebook itself…
…
Thanks, this is what I was trying to say.
Greg Elmassian said:
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
Some threads may take a year to complete, and the forum is a very valuable resource to see the evolution of a topic over time, whether it is a build project, layout redo, investigation on a problem.
This is basically impossible to do on a flat system like facebook, and if it is like facebook, then just go to facebook itself…
This ability to keep information organized by specific topic is what led me to build a web site and to host vignettes, since they can help others as reference material even years later.
Greg
This is a valid point and and I’m glad someone other than me brought it up !
Agree 100% on the threaded format. Hopefully whatever software is ultimately chosen; it will not be one of those with the hierarchical post list requiring opening each post separately to read a thread. Memory is cloudy; but I believe when LSC first started it ran on software that was set up that way. Once traffic started to build it was quickly replaced with the scrolling thread view we have today.
Greg Elmassian said:
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
100% agree.
I do not like Facebook’s approach. Their search never works and they change things all the time to make you stick around to see more ads.
Actually building a web site is easy, there are many tools that make it very simple from any browser. There are many free ones, but eventually storage and traffic will probably force you to pay something. But for about $100 a year, less than $10 a month, there are many options. Wordpress and Joomla are the top web site builders. I use Joomla. I find building my site easier than understanding all the options in Facebook.
GAP said:
Greg Elmassian said:
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
Some threads may take a year to complete, and the forum is a very valuable resource to see the evolution of a topic over time, whether it is a build project, layout redo, investigation on a problem.
This is basically impossible to do on a flat system like facebook, and if it is like facebook, then just go to facebook itself…
This ability to keep information organized by specific topic is what led me to build a web site and to host vignettes, since they can help others as reference material even years later.
Greg
Greg,
I have been looking at this Facebook thread of an English railway for ideas inspiration since it started in 2012.
https://www.facebook.com/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway-246392918762922/
I am starting a new layout and would like to document it and save the information using facebook is one option (just need an account). I have considered a blog and posting on a forum but as I, like you, am a member of multiple forums this would mean duplicating all the data and as I have found recently some forums just fade away through lack of posts or the owner is no longer able to run it.
If that happens then eventually the data will disappear.
I do not think I have the technical expertise or the resources to build my own website (it would just add to my stress trying to do it) so facebook is looking as the best option with a link being inserted into threads created on the forums I frequent and bumped up as new data is added.
Your and others thoughts on this appreciated.
Bob,
Apologies for high-jacking this thread now back to the subject
Greg Elmassian said:
Actually building a web site is easy, there are many tools that make it very simple from any browser. There are many free ones, but eventually storage and traffic will probably force you to pay something. But for about $100 a year, less than $10 a month, there are many options. Wordpress and Joomla are the top web site builders. I use Joomla. I find building my site easier than understanding all the options in Facebook.
GAP said:
Greg Elmassian said:
I really want a “threaded” forum, not a “flat” one like facebook.
Some threads may take a year to complete, and the forum is a very valuable resource to see the evolution of a topic over time, whether it is a build project, layout redo, investigation on a problem.
This is basically impossible to do on a flat system like facebook, and if it is like facebook, then just go to facebook itself…
This ability to keep information organized by specific topic is what led me to build a web site and to host vignettes, since they can help others as reference material even years later.
Greg
Greg,
I have been looking at this Facebook thread of an English railway for ideas inspiration since it started in 2012.
https://www.facebook.com/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway-246392918762922/
I am starting a new layout and would like to document it and save the information using facebook is one option (just need an account). I have considered a blog and posting on a forum but as I, like you, am a member of multiple forums this would mean duplicating all the data and as I have found recently some forums just fade away through lack of posts or the owner is no longer able to run it.
If that happens then eventually the data will disappear.
I do not think I have the technical expertise or the resources to build my own website (it would just add to my stress trying to do it) so facebook is looking as the best option with a link being inserted into threads created on the forums I frequent and bumped up as new data is added.
Your and others thoughts on this appreciated.
Bob,
Apologies for high-jacking this thread now back to the subject
Thanks Greg
