Exploring the Art of Installing and Testing Different Scripts: A Fun Experiment or a Waste of Time?

[Cedric]

In regards to this post: https://admin-junkies.com/threads/where-are-you-from-and-where-do-you-live.1974/page-4#post-39919

Have you ever found yourself tempted to install various scripts and software, not because you necessarily need them, but just for the thrill of trying them out?

Let's be honest; we've all been there at some point! Whether it's a new CMS, a forum software, or a random script that caught your eye, the urge to experiment can be quite irresistible. But is it a productive use of our time as webmasters and forum administrators, or is it just a delightful diversion? Have you found a particular script that surprised you in a positive or negative way? Share them below!

In this discussion, let's delve into the pros and cons of this habit:

Pros:

• Learning Opportunity: Testing different scripts allows us to broaden our skill set and gain experience with diverse software.
• Discovery: You might stumble upon a gem that turns out to be a perfect fit for a future project.
• Fun and Curiosity: Sometimes, it's just plain fun to explore new things and satisfy our curiosity. I'm a very curious person out of nature.

Cons:

• Time Sink: Installing and configuring multiple scripts can be time-consuming, potentially taking away from more important tasks.
• Resource Drain: Unused scripts can clutter your server and consume valuable resources. Don't forget to delete them!
• Security Risks: Neglecting security measures while experimenting might expose your site to vulnerabilities.

So, what's your take on this? Do you find yourself installing scripts just for the sake of trying them out? How do you strike a balance between experimentation and productivity? Share your experiences, tips, and thoughts in the comments below!

 

[Tracy]

Have you ever found yourself tempted to install various scripts and software, not because you necessarily need them, but just for the thrill of trying them out?

Yes.... that (for a long time) was part of the fun for me. It also allowed you to make comparisons from an admin aspect between the different scripts.
When I had a dedicated server running ProxMox I'd spin up a VPS instance just to do this with different scripts.
The security issues was why I would spin up a separate VPS instance. That way, it's isolated from any other sites I was running.
I've played with just about every script (other than vBulletin) of any note, and not all of them were forum scripts. Stuff like Joomla, Drupal, CopperMine Gallery.

And yes, it was a time drain.... as I've gotten older, I don't get the joy out of doing it that I once did and would rather spend my time on my astrophotography and learning the processing techniques for it's capture (which is a major process itself).

 

[Ravenfreak]

I always like to try out new software that I've never used before. This is usually how I figure out if a script is what I'm looking for when I want to make a new community, or if I need to convert my websites. I have fun messing around and installing new scripts. I typically will do this on free hosting though, not on my hosting that I use for my live sites. That way I can easily just delete the scripts and don't have to worry about resources being used up or causing issues for my other sites.

 

[Aussie]

As per the other topic, sometimes I think I enjoy looking for new scripts or software and having the challenge to install them more then I do in actually running the website. Once I have installed a website for the first time with a new script I find it really satisfying, the challenge has been met, then I actually find it hard to maintain the enthusiasm for the site. I used to spend hours and hours (days and weeks even) testing out scripts, reading reviews, installing it, making mistakes, joining forums and finding out how to fix issues, learning how to mod stuff and install mods etc. I just find it so much fun and satisfying when you know you've done it yourself.

I actually remember learning HTML for the first time and writing my own website in notepad, then eventually got notepad++ or what ever it was, which was another level up to design in HTML.. lol now I am showing my age but this was was before there was even a HTML editor.

 

[Spartan]

Lmao I still looking for random free scripts to install and mess around. good way to learn some stuff imo.

 

[Empire]

Free and paid are many around and many times I do browse around and like the idea of a script that might make me want to get it and install the addon to use it to even try out however it ends up not needed it. I only get or download what I really need that suits the site of what you have running. I mean there are scrips that I like to get for the community however some scripts are $50 and above and I can't really afford that at the moment for the same site that's not going to use any use out of it.

But I had fun too what I have done, even with the simple pages app and doing CSS and HTML and create pages to what you already have

 

[Arantor]

I love trying new software. I spent a small fortune in licences just for trying stuff out over the years.

These days I don't try out forum software, but I've been looking at the various writing/planning tools (on the one hand, things like Scrivener, on the other things like Plottr) and trying them all out.