A new Cafe message board is coming

[Scott Tichenor]

Dan Beimborn and I have been working diligently for about six weeks researching, installing and testing new forum software. The moderators have had a chance to jump in and test it out a bit and although we don't have an exact launch date, it's a good time to make the announcement. I'm guessing we're about two weeks away but can't be sure.

Message boards have come a long way since this version of 2002, which was launched literally on fumes, as I'd been run off of four different internet service providers for taking up too much processing power and was ready to pull the plug on it. Without Dan jumping in, we'd not be at this point and I'm grateful for his continued expertise and support.

We've selected VBulletin, probably the most popular and robust forum software available, and is driving tens of thousands of forums across the web. The capability and options in the new software is nothing short of mind boggling, but the board itself is very familiar in many ways.

We would have already launched this new message board by now but there's one minor hitch. Most sites start over when new forum software is selected. We've chosen a different route. Read on...

A very short feature list includes:

- All user names, passwords and personal account information, posts, images and attachments from existing board will be imported into new software

Partial feature list:
- Ability to rate threads
- Ability to "tag" threads with keywords to assist searching
- Ability to upload six images at a time per post
- Auto-thumbnailing of larger images to conserve space, usability and download time
- Personal image "album" in your control panel where you can post personal photos
- Individual 'ignore list' where you can block your ability to see posts or receive contact from members you wish to never seen again (sorry, excludes moderators and administrators)
- Special dynamic menus that allow you to access features without having to leave the page
- Collapsing forum controls: allows you to see only those areas of interest to you
- New post searches as in current board but now extended to guests
- Easy ability to collectively view all of your own posts or those made by other individuals
- Personal contacts and friends lists capabilities in your personal Control Panel
- Improved overall board layout, readability, usability
- Ability to search by posts or by threads
- Capability to create our own 'social groups' -- still under evaluation
- Searchable board FAQ (how to use the board, features, etc.)
- Ability to automatically pull in news feeds from other mandolin related web sites like JazzMando and others
- Polls
- Personal blogs (not activated--will evaluate after launch)
- Community Calendar (not activated--will evaluate after launch)

Much more, but that's enough. So, stay tuned. We're well aware of the shortcomings of this current forum and will be as happy as the rest of you to kiss those good-bye.

[Chris Biorkman]

Sounds great. Keep up the good work.

[Pete Braccio]

Hi Scott,

That's a pretty impressive list of features. I can't wait to see the results.

Thanks,
Pete

[TonyP]

wow, I'd read from the mods that there was something new coming. But I'll be honest, as one of the fat dumb and happy, I thought the "old" forum was just fine. Can't wait to see what happens with the new one. Hope it goes smoothly as I'd hate to see headaches for you and Dan, and can't hardly live without my Cafe fix.

[bradeinhorn]

awesome. way to go guys. it sounds great.

[mandopete]

Scott and Dan rock!

[steve V. johnson]

Wonderful! Thanks! It looks as tho importing the past and present may be a really big job, so thanks so much for that!

Much appreciation to Scott and to all our wise and wondeful moderators!

stv

[Jim Garber]

Hi Scott and Dan and Staff:
Great news!! Sounds like a good decision.Running a small board and a bunch of hosted blogs myself I sort of know what is involved tho can't imagine what is involved in porting all the posts and photos over to the new board.

Good Luck!!

[F5GRun]

Sounds awesome. Thanks everyone at the cafe for the great site and hard work!

[Spruce]

"It looks as tho importing the past and present may be a really big job, so thanks so much for that!"


OK, as a mandolin maker, take yourself back to 1975.

The total amount of written knowledge about how to build an F5 mandolin was contained on two 8 x 11 sheets of paper... #
(The Morgan plans).

That's not an exaggeration...
That was all the info that was out there until Roger wrote his book....

Now, look at all the info that is contained on these wonderful pages...

You could easily kill a full day learning how the points on a Loar were executed...

You could spend a week groking all the wonderful close-up photos of Loars in one thread alone....

You have some of the finest mandolin makers working today chipping in on a regular basis on how they do their magic....

So-ooo, a big giant "thanks" to Scott, Dan, and all for providing this forum...

And, even more importantly, for preserving that body of knowledge so that future generations of mandolin builders to come will have it at their fingertips...

[herbsandspices]

Thanks Scott & Dan! vBulletin forums are awesome.
john

[Kevin K]

Can't wait. Thanks for all the work you all put into it.

[Sean Greer]

Can't wait. #Thanks for all the work you all put into it.

Great work Scott and Dan. Just so you know that it's not a thankless job: Thank you!

[billkilpatrick]

must be an enormous program to do all that - "awesome" is not hyperbole! bless it and all those who sail in 'er.

[CES]

Thanks for all of your work, guys...I really tend to shy away from forums but have made an exception for the Cafe based on the quality of he people, information, and "governing powers" involved. I hope it the transition goes smoothly for you guys from a work standpoint, and thanks for preserving all of the information contained herein!

[woodwizard]

It just keeps gettin' better ... good work

[Ken Olmstead]

Uh oh! Your moving my cheese?! #Oh well, doctors who are experts in age related diseses say that computer system changes are one of the best ways of creating the perfect type of "frustration state" that develope duplicate neuropathways and delay the effects of certain nuero problems like Alzheimer's. So thanks Scott and Dan for watching out for our mental health!!

Seriously, I really appreciate what you guys do for us!!

[weleetkaoutlaws]

Thanks for all you guys do!

VBulletin is awesome, customizable, and easy to use.

Congrats...and thanks again.

[Timbofood]

INcredible work guys! I am looking forward to trying to figure out how to use the new site with as much nail biting excitment as I did the old one.
Spruce, You just jogged a ton of memories with your post, Working in a music store just out of High school, learning about all the things you poasted and the "business" of bluegrass/folk music! How far it has all come still amazes me

[Rick Schmidlin]

Sounds Great, Thanks

[Mike Bunting]

Thanks guys and I hope this makes it easier for you. This site is one of the great reasons to own a computer.

[Bob Wiegers]

many many thanks guys. one question: will links to old posts still work? like from my blog, for example, not to mention those linking from one post to another. if so, even more thanks, as that'll be a nifty trick.

[MikeEdgerton]

Scott can correct me if I'm wrong but I can almost guarantee the the links to search threads will not work. The links to individual threads may not either. I plan on spending 24/7 for the next 20 years trying to fix them all.

[Scott Tichenor]

many many thanks guys. one question: will links to old posts still work? like from my blog, for example, not to mention those linking from one post to another. if so, even more thanks, as that'll be a nifty trick.

External links pointing at the old board will continue to work because the plan is to leave the board where it is, as it is, and set to read only. The new forum resides at a totally different web address we'll reveal at launch.

Auto-redirection of external or internal links to the new forum is doubtful and problematic in my mind. Leaving the old forum in place assures no broken links and preserves ability to locate content, and with everything else we have to do to pull this off we'll proceed without addressing that unless a dead simple solution presents itself. That change, if possible, can be handled at a later date.

[cooper4205]

Scott can correct me if I'm wrong but I can almost guarantee the the links to search threads will not work. The links to individual threads may not either. I plan on spending 24/7 for the next 20 years trying to fix them all.

you don't want all of that hard work to go to waste