Some of the cool features of the new forum software include:
- - Temporary Bans (Suspension) - (not that we NEED that function, since you all are so well-behaved, right?)
- Custom BB Code buttons
- Multiple Poll Option Voting and ability to change poll vote
- Instant Messaging (Jabber)
- Bookmarks
- Topic Sorting - Sort by Author, Selectable Post Time, Replies, Subject and Views in descending or ascending order
- Post Sorting - Sort by Author, Selectable Post Time, and Subject in descending or ascending order
- Quote Multiple Posts
- Attachments with automatic thumbnails
- Attachment Types: Images, Documents, Audio Streams, Video Streams (like YouTube), Archives
- Beaten-to-Posting Review - If you're writing a long post as a reply, and someone sneaks in a reply before you're finished, you'll get a notification and a preview
Anyway, just to let you all know....if the conversion attempt on the real database goes anything like the trial runs I've been doing on my computer at home, there will be several things from our current forums that will NOT transfer over.
- 1. All saved private messages (PM's) will be lost, This means that sometime before the upgrade actually happens, you'll all need to go into your PM box and manually save anything you feel you don't want to lose...that is, you'll have to copy/paste PM's into a text file and save them to your computer. I'm sorry for this, but the conversion process continually locked up as it was trying to weed through all those PM's. There are several thousand saved in the database, and there was no way I was going to try to figure out which one was causing the problem. Not only due to the time that would be involved, but I consider PM's to be just that...PRIVATE messages, not meant for my eyes. Therefore, I'm having to bulk-delete all PM's from the database in order to successfully complete the conversion. I'll be keeping everyone informed about the actual date/time of the forum upgrade, so you'll have plenty of time to save any important PM's. I'm also planning on sending out a bulk e-mail to all registered members in the very near future alerting/reminding them of this, so everyone should have plenty of time to save any messages as needed.
2. The settings saved for topics that are being watched for new replies will also be lost....though IMO this is a very minor inconvenience. What this means is that if you have any threads marked to alert you for new replies, you won't get any more notifications on those threads, until you re-visit the thread once the new forums are up and re-mark it.
- 1. Frequently-Asked Questions - Each forum will have it's own FAQ section specifically devoted to the topic of the main forum. For example, the 'Engine FAQs' sub-forum will include things like "What's the difference between a 360 and a 390?".
2. Archives - As the forums get pruned down, we'll be trying to maintain 90 days or so of regular topic discussion in each forum. Once we reach that threshold, all threads older than 90 days will be read by either myself or a moderator to judge content. If the thread contains useful information, it'll be transferred to the archives. If not, it'll get deleted.
3. Links - The third sub-forum will be links that directly pertain to the main forum subject....that is, the 'Engine Links' sub-forum will be a good listing of links to anything to do with Engines, including info on other sites, vendors, etc.
...which leads me to the next 'upgrade'. With the forums getting as busy as they are, I've decided that it's time to enlist some volunteer help. That is, we'll be getting some additional Moderators. I'll be tentatively adding three new Mods unless I see the need for one or two more, and each will be assigned to a specific forum (or two). The new Mods will have additional duties/abilities in that forum only...in the other forums they'll be regular users. I've spoken with the three I'll be adding and each have agreed to the new responsibilities, but I'm going to hold off announcing who they are until the software upgrades are done and we're on the new platform.
I'm tentatively planning on spending Sunday doing a final test conversion run and getting everything set up for the the big upgrade. Once I determine that everything's going to go smoothly, I'll set a date for the forum downtime so that there will be time to announce it and give everyone time to save their important PM's. I'll be posting progress reports as needed on the front page of the site (www.fordification.com), so if you attempt to access the forums and see they're offline, you can check the site's front page to get an idea of the timeframe expected when things will be re-enabled.
Anyway, I'll definitely appreciate your patience during this upgrade, as I'm sure I won't be getting much sleep!
Heck, I might even be able to spend some time with the kids for a change...I understand my oldest started first grade last week! 
i sometimes forget what threads i have posted in and that feature is a neat reminder for the mentally challenged such as myself.
It's VERY likely that you all aren't going to get the 7-day advance warning before the upgrade, like I previously mentioned. I might just have to seize the moment when it arises. So...as I mentioned, if you try to get to the forums and see they're offline, do a quick check of the site's front page to see if there's a notice posted there.
