XF 2.3 ?

[Wing]

Maybe some of the suggestions that have been out there or over a decade and highly voted for?

I mean, yeah there are tons of suggestions in this thread - which I agree would be nice to see in the core. Was curious what specifically would make people feel like Xenforo is maintaining a modern presence across the boards of social media

 

[Wing]

https://www.theadminzone.com/threads/introducing-live-topics.154885/ this feature for example has my interest. Seems like a solid modern example of progress for the Forum side of things...

 

[Paul B]

Features such as that typically can't run on self hosted licenses due to the server requirements.

We could add it for Cloud easily enough, but then that's going to alienate the self hosted license users.

Some of them would be able to configure the server if they have dedicated/VPS and the requisite knowledge, but the vast majority wouldn't be able to use it.

 

[imno007]

One point worth considering - do your members want a new release with changes to get used to, as much as you do?

When I first migrated to XF from a modified Snitz forum which had been running for 17 years in that guise (with @Slavik 's help), it caused mayhem for some of our older members, some of which I don't think ever managed to get used to the changes.
The dust has long since settled, but as much as I'd like new things to play with I have to consider our members, do they?

Many long time and older members will be resistant to change, but I've found that the majority will adapt if you force them to - and sometimes you do have to force them to. Of course, you have to try to maintain an overall happy medium. Too much change in too short a time period can be destabilizing; but too little for too long can be stagnating, to both the functionality and engagement of the forum and your admin soul. I don't know about the rest of you, but I need a little change every so often to rejuvenate myself, and happy admins are generally also important for the health of a site.

 

[TPerry]

Was curious what specifically would make people feel like Xenforo is maintaining a modern presence across the boards of social media

not necessarily "modern presence", but suggestions that have been out for years and not closed or any action taken upon.

Social Groups
Setting order of sticky/pinned threads
Multiple Prefixes
Ability for Admin to disable certain 2FA points
Event Calendar (hopefully tied to Social Groups)
TRUE Ignore/block feature
Admin defined "whats new" page
Email throttling
Re-use of attachments (for those that don't have the gallery add-on and can embed them)
Multi-quote in conversations (as suggested by a current XF developer)
WebP support

Most these (except 2FA selections) are pre-2015 suggestions to name just a few that would be of benefit to many.

 

[Wing]

not necessarily "modern presence", but suggestions that have been out for years and not closed or any action taken upon.

Social Groups
Setting order of sticky/pinned threads
Multiple Prefixes
Ability for Admin to disable certain 2FA points
Event Calendar
TRUE Ignore/block feature
Admin defined "whats new" page
Email throttling
Re-use of attachments (for those that don't have the gallery add-on and can embed them)
Multi-quote in conversations (as suggested by a current XF developer)
WebP support

All these are pre-2015 suggestions to name just a few that would be of benefit to many.

I can agree with that - I tried my best to fullfill my installation needs with mods for some of those. But I do agree alot of these features should be core in 2023.

 

[rdn]

Features such as that typically can't run on self hosted licenses due to the server requirements.

We could add it for Cloud easily enough, but then that's going to alienate the self hosted license users.

Some of them would be able to configure the server if they have dedicated/VPS and the requisite knowledge, but the vast majority wouldn't be able to use it.

Or maybe offer those kinds of features as optional plugins, just like ElasticSearch?

 

[Paul B]

The number of sales likely wouldn't begin to cover the development cost.

Then there would be all the complaints from those who can't use it that the development time was not spent on a feature available to everyone.

 

[Frode789]

What I want in 2.3, in order of importance:

1. Alternative content front page for improved content discovery and user retention (current what's new page is barely usable, it's so bad...). The page will serve as the HOME, while forum will serve as the classic "forum list". But it is optional, so those who only want the old forum list, can of course do that.
   • Live Filtering (click and it will sort the list, for example imagine something like prefixes, and it will update the content live based on what prefixes you are marking from the sidebar).
   • Feed system (you select the content you want to see, people want the content to reflect what they are interested in viewing!). Has media support from the main post. (f.ex images).
   • Thread voting, similar to Reddit. So popular/good content goes to the top, uninteresting content stays much lower.
   • Different layout for different devices for better user experience and better mobile rating by search engines etc.
   • Infinite scrolling.
2. WebP support. (LONG overdue!)
3. XF core speed/optimization to improve vital areas like LCP and CLS. Things like:
   • Lazy loading images outside of main rendering by default.
   • Defer/asyc to all non-essential xore XF js by default.
   • Improvements to delivery of core XF javascript that are essential for page rendering/function (can anything be trimmed/removed etc)? Almost a second for "blocking" main thread waiting for js loading. For example moving away from jquery.
   • The new cookie notice is really hurting LCP.
   • Font display:swap by default for making sure visitors see text while the font is loading.
   • Leaner sized css.php
   • Etc..
4. Trending Content features. Show trending content based on replies, interactions (likes etc), views.
5. SEO improvements. See notes from the Google developer posting here, on suggested improvements.
6. Remove/update froala editor. So many bugs..
7. Fully integrated push notifications.
8. Universal "create" button from home page and forum. Then you can select the content you wish to create.
9. Improvements to the search capabilities in XF.
10. Popular API integrations, for example like Zapier.

Currently, XF is miles behind IPS on many areas when you see what they have added in the last years since XF 2.2, (even if you discount their special apps like club, event etc), so I really hope that XF 2.3 will bring XF back on top.

 

[Kevin]

The number of sales likely wouldn't begin to cover the development cost.

Then there would be all the complaints from those who can't use it that the development time was not spent on a feature available to everyone.

Then add them as a feature-value to the cloud customers and optional downloadable components to the self-serve customers. It would help the feature parity of IPS cloud while still being available for the self-hosted admins that have the knowledge of how to use them. XF then ends up offering features customers are looking for while keeping the legacy base happy.

 

[Paul B]

That would likely be the approach taken for features such as that but it would still result in various complaints.

I'd bet five of my British pounds.

 

[Kevin]

That would likely be the approach taken for features such as that but it would still result in various complaints.

I'd bet five of my British pounds.

Oh, absolutely there'd still be a few complaints even though it'd be a win-win for everyone, but at least it gets XF progress moving forward.

 

[Mr Lucky]

SEO improvements. See notes from the Google developer posting here, on suggested improvements.

Who? Where?

 

[Kevin]

Who? Where?

Implemented - Markup improvements for Google

Hi, my name is Ryan Levering and I currently handle structured data ingestion at Google (this guy). I've been doing some fairly spontaneous spot checks (not based on any specific problem) of some of the major forum software markups on the web just to see whether the markup is being generated in...

xenforo.com

 

[Wing]

That would likely be the approach taken for features such as that but it would still result in various complaints.

I'd bet five of my British pounds.

Part of business. Gotta keep moving forward, even if risks can occur. Nothing comes easy these days.

 

[Suzanne O]

I don't see many changes with any of the updates.
Some of the recent ones being discussed are laughable.
As what i read earlier and got told in a support ticket is that we're to wait and see what happens next.
All i hope happens is that it is a stable update and a good one with maybe two or three things that might be a bit different.

 

[Suzanne O]

What I want in 2.3, in order of importance:

1. Alternative content front page for improved content discovery and user retention (current what's new page is barely usable, it's so bad...). The page will serve as the HOME, while forum will serve as the classic "forum list". But it is optional, so those who only want the old forum list, can of course do that.
   • Live Filtering (click and it will sort the list, for example imagine something like prefixes, and it will update the content live based on what prefixes you are marking from the sidebar).
   • Feed system (you select the content you want to see, people want the content to reflect what they are interested in viewing!). Has media support from the main post. (f.ex images).
   • Thread voting, similar to Reddit. So popular/good content goes to the top, uninteresting content stays much lower.
   • Different layout for different devices for better user experience and better mobile rating by search engines etc.
   • Infinite scrolling.
2. WebP support. (LONG overdue!)
3. XF core speed/optimization to improve vital areas like LCP and CLS. Things like:
   • Lazy loading images outside of main rendering by default.
   • Defer/asyc to all non-essential xore XF js by default.
   • Improvements to delivery of core XF javascript that are essential for page rendering/function (can anything be trimmed/removed etc)? Almost a second for "blocking" main thread waiting for js loading. For example moving away from jquery.
   • The new cookie notice is really hurting LCP.
   • Font display:swap by default for making sure visitors see text while the font is loading.
   • Leaner sized css.php
   • Etc..
4. Trending Content features. Show trending content based on replies, interactions (likes etc), views.
5. SEO improvements. See notes from the Google developer posting here, on suggested improvements.
6. Remove/update froala editor. So many bugs..
7. Fully integrated push notifications.
8. Universal "create" button from home page and forum. Then you can select the content you wish to create.
9. Improvements to the search capabilities in XF.
10. Popular API integrations, for example like Zapier.

Currently, XF is miles behind IPS on many areas when you see what they have added in the last years since XF 2.2, (even if you discount their special apps like club, event etc), so I really hope that XF 2.3 will bring XF back on top.

IPS is way too expensive.
One of my first free forums was with invisionfree. It went ok. But they've made too many changes at once including the price tag.
I would love to see something majorly different once xf reaches verson 3.0.

 

[tajhay]

Some of the recent ones being discussed are laughable.

May be laughable for a forum with 3 users, but not so for others with substantially more members. Everyone sees things differently. You would see things differently more than most.

As what i read earlier and got told in a support ticket is that we're to wait and see what happens next.

You created a support ticket to ask that?

 

[nodle]

IPS is way too expensive.
One of my first free forums was with invisionfree. It went ok. But they've made too many changes at once including the price tag.
I would love to see something majorly different once xf reaches version 3.0.

IPS is $40 every 6 months so $80 a year vs Xenforo at $55 a year so $25 more a year. I'm willing to pay that $25 more a month for monthly updates, new features being released steadily and an active forum where the management posts all the time so you know the product is still alive. In just a few months coming up this thread will be 3 years old and still nothing. And looking back in this post the next release is still 2.2.13, still no 2.3. So, I wouldn't call IPS way too expensive for what you are getting, at least you're getting something.

 

[Suzanne O]

IPS is $40 every 6 months so $80 a year vs Xenforo at $55 a year so $25 more a year. I'm willing to pay that $25 more a month for monthly updates, new features being released steadily and an active forum where the management posts all the time so you know the product is still alive. In just a few months coming up this thread will be 3 years old and still nothing. And looking back in this post the next release is still 2.2.13, still no 2.3. So, I wouldn't call IPS way too expensive for what you are getting, at least you're getting something.

Yes expensive. $40 every 6 months. imagine having to renew your licence every 6 months.
Think it through a bit.
Here in Australia you'd be paying $60 at least every six months just to use the software.
Their features are also overly expensive.
The beauty of both vBulletin and XF is you have one payment with many free items you can fix up.
sure you can pay for some add ons if you are going to use them.
but they're free whenever you upgrade and renew your licence.