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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum?
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TOPIC: Re:OK, what do you think about this forum?
#1028109
BubbaKahuna (User)
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OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
After checking out literally dozens of different platforms for a new forum I've funneled my personal choice down to this one.
There are a lot of very good forum software packages, this one would not only meet all our current needs but add many features that members have requested for a long time.

They have a free version that we'd have to manage & a cloud version that is less than $250/year.
So, basically we could have one of the most powerful forums available for the cost of a couple dozen people paying the equivalent of a burger & a soda at your favorite pub ($10/year). This would be for a site moving 25GB of bandwidth/month. I'd be surprised if the current board moves even close to that. There are other packages available if we ever go higher than that, the next level is 75GB bandwidth/month for $40/month.

10 Reasons I really like this one:

1. It's a very well established forum platform that is proven in 10s of thousands of site.
2. They offer a cloud based version that is automatically updated regularly & backed up daily.
3. This cloud based platform is the lowest cost 'paid' full-featured board I've seen.
4. IT INCLUDES MOBILE APPS for both iOS & Android!
5. For anyone managing content & front end work on the site, it's extremely easy to do.
6. For users, it's super powerful with advanced editing of styles.
7. It INCLUDES IMAGE HOSTING that is completely DRAG & DROP.
8. The number of features included are far more than I want to cut & paste here. I'm just skimming the top.
9. I'm already a user on more than a couple forums using this platform & it's as user-friendly as it gets.
10. Current users include everyone from Pearl Jam to Sony to EA Games to NASA.


Check it out here:
https://www.vbulletin.com/en/
 
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This fits in here, right? I mean, I can make this fit in here ... right?

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#1028112
MikeyC (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
I like the sound of it, but I am no IT guy of any sort. Let's see what the guys that understand this stuff say.
 
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#1028113
brad_g (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
That looks like a viable option. Cloud hosted and letting them keep the software secure and up-to-date seems the best approach as I'm sure we're thin on those resources to begin with.

I'd be interested in how much data gets used. If it's as simple as drag n drop for photos that number may jump more than anticipated. I'm guessing our more savy tech users would know to scale photos down so they're smaller in size. But if someone starts dumping 3MB photos from their phone of their latest build with lots of detailed pics....multiplied by all of us who want to see it.....25GB might go faster than anticipated.

From a funding standpoint I'd work from the 75GB price and hope that 25GB is enough.
 
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#1028114
Jaybo (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
VBulletin is a no brainer when it comes to a forum software choice. back when I ran my website we used Simple Machines Forum software, basically because it was free and highly customizable. That bit me hard when the gal that wrote our site passed away. Anyway, Cloud based and auto updated and drag and drop pictures would fix most of the issues people have with the current software and also it will be mobile friendly with Tapatalk.

I like it!
 
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#1028115
Jaybo (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
I'd be interested in how much data gets used. If it's as simple as drag n drop for photos that number may jump more than anticipated. I'm guessing our more savy tech users would know to scale photos down so they're smaller in size. But if someone starts dumping 3MB photos from their phone of their latest build with lots of detailed pics....multiplied by all of us who want to see it.....25GB might go faster than anticipated.

I would imagine the software would resize it automatically. You can also set up auto thumbnails to also be generated so the whole pic is not downloaded every time. unregistered guests would only be able to see the thumbnail and not the whole photo as well. That's a real common thing on forums.
 
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#1028116
RSOkie (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
MikeyC wrote:
I like the sound of it, but I am no IT guy of any sort. Let's see what the guys that understand this stuff say.

I am like Mikey C, i too like the sound of it but when it comes IT, boards, building websites and such i am illiterate. I hate to say it but at the mercy of those that know, but willing to contribute any other way i possibly can. So here i sit
 
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#1028117
brad_g (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
Jaybo wrote:

I would imagine the software would resize it automatically. You can also set up auto thumbnails to also be generated so the whole pic is not downloaded every time. unregistered guests would only be able to see the thumbnail and not the whole photo as well. That's a real common thing on forums.


Ah..that makes sense. The only web stuff I've ever done was more a static site where I uploaded the content. So not as familiar with forum software.
 
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#1028118
BubbaKahuna (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
brad_g wrote:
That looks like a viable option. Cloud hosted and letting them keep the software secure and up-to-date seems the best approach as I'm sure we're thin on those resources to begin with.

I'd be interested in how much data gets used. If it's as simple as drag n drop for photos that number may jump more than anticipated. I'm guessing our more savy tech users would know to scale photos down so they're smaller in size. But if someone starts dumping 3MB photos from their phone of their latest build with lots of detailed pics....multiplied by all of us who want to see it.....25GB might go faster than anticipated.

From a funding standpoint I'd work from the 75GB price and hope that 25GB is enough.


I agree, bandwidth would be my only real concern.
I'm pretty sure only Gram can tell us the current bandwidth usage.
I'll have to do a little digging to see if the board software can automatically reduce the image size on upload.

As far as the upgraded cost for more B/W, we have one member who has pledged $250 just to make the conversion happen and many more who have expressed a willingness to give in the $20/year range. That would pay for the launch & hosting for the entire 1st year up-front.
Hopefully we can figure out a way to either sell non-intrusive advertising and possibly some merchandise to keep it going.
The now-defunct YamahaMotorcycleForum sold ad slugs that were along the side of the pages.
I've also seen forums where about every 5 posts in a thread were ads (it's less annoying than it sounds).

If we never use that much bandwidth the site could be downgraded to the lower priced package transparently.
Nobody would see anything different except the one paying the bill.
 
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Last Edit: 2018/01/30 11:49 By BubbaKahuna.
 
This fits in here, right? I mean, I can make this fit in here ... right?

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#1028119
Tykes_Place (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
VBulletin Cloud is the one I suggested in the "Options for RSC to continue, stay tuned." thread. I've worked VB on and off for years. Great platform.

It also has a "site builder", which means we should be able to transfer the other stuff like the tech articles.
 
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#1028121
Nocolorbrother (User)
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Re:OK, what do you think about this forum? 3 Weeks, 3 Days ago  
$10.00-$20.00 per year membership! I'm in for sure!
 
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