Software switch

[FTON]

What are your views of Software switch?
I think it's stupid, no offense for some particular boards, but some people kept think of Making a change, or for a better security or to Find an easier way to customise a software... There is an easy way to achieve without corrupting anything.
If you want a change, make a fantastic theme, buy it, bring new content, anything...
If you don't want to be hacked, you'd better make a strong password.
If you want to customize your board, hire a good technician person. Why wasting money and effort in something could not go well, i don't see a really good reason to switch softwares, if you like a paid software why don't you get at the begining already? Why are always choosing the hard way to bring updates?
Because of switches, many forums lost activity, many forums don' t exist anymore, due to what? To expirencing fatal errors, to force users to try something against their wills.

 

[Rihtar]

No offense, but your theory flawed and short-sighted.

1. Design and content isn't everything, software plays a huge role as well.
2. Security isn't based solely on user passwords.
3. Why should we be forced to pay someone to do something we might want to do ourselves on a new software?
4. Some of us aren't billionaires and we're not comfortable spending several hundred dollars on a forum software for a forum we don't know if it'll succeed or not.
5. If you're a regular user and definite supporter of some forum, the switch shouldn't bother you too much, because you're there for the community and not to check which software they're using.

Are you also against the fact that I'm personally switching my website from no platform at all to several new platforms that will help users order my services and get more information than they could before?

 

[FTON]

*Design and content isn't everything, software plays a huge role as well.

Actually content is more important than a forum software, sometimes some paid softwares start and fails, due to lack of content, that includes free software.

*Security isn't based solely on user passwords.

Yes heck it is, what kind of a secure forum with a whenee password? People kept telling that IPB for example is high secure, few days ago i witnessed an IPB forum got hacked three times , how can you explain that.

*Why should we be forced to pay someone to do something we might want to do ourselves on a new software?

Woah! Easy tough guy nothing is stated about being forced to pay anyone, that depends on how can you swich your software.

*Some of us aren't billionaires and we're not comfortable spending several hundred dollars on a forum software for a forum we don't know if it'll succeed or not.

Nobody is a billionaire, neither am i, i understand the risks of running a paid software for a forum, with some advertising and hard work people can succeed.

*If you're a regular user and definite supporter of some forum, the switch shouldn't bother you too much, because you're there for the community and not to check which software they're using.

Not that the problem, the problem is some users get confused, in the past they are used to click "view new posts" and then they will search for their posts everywhere, also i'm a member of many forums:
*which their webmasters made a swich without even consult members first.
*it's not recomanded for forums those aren't active much, probably it will drop the activity out.
*Nothing runs with no errors as another example of a forum that their owners tried to switch to IPB, Which it caused a fatal database errors and got destroyed everything was built in years in seconds..

Are you also against the fact that I'm personally switching my website from no platform at all to several new platforms that will help users order my services and get more information than they could before?

No, since you are doing it for a good reason.

 

[Rihtar]

Yes heck it is, what kind of a secure forum with a whenee password? People kept telling that IPB for example is high secure, few days ago i witnessed an IPB forum got hacked three times , how can you explain that.

Do you realize that most forums that get hacked get hacked through an exploit inside the system and no because insecure password?

Not that the problem, the problem is some users get confused, in the past they are used to click "view new posts" and then they will search for their posts everywhere, also i'm a member of many forums:
*which their webmasters made a swich without even consult members first.
*it's not recomanded for forums those aren't active much, probably it will drop the activity out.
*Nothing runs with no errors as another example of a forum that their owners tried to switch to IPB, Which it caused a fatal database errors and got destroyed everything was built in years in seconds..

Nearly every forum software has the ability to show latest posts from a user, it just depends on the owner if he'll put the links to where the users were used to see them before or he/she'll leave them "hidden".

Owner doesn't need to consult with members to switch to a different software, that is done between staff members and not the entire community, because it's obvious that most users would be against the change, since they got used to the current structure and/or layout.

No, since you are doing it for a good reason.

So I'm doing it for a good reason, while forum owners have no valid reason for switch to a different software that they might be more comfortable with?

I'm also confused how my previous post can be considered trolling, would appreciate an explanation.

 

[FTON]

Owner doesn't need to consult with members to switch to a different software, that is done between staff members and not the entire community, because it's obvious that most users would be against the change, since they got used to the current structure and/or layout.

Sometimes it's important to hear from members, according to what they are familiar with, and sometimes you have a point with owners don't need to consult members, it depends on how do you know about a forum software, same thing for staff crew, Many users wanted to stick the forum software and did not want to change it. Also we can't please everyone in case of not like the current software.

 

[xpl0iter]

I don't know what to say here!
I will point out something here:

• Don't make the changes too often. I mean I have seen some forums in the past on which the admin changed from mybb to smf and then smf to phpbb etc. If the admins want to check out stuffs, they better do it on their test board. Not on the live board. Members are on their forum because they like the forum. So trolling them with these changes very often would make atleast some of them leave.
• The fanboys and haters exist. So platform change can boost/reduce the activity if not wisely chosen.
• Before changing the forum application, it will be better to ask for opinions to the member base. Atleast you will know what your members think like.
• Most of the hacks happen because of some addons, vulnerabilities on the system or a stupid host. Of course the password strength might cause an issue, but thats very rare nowadays imo. No matter how strong a password is, if your system is infected with a keylogger, the attacker can easily get your account credentials. Also if one admin thinks that, s/he can stop the hackers just by changing the software, s/he is stupid unless a 0day exploit is on the wild for the forum platform s/he uses. Because in most cases the forum creators will create a fix/update for fixing the vulnerability as soon as the exploits get released, if they 're not releasing it, it would be wise to change the forum platform.

I think the software change is something which needs to be done very carefully and only if you know what your doing. Also its recommended to try the migration on your testboard before doing it on your live system. So I think it depends on how you do it and when you do it!