New website layout is a downgrade

[timm525]

Hello Team!

I for one hate the iPhone mobile version and rarely use it. I’m not sure how to even go to the desktop version on it, it that is even an option? Thankfully my iPad is on the desktop version and fully functional. I can’t see on the mobile version if I’m logged in and I don’t have any access to the Admin Control Panel.

Sadly, all of us are at the mercy of what the software developer creates and ultimately gives us. Years ago we were running the vBulletin software platform which at the time was, I think, the premiere forum software you could run. It was immensely powerful and gave admins and board creators almost endless options to include almost every kind of third part plug-in that expanded your capabilities beyond belief. Chris, KaeptnCaipi, did an outstanding job with that software and I truly believe we had a much better board. The only issue was the folks at vB got greedy. I don’t know if they got new owners or what created it but most of their support staff that was on their own help forum for years with many thousands of posts, (yes I know, none had millions like I do and therefore weren’t as dedicated) that only licensed owners could be a part of to ask questions and get help, they were immensely nasty at deleting threads and permanently banning anyone that they found out didn’t hold an active license even just to ask the simplest of questions, the support staff up got disgruntled and left. Add to that vB started with forced licensing upgrades, for a fee of course, with every revision as an attempt to make a money grab. In the end, they ended up destroying what was once a great forum platform to run.

Chris, Ferrariman and I, and perhaps James, not sure of the time frame anymore, talked about switching to this forum to escape the vB nonsense. We agreed as it seemed at the time to be a much simpler, scaled down, forum software platform. And I will say it is. This forum is very user friendly and easy to navigate for admins on the control panel. For vB, you damn near had to be an advanced computer programmer for NASA to understand how to get it all to work. Kudos to those that do understand it, I never quite did. 

I’ve heard vB has gotten better over the years after we’ve left it behind, but I’m not ready to abandon this software and make another radical change to our forum just yet. All of us hate change and bitch over minor changes.  Nor am I ready to try and learn another forum platform. I have a more then full time salaried job and this is just a part time leisurely hobby. I remember how much Chris worked his butt off staying on top of all the new versions and upgrades and workarounds for all the plug ins we had that stopped working with every new revision. No thanks. 

Let’s hang in there with this software unless things become really unbearable.  

I appreciate everyone’s feedback, comments and support. We will always strive to make this board the best we can be for everyone’s enjoyment to the extent that we can.

Sincerely, “The Front Office” 

And I thank you all for your support. 

[Glades]

My impression is that by now the laptop/PC version works the same as before. Thus, everything is fine.
I hardly ever use the cell phone for the forum. There is actually the issue with the notifications. Maybe this can be solved, maybe it remains. For me both is o.k.

[Robbie C.]

3 minutes ago, Glades said:

My impression is that by now the laptop/PC version works the same as before. Thus, everything is fine.
I hardly ever use the cell phone for the forum. There is actually the issue with the notifications. Maybe this can be solved, maybe it remains. For me both is o.k.

There are some minor differences, but nothing huge now (at least with the desktop version). Like Glades, I mostly use desktop so it's not an issue for me. The phone version will likely stay messed up because that seems to be the way of things.

In terms of phone notifications, I can view them so long as there's only one notification. As soon as it's two or more, it doesn't work. And of course you don't have access to any of your PMs or notifications on the phone version (and at least in iOS changing to the desktop version doesn't work...so I suspect it's coded into the software).

[ViceFanMan]

Basically the iPhone/Android/cell phone version is weird and not too cool. A lot of the options are not on there, like they still  are on a computer version. The problem for me is my job doesn’t have me sitting in an office behind a computer all day long. And right now my personal laptop at home is dead, LOL.  So, a lot of my time on the forum is on my cell phone. Although, sometimes I can get on my work laptop if I have the time.  However, I have learned to maneuver things and figure it out a little bit on the cell phone version.  It’s not as good as it used to be by any means, but I am making it work.