Any sort of roadmap for Xenforo 2.3 ?

[Starbucks]

Posting it 6 times in a row isnt feedback its thread derailment.

While reading them I didn’t count 6, but I don’t think it was the right decision to delete the comments as this basically shows you shut those up of those that speak up (against you).

That has some kind of… regime vibe. Wouldn’t it just be better to just lock him out of the thread and then.. mention it here, with the same argument you’re using, just without deleting all the comments?

I think that it creates an environment where customers feel intimidated and discouraged from voicing their concerns, which then ultimately undermines their trust in their ability to address their issues towards the Staff

 

[BassMan]

13. If you have a problem with or question about a moderator’s decision, contact the moderator privately or submit a message through the contact system. Posts or topics discussing moderator actions will be removed.

From the rules...

Let's get back to 2.3

 

[Chris D]

We happen to program our styles ourselves. Please consider having a public resource for this so that everyone can benefit in advance, along with the group you mentioned.

There will, as ever, be a public beta period. But the most affected group by far is those that rely on third party styles and so it’s important for those to get a head start.

We’ll of course be talking more about the style even before the public beta.

 

[Chris D]

From the rules...

Let's get back to 2.3

Indeed. Let’s move onwards and upwards and keep to the topic at hand.

 

[BassMan]

But the most affected group by far is those that rely on third party styles and so it’s important for those to get a head start.

Hats off to you for that.

 

[Slavik]

From the rules...

Quite, and ive not issued any warnings about it either rather explained why out of said tolerance we have for all feedback.

However running a personal groundhog day in a thread will just end up in the bin.

 

[Aivaras]

The first of those releases will be XenForo 3.0. Right now, the only feature we are definitely pursuing for that release will be the new style and as such, we hope that 3.0 will follow 2.3 in a relatively short time, as it should be effectively 2.3+style.

For the less impatient, it may be worthwhile to ponder skipping v2.3 altogether and conserving energy for v3.0.

 

[cdub]

For the less impatient, it may be worthwhile to ponder skipping v2.3 altogether and conserving energy for v3.0.

As long as you're talking about yourself and not the developers

 

[donwon]

Thank you for all of your hard work and the update. Once we moved to XF we never looked back and all we want to do is look forward! We're behind you and are VERY thankful for the dedication of the whole Xenforo team!

 

[Aivaras]

As long as you're talking about yourself and not the developers

Yes, me, the licensee!

 

[Lee]

Following @Chris D's comments yesterday, I'd like to briefly explain some of what's been going on.

Along with a bunch of major performance improvements and new features that are on the slate for 2.3, one of the main things on our list to do was a totally new master style. This has been largely my domain, and I have to say I'm really looking forward to unveiling it.

However, as the design was finalised and the technology behind it was being integrated, we turned our attention to how to migrate existing styles over to the new system in as much as would be possible. It was at this point that we realised that the new style is so dramatically different in its approach that we would need to spend a disproportionate amount of time producing some sort of migration system, and that it would be unlikely to be able to do a decent job given the vast gamut of customisation options available in the existing style system.

As you will know, because we place enormous value in our ability to provide a stable and reliable architecture upon which third parties can build plug-ins, extensions, applications and also styles, we make huge efforts to retain backward compatibility wherever possible when putting out a second-point release (2.1, 2.2 etc.).

It became clear that the new style would unavoidably introduce significant breakage to third party integrations, and reluctantly we decided to hold it back so that customers can benefit from the rest of what 2.3 has to offer, without needing to do extensive work to make existing third-party functionality and styles work with the new system. Some of the back-end customisation tools of the new style have been retained as they don't require drastic changes to templates or third-party styles, but the new style itself won't be released with 2.3.

That said, we have decided to switch to a different model for the way we release XenForo updates. While previously we have targeted fairly massive releases packed with new features, this has led to extended periods between those releases. I think it's fair to say that we are as fed up with that model as many of you are. There are features we finished ages ago that are slated for 2.3 release but have been held up waiting for other things to be completed.

After 2.3, we will introduce our new release model, where we will target a single major new feature with each release. That's not to say that other features definitely won't make it because of course they will, but instead of having a big slate of functionality to introduce with each x.y release, we'll get that one major feature done and hit the release button. The intention is that we'll have much more regular feature releases.

The first of those releases will be XenForo 3.0. Right now, the only feature we are definitely pursuing for that release will be the new style and as such, we hope that 3.0 will follow 2.3 in a relatively short time, as it should be effectively 2.3+style. Once 2.3 is out, we'll be getting in touch with major XenForo style producers to help them get ready for the 3.0 style, so that by the time it's ready for release there should be good third party support ready to go.

So, sorry for the delay, but rest assured we are working hard behind the scenes to bring you great software in the near future.

Hi @Kier, will the dark style still ship with 2.3 or is this part of the new theme?

 

[Paul B]

The dark style will be in 3.0.

My mistake.

It will be in 2.3 but based on the existing style.

It's 3.0 which comes with a completely new style.

 

[Gemma]

Thanks for the recent updates. I've never been bothered by the length of time between releases or the lack of communication but receiving some clarification is always welcome.

I look forward, with excitement and some dread (due to a very customized style), to seeing what comes next with 2.3 and beyond.

As always, your efforts are greatly appreciated from me

 

[Lee]

The dark style will be in 3.0.

Thanks @Brogan - I'll finish off mine for now then.

 

[Paul B]

My mistake.

It will be in 2.3 but based on the existing style.

It's 3.0 which comes with a completely new style.

 

[AWS]

The situation is quite different from what was going on after Internet Brands took over.

As I said those that know won't tell. vBulletin 3 was way before Internet Brands.

 

[Lee]

My mistake.

It will be in 2.3 but based on the existing style.

It's 3.0 which comes with a completely new style.

Ah even better, thanks for the clarification.

 

[Suzanne O]

Hahaha at people thinking that XF are going with internet brands.

I think some of you need to re-read both @Chris D and @Kier's replies keeping in mind the mods who are watching us post.

 

[James]

Just to be clear nobody said XF were being sold to IB.

People are just making comparisons based on behaviours - rightly or wrongly.

 

[kontrabass]

Following @Chris D's comments yesterday, I'd like to briefly explain some of what's been going on.

Along with a bunch of major performance improvements and new features that are on the slate for 2.3, one of the main things on our list to do was a totally new master style. This has been largely my domain, and I have to say I'm really looking forward to unveiling it.

However, as the design was finalised and the technology behind it was being integrated, we turned our attention to how to migrate existing styles over to the new system in as much as would be possible. It was at this point that we realised that the new style is so dramatically different in its approach that we would need to spend a disproportionate amount of time producing some sort of migration system, and that it would be unlikely to be able to do a decent job given the vast gamut of customisation options available in the existing style system.

As you will know, because we place enormous value in our ability to provide a stable and reliable architecture upon which third parties can build plug-ins, extensions, applications and also styles, we make huge efforts to retain backward compatibility wherever possible when putting out a second-point release (2.1, 2.2 etc.).

It became clear that the new style would unavoidably introduce significant breakage to third party integrations, and reluctantly we decided to hold it back so that customers can benefit from the rest of what 2.3 has to offer, without needing to do extensive work to make existing third-party functionality and styles work with the new system. Some of the back-end customisation tools of the new style have been retained as they don't require drastic changes to templates or third-party styles, but the new style itself won't be released with 2.3.

That said, we have decided to switch to a different model for the way we release XenForo updates. While previously we have targeted fairly massive releases packed with new features, this has led to extended periods between those releases. I think it's fair to say that we are as fed up with that model as many of you are. There are features we finished ages ago that are slated for 2.3 release but have been held up waiting for other things to be completed.

After 2.3, we will introduce our new release model, where we will target a single major new feature with each release. That's not to say that other features definitely won't make it because of course they will, but instead of having a big slate of functionality to introduce with each x.y release, we'll get that one major feature done and hit the release button. The intention is that we'll have much more regular feature releases.

The first of those releases will be XenForo 3.0. Right now, the only feature we are definitely pursuing for that release will be the new style and as such, we hope that 3.0 will follow 2.3 in a relatively short time, as it should be effectively 2.3+style. Once 2.3 is out, we'll be getting in touch with major XenForo style producers to help them get ready for the 3.0 style, so that by the time it's ready for release there should be good third party support ready to go.

So, sorry for the delay, but rest assured we are working hard behind the scenes to bring you great software in the near future.

Thank you for the positive news! I've been a community manager since 1998, and on Xenforo since it was a newborn. While I can understand the fear of many over the long(ish) span between updates (especially since we are all depressed, having to hear about the pending "death of forums" at every turn), the stability and simplicity of XenForo is a real blessing.

Hang in there all, after doing this for over 2 decades, I'm confident that humans are always going to seek out genuine, human-generated content from experts and amateurs alike, that we all have on our forum communities.