Feedback wanted... potentially different forum software for TGO.

[TGO David]

Hey gang...

As you may have read in my post about the issues we've been experiencing since upgrading to vBulletin 4.1.4 and in keeping with my general distaste for vBulletin 4.x as a whole, I am thinking very seriously about converting the TGO forums over to a different software suite.

I have waffled back and forth about this for the past year (at least) but recently the guys over at Invision Power have released a preview of the upcoming next generation Invision Power Board and, frankly, it has blown me away. I feel it is a much more polished, leaner, cleaner forum software than vBulletin and reports from others who have swapped to IPB in the past suggest it runs much faster than vBulletin 4.x does.

I'd love your input on this since a swap of the magnitude would be a pretty big undertaking. TGO's forum database is HUGE and converting to new software would require at least a day's worth of downtime and would have a little bit of a learning curve for all of us.

You can see the IPB preview site here: IPS Community Forum

Just take a look around as a guest, or sign up for an account and use their test forum to try out the software if you feel like doing that. Then let me know what you think about it in this thread.

Meanwhile, I'll be trying to squash bugs with vBulletin.

Thanks!

[gunrunner32]

I like how it's set up with the tabs across the top. I can't see how the chat feature works, my iPad won't let it load. For those who use it, will tapatalk work with the new software?

[Oh Shoot]

I'm on dialup right now (for a week every 6 or 8 weeks). I know nobody can really program to optimize for that anymore, but FWIW, the IPS site is significantly slower right now than TGO (both to fire up initially and when opening forums, etc), so wondering if proportionally the same on broadband?

Might be more due to server hosting or something than the software though, no way for me to know.

- OS

[mikegideon]

I'm on dialup right now (for a week every 6 or 8 weeks). I know nobody can really program to optimize for that anymore, but FWIW, the IPS site is significantly slower right now than TGO (both to fire up initially and when opening forums, etc), so wondering if proportionally the same on broadband?

Might be more due to server hosting or something than the software though, no way for me to know.

- OS

Seems pretty snappy here. Did you blow out your cache before you made the comparison? TGO could be "cheating".

[Daniel]

One of my other daily forums is IPB. It has a great mobile skin in "IP.Board Mobile". It supports tapatalk but it is really not needed with that skin.

[mikegideon]

I prefer a skin. Makes more sense to me than another ap.

[Oh Shoot]

Seems pretty snappy here. Did you blow out your cache before you made the comparison? TGO could be "cheating".

No, didn't. Just a quick initial comment, maybe too quick, dunno. And again, I understand that dialup isn't probably fair to even bring up. Matter of fact, if that's all I had, wouldn't even be on the web much, be back to UseNet.

As far as vBulletin, though, seems most of the biggest sites I ever frequent still use it, but latest version I've seen is 4.1.3, and many are still on a 3x version, so seems plain that the sudden bugs are due to the 4.1.4 version. The lagging may have been incidental to the change -- seemed to have mostly gone back to normal sometime yesterday.

- OS

[Guest friesepferd]

will get a login and try it out in a bit.

in the mean time, does it have a good "new posts" list? Cuz thats always when I use.

edit: found the 'new content'. It looks like it is a whole lot better actually. i approve.

One thing you should research if you have not already, are other peoples reviews.

The edition you are look at now may be the awesome, but how good at they at fixing bugs and updating things in a good way?

Edited June 30, 2011 by friesepferd

[Daniel]

No, didn't. Just a quick initial comment, maybe too quick, dunno. And again, I understand that dialup isn't probably fair to even bring up. Matter of fact, if that's all I had, wouldn't even be on the web much, be back to UseNet.

As far as vBulletin, though, seems most of the biggest sites I ever frequent still use it, but latest version I've seen is 4.1.3, and many are still on a 3x version, so seems plain that the sudden bugs are due to the 4.1.4 version. The lagging may have been incidental to the change -- seemed to have mostly gone back to normal sometime yesterday.

- OS

Not as many people on during the day also.

[Fallguy]

One of my other daily forums is IPB. It has a great mobile skin in "IP.Board Mobile". It supports tapatalk but it is really not needed with that skin.

Yep...and that definetly is one advantage..

[Oh Shoot]

Not as many people on during the day also.

True, but it was much better last night than last couple days at any time.

- OS

[Jonnin]

Performance is the key to whether I will hang around on a web site. This one is fine as is, faster is better. The flash/script/etc heavy pages that take more than 1 second to load drive me nuts. As long as the site is not slowed to a crawl you should do whatever you think is best; you are the one who must do the work after all. I am not super web-technical but I don't see why you have to shut down to migrate, though. Seems like the new software should just run as a low priority job in the background for a week, then switch it over once it has copied what it needs from the data store. If you must, shutting down for one day is no big deal, though I would try to not shut down on a weekend as activity seems to kick up for those. Even if shut down for a full week, it wouldnt be that big a deal, I think most users would rather have the best site possible even if it means a little down time once in a while.

[Raoul]

Have you looked at MYBB ?

[G27]

I'm kinda liking Simple Machines as a VB alternative...

[bigwakes]

The new site seems to load a little faster via IPhone and the mobile skin is a nice touch. Went to the full site and it functions well with the iPhone too.

[Guest ArmyVeteran37214]

David, this site is your baby! What you choose to do with it is up to you. Either way, I'll keep visiting TGO.

[Lumber_Jack]

I really like the mobile skin. Tapatalk works ok, but can only load about 60 threads at a time and sometimes struggles to refresh for new posts. I have had several instances this week where TGO time out and wouldn't load. Also had quick reply hang ups the OhShoot posted about. If the new software gets rig of that buggy stuff, I say go for it, we'll adjust

[TGO David]

Seems like the new software should just run as a low priority job in the background for a week, then switch it over once it has copied what it needs from the data store.

It really doesn't work that way. The conversion has to be done in sequence and with the data quiesced.

[jcj]

IPBoard is superior to vB, IMHO. I haven't particularly liked vBulletin 4.x. Also, the vB company seems more interested in your $$ than in making sure the software works reliably.

I don't know what's "under the hood" server-wise powering TGO. I imagine it's at least a powerful VPS if not a dedicated box.

In any case, my vote goes to IPB or perhaps even SMF.

[TGO David]

We've maxed out our VPS options with the current hosting company, but it's still a VPS competing for resources against whomever else is on the physical host. I'll either move us to a VMware based VPS or to a dedicated server entirely when we make the next move.

[jcj]

We've maxed out our VPS options with the current hosting company, but it's still a VPS competing for resources against whomever else is on the physical host. I'll either move us to a VMware based VPS or to a dedicated server entirely when we make the next move.

One of my VPS boxes is a VMWare VPS. I like it. The rest are either Xen or openvz. VMware>Xen>OpenVZ is my order of preference when it comes to performance and stability, assuming the hardware node is similarly configured. Of course, dedicated is the way to go if the expense is manageable.

I don't have anything hosted there, but Joe's Datacenter usually has some good low end dedicated prices if you decide to look into that option.

[safeandsecure]

Your house, Brother. Do as pleases you. I just appreciate the opportunity to visit.