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What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted...

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 3:26 pm
by creator
I was just wondering what you all would think if... the forum started over and all past discussions were deleted?

Why do I ask? Well, one reason is because I've been thinking about switching forum software from phpBB3 to bbPress... I love the simplicity and user friendliness of bbPress, and there's not a simple method for converting over, so the solution might be to start over. I realize there are pluses and minuses to that and wanted to see what others think?

EDIT: I should probably post some examples of bbPress forums...

http://bbpress.org/forums/
http://bbpress.org/forums/topic/add-nofollow-to-links
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/370345
http://getsatisfaction.com/technorati/topic...

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 3:30 pm
by Like
I am for starting over if it means simplicity and user friendliness. We can always repost links and quotes that are great.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 3:48 pm
by kathyn
I'm fine with either one. I don't mind the start-over if it's easier for everyone.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 4:14 pm
by gruden
That's fine with me, but if you do so, please let us know in advance. I have some PMs I'll want to save (I suppose I should do that now...).

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 8:07 pm
by serenitylala
LDSConservative wrote:I was just wondering what you all would think if... the forum started over and all past discussions were deleted?

Why do I ask? Well, one reason is because I've been thinking about switching forum software from phpBB3 to bbPress... I love the simplicity and user friendliness of bbPress, and there's not a simple method for converting over, so the solution might be to start over. I realize there are pluses and minuses to that and wanted to see what others think?

EDIT: I should probably post some examples of bbPress forums...

http://bbpress.org/forums/
http://bbpress.org/forums/topic/add-nofollow-to-links
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/370345
http://getsatisfaction.com/technorati/topic...

I prefer this forum's look to the examples that you have provided, if that is even part of the decision-making.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 8:44 pm
by Stephen
Occasionally...I use this forum like an archive of quotes. I will use the search engine to find quotes that I remember someone using years ago. It would be a shame to lose those.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 9:32 pm
by Cowell
Dispose of all the evidence. Good idea.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 10:14 pm
by ShawnC
Yeah, that would give us a good excuse to start talking about sharing food storage again.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 10:22 pm
by creator
Cowell wrote:Dispose of all the evidence. Good idea.
LOL... if that's even possible anymore with Google's archive and all the others.
Stephen wrote:Occasionally...I use this forum like an archive of quotes. I will use the search engine to find quotes that I remember someone using years ago. It would be a shame to lose those.
I do the same thing, which is one reason I would prefer to NOT delete past posts, but I at least wanted to see what people thought of the possibility of deleting all the old.
serenitylala wrote:I prefer this forum's look to the examples that you have provided, if that is even part of the decision-making.
Yes, that factor would come into consideration as well... though I personally prefer the simplicity of bbPress in that it doesn't inundate the user with so many options on the screen and keeps the focus on the main purpose of a forum, discussion.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 10:26 pm
by Jason
Stephen wrote:Occasionally...I use this forum like an archive of quotes. I will use the search engine to find quotes that I remember someone using years ago. It would be a shame to lose those.
Agreed!

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 10:51 pm
by Quiet Cricket
Stephen wrote:Occasionally...I use this forum like an archive of quotes. I will use the search engine to find quotes that I remember someone using years ago. It would be a shame to lose those.
This is what I was going to say. I think one of the best things about the site is the search feature. There are a lot of good dead threads out there.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 11:45 pm
by mattctr
Is there any way to export the database before starting afresh, so it can be archived on a subdomain somewhere?

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 6th, 2010, 12:06 am
by Mackingster
ShawnC wrote:Yeah, that would give us a good excuse to start talking about sharing food storage again.
And don't forget we could start over on Marriott and porn thread! ;) j/k

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 6th, 2010, 9:34 am
by clarkkent14
NO!!!! I would even say start a new forum under gospelofliberty

What engine are you using for GOL? I know some will let you create the forum right inside the site. I wouldn't delete this forum. I always see it in my google searches. I think you would lose a lot of valuable archived information. I would leave latterdayconservative up as well. All that seo is valuable info.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 6:31 pm
by AussieOi
you'd lose me if this legacy stuff went
too much good dialogue in there
as well as that, the next tony olsen who comes along and says "hey guys, Mitt is a really good LDS lets supprt him"...NEEDS the material we have accumulated
what we have already said is at least as important as what might be said

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 6:34 pm
by clarkkent14
AussieOi wrote:you'd lose me if this legacy stuff went
DO IT Brian! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sorry I had to say it ;)

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 6:43 pm
by pjbrownie
serenitylala wrote:
LDSConservative wrote:I was just wondering what you all would think if... the forum started over and all past discussions were deleted?

Why do I ask? Well, one reason is because I've been thinking about switching forum software from phpBB3 to bbPress... I love the simplicity and user friendliness of bbPress, and there's not a simple method for converting over, so the solution might be to start over. I realize there are pluses and minuses to that and wanted to see what others think?

EDIT: I should probably post some examples of bbPress forums...

http://bbpress.org/forums/
http://bbpress.org/forums/topic/add-nofollow-to-links
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/370345
http://getsatisfaction.com/technorati/topic...
I concur so what are the technical pluses?


I prefer this forum's look to the examples that you have provided, if that is even part of the decision-making.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 7:15 pm
by creator
clarkkent14 wrote:
AussieOi wrote:you'd lose me if this legacy stuff went
DO IT Brian! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sorry I had to say it ;)
We couldn't lose AussieOi, he provides most of my entertainment on the forum, and I also value what he has to say.
...so what are the technical pluses?
I just love the simplicity of bbPress. (technical, design and usability simplicity)

I think if I ended up making the switch over to a different forum software I would only do it I find a way to keep all the old stuff... though with thousands of posts (114,000+) the size of the database is huge.

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 9:37 pm
by AussieOi
clarkkent14 wrote:
AussieOi wrote:you'd lose me if this legacy stuff went
DO IT Brian! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sorry I had to say it ;)
yeah yeah good for you superman, you been smoking too much kryptonite if you ask me

brian maybe if you gave us 1 month we could nominate specific threads to keep?
there's specifically about 15 threads I know as a must- most of them have CHH in them too
iraq, social security, welfare, war based
would this mean you'd find those threads on pushers of Pornography that got deleted and reinsert them too? (had to ask)

Re: What if the forum started over? All past posts deleted..

Posted: March 11th, 2010, 10:03 am
by sbsion
we're going to loose it anyhow when the "power grid" goes, besides, we don't need to live in the past, get ready for the future...yeah a "2cd coming for this board................do it :lol: