IMPORTANT: SMF Forum software is all but abandoned?  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 05:20:25 am
content: The EEVblog forum runs on SMF (simple Machines Forum) software, and from the sounds of this, it's seems all but abandoned now?https://www.sitepoint.com/community/t/smf-forum-project-on-deaths-door/48180I know that updates have been very slow, but they have at least happened over the years.And I know that "if it ain't broke don't fix it".And I know that it can likely continue to work indefinitely and can be maintained on privatelyAnd I know that people don't like change.etc etcSo it seems that the writing is on the wall for the SMF software. Perhaps time to consider reluctantly switching forum software?And it seems like people are betting banned and posts deleted on this links, so here is a copy of the original post:Quote

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 05:31:11 am
content: I would consider a switch, just as long as alternative is an actual forum software, not some facebook/twitter new age garbage. Unfortunately, I'm not even sure such thing exists.For what it is worth, there is one thing that I noticed goes away in updates and it absolute deal breaker for me personally is RSS/Atom feed. Once this goes away so do I. I'm not visiting dozens of places daily to find a couple things I may be interested in.Having an option for a plain text editor is also good. Dealing with WYSIWYG editors is frustrating.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 05:35:00 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on July 03, 2020, 05:31:11 amYes, there are several alternatives, both free and commercial.QuoteI didn't even know SMF had an RSS feed!

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 05:36:48 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on July 03, 2020, 05:35:00 amLink at the very bottom of each page

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 05:38:52 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on July 03, 2020, 05:36:48 amLOL yeah, that invisible one because the colours suck

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 05:46:28 am
content: Oh, I forgot. I ad-blocked that hideous background pattern a long time ago. For me they are just black links on the white background.

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 06:07:20 am
content: Dave: the thread you link is 10 years old.Is the deleted post you quoted from something newer?Updates & releases forum:https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=1.0

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 06:26:38 am
content: Doesn't really look abandoned yet but in some kind of state of organizational dysfunction. (Assuming the whole matter isn't out of date, as Whales suggested).No harm in researching alternatives, I suppose. How hard it typically is to migrate existing posts, by the way? I think problems may occur with links to attached images that people used to put manually in posts.

author: jmw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 06:40:43 am
content: https://github.com/SimpleMachines/SMF2.1/graphs/commit-activityDoesn't look abandoned to me...And yep that thread was from Jan 2010. Based on what Wikipedia says of Simple Machines Forum, it looks like the signers of that letter got what they wanted, and converted the company to a non-profit.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 06:57:42 am
content: Despite common misbelief, software does not automatically go "stale" with age. If it works and does the job, it doesn't matter if it's 1000 years old, or not maintained at all.Now if it's lacking some new feature or a support to a new interface youneed, and you can't have that due to lack of maintenance, then it's indeed going stale. But do note that being maintained isn't a silver bullet here; even many well-maintained software fail to provide what the users actually need.Note that premature "updating" only wastes resources. Prepare by looking at the alternatives, so that you know the playing field, but do the decision Just-In-Time. This way, you have an idea what might be stable and reliable alternatives.You'll notice it when you have to replace it. Then you don't have to ask, you just know it.

author: Ysjoelfir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 07:23:03 am
content: Despite the fact that the linked post is 10 years old:I personally don't like SMF and never did like it, even when it was "new". I have managed many forums back in the days using Woltlab Burning Board 2/3 or vBulletin Board and always liked it way more, SMF felt to me like.... I don't realy know how to describe it, it felt... clunky and "cheap", like a cheap toy instead of a real tool.But keep in mind that this is just a personal oppinion.Also: Sure, you can argue, like Siwastaja did, that Software doesn't age if it just works. But keep in mind that there is more to something than a "well, it still works".Besides the obvious safety related things - software bugs can be found even years after the development of something ceased and was thought as "perfect" or "done" - there is also the factor of useability and outward appearance, ease of administration, availability of addons, patches and updates and more I'm sure I forgot.From those the outward appearance of SMF is one thing I personally don't like. It just looks cheap.Problems while installing or managing addons seemed to have also happened in the past AFAIK?I think I also read that there are some strange code workarounds you implemented which makes the management/administration a bit harder than it would need to be.In my oppinion it would be a good thing to change, but in a sensible way:Build a new software up, build import scripts and thoroughly check those, and let that run in the background for people to (explicitly and only) play with. When it works flawless set the old one to read only, import the data to the new software again and add a splash screen that tells the user about the change in software - that he can now only write in the new forums, which can be found *link*, and the old one, found *link*, is set to read only.Then, after some time, remove that splash and redirect users directly to the new forums.That should make up for a nice and easy transition in my experience.But please, don't get one of those horrific softwares that don't have any visual structure anymore.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 07:32:30 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on July 03, 2020, 06:57:42 amI have to agree here.The concept of "Seemed like a good idea at the time" is not the best way for an optimal outcome. Why go through all the trauma now to move to a platform that may be good now, only to discover an ideal candidate turns up some time before SMF would have become untenable.To move to this other candidate would then involve double handling ... not to mention a doubling of the potential compromise on data going through two conversion processes.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 08:08:07 am
content: So, i voted that you should consider it.A change like that should not be done at a moments notice. No matter what you change it to, the look and feel will change, and we all know that we don't really like change hereI second the opinion, that whatever you change the forum software to, it *needs* to stay a forum. I think doing a switch to something that works completely different would, first, make it difficult, if not impossible, to migrate all data, and second, would alienate a lot of your userbase.The biggest hurdle, and likely one of the deciding factors for which software to use, will be the migration of the data. Please don't even think about switching software without migrating, there is just too much valuable information in the forum.I admit that i have not much experience with modern forum software. The days when i set up my own phpBB and the likes are long goneSome time ago, i joined a (German) forum that runs on Xenforo. And to be honest, i came to like that system a lot. While it follows a somewhat more modern, flat look, it still feels very much like a forum software. I especially like mobile view, which is essentially the same site, since Xenforo is following responsive design, adjusting on the fly to your display.I do not know what other current alternatives are out there. Would you consider providing a list of the ones that you have in mind, Dave?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 09:11:10 am
content: Quote from: Whales on July 03, 2020, 06:07:20 amOops