Questions regarding the upcoming transition

[Dyzz]

So like many other V4 admins, I got the message today saying the transition is happening later this month, and most likely like other admins, I'm concerned about how this will effect my forum, it's current layout and the months worth of coding and careful construction it had undergone to get to the point it is at now. My biggest concern is that I'll lose the layout completely, or it'll be messed up and not look as beautiful as it does now. Just Don't Cry Wolf has become my baby, and after spending a good three or four days on the current layout, and going through a lot to make it work right, I'd really like to know just how the transition will effect my coding and the current skin. I'd also like to know how hard it will be for members to walk through the transition. I have a lot of members who freak out at the littlest change, and panic about such things. I'd like to try and make the transition as smooth as possible for said members as well. If I could get some more information at just what the change will do to the forums, and how things will be changed up from a members point of view, I'd be extremely grateful.

Thank you

Dyzzie. 

[xstardustx]

V4-v5 was a big step for my forum. But I'm honestly liking it a lot better since each skin has it's own headers and footers and you can still make JUST as beautiful codes and graphics with V5. Have you considered getting a test forum and messing around with V5? Some codes from V4 won't work with V5. Such as the side tables. You would need a plugin to run it. You can still have wonderful side table images and such. I personally love V5 especially when making skins as you can see how the skin will look the moment you change the color because it has a window that you can watch the colors in. I highly suggest opening a test forum to move codes and plug ins. Then all you have to do is export it and inport it when your forum switches over. It will make for a smoother transition.

[nukestorm]

Was just about to come in to ask something similar to this.
Will we be able to do certain things like customise the forum structure?

[xstardustx]

Absolutely! You can resize your forum to any size you wish, and customize the gaps. Expand collapse categories will still work. It does take time to learn. I took the plunge, but if you aren't quite ready, if you go to admin-->then click the V5 thing you should be able to opt out until december 2013. However after that all forums automatically convert. It will give you time to mess around with V5s new style and learn it more thoroughly. I personally love it It just takes time and patience.

[Former Member]

@dyzz, I take it  your forum is  currently the V4 and not a test V5 of your V4! You will have all the codes stripped out on conversion and it will be back to basics as mine was. Taking a look at your forum, there is nothing that can't be copied again using the new V5 plugins and template adaptions. The coding is less than half of what it used to be, but you need to get your head around thevisual editor and template modifications via instruction from here.
I am now 4months after conversion, and you do start to feel comfortable with it, but you need to put the work in once again but in a different way. My forum is back to what it was, albeit frustration,and hard work. Members have taken to the new layout like a duck to water, I seem to be attracting more of them and visitors so all is not lost.

The 2 customize pages I have achieved boosts the forum, this is one area I thought I would never learn not being a whizz kid on computer coding, so it has given me a boost to crack on running a forum.

[Dyzz]

V4-v5 was a big step for my forum. But I'm honestly liking it a lot better since each skin has it's own headers and footers and you can still make JUST as beautiful codes and graphics with V5. Have you considered getting a test forum and messing around with V5? Some codes from V4 won't work with V5. Such as the side tables. You would need a plugin to run it. You can still have wonderful side table images and such. I personally love V5 especially when making skins as you can see how the skin will look the moment you change the color because it has a window that you can watch the colors in. I highly suggest opening a test forum to move codes and plug ins. Then all you have to do is export it and inport it when your forum switches over. It will make for a smoother transition.

I'll probably open up a test forum to get things practiced in, just so I can figure it all out, especially because I hear it's so different to do all the modification and skinning work. And all of my members thus far have asked me to opt out of the transition for as long as possible (and a handful have begged that we never have to do the transition -- had to explain it was inevitable). 

@dyzz, I take it  your forum is  currently the V4 and not a test V5 of your V4! You will have all the codes stripped out on conversion and it will be back to basics as mine was. Taking a look at your forum, there is nothing that can't be copied again using the new V5 plugins and template adaptions. The coding is less than half of what it used to be, but you need to get your head around thevisual editor and template modifications via instruction from here.
I am now 4months after conversion, and you do start to feel comfortable with it, but you need to put the work in once again but in a different way. My forum is back to what it was, albeit frustration,and hard work. Members have taken to the new layout like a duck to water, I seem to be attracting more of them and visitors so all is not lost.

That's what I'm afraid of. It took me so long to get all the coding for the site down and looking beautiful. It took me three years just to get the site set up, and then I'm constantly updating the looks and feels of JDCW to make it more approachable for potential members. The idea of having to restart it is truly terrifying me. I'm not entirely sure how to handle it. My biggest concern is from now till december I won't be comfortable enough with everything still, especially when it took me so long to get it set up in the first place. Hopefully I'm just freaking out more than need be.

[xstardustx]

I think you will find once you get the hang of it, there isn't much to worry about. lights-go-out.proboards.com/ thats a test site I use for my themes and you can still make wonderful skins If you ever get stuck in a rump, don't be afraid to post here. It honestly can be frustrating. Especially having to ask for help all the time, but the proboards staff really help get you through the transition nice and smooth.

[Skidjit]

Apr 4, 2013 4:26:47 GMT -8 Dyzz said:

So like many other V4 admins, I got the message today saying the transition is happening later this month, and most likely like other admins, I'm concerned about how this will effect my forum, it's current layout and the months worth of coding and careful construction it had undergone to get to the point it is at now. My biggest concern is that I'll lose the layout completely, or it'll be messed up and not look as beautiful as it does now. Just Don't Cry Wolf has become my baby, and after spending a good three or four days on the current layout, and going through a lot to make it work right, I'd really like to know just how the transition will effect my coding and the current skin. I'd also like to know how hard it will be for members to walk through the transition. I have a lot of members who freak out at the littlest change, and panic about such things. I'd like to try and make the transition as smooth as possible for said members as well. If I could get some more information at just what the change will do to the forums, and how things will be changed up from a members point of view, I'd be extremely grateful.

Thank you

Dyzzie. 

[Skidjit]

Apr 4, 2013 4:26:47 GMT -8 Dyzz said:

So like many other V4 admins, I got the message today saying the transition is happening later this month, and most likely like other admins, I'm concerned about how this will effect my forum, it's current layout and the months worth of coding and careful construction it had undergone to get to the point it is at now. My biggest concern is that I'll lose the layout completely, or it'll be messed up and not look as beautiful as it does now. Just Don't Cry Wolf has become my baby, and after spending a good three or four days on the current layout, and going through a lot to make it work right, I'd really like to know just how the transition will effect my coding and the current skin. I'd also like to know how hard it will be for members to walk through the transition. I have a lot of members who freak out at the littlest change, and panic about such things. I'd like to try and make the transition as smooth as possible for said members as well. If I could get some more information at just what the change will do to the forums, and how things will be changed up from a members point of view, I'd be extremely grateful.

Thank you

Dyzzie. 

Dyzzie, I'm with you 100%. I have only a handful of regular members. Most of them don't deal with the slightest little change very well at all. Sounds like you know the freakout that I've gone through at just the mention of a change with our regular/current site. And if that one member goes, I'm afraid other's will post less and less as time goes by until nothing. So, I see the death of my site in view.

I came here to also start a thread asking if half of the things on the list of upgrades is a choice. I mean, there are certain details I am adamant that I do NOT want to be part of my site. So... after I look around to see if someone else has not already made that thread... I might be making my request sometime today.

However! It's a good idea to take a peek at the trial version.  They give you a duplicate of the site you already have. You can look around at the new things. I love several of the upgrades. You won't need to spend hours to create things the way you want them. It makes making skins so much easier than you could imagine. About a little over a week ago, I decided to see what this thing was all about. My problem was that once I gave to link to my members and urged them to take a look and even try out posting... They did peek in and say they like this or that. To date, only one signed in over there and NONE posted. They however are still posting daily over at my regular site. This is not good if they are not taking to the changes.

Good luck. I know I have a huge knot in my stomach.

[Brian]

If you have any questions about anything, the support staff are here all week to help you out.

I've mentioned it in other threads, but I've helped 4 different forums look exactly like their V4 counterparts. It's definitely possible to remake your layout, with much less hassle and much cleaner coding that loads faster.

The Layout Templates allow you to directly modify your forum's HTML, as opposed to having 20 different Javascript codes to make your forum look the same way. Plus, you don't get that awkward second or so while loading where you can see the default PB layout before the actual Javascript codes load.

[Skidjit]

Apr 4, 2013 8:52:40 GMT -8 Brian said:

If you have any questions about anything, the support staff are here all week to help you out.

I've mentioned it in other threads, but I've helped 4 different forums look exactly like their V4 counterparts. It's definitely possible to remake your layout, with much less hassle and much cleaner coding that loads faster.

The Layout Templates allow you to directly modify your forum's HTML, as opposed to having 20 different Javascript codes to make your forum look the same way. Plus, you don't get that awkward second or so while loading where you can see the default PB layout before the actual Javascript codes load.

I love the idea of loading faster. I'm going to go tinker around with my BetaZone site for a bit. It's been days since I've been over there to do anything much at all. Since it didn't go over too well with my members, I was going to abandon it. I guess since it's enevitable, I'd better get to work.

I have several questions about the PM sent to me this morning. It narrows down my list I need to check out myself insead of bugging people here first. I might just be getting into contact with you soon. Thanks so much.

My main question you might could help me with right now. I'd say about half of what was listed in the PM this morning I really do love. But I'd like options to OPT OUT of the other half of the changes. Will there be codes available here that will make those unwanted changes not take affect? At least later, if someday things change and I would like OPT IN, I could simply take out that code and enjoy. 

[Brian]

Apr 4, 2013 9:21:54 GMT -8 Skidjit said:

Apr 4, 2013 8:52:40 GMT -8 Brian said:

If you have any questions about anything, the support staff are here all week to help you out.

I've mentioned it in other threads, but I've helped 4 different forums look exactly like their V4 counterparts. It's definitely possible to remake your layout, with much less hassle and much cleaner coding that loads faster.

The Layout Templates allow you to directly modify your forum's HTML, as opposed to having 20 different Javascript codes to make your forum look the same way. Plus, you don't get that awkward second or so while loading where you can see the default PB layout before the actual Javascript codes load.

I love the idea of loading faster. I'm going to go tinker around with my BetaZone site for a bit. It's been days since I've been over there to do anything much at all. Since it didn't go over too well with my members, I was going to abandon it. I guess since it's enevitable, I'd better get to work.

I have several questions about the PM sent to me this morning. It narrows down my list I need to check out myself insead of bugging people here first. I might just be getting into contact with you soon. Thanks so much.

My main question you might could help me with right now. I'd say about half of what was listed in the PM this morning I really do love. But I'd like options to OPT OUT of the other half of the changes. Will there be codes available here that will make those unwanted changes not take affect? At least later, if someday things change and I would like OPT IN, I could simply take out that code and enjoy. 

You'll need to name some changes for me. I haven't read the PM myself as I only run test forums.

[Skidjit]

Ok. I'll make a list. Do I post those on this person's thread, or on a new one or what? It'll take me a few minutes.

[Brian]

Apr 4, 2013 10:02:50 GMT -8 Skidjit said:

Ok. I'll make a list. Do I post those on this person's thread, or on a new one or what? It'll take me a few minutes.

I think making a new thread would be preferable.