XF 2.4 general discussion, feedback, complaints, random off topic posts, etc.

[mjda]

Seriously, I can't believe you guys wanting what's best for your own communities and not just agreeing with what I want!

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Well I'd prefer not New Age but OPTIONAL sounds good.

Mind you I'm very open to suggestions and I'd like to see some examples of what people suggest to improve on what most forum users seem happy with, ie a list of latest posts. I tried the Themehouse Feeds for a while and nobody liked it.

It's really about what your users want. If you're not getting a lot of traffic from new age social media, then it probably won't make much of a difference for you. However, if/when you DO get that traffic, those people will be familiar with the layout and functionality. Many of those types that I receive in my various forums - and uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the old school layout - which I prefer, by the way. I love forums. I've been running them since the mid 80s on a BBS.

@JamesBrown @Mr Lucky @Swiftman , so with your attitude - what is even the point of XF 3.0?
Again, this leads back to the original comment pages earlier... as to why its baffling you guys would rather just stay on this current course. We all love XF and what it is currently, but sitting here as its been now for years - is not going to keep XF around.

This also leads us back to the circular argument of "why is more options" and flexibility for modernization a bad thing? If in the end, there is the option to keep your sites stuck in the current look and feel that we have from 1.0 and 2.0?

You guys seriously are making no sense, and this is exactly what will allow XF to eventually die out. @Sal Collaziano I agree with you, there really is not much that needs to be done to bring fresh life into XF, especially modernization of just a couple of the frontend pages would go a long way. But again, people here remain ignorant. Sorry for becoming emotional about this, but I am sick of the loyalist attitude here that is literally allowing Xenforo to run its course and die - when there truly is tons of potential to bring this software back onto the grand stage of Public Discource as it once was. Like I said earlier as well... just adding VOIP channel functionality would go a long way for new node modes and sharing of in house live group chat node streams that we see users enjoy greatly on other platforms.

XF 1.0 was ground breaking. XF 3.0 can be as well.

I think some people probably feel you're "hating on" (I hate that expression) xenForo but if you're anything like me, you just want to see xenForo be the best it can be. I really love running XF forums and I kinda sorta worry a little about the future. I mean, it really is a hobby that I love. And I really don't like the alternatives. I'm XF through and through. But if I had no choice but to switch, what could I do? I'd have to. But I don't think I'd enjoy running forums as much as I do with XF...

 

[JamesBrown]

Yeah, to be frank, all of this talk of a major overhaul to the foundational structure of internet forums being desperately needed sorta just seems like cope from people whose sites are shrinking—likely for reasons that don't actually have anything to do with the software.

Nail on head

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Nail on head

I'm not in the "major overhaul" camp but some may think I am. My forums are still doing great. Not 2010 great, but great.

 

[Wing]

I think some people probably feel you're "hating on" (I hate that expression) xenForo but if you're anything like me, you just want to see xenForo be the best it can be. I really love running XF forums and I kinda sorta worry a little about the future. I mean, it really is a hobby that I love. And I really don't like the alternatives. I'm XF through and through. But if I had no choice but to switch, what could I do? I'd have to. But I don't think I'd enjoy running forums as much as I do with XF...

Tbh I am not hating on Xenforo at all. After all these years I have been quiet and really enjoy the software for what it is. BUT we are at a point now, where each and ever one of us needs to become realistic with reality and ask ourselves... what is going to continue paying the bills and allow XF to exceed the market? In the current state (well for a couple years now), things have become to look a bit more grim. I hate to see it.

If that makes me the bad guy to try and get people to start seeing the signs, and writing on the wall... then so be it. I am oldschool too, and love the original forum structure. BUT I also want XF to succeed. Something will need to be done to seal the deal to ensure they succeed over the next 10 years to come, because in the current state... I am not seeing it.

 

[Wing]

Yeah, to be frank, all of this talk of a major overhaul to the foundational structure of internet forums being desperately needed sorta just seems like cope from people whose sites are shrinking—likely for reasons that don't actually have anything to do with the software.

Social media isn't the enemy, it's an asset that can drive new membership to a well-run, well-structured, original-content-rich Xenforo forum. Social media isn't some existential threat. If the discussions taking place on social media are a threat to the discussions taking place on your forum, I'd say that's a problem with the quality of the discussions taking place on your forum, not a grand software challenge that Xenforo needs to solve for you. Xenforo could deliver you the ideal Facebook competitor but if the discussions that take place via that theoretical software are as passing, vapid, and hollow as the ones taking place on Facebook right now, your forum is doomed to fail regardless.

There's a ton I want to see out of Xenforo in the months and years ahead—the new editor, a new, modern theme, and, most notably a new homepage/What's New page that centers threads in a simple, user-customizable, orderable, filterable, savable, format very akin to ThemeHouse's Feeds addon. But, notably, the vast majority of the things I want from Xenforo are things that social media platforms DON'T provide. I don't want Xenforo to compete with centralized social media platforms by trying to follow their model, I want Xenforo to compete with centralized social media platforms by continuing to iterate and improve upon the things that make internet forums uniquely desirable when compared against social media.

Nail on head

I run a very niche hobby group that is locked down completely to the masses other than the limited amount of slots on our Roster https://www.v303rdfightergroup.com/index.php?rosters/ My concerns honestly have nothing to do with "coping" of shrinking sites. We use our site for close-knit flight planning communication.

My concern comes from the fact that I dont like the current course that XF has been on, and year after year begins to look more negative than positive when it comes to development excitement. Sorry for being real.

 

[Mr Lucky]

@JamesBrown @Mr Lucky @Swiftman , so with your attitude - what is even the point of XF 3.0?

It might help to read what people actually say about 3.0:

I believe the style is going to get a major overhaul and I’m looking forward very much to that, hoping it makes customising easier and allows for more versatility with less frustration for those of us less expert at code.

 

[Wing]

Seriously, I can't believe you guys wanting what's best for your own communities and not just agreeing with what I want!

We are not specifically talking about individual use cases, some people prefer to this day to remain on XF 1.0

We are talking about the survivability of Xenforo itself for the next 10 years, and what will keep it competitive in the market. Really sad that you guys are not seeing the concern with this...

 

[Sal Collaziano]

We certainly don't want xenForo to reinvent the wheel. Most of us old timers remember when Infopop tried that...

 

[Wing]

We certainly don't want xenForo to reinvent the wheel. Most of us old timers remember when Infopop tried that...

Ofcourse not. There has to be a way to remain competitive in the current/future market without re-inventing the wheel lol

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Ofcourse not. There has to be a way to remain competitive in the current/future market without re-inventing the wheel lol

Consistent baby steps would be fine. But I do believe it's important to keep the old school characteristics available even later on, for those of us who prefer it. Basically the same idea as now. Offer something for the new people now - and offer something for the old people later. If everyone can be happy, you've got a winning platform.

 

[Wing]

Consistent baby steps would be fine. But I do believe it's important to keep the old school characteristics available even later on, for those of us who prefer it. Basically the same idea as now. Offer something for the new people now - and offer something for the old people later. If everyone can be happy, you've got a winning platform.

100%. That would be great.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

100%. That would be great.

Well... You and I love it - but we're about to get stabbed in the face for suggesting it.

 

[Suzanne O]

I'm not in the major overhaul camp.
I'm in the current go slowly approach camp.

I'd love to see a block function added along side the ignore list to safely put those that troll me back in their box.

I'd like us to have the Direct Messages to be split into two.
With reports getting sent to staff via DM so you can privately discuss it without the others trolling us.

 

[JamesBrown]

You guys seriously are making no sense, and this is exactly what will allow XF to eventually die out.

I'm making perfect sense for me. Forums for me are more about community, than drive-by information such as you'll find on Reddit or Facebook. IMO we don't need to be like them.

XF as it is right now, allows me to build communities. It's 90% there already.... If they can make tweaks and improvements such as a better editor, filtering of custom fields, better error message and notice handling, then great. But IMO what we don't need is the major overhaul you are shouting for.

 

[mjda]

We are talking about the survivability of Xenforo itself for the next 10 years, and what will keep it competitive in the market. Really sad that you guys are not seeing the concern with this...

Sorry, I haven't seen anyone advocating for XF's downfall.

Even if XF is dying, though, what can we do about it? Nothing that I know of. There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of relevant suggestions and no doubt the XF devs have seen a ton of the posts that are in threads like these through the years, yet nothing has changed. At the end of the day, the direction is theirs. Their company, their product, their choice. I'm not gonna get all heated or stress out about what they do, or don't do. As hard as it is for some to believe, my sites don't succeed or fail based on anything that XF does, or doesn't do. I'd imagine that will still be the case 10 years from now.

As always, I'll continue to do what I think is best for my sites, whether that means sticking with XF or moving on to something else. Right now XF is still the best option for me and, to me, it's not even close. If that ever changes, then I guess so will my sites. What I won't do, however, is rely on XF to do something magical to save my sites from collapse.

 

[Wing]

But IMO what we don't need is the major overhaul you are shouting for.

I sure hope you are correct! The current state of customer excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the Xenforo brand now a days in the year 2025... says otherwise.

Even if XF is dying, though, what can we do about it? Nothing that I know of.

We can continue to convey our passion, support, and HOPE to see Xenforo thrive for another10 years... instead of remain on the current course its on - and explain what we feel may be one of the only ways to ensure they remain competitive in the market.

Sorry that these posts urk you guys. Again, keep trying to argue with me for pointing out the writing on the wall.
As an Xenforo enthusiast, Its stupid IMO to remain quiet. We have been quiet enough over the last 3 years. These threads are on this board to convey our feedback.

 

[Paul B]

keep trying to argue with me

They're not the only ones arguing.

People are entitled to their opinions.

Accept it.

 

[Wing]

They're not the only ones arguing.

People are entitled to their opinions.

Accept it.

I accept that, but what I don't want to accept is people sitting around acting like "Everything is fine", while the favorite Forum software we all love continues on a downward path. That is stupidity imo.

 

[mjda]

Sorry that these posts urk you guys. Again, keep trying to argue with me for pointing out the writing on the wall.
As an Xenforo enthusiast, Its stupid IMO to remain quiet. We have been quiet enough over the last 3 years. These threads are on this board to convey our feedback.

Your posts don't bother me in the slightest and I certainly wouldn't call what I'm doing arguing. I don't even fully disagree. I'd welcome whatever changes the XF devs feel like are best for XF. If that's what I feel like is best for my sites, great...if not, that's fine too. I'll figure it out. I just don't see the point in getting all riled up over something I don't have any control over. In case you haven't noticed, plenty of folks have voiced their frustration through the years, including me over certain things. From what I've seen, it doesn't do any good. You do you, though. As you correctly stated, that's what these forums/threads are for. If nothing else it's great entertainment and a good way to pass time, especially on days when it's slow at work.