The boys at YaBB released a new version of their forum software » YaBB 2.3.1. I installed a copy of this new script to a temporary directory .. see here » Y.231 temp (« this link will go away when the upgrade is complete).
I used a slightly different cookie at the new forum, so it shouldn't ruin your login at the current Rad forums.
The safest way to 'upgrade' the forums .. is to install a NEW copy of the most recent version (to a new/temporary directory) .. and configure everything at/for the new forum (.. while the old forum is running unaffected).
After everything at the new forum is hunky-dory, I'll put both forums in Maintenance mode (which takes them out of service), and then copy (via the cp command from the Linux shell) the files located in /Members and /Messages .. from old to new.
I think we have about 1,500 members and nearly 40,000 posts (in some 5,000 threads). Takes a while to copy all those files.
••• today's entry continues here below •••
The boys at YaBB have transitioned to a new (fast-n-furious, 3-month) release cycle, which keeps me hoppin'. YaBB released its very first version back in 2000 (about the time I launched the site), so it's a fairly mature script. And the YaBB Community provides great support.
The worst part of upgrading YaBB (actually » installing) is chmod'ing all the files (setting file permissions .. to either 755 or 666). There are nearly a thousand files which need permissions set. Tedious maximus. Takes a while. (I hate it.)
NOTE that all members will have to verify (and save) their avatars, signatures and URL links (found in user profile). At least that's what I read (in the Special Note).
I'm waiting for the guys at BoardMod to release updated versions of some mods I like to use (so they'll work with Y.231) .. before I complete the upgrade.
BoardMod makes it easy to install cool mods, which don't come standard with the default installation of YaBB. You simply load a particular mod file (*.mod), which contains instructions that tell BoardMod how to edit your forum's files. After BoardMod edits the necessary files (on your local PC), you simply upload the edited files to your server and voila! » New cool functionality!
Over time, many of the cooler mods have been incorporated into YaBB's default installation. So using mods is kinda like beta-testing new features.
The more mods you use, the greater the chance some mods will conflict with one another. For this reason, I limit my use of mods to 5. Plus, you have to re-install them every time you upgrade the forum (which suks).
YaBB is a Perl-based script, so all these Board-modders are Perl wizards. The Movable Type blog that I use (for Ye Olde Rad Blog) is also written in Perl. YaBB & BoardMod are two things with which I have plenty of first-hand experience.
For more along these lines, here's a Google search preconfigured for the query » yabb forum boardmod
On a less-technical note, it surprised me to hear Rep. Ackerman speak so bluntly (regarding the Congressional hearings into the Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal .. at T=0:39) when he said:
"I want to know who is responsible for protecting the security investor. Cuz I want to tell that person, or those people, whose job it is .. that they suck at it." =)
