New Forum

[Heuer]

Welcome to the new and updated Forum. You may ask why we did this as the old Forum was working perfectly so I will try and give you some insight.

The phpBB2 software that runs the Forum has not been supported since about 2009 and as a result its features and security were out of date. I had always reckoned on upgrading to the very latest phpBB V3 software and I did have a test Forum working on a NAS some time ago. What really prevented me doing so were the problems both E-Type UK and ourselves were experiencing with our web host Not only were there frequent periods of the Forum being unavailable but we were also unable to get them to give us FTP access to the Forum files. In effect we were being held to ransom and having to pay for even the most insignificant change. When Marcus Holland took over E Type UK he quickly made his mind up to move his web site to another host which has now been done. The Forum however was a whole different problem because without FTP access it was going to be very difficult to save anything and the current host was due to pull the plug before the end of this month. I did have regular database backups but the V2 software required both that and the file structure. Marcus's tech guy did get most of the way to cloning and reassembling the V2 software but it was still going to require considerable work to upgrade with, what we know in hindsight, was a very corrupted database indeed. I managed to enthuse the phpBB development people after explaining our predicament and they spent an entire day, with me alongside via internet relay chat, to debug/clean the database and convert it intact to be ported immediately into phpBB3.1.9. Everything has been saved, they advised me on various other jobs I should look at doing and late last night the new database was ready.

The new look may take some getting used to but it is laptop, phone and tablet friendly. Over the coming weeks Marcus and his team will be creating a new 'skin' to match their web site and adding back the Club and web site links on the header. If you have any thoughts on styles feel free to post them here but for the moment I have no intention of changing the structure.

We came very close to losing everything and I did not have it in me to start afresh and try and recreate everything we have built over the last 8 years. The Forum is now safe for future generations and tonight will be the first good sleep I have had in ages!

[ralphr1780]

To David and others behind the screen, many thanks for the job done and that you keep on doing to maintain this great forum running.
I will have a toast this evening to all good health and safe drive!

[Heuer]

And, I am delighted to say, members can once again upload their avatars to the Forum directly rather than via other means

[mgcjag]

Great work David....very much appreciated.... Steve

[vrracing]

Very nicely done!

Any chance the "View posts since your last visit" will return? Loved that.

Jim

[Heuer]

It is there and more. Click on the 'hamburger' menu top left aka 'Quick links' and it is there.

Don't be afraid to play and dig around as you will find quite a few features that have not been available before. If you find anything amiss let me know and I will try and resolve the problem. If someone could upload an Avatar it would be good to see if it works. Search is there although it is currently building its database; attachments, which we did not have before, are not working yet; I probably need to add some more Similes; I may try some different styles (look and feel) over the next few days. Work in progress.

If you have any suggestions add them to the thread - it is your Forum, I am just the grease monkey!

[nefematic]

David thank you! I will not try to imagine how I would manage my hobby without this forum. I appreciate your work and the support others put forward to keep it up.

Martin

[vee12eman]

Hi David.
Let me please add my thanks to you and all that worked to make this happen. Much appreciated and I look forward to many more years of the fantastic help this forum has offered.

Regards,

Simon

[Simon P]

Particularly pleased to see the return of the ability to go straight to posts loaded since your last visit. I might even join Ralph in having a slice of toast tonight to celebrate!

More to the point, I might even finally sort myself out an Avatar....

Simon

[PeterCrespin]

Thanks for the work David. As the admin of a creaking relic based on unstable archictecture, I applaud your energy and efforts.

Pete

[Heuer]

Delighted to do it Pete - it seems your D-Type avatar has gone (my apologies) so maybe you can reinstate it. Care to experiment?

[abowie]

Adding my thanks for all your hard work.

[djw61]

Thank you David for all of the hard work. It is much appreciated by all of us who benefit from the forum.
(Another) David

[christopher storey]

David, I am sorry this has given you all such grief, but thanks to you and to E type UK for the great service of this board

[kingzetts]

David, may I add my thanks for all you have done and are doing. I visit this forum every day and I would sorely miss it were it to disappear.

[Bob.]

That's another big thank you from me David.
(Glad you left the message with the new address on jag-lovers)

[Heuer]

The old address was supposed to still work but we discovered it was not doing so late yesterday afternoon. It should be working again on Monday.

[1954Etype]

Well done David, l know how hard you have worked and also the amount of time invested by you and the guys from E type UK. Huge thanks to you all.

[Heuer]

I have added some style options for you to choose from. If you don't like the current look and feel of the 'prosilver' style you can change it to one that maybe more to your liking. Here how:

Click on your username at top right of the board
Click User Control Panel
Click Board preferences tab
Go to 'My Board Preferences drop down
Choose your style - currently - prosilver or we_clearblue or we_universal
Click submit and see what you think.

I will add more styles over the weekend. The we_universal style is probably closest to the old Forum.

[Tony]

Great work, I like it.