| Author | Message | ||
     Froggy |
That actually is a pro, not a con, it shows that there is support from the company, it isn't something that was abandoned over a decade ago. Just because you don't know of any security issues with Discus, doesn't mean they don't exist. What we have with Discus is called Security Through Obscurity, which is not security at all. There likely are major unpatched vulnerabilities that we just don't know about, and one day we can log in and find our board defaced by a hacking group that was clever enough to exploit a vulnerability in the site. Yes, switching to vBulliten would result in having a larger target as its use is more widespread, but at the same time those vulnerabilities are fixed quickly and painlessly.
Some of those extraneous bells and whistles would include a proper PM system that doesn't rely on emails that are easily spam filtered, the ability for users to upload large pictures and have them resize correctly rather than throwing a "too large" message. We would also get better controls for both users and moderators, people can tweak the site to how they like, and have proper pages instead of the Archive system that is borked. Formatting posts would be easier due to the more advanced editors built into newer forums, in addition to using the standardized formatting tags like [url] instead of \newurl {}. I personally look forward to a built in search that doesn't bomb out if searching too many posts, in addition to being able to have more options to search like by a username and subject at the same time. Also support for newer web formats like HTML5 (Youtube is going to disable the Flash based player this year, possibly breaking our embedded videos), and the ability to have the site automatically adapt to what type of device you are on. Yea Badweb currently loads fine on phones and tablets and such, but smart sites can see what you have, and tweak the layout to give the user a more optimal experience.
Indeed. Biggest issue I see on other boards is bloat, which we can keep at a minimum. Most other boards monetize with 3rd party advertising, which significantly slows down a page as it loads dozens of ads, specialized scripting, and other junk. With our model for sponsorship, we could still have pages look similar to they are now, meaning the pages will load quick and easy, regardless of connection speed. Spambots are more likely to post, as it is easier to make posting script, but there are solutions to prevent it like captchas for people with less than 10 posts. I know I've been begging for the switch for years now, I really feel it will be worth it. You have done a great job extending the life of this board with kludging in some modern features like the Youtube embedding, but we are at the point where the ship has a hundred times the mileage it was designed for, things are falling apart and one day it eventually will all cave in. I still feel the best way to go forward would be to lock this board, import the user database, and manually copy over some things like the FAQ section. Leave the legacy board publicly available read only, with a new board to represent a new generation, the next chapter in the story of Buell/EBR motorcycles. I'm willing to do all the work to make it happen, if you are willing.  | ||
| Crusty |
Plus, we couldn't go back and relive the epic rants from Skyguy. I miss Dyna's posts from when his X1 ate its engine. I hope that somewhere in the archives is the picture of that incredible beauty (I think her last name was something like Thiessen). I wish I'd done a copy/paste on that when I first saw it. What a breathtaking beauty she was. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
I don't understand all the tech behind it but from my point of view this layout has been much easier than the other forums iI've been on. I love the lack of pop-ups, ads and spam. If I was going to complain the only thing I could say is that I wish I could post pics without resizing them. That being said, if it needed to be upgraded I would be happy to donate to the cause. I doubt I'd still have a running bike without the people on this forum. Thanks for keeping it going Blake | ||
| Reepicheep |
Take it from a practicing CISO... Security through obscurity is often under rated. Simplicity is also a fantastic source of security. | ||
| Xb9er |
When I go to other Buell forums I feel like I'm at a friends house. When I come to the Badweb I feel like I'm at home. If the Badweb changed its look, I would be very uncomfortable. Thank you Blake, Froggy, and any other moderator I don't know for all that you do for us to be able to enjoy our passion. (Message edited by XB9er on February 10, 2015) | ||
| Etennuly |
I don't understand all the tech behind it but from my point of view this layout has been much easier than the other forums iI've been on. I love the lack of pop-ups, ads and spam. If I was going to complain the only thing I could say is that I wish I could post pics without resizing them. That being said, if it needed to be upgraded I would be happy to donate to the cause. I doubt I'd still have a running bike without the people on this forum. Thanks for keeping it going Blake This is pretty much what I would have said except for the picture thing. I have posted several times a step by step how to for those who need to resize pictures on a PC through the desk top edit. Froggy's problem is he is young. New to him is not the same as new to those of us over fifty. This is probably where his dislike for air heads comes from. Heck, he'd probably choose a plastic pump shotgun over a blued Savage Stevens side by side with one full choked barrel because the plastic one holds five shots and is not needing oiled and polished when put away. Given that Froggy is still one of my heroes. AND.....This place, this group of people, have become family to many of us. There is no other way to put it. Except for immediate family, I visit and am visited by and communicate with BadWeB folks more than any of my cousins, aunts and uncles. I have always liked the expectation that nothing is expected of anyone.....it just happens. Blake, I'd enjoy a meet up with you some day. Bad-We-B indeed. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Court - why would I start another board with the same goal when there is already one that is well established? And it's very funny to me how upset people get over my critique of this crap software - chill out. It sucks. Plain and simple. All this "this is home..." etc - its the people and the posts, not being limited by the board that makes you like it. I'll say that this board, that I have seen, has never had a spam issue. Thats rare to NEVER see an issue over the span of several/many years. But I've stated my issues before (things like once it goes to a second page its pretty much a dead thread: if someone does reply to it no one will ever see it unless they randomly stumble upon that page VS most boards where it'll bump it back to the top) The people that I've met have been wonderful, and the content here rules big time. Thing is, that same content and folks would be just as good with a proper board that has modern features. | ||
| 86129squids |
What Vern said! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
What Vern said 2! | ||
| Xb9er |
Vern, I thought in your neck of the woods your cousins were also your aunts/uncles?  | ||
| Pwnzor |
What Froggy said. My offer stands. The naysayers just aren't realizing how much easier other forum software is to use. More versatile. The spam and popups you get on other boards won't happen here. Pictures are SO much easier to post, and they can all automatically come out the same size. Fully customize your own interface! Or don't! Your choice! | ||
| Greg_e |
What about kunena forums with a joomla front end? Getting the info from one database to the next is always the hardest part, but it seems like there should be some way to move everything from old to new. Of course it is never as easy as it seems when you go to really try and do the job. | ||
| Blks1l |
I am happy with the set up of this forum as well, I may not have a huge post count but check it at least once every day and have been a long time member. A few hiccups are expected with anything. I like it the way it is! | ||
| Etennuly |
Vern, I thought in your neck of the woods your cousins were also your aunts/uncles?  Well yeah.....I guess so. The fun ones are the couples who are brother and sister from different mothers. | ||
| Ljm |
Just to be concrete, are we going to get the bikes for sale section back? | ||
| Big_island_rider |
Holy thread jack Batman!! Ljm, Way to re-direct back ON topic.  | ||
| Sifo |
Blake did say he would take care of it. Current forum really doesn't bother me much BTW. I understand the reluctance to upgrade. If it's anything like Microsoft software, your days of using it unsupported are numbered though. Eventually, something tends to force the issue. | ||
| Court |
>>>>Blake did say he would take care of it. Yep . . . and I believed him. He's got a good track record . . . .but I know we will have to wait . . and that's okay . . .until the Analysis incomplete on one of those giant earth stations he's working on. There really are some interesting Badwebbers out there . . . :-) | ||
| Froggy |
DAMN LIBERALS COMING ON HERE WANTING TO CHANGE OUR BOARD! Too many of you guys seem to be hung up on thinking that if Badweb updates, that everyone here will be gone, which it won't be. It will still be all of us for better or worse, plus we would likely win over some other Buellers who frequent other boards but refuse to currently come here due to not liking the clunkiness of the board. Everything would still work basically the same way, with the same community. It would be similar to getting the next generation version of a car. Yea it would take a few minutes to figure out the new radio and where they moved the light switches too, but in the end it still has 4 doors, 2 pedals and a steering wheel. | ||
| Hootowl |
Well, I hope it all works out because I am, personally, horrified at the though of badweb dropping offline. | ||
| Ljm |
I am good with however the forum works out and will adapt to whatever form it takes. It has been a great resource and I have learned more here than I can say. | ||
| Rick_a |
I don't mind this format. It's been working fine for some time. I vaguely recall the rants on MO's message board that ultimately led to Badweb's creation. I was a lurker here until I finally got my S1 in 2001. I joined in late 2001 though the profile shows '03 when there was a revamp or some such. Both the passion and drama of some members has been quite epic...and continues. It's been a great journey. Thanks Blake.     | ||
| Reepicheep |
The rub to me is amount of maintenance. To keep the old content alive and fully featured, we need to keep the old software up and running, or do some kind of very complicated data and metadata migration. Absolutely doable, never easy or cheap. So basically you have to keep the old board software running, kind of a "frozen in time badweb site". Then you create the new badweb site... with new software, and new identities (that match most but not all old identities). You get a few new features for this. But now you have to support both the old and the new software, so you doubled your work. And everyone using the site has to try and use two different sites at once. "Q: Did you search the board?"... "A: Yes".... "Q: Did you search the other board?".. "A: Oh yeah, sorry, hang on." When Discuss can no longer be kept alive by hook or crook, then the question becomes moot, and we have to figure out a data port (even if it's a bad one). Until then, personally, I think the features to be gained by a new board would be a net loss relative to the headaches of having to use two simultaneous boards. Unless somebody wants to pony up real money for a real project to migrate old content to the a new board, and real money to admin the new software correctly (newer software does more, but I doubt it is as efficiently autonomous as this software is). Based on work projects I have been involved in, I would say you are looking at $50,000 easy for a good data migration, unless somebody else has already done a lot of the work already on one end or the other (special tools for getting data out of Discus, or special tools for migrating data into the target platform). I'm neither a Luddite or a tech squirrel who chasing every shiny new thing... I'm a pragmatist that wants tools to work so well they are first and foremost not in my way. | ||
| Hootowl |
Tech squirrel  | ||
| Airbozo |
Reepicheep, Many years ago one of the sites I help admin (thebestcasescenario.com) went through a similar switch and it was not a huge deal. Took about 6 months of planning and script writing by volunteers (college students mostly), but we didn't loose a single post or user name. We ran both sites for a couple of months and when the old one went offline, no one even realized it except for the shiny new interface. I'll check in with some of the other admins and mods to see if those scripts are still around. | ||
| Lornce |
Dropped in to check on classifieds for a friend, which led me to this thread... Great to see Badweb chugging along with many of the names I recognise from over the last dozen years. Hope all goes well for Buellers into the future! Now, I think I'll crack a beer and have a look through "25 Years of Buell".   | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
yeah you guys are right, why change whats not broken? I mean, its not like this software will just delete an entire subforum or...oh, nevermind. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Hey Lornce! Good to hear from you again! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Buells & Badweb changed my life. What more can I say? | ||
| Lornce |
Back at you, Reepicheep! Badweb's contributors have been an invaluable resource over the years. Without them I'm not sure I could have made it this far with Buells in Canada. Still love these bikes and appreciate everyone here at Badweb! A buddy dropped by on my old S3T to see some of the heard.   |
