Long in the tooth?

MikeS

MikeS

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Oct 16, 2014
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MikeS
The reason given for going to new software was that the old vbulletin software was "long in the tooth." I don't know just what that means, but I do know this new software has already confused me several times and does not at all seem to be an improvement over what we had. I haven't contributed anything towards the maintenance of either system so really don't any room to be complaining but just for whatever my two cents is worth, this was a totally ridiculous change.
 
It would be nice if one could have the visuals remain the same as the old one. Kinda like the whole windows classic view. I understand humans get bored and like to associate "visual change" with progress. But frankly, leaving the visual interface alone would go a long way for me, even if they make the functionality changes in the background. But alas, they wouldn't feel nearly the same about "progress" if the changes were not earmarked by a habit-upsetting visual interface change. But since I paid exactly zero for the change, I'll just navigate this thing until it becomes not worth the hassle of exchanging ideas, and go do something else on the internet. :D
 
The version of vbulletin that we were using (3.8.4) was released in 2010. Version 3.8.7 was released in February of 2011. Our version hadn't been patched in over 5 years. They weren't supporting it anymore and it was vulnerable to more than a few exploits. So we needed to upgrade to something newer regardless. We researched software for months. Finally deciding on Xenforo over the newest version of vBulletin. Even if we would have stayed with vBulletin it wouldn't have been the same experience.

You simply can't not upgrade software on the internet. It's not an option. We have to take steps to keep the board running and secure.

We'll do what we can to make it easier on our members, but there are a LOT of advantages to the new software over the other. Please just give things a chance.
 
Long in the tooth means old. The teeth of horses and cattle continue to grow as the animal gets older. You can look in the animal's mouth and by judging the wear patterns and length of the teeth, make a close estimate of the animal's age. Closely related for obvious reasons to another saying, "don't' look a gift horse in the mouth".
 
Change always begets a learning curve. I downloaded some camera software yesterday and it looks like I'll need a four year course in how to use it.

Patience ,Grasshopper, patience.
 
Jason's reply is spot on. We went thru an online banking change that was entirely different than what our members had been used to for some of the same reasons. We got more than a few complaints along the lines of the OP's. But they too were clueless about why we had to change.

The bad guys want in so if you want to play in this sandbox and be safe - you have to put up with upgrades and change for the very reasons Jason cites.
 
Jason's right about needing to keep the back end up to date -- but Hindsight's comment wishing for the "visuals remaining the same" was spot on.

There is a penchant amongst app-writers to "improve the look and feel" of an app, but it rarely represents an improvement. It's just different, usually for no apparent reason to the user, offering no advantage to the user and requiring an unecessary learning curve.

Bottom line: This is a forum to talk about flying. KISS applies.
 
I sent a PM and wasn't sure it was a PM since it's now called a "Conversation". A PM is a PM and a conversation is a conversation. What's the purpose of calling things what they are not? Anyway, I'm as adaptable as I feel like being.
 
Can we rename the title of the thread the "whining thread"? The learning curve is less than 1/2 an hour. Way back in 500 BC, Heraclitus said "The only constant is change". It is amazing that 1000's of years later that saying still holds true...
 
MikeS said:
I sent a PM and wasn't sure it was a PM since it's now called a "Conversation". A PM is a PM and a conversation is a conversation. What's the purpose of calling things what they are not? Anyway, I'm as adaptable as I feel like being.
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Were they called PMs in the interface? Or did you just know that they were PMs because you used it and you saw people refer to them as PMs?
 
jason said:
Were they called PMs in the interface? Or did you just know that they were PMs because you used it and you saw people refer to them as PMs?
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Dunno, now that you ask. I do know what a conversation is though and a PM isn't a conversation, although it could turn into one. I think the "Conversation" idea comes out of the Fecesbook mentality. Next thing, some will be asking for and counting "Likes".
 
MikeS said:
Dunno, now that you ask. I do know what a conversation is though and a PM isn't a conversation, although it could turn into one. I think the "Conversation" idea comes out of the Fecesbook mentality. Next thing, some will be asking for and counting "Likes".
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A conversation is just like a PM as long as you don't check the box allowing the other person to "invite others".

No doubt someone out there is already counting "likes". That's just the way some people are.
 
Conversation is a weird thing to call a private messaging feature. A thread is a conversation isn't it?
 
dmspilot said:
Conversation is a weird thing to call a private messaging feature. A thread is a conversation isn't it?
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A private conversation is like a PM. A thread is public. You just need to get used to what it is called.
 
MikeS said:
Dunno, now that you ask. I do know what a conversation is though and a PM isn't a conversation, although it could turn into one. I think the "Conversation" idea comes out of the Fecesbook mentality. Next thing, some will be asking for and counting "Likes".
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I made sure to "like" your post, even if i wasn't invited to the conversation.
 
aaaawwww . . . that's so sweet. Pikespeakmtnman likes me. He doesn't know me but he likes me anyway. That's just so Christian and white of him I don't know what to say. Nobody likes me. But Pikespeakmtnman does. That's just what the Bible teaches. You know, there's just some awfully nice people on this forum. I imagine Pikespeakmtnman would even let me borrow his airplane if he has one. Pikespeakmtnman can I borrow your airplane sometime if I need something with more than one seat?*

* As long as it is't a 150 or an Ercoupe or Aeronca Champ or Pietenpol or anything else that only goes 75 MPH. Don't mean to be too picky but since you're such a good friend I'm sure my preferences won't hurt your feelings?
 
I maintain a couple of other vB sites. The old POA software was a major (and not even the latest of that ) back. The upgrade path on vB to the latest isn't painless (which is why we haven't bothered on our site). We are running the latest 4.xx stuff. There's a lot of security holes in the earlier 4.x. If I were to have to suck it up and upgrade to vB5 I'd certainly consider other forum software as well. We've got a whole pile of local and outside add ins (classified add systems, photo galleries). vB is really kind of hokey with the way all the customization works and even in the latest version LARGELY UNDOCUMENTED. Franky XenForo doesn't seem to be anywhere near the disaster that InVision is (they're latest is finally settling down on the other sites I use, but it's still got pervasive bugs from the conversion process).
 
MikeS said:
The reason given for going to new software was that the old vbulletin software was "long in the tooth." I don't know just what that means, but I do know this new software has already confused me several times and does not at all seem to be an improvement over what we had. I haven't contributed anything towards the maintenance of either system so really don't any room to be complaining but just for whatever my two cents is worth, this was a totally ridiculous change.
Click to expand...

Change is a part of life. I get to hear people whining about the upgrade from Office 2003 to Office 2016 on a regular basis and how things were "so much better" back on the older software. And how the new visuals "are so much more difficult to deal with". Guess what? It wasn't and they aren't.

And people complain that Windows XP is so superior to Windows 10. Same situation, it wasn't. 10 is better.

Took me about a day to get used to this new site, I hardly participated at all on the beta. I fail to see what people have to complain about, I like it.

If navigating this site is hard, or features are too difficult, maybe its time to hangup that dial-up modem, put on some slippers have a scotch and take a nap. There's nothing difficult about the navigation, features or functionality of this site if you have been using a regular computer for the last 10 years.
 
I like the change. I find myself over on POA more now than before. To be honest, I just about quit looking at POA (and the red board) as it was just too hard to navigate / use compared to pretty much everything else I use. (Beech Talk is still #1 in usability - and I happen to need to be over there due to airplane choice.)

Add me to the "i like it" ... Just need a button to better "ignore" threads I don't want to see any more.
 
brian] said:
I like the change. I find myself over on POA more now than before. To be honest, I just about quit looking at POA (and the red board) as it was just too hard to navigate / use compared to pretty much everything else I use. (Beech Talk is still #1 in usability - and I happen to need to be over there due to airplane choice.)

Add me to the "i like it" ... Just need a button to better "ignore" threads I don't want to see any more.
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There is an "ignore thread" button above the first post on this page.
 
> "for whatever my two cents is worth, this was a totally ridiculous change."

Sorry for the careless use of the word "ridiculous." A bit too harsh a word for what I meant to express.
 
Again we need that bangin' head into the brick wall emotion?

:yeahthat:
 
Everskyward said:
There is an "ignore thread" button above the first post on this page.
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Wish there was an 'ignore' on the listing before the thread. What I like about the new software is it works better on the mobile devices (and looks better in a regular browser). However, clicking (or tapping) the "whatever" link and making it go away is nice on another board.

My goal in life is to filter out as much noise as I can. Right now that means turning off the TV due to all the political ads... Ditto here.
 
Caramon13 said:
Change is a part of life. I get to hear people whining about the upgrade from Office 2003 to Office 2016 on a regular basis and how things were "so much better" back on the older software. And how the new visuals "are so much more difficult to deal with". Guess what? IMO It wasn't and IMO they aren't.

And people complain that Windows XP is so superior to Windows 10. Same situation, IMO it wasn't. IMO 10 is better.

Took me about a day to get used to this new site, I hardly participated at all on the beta. I fail to see what people have to complain about, I like it.

If navigating this site is hard, or features are too difficult, maybe its time to hangup that dial-up modem, put on some slippers have a scotch and take a nap. There's nothing difficult about the navigation, features or functionality of this site if you have been using a regular computer for the last 10 years.
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FTFY
 
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