Better software for this forum

The forum software used by Dreamhost is to say the least horrid. There is no way to easily see new posts, or what sections there are new posts in. It doesn't remember which posts I've already read etc. This probably all goes to reduce the number of people who actively participate on the forum.

Can we please switch to something like Invision Power Board?

I'd be happy to volunteer my time to migrate the content/user accounts of the current forum to a new forum package.

Oddly, I assumed that DH had created this software in house, which would explain why it was used, so was very supprised to hear that it's an off the shelf package.

Rhino

There's plenty of chatter on this around if you wanna read through. I'm sure it's on the todo list somewhere but a lot of people are fine with this minimalist environment.

It does everything you say it doesn't by the way, so I'm a bit confused. May not do it as IPB does but you'll figger it out soon enough I'm sure.

jason

Hi Jason,

Interesting, as I was thinking the same thing as the OP. Can you please show me how I can see all posts since my last visit? That would make things so much easier.

Ta,
Lance

"see all posts since my last visit" ?!?! That's new-fangled board talk :D

I was referring to the main forum page that shows the new posts in the posts column (# new) and the "View recent messages" strip across the top for 24 hrs, 48hrs, 7 days. Once you drill down into a forum the threads with new posts are clearly marked.

jason

Uh huh,

Thanks. It's an imporvement to what I was doing, but still lacking imho. :)

Lance

rhinosw:
> The forum software used by Dreamhost is to say the least horrid. There is no way to easily see new posts, or what sections there are new posts in. It doesn't remember which posts I've already read etc. This probably all goes to reduce the number of people who actively participate on the forum.

Jeff must have burning fingers or ears in his sales office.

You do need to login first. Then you easily see new posts/sections, and have it remember which posts you've already read. Does IBB use a non-login, persistent cookies to keep track?

Also, you can play with profile settings (display preferences) to adjust some things to suit your tastes better.

> I assumed that DH had created this software in house, which would explain why it was used, so was very supprised to hear that it's an off the shelf package.

user919:

> There's plenty of chatter on this around if you wanna read through. I'm sure it's on the todo list somewhere but a lot of people are fine with this minimalist environment.

Here's a thread where Jeff says something about why wwwthreads, perl version was chosen.

Here's another where Jeff invites discussion of suggestions for new forum software.


And don't forget to use the suggestion voting function in the panel too.

Cheers,

BobS

I actually quite like this software. The main page displays clearly what forums have new posts and threads, and it's simple, easy to use, and not cluttered.

But I also have a prejudice against Invision Power Board. :p I don't know what the problem was since I was not an administrator, but I've been a user of it at two different forums that were both down more often than they were up while using IPB. Maybe it's improved since then, but I'd be very leery if the DH honchos started talking about switching to it.