Converter/Importer from EE - Expression Engine

craigiri

Well-known member
Mods can move this as needed.....
But I'd like to put a request in for such a converter. EE has tens of thousands of users of their CMS software and many are looking for an upgraded forum. The company which produces EE has had their hands full with a version upgrade on the main app...for a couple years...and has largely ignored the basic forum.
Recent conversations appear to point to that they have no intention to place a lot of resources into their discussion module.

I know the impex has an EE importer, but I had one expert try to use it and it didn't work to any satisfactory degree.

The EE forum is quite simple - not a lot of crazy features that would be hard to import, etc....so I'm hoping this can go on a list somewhere and perhaps be a reality someday.

BTW, not only do they have tens of thousands of users, but the CMS continues to sell well (better and better), so the market is definitely there. It's by no means a "dead" platform, just one which is being concentrated on the more CMS end of things.

FYI, most users are still using the old 1.X branch, which is the one which would best suit an importer.
 
You'll have to manually do it.


BTW, very few people use EE.
There is almost no need for an EE importer - I have several friends whose EE sites got defaced, hacked and database emptied out. They started new and afresh with XenForo :cry:

EE is not cheap. An average site is US$3,000 for the "full suite" of bells & whistles on-top of the EE license.

Compare that with buying XenCarta + XenForo + XenPorta and you have full site ready.
 
149.95 + 49.95 (forum add-on) = 199.90 (basically $200)

I personally do not know anyone who uses EE or anyone who would be willing to pay the $200 EE fee, just to legally get a hold of the software, just to work an importer.

But.... Here is wishing you luck.
 
FYI, I did Craig's EE import. It was a double import via vB. It was actually quite difficult due to some annoying db organization in EE, but I got it working. I was even able to save his user's passwords and setup redirects. Anyone who needs an EE import is welcome to contact me. You will benefit from me having worked out the bugs with Craig's import.
 
149.95 + 49.95 (forum add-on) = 199.90 (basically $200)

I personally do not know anyone who uses EE or anyone who would be willing to pay the $200 EE fee, just to legally get a hold of the software, just to work an importer.

But.... Here is wishing you luck.
That's for the personal license, not one that is usable to commercial use.
 
Did you go commercial use with their portal solution?
Did you try getting skins, themes and add-ons for their portal solution?

Did you get quotes from EE community for custom-coding -

The estimated cost to develop a commercial site,
You can buy 10 XenForo licenses with it along with hiring two XenForo developers for a year. :sick:
 
That's for the personal license, not one that is usable to commercial use.
Non-Commercial vs Commercial, as far as I can tell from their own website .... Same features, different price

http://expressionengine.com/overview/pricing

Commercial is naturally more (cost). So assuming they are just the same and it is only the liecencing that makes the difference... Non-Commercial would be the idea for producing an importer (freely).
 
Since I own a license for both the older and newer version, this part isn't a problem.
As Jake mentioned, he worked out all the bugs and we ended up with a virtually perfect import - even passwords.

The $3K figure is bunk. EE is reasonable for a full CMS system...for those who need or can use it's features. It works right out of the box, but I maybe bought $300 worth of add-ons over 10 years.

But it is mainly a CMS - I don't recommend their forum system for those whose sites are primarily forums - it's more for those who use a CMS and want a forum "on the side".
 
Since I own a license for both the older and newer version, this part isn't a problem.
As Jake mentioned, he worked out all the bugs and we ended up with a virtually perfect import - even passwords.

The $3K figure is bunk. EE is reasonable for a full CMS system...for those who need or can use it's features. It works right out of the box, but I maybe bought $300 worth of add-ons over 10 years.

But it is mainly a CMS - I don't recommend their forum system for those whose sites are primarily forums - it's more for those who use a CMS and want a forum "on the side".
If that's the case... I would think Jake would be the idea person to develop an importer for this, having already had the experience
 
He effectively already has one! For the few people who might ever need to import, he can do it! My guess is that the universe of people who may want conversion is at most a couple per year...so not worth the work making it more official. Besides, some of the work (passwords) was custom, so a stock importer may not be able to do that stuff.
 
The $3K figure is bunk. EE is reasonable for a full CMS system...for those who need or can use it's features. It works right out of the box, but I maybe bought $300 worth of add-ons over 10 years.


So if I hire you to do a full site (like XenPorta system) + big blog system + re-do some skins, how much would it cost your time to do it? If you ask around EE jobs, you would get 3 or 4 quotes of around US$3,000 for around average ~ 1 month of work. Some even wanted US$120 to 200/hour then disappear since security flaws are not their business.


You can even browse their deface/hacked victims list on the Expression Engine Forums.
 
if you don't believe it, check this screenshot:

google search:

site:expressionengine.com/ hacked
filter by Past month:

if you take out "Past Month" filter, there are almost hundreds hacks, excluding mine, since my posts got deleted.

There could be other angry EE owners whose site got hacked, but the moderators there deleted their posts.


site_expressionengine.com_ hacked - Google Search-1.webp
 
So if I hire you to do a full site (like XenPorta system) + big blog system + re-do some skins, how much would it cost your time to do it? If you ask around EE jobs, you would get 3 or 4 quotes of around US$3,000 for around average ~ 1 month of work. Some even wanted US$120 to 200/hour then disappear since security flaws are not their business.


You can even browse their deface/hacked victims list on the Expression Engine Forums.

Sounds like you already have your mind made up.
I did my site myself - without any classes, books or outside help. Sure, it would not win any awards, but it was fine and I am still using it for parts.

Ask Sony how much they spent implementing Xenforo.

Oh, and an EE site will NOT be "like the XenPorta" system.

Also, you are a funny guy - do you know the release date for 1.6.7? Probably 2006 or so. But, hey, you proved you are "right". I can say that I never had my site compromised in 10 years...good enough for me.

Lastly, and I do mean lastly since I have nothing to prove, I clearly said above the EE's main market was with people knowledgable in web design..and the corporations and companies those people work for. If you are jealous that other people actually make $$$, there is nothing I can do about it.
 
I'm not particularly mad. I just moved on. I still have latest. I just wish to let it go but they won't allow license transfers.


For security, I can state that to-date, I have had not one security breach for XenForo. I might expect a security breach, but not to extent site gets defaced, database gets compromised, server gets hacked as with EE.


Each to their own, and - moved-on from Expression Engine to XenForo.
 
Each to their own, and - moved-on from Expression Engine to XenForo.

So did I. It turned out I need a forum much more than a CMS. XF is a forum. EE is a CMS.

The real story over at EE, which is rarely discussed....is that the main programmer moved on (went to medical school) - and, actually, programs for the Solspace add-on company. He is a genius, IMHO. The founder had already stepped off the stage, remaining in the background and just collecting the $$$.

This left development to a whole new crop of programmers, many of whom were probably in grammar school when Rick started EE (pmachine, formerly).

Sometimes, as in the case of K and M, the lead developers/founders/programmers are so good...and, more accurately, have a vision and a dedication, that it is next to impossible to replace their "art". IMHO, anyway.
 
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