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Upgrading WLSurgery to Xenforo

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Hi All,

Firstly Happy New Year to all!

We are going to be moving WLSurgery over to a software called xenforo. We have just done the first month on MiniMins with the new software and people are reacting very positively to it.

There is no real future with the current software and it weighs on my mind every day that WLSurgery is being left behind.

Some of the new features:
Full social integration (written by yours truly) https://www.minimins.com/threads/soc...ration.352867/

Which allows the embed of most social networks, with the obvious big networks included (pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, twitter) and some fun ones like vine.co and the video network vimeo and youtube.

It allows you to seamlessly log in with your Facebook/Google/Twitter. Even if you have an account registered here already you can move it over :)

The interface is what is called a fully responsive interface. As your screen gets bigger you see more content. For example on a mobile phone using the native browser when you rotate it sideways everything changes. In portrait mode it does not show signatures and in landscape mode it does. You can see some screenshots here: https://www.minimins.com/threads/can...mobile.353131/

The photogallery is correctly integrated.

The amount of emails I get on MiniMins on the previous software was just crazy with people not able to register or to log in etc etc. I have had 3 or 4 emails on the new software... and only 1 member couldn't register. This would be beneficial for the WLSurgery community so it can grow. And growing is beneficial to everybody.

There are some things we will have to say good bye to.

These are: Mobile Apps (the amount of time and the value they deliver is massively disproportionate and the new responsive interface takes care of those issues and unifies the experience of using the site).

The arcade is going. It would be going regardless. If anybody has the modern flash on their PC it feels like every time you start it up you have to upgrade flash, java and -then- use the pc. Browser people like Google and Firefox have decided that Flash needs to go and it will be going.

Private messaging. With the integration of full social networks and a site that actually works the Private Message feature is no longer needed. For those who want to just use the site privately without the fear of being solicited privately I think this is a major benefit. You can of course post your email to each other in profiles (at your own risks!) or whatever you wish but Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat should be enough to make sure that you can still contact each other privately.

-----------------

So when is this happening?

I have just ordered the new server for WLSurgery because trying to run both on the server at the moment doesn't look like a runner.

Ill setup the new site on a different address so you can go over and look at it etc with no content or users.

On a specific date (once the new server is in place and the site setup I can give that date) we will import the data from what we have now.

We will then switch them and the new site will be live. The old site will be frozen in time for a month or so. This will allow you to go to the old site to check stuff if it is missing etc.

---------------

What do you need to do?

Keep using WLSurgery of course! But the one thing it does not appear to import is if you have a gallery under your profile here on WLSurgery you will need to download and save those pictures.

But don't worry you have a month to figure if anything is missing!

Questions & Comments welcome.


Pierce
 

Bear

Well-Known Member
Hi, thanks for that info.

I do have a question though, for many of us our 'incognito' status on here is an advantage as so many of us decide to keep our surgeries private. When you say about the integration with Facebook and Twitter does this mean that we wouldn't be able to message fellow members without revealing our 'real' identity as it were?
 

marz

Member
Will our current details become public now? Will my username be publicly linked with my address?

I didn't sign up for that. If so, can you please remove all my posts and delete my account.
 

Monalisa

Active Member
Me too know one knows about my surgery including work so I don't want anything linked to my facebook etc and would as Marz has said have to have everything deleted and removed
I like to come on in hers safe in the comfort of being incognito thanks x
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Hi, thanks for that info.

I do have a question though, for many of us our 'incognito' status on here is an advantage as so many of us decide to keep our surgeries private. When you say about the integration with Facebook and Twitter does this mean that we wouldn't be able to message fellow members without revealing our 'real' identity as it were?

This is a double edge sword.

If we have private messaging anybody can message you (and we have had it where surgeons and others have messaged members on here). You do have more privacy once they are gone because if somebody wants to ask you something they either ask on your profile (which is still 50 posts) or on the public forum for all to see.

I see that if you wanted to message somebody using those services Facebook of course uses a real name but twitter doesn't, nor does skype/snapchat/instagram.

You will still be able to post an email address if you wish (which again can be duplicated/faked etc).

Pierce
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Will our current details become public now? Will my username be publicly linked with my address?

I didn't sign up for that. If so, can you please remove all my posts and delete my account.

Me too know one knows about my surgery including work so I don't want anything linked to my facebook etc and would as Marz has said have to have everything deleted and removed
I like to come on in hers safe in the comfort of being incognito thanks x

No, I would never do that.

The integration is only if you chose to, it doesn't even have to be what you created. On this thread on MiniMins I have used it for a bit of light relief on having a laugh on this thread to demonstrate what can be done:

https://www.minimins.com/threads/minimins-social-media-laugh-of-the-day.352887/

This could also be used in other ways like tweets from surgeons or updates on their facebook pages, or information sharing with other users. Or recipes online or if people publicly share their story or anything you feel that is worth sharing on WLS.

The only link is the ability (if you wish to use it) is to use your facegook/google/twitter login. It just allows for easier access to the site so you don't have to type in your username/email.


I don't want people to use their real names, I never have. I have never used my real name on a forum and appreciated the internet for its anonymity.


There is only really 3 things I have on you:

Email address (which can be faked or registered as some bizarre name like [email protected])

Date of birth (obviously we dont want people younger than 17/18 on MiniMins )

Password - well that's only needed to authenticate your username in order to use the site.

When we upgrade to the new software like MiniMins, we will have the secure padlock on the URL to show that information from you to us is encrypted so it cannot be intercepted in the middle and hopefully increasing privacy.

I hope I have explained it well and illustrated how I would see it being used. If not please ask and I will do my best to explain.

Pierce
 

Crystalrainbow

Well-Known Member
what happens if you don't use fb and all the other social sites blah.... can I still sign in without these kind of accounts?
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
what happens if you don't use fb and all the other social sites blah.... can I still sign in without these kind of accounts?

Yup its entirely up to you.

New accounts can still register directly with WLSurgery and nothing changes with existing accounts.

Pierce
 

Bear

Well-Known Member
So, just to clarify Pierce, if we choose to sign in via Facebook/twitter etc, we'd be able to private message that way. Other wise, we can continue to sign in via the forum but the private messaging facility will go, but we can still maintain our anonymity?
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Private messaging on WLSurgery will be gone.

How you choose to sign in wont make any difference.
 

Yvessa

Well-Known Member
How will the migration affect things like bronze diaries etc?
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Permissions on forums and the requirements will be exactly the same.

You will need to have the 500 posts to view them, just as you do now.
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Well, sorry for the slow update I had the worst flu ever. I hope everybody else is OK and didn't have suffer any awful colds/flu.

The server is here, just need to skin it in the WLS colours and look, badges etc.

I don't have a specific date yet but hope to make progress on it soon.

Pierce
 

Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Hi!

Just to let you know we are working on the colours of the Xenforo before we can import this forum into it.

You can have a look at how we are getting on but please note that there is no need to register onto the site as your account will be automatically transferred!

https://demo.wlsurgery.com

Pierce
 
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