The Future of FTO
- Thread starter Marc_C
- Start date
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
I thought that the succession plan is already in place?
James and I had offline discussions with admin a year ago. There’s essentially zero marginal $ cost in maintaining FTO as it’s on the same server as Grand Adventure. The latter surely consumes most of the bandwidth with a new video every week.
If FTO fails it will likely be due to irreparable damage to the phpBB software.
As this ski season wraps up, it’s a good idea to back up any TRs/posts you want to save.
If FTO fails it will likely be due to irreparable damage to the phpBB software.
As this ski season wraps up, it’s a good idea to back up any TRs/posts you want to save.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
Took me a couple months to do, but I backed up all my FTO TRs to NY Ski Forum -- of course, I didn't copy other members' follow-up comments that followed each TR but so it goes. Harv's site is now on XenForo, likely to be the last hardware left standing. He's pledged that his forum will exist as long as he's alive and I believe him.Tony Crocker":3r1xkmds said:
q
Member
Man I hope this doesn't disappear. It's probably the only forum that I actively participate on as the resorts visited by many are places I have either been to or want to go to in the PNW primarily.
The only other forum I check in on is the Big Sky and Snowbowl threads on TGR but I don't post as it seems to be a bit of a weed smoking clique on that platform.
The only other forum I check in on is the Big Sky and Snowbowl threads on TGR but I don't post as it seems to be a bit of a weed smoking clique on that platform.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
There aren't many of us left but we all seem to have a similar opinion -- that the quality of info/discussion here is worth keeping; however, I'm sure that the dodo bird felt the same way about its relative value.q":16ufvw9f said:
I second this. This is the best place for me to actually get a report about skiing (as opposed to holiday reports with some skiing). The reports are also from posters who report from the ski hills I’m interested in.q":3urdgddt said:
It’s a nice diversion while my sanity is being tested. It could be a while before I can actually travel to ski.
Hey I can help if Admin gives me an editable clickable sig. \
/
I am no expert at this stuff but I think switching to Xenforo might be easier than imagined. I BELIEVE you can convert from your EXISTING version of phpBB to the current version of XF without too much hassle.
Join the support forum:
and post your question.
Read this thread:
xenforo.com
/I am no expert at this stuff but I think switching to Xenforo might be easier than imagined. I BELIEVE you can convert from your EXISTING version of phpBB to the current version of XF without too much hassle.
Join the support forum:
and post your question.
Read this thread:
Is there software to convert Phpbb to Xenforo?
Hello I currently have a community forum built on phpbb and i want to transfer it to xenforo. Before buying the xenforo license I would like to ask if there is any software where to run the whole process automatically without losing anything. Note: My community is not very large, but has a few...
xenforo.com
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jamesdeluxe
Administrator
That's what makes this worth doing!Marc_C said:
EMSC
Well-known member
Marc_C said:
Bottoms out at just under a hundred in the summer and picks up to a few hundred in the winter. Obviously most are not 'active' users (eg posting stuff). That's per Google analytics (it emails me monthly still, from way way back when I was trying to assist Marc in such stuff many years ago). Vast majority are direct access users (eg not accidental web searchers).
My experience with this: my forum software was really really crappy, and free. There was no way to convert it without doing some expensive work.
Ultimately I ended up taking a pure html copy of the old forums, more than ten years worth. It's completely non functional as a forum, and unfortunately all the DATES are gone from everything. You have to use Google to search the non-functional archive. If you know what you are looking for you'll probably find it.
But I have it, and NABBLE is out of my life forever.
XF is super easy to set up. I think it's $175 the first year and $55 each year after. Support is good, and there are tons of active members who help. XF is pretty good with bug fixes, but they assume in the forums that you know everything about their amazing product. It can be humbling.
Personally, I think if Tony applied himself here, he could get a new Xenforo with all the old content and users intact. If it turns out I'm wrong, then you could take the bail out I did, with the html backup.
Take a look at the link to the NYSB Nabble Archives at the bottom of the page:
nyskiblog.com
Not fantastic, but way better than losing it.
Ultimately I ended up taking a pure html copy of the old forums, more than ten years worth. It's completely non functional as a forum, and unfortunately all the DATES are gone from everything. You have to use Google to search the non-functional archive. If you know what you are looking for you'll probably find it.
But I have it, and NABBLE is out of my life forever.
XF is super easy to set up. I think it's $175 the first year and $55 each year after. Support is good, and there are tons of active members who help. XF is pretty good with bug fixes, but they assume in the forums that you know everything about their amazing product. It can be humbling.
Personally, I think if Tony applied himself here, he could get a new Xenforo with all the old content and users intact. If it turns out I'm wrong, then you could take the bail out I did, with the html backup.
Take a look at the link to the NYSB Nabble Archives at the bottom of the page:
NYSkiBlog Forums
Our Northeast Ski Forums cover the Adirondacks, Catskills, Tug Hill, Central NY, VT. Skiing, trip reports, weather, conditions, gear and life. All of it baby.
nyskiblog.com
Not fantastic, but way better than losing it.
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Oct. 12 was the day after Adam and Alexa's family only wedding, and the next day we flew to South Carolina for the celebration festivities Oct. 15-16. Nonetheless I joined the Xenforo user forum, and someone there reached out to assist.
I returned home to 3 Dodger NLCS games and not long thereafter the surprise Mammoth opening.
I resumed correspondence this week with the Xenforo tech guy, who agrees with Harvey that a Xenforo conversion is likely to be clean with automated migration of old forum content including picture attachments. Feature articles and a FTO home page are not automated but are feasible to convert via Wordpress.
We're now at the point where admin's assistance is needed, but I'm optimistic that it will not consume all that much of his time.
I returned home to 3 Dodger NLCS games and not long thereafter the surprise Mammoth opening.
I resumed correspondence this week with the Xenforo tech guy, who agrees with Harvey that a Xenforo conversion is likely to be clean with automated migration of old forum content including picture attachments. Feature articles and a FTO home page are not automated but are feasible to convert via Wordpress.
We're now at the point where admin's assistance is needed, but I'm optimistic that it will not consume all that much of his time.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
Tony Crocker said:
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Per James' request, I've moved all the technical comments about photos, smileys, formats, changes/losses during the conversion process here.
He believes this thread should be reserved literally for comments about "The Future of FTO."
He believes this thread should be reserved literally for comments about "The Future of FTO."
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
The point of my request was to make it easier for other people planning to move to XF to see any lessons learned/best practices from the FTO experience. As Tony mentioned, Harv's prediction about a relatively easy conversion from php has, at least from the cheap seats, verified. It's too bad that Harv wasn't able do the same other than saving ten years of NY Ski Forum as a non-searchable file. But at least he has that -- as my stepfather used to say, "better than a snowbank."
sierra_cement
Member
Just logged in today after a while to read up on some content. I think I might submit a trip report or two this season since it's a bit easier in this forum software. Thank you for upgrading it. I don't have much to contribute but I really find the information here quite valuable.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
Tony, as "super admin," what's your early verdict on XenForo? As a garden-variety user, it's obviously a huge improvement compared to php and a relief not to get any more of those error screens/below. As mentioned back-channel, I was a fan of php's font/look-and-feel on the previous forum, but that's quibbling.
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