Check out the note from Mark Williams on the MTFCI forum about the change in format. From what he says, I expect the same will happen here.
http://modelt.org/discus/messages/2/44268.html?1368304911
I just did it.....
Excellent... VBulletin is a great format.
I'd suggest adding a "classifieds" section onto the forum as well.
It "can" be a great format but takes work to set it up. As long as we don't have to look at the putrid stock colors and use 3rd party photo links, I'm for it.
>sigh< If I were the kind of guy who liked change, I wouldn't be driving a car that starts with a hand-crank or writing with a pen that fills out of an inkwell. And why the heck did they move the dimmer switch from the floor to the directional-signal stalk, anyway? And what was wrong with locking the door with my elbow and sticking the key in the dashboard where it belongs?
I can't play 78 records on a CD player!
No, but I can record my 78's to a CD with my record player!
Bob,
I agree with you. If it is like the Ford Barn site, I'm outa there. Can't access pictures without registering (THAT discourages newbies). This format is easy to read and follow. Not much on MTFCI site anyway; most postings are duplicates of MTFCA postings. Too bad if MTFCA site has to change (the old "if it isn't broke, don't fix it") but seems like it might not be possible to maintain as is. A shame, I'm just getting used to this site and the great people on it. If it changes drastically; not sure if
I would even bother lurking.
Also, the want adds on the MTFCA site are easy to follow and read NOT so on the Ford Barn format.
Leave this site alone
Dennis Seth,
You said it more concisely and to the point than I did. I'd like to shake your hand but Ohio is a long stretch from my place. :-)
Nothing is forever. If the company that provided this platform can no longer support it there is no choice but to move to one that can be supported. Buggy whip manufactures went out of business for a reason. Not all change is bad. I know it's a pain in the butt learning new Aurthur Murray dance steps but the writings on the wall in my humble opinion.
Fom the MTFCI forum
Dear MTFCI members and forum guests,
Over the past few years we’ve been using a forum application developed by a small company called Discussware. Like so many small businesses these days it’s hard to compete in the dynamics of the online eBUSINESS environment and Discussware has gone out of business and therefore no longer able to provide security and program updates. In order to avoid a foreseeable crisis, the MTFCI Board of Directors has approved the migration to a new and very popular forum application called vBulletin Board, hereafter referred to VB. The link is available under the MTFCI Forum drop down menu or with this direct link: http://www.mode lt.org/vbulleti n . If you’ve ever been to the Ford Barn website, then most likely you’ve already encountered VB.
I can't register on the new MTFCI forum. My name is considered offensive. Too funny
Couldn't help laugh when I saw the new MTFCI site was on VB. If I was on VB for as long as I am on this site, I'd be an alcoholic! VB, short for Victoria Bitter!
With a laugh,
Allan from down under.
I make my money on the Internet. I work on Windows XP Professional. Even bought an XP-powered netbook when everybody bought a Vista-powered one. Didn't fall for Windows Vista. Didn't care for Windows 7, nor do I care for Windows 8. Next year support for XP will end. Time for me to disconnect my main computer from the Web and use it mainly for my work. I will then move files from it to the "Web" computer.
If I like something, I like it. I still drive my old Mercedes Diesel sedan and Dodge Diesel pickup. Don't like the computerized stuff. I will keep driving them as long as I can. Wish you could go out to the dealers and buy a new car: 4-cyliner, 4-speed, no ABS, no airbags, no black boxes, no power seats, no power windows, no ASR, traction control, tire monitoring system, and no TV in the center console. I stopped buying new car radios when I was unable to change the station without having to read the manual. I like two knobs on it: the left one for "ON" and volume, the right one for changing the station. Those radios are in all of my cars, save for the antique ones. Oh . . . and I like this forum just the way it is. I don't need fancy colors.
Took 30 seconds to register. Awesome!!!!!!
I once saw my dad shut off a radio by unplugging it.
I'd probably watch TV if I could buy one with two knobs like Bernard's radios.
I don't have too much trouble with the radios, I just pull over when I can, put on my reading glasses and get my flash light out and in no time I can change the station or turn down the volume.
My 20 year old has all the electronic stuff, smart phone, lap-tops, etc.
Two years ago she had a new fancy radio installed in her car and just uses it to play music through from her iPod (I think), anyway I wish she could figure out how to make it play like a radio so when I use her car I could listen to the radio!
I can get around just fine on Ford Barn. No problem. I can not do much on the new MTFCI website.
I registered and I can see Royce's picture with his '15 but I do not see how he got it there.
I have a feeling I won't be using that site much.
Borrowed my wife's Toyota yesterday. Couldn't figure out how to use the radio. Then, after I got home, I tried to reheat some pizza in the new stove — and that stupid thing has digital controls, too — but after a little head-scratching, I figured it out. When I sat down in front of the television with the pizza, the darn thing wouldn't tune in a channel. Fortunately, there was an adolescent in the house who reluctantly interrupted texting on her blackberry or i-phone or smart-phone or whatever-the-heck they're calling those hand-held things this month, and by briefly juggling three wireless remotes, she had the TV working again.
Y'know, life was so much easier before all these conveniences.
Glad they updated from OS 1.0. All MACS must die! troop
vBulletin can be set up as simply or complicated as the Administrator wants to make it.
The vBulletin control panel makes the cockpit of the 747 look like child's play.
It's NOT for the casual user or faint of heart and support is NOT cheap.
IF this forum were to switch to a new format I wonder what the migration would entail.......
If the vB system uses more power and bandwidth will they be able to afford it?
Tell me again the compelling reason to change formats if this one is still working?
Ok, I'm NOT computer ignorant but I cannot figure out how to post or add a profile picture to the new format. If the new format is that difficult then consider that website dead.
Jay,
They still make buggy whips, buggies, wood wheels and homemade pie...I live in Amish country. Change is not always good!
Here is the address to one of the gun/hunting forums I frequent. Take a look around. It is powered by VBulletin and very user friendly.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/
Anyway, if this site eventually needs to change there are numerous forum designs so at this point no one knows if or when or how it might happen.
I use Simple Machines forum software on two sites I frequent and VBulletin on a few others. I play moderator on the two SMF sites.
It has more features which may require a little learning but it is far from difficult. It gives the forum user a bit more flexibility in how he would prefer to navigate the site too.
if a site suffers a lot of spammers and attempts to hack it the SMF or VB format allows automatic security measures to block. And just about any attack with the correct plug in. That makes the site admin's job a lot easier and your personal data a bit more secure.
You give a little and you may even take a little more for the efforts. Who knows?
Going to wait & see. Don't like them showing the user names (on present forum). No reason for that or the birthday thing being accessable if not blocked.
Danial, The compelling reason to change formats if this one is still working is that the vendor of this forums software is out of business and longer able to provide security and program updates.
We do what we must do. As for myself I never could figure out how to post pictures on the Barn. Did figure out a posting photo (avatar ?)
but not in the text. I know...It's easy! Right..
Charlie to post a picture click Post Reply at the bottom of the page, scroll down to Additional Options and click on Manage Attachments. In the little Manage Attachments window click Browse. From there it's the usual task of tracking down the image file on your computer and clicking Open. Then hit Upload and you're done. A nice feature is that you an post up to seven images at a time.
I looked at Michaels website above. Very much like many other websites.
However, if MTFCI starts splitting off into numerous different topics instead of just general discussion then I will be gone. I like to open one file and read all the post under one file. Not separate files for front axle, engine, Model K, etc. I can just see certain people stating that I posted an item that belongs in a sub file, not under general discussion, etc.
It is so nice to just read down all the posts and click on the ones that look interesting.
Looks like Steve found an easy way to post pic's and I thank him for sharing that with us.
I look at the Fordbarn site every day, I have no problems with signing up, posting photos, editing my post. I don't think I have had to re-size any photos that I have posted there. Yes you have to sign up to see the photos and yes you see who posted the question.
Fordbarn has a drop down menu that shows the different fields of interest like Model T, Model A, parts for sale, parts wanted etc. The classifieds on the International site has a menu for that section now, too bad it gets so little use.
As far as the hosting Co., it's broken and needs to be replaced.
Another nice thing about the format at Fordbarn, as you pass your cursor over the question it shows the first part of the question in the body of the content also there is a sticky file where questions that get asked over and over can be stashed. I also like the fact I can see if anyone has even looked at my question or part for sale.
EEZY - PEEZY... troop
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: News on the other forum: New Message
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Error
One or more of the images or attachments you uploaded exceeded the maximum allowable upload size (which is 200 kilobytes). These images or attachments have been removed from your post. If you would like to include images or attachments, upload new files after you make sure that the size is not greater than 200 kilobytes.
Now ya see, when you shoot LOTSA pics with a 16Mp camera, Id spend all day re-sizing etc...thats why I do a separate host like:
[IMG]http://i41.tinypic.com/sb6dz8.jpg[/IMG]
So now, if you try to get all squinty eyed looking at a cell phone screen or cant make a single click on a jpg. link, dont ever rag about updating the antiquated O.S. here.
BTW... I own two forums hosted by Proboards.com and even I can figure out that stuff.
Ex Trooper. You can open up your camera program to change the resolution when you are taking a picture for fore instance 60K and then move it back to high resolution after taking pictures for posting. Another way to get rid of pixels is to re-size the picture. A 16 meg picture will display as about 22 inches wide so drop it down to two inches wide and that will get rid of those pesky excess pixels.
Most cameras come with a program to do this after the fact that you have a huge picture that you must re-size.
Jay, I'm still confused. If this forum is still working where is the need for updates?
And I'm with Dave H.; if the there are a multitude of topic headings, I will probably post even less than I do now. Nothing says buzz kill on a forum more than that for me
I understand that Frank, however on any given day I take about 25-50 pics and cant be bothered resizing each one on the camera. I quit using photoshop for that reason, and any other multitude of file hosts. A member here ragged at me on the FordBarn that my 20 page threds with tons of "hosted" pics took too long on his dial up modem to read the whole thred....Odd as it is, when reading my stuff on any other forum, the pics magically appear IN CONTEXT with the text. Kinda has a nice flo'--- better than linoleum LOL...
When I first came over here, I used some other program that a member suggested; I now have a years worth of pics resized for this format which means those AND a file with 16meg pics as well. I mean really, how hard is a mouse click to open a hi-rez pic? Unless youre on one of those MACdonalds deals with a thumb pad for scrolling or lost a finger on the table saw. For now Ill just hafta laugh at the amateurs until the new system is up and running... until then, click here! troop
Trout Lake Mich. 1969 on tour from Chicago
[IMG]http://i41.tinypic.com/1rt93s.jpg[/IMG]
Danial, without security updates the bad guys would soon win.
I say this with a smile, Jay - but I just don't see too many bad guys trying to hack a model T forum..grin..
How long has it been since there have been no security updates on this forum?
Danial,I grew up in metro NYC, If you give someone the chance to steal your dirty underwear they will!
I would rather things here stayed the way they are personally . it's simple to follow and easy to use. I've followed the forum since it's beginning and changing formats would be like loosing a dear old friend.
Here are some discussions about the forum software from the past.
2007 http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=29&post=48639
2011 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/210604.html
2011 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/222435.html?1310168012
2012 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/311347.html?1347548608
I have read all your thoughts and understand what everyone is saying.
I know a lot of you would like to leave the forum as it is but we are in danger of having a problem that we won’t be able to fix. I have talked to Mark from the MTFCI in the past and we both have the same issues with support. As mentioned the Discusware software is still working but neither Mark or I can directly support it. It has a copyright date of 2002 and not had an update for approx. 5 years. The only support we had was a web page and that disappeared about 2 years ago.
I have basically short listed the forum software between vBulletin and phpBB. You can see a phpBB forum on the Early Ford Registry website here
http://earlyfordregistry.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=2
Stayed tuned for further information.
Just a friendly note from your webmaster and forum police officer.
I've tried repeatedly for over 2 years to register with Ford Barn. Every time they deny me membership because they find something wrong with my real name, forum name, or whatever. Everything I have tried has been rejected for one reason or another.
I just hope that this forum does not get like that!
Tony
Tony, If you had an account before the change over on Fordbarn you my be trying to use the same name etc in a different combination that is too close to your old name. I would clear your browser and history and remove Fordbarn from your bookmarked list. I would then Google Fordbarn.com and start from scratch. If you still have problems try;
http://fordbarn.com/contact-us
Chris
Thanks for all you do.
PS
I just hate it when the forum police officer gets my License plate number. Grin
Mark, I was not aware of Ford Barn before I read the comments about the changeover. It was then that I tried to register. Each name and password combination I tried was rejected for various reasons, so I have finally resigned myself to being just an outside observer. My blood pressure is not worth it.
Tony
So, it sounds like there have been no security updates since at least 2005 maybe longer. And yet here in 2013 the site is still here and quite functional.
I guess I still don't understand the need to fix something that isn't broken.
I hate to say it but if you go the way of phpBB, you will lose a lot of posters.
I checked out the International forum, the lay out looks good. Right now I think there is a lot of griping about the unknown. I guess a lot of you are forgetting the site crashes in the past where we have had to re-sign up and basically start over or are new and have not been through it.
What ever Chris does I will still be here. Thanks Chris for all you do.
Danial,
I agree totally. I haven't been on either site too long but found this the only site I could obtain lots of T info and hopefully made a few new friends. I'm not enthralled with computers- don't want to play jump through the hoop games. Just like to correspond. I'm (I think) now off the MTFCI site, don't intend to go back. Hope we don't "lose" this one. I'm rather work or drive a T (or anything else) than fight computer "games" and put personal info out there.
The only problem I have with a change would be the loss of information that exists here.
I do a search at least twice a month to see something that was said before.
I'm not griping about the unknown. I am very well aware of both of the options for new forums Chris is talking about. For me they are posting killers. The formats are not conducive to casual, round robin discussions like this format is.
phpBB all but destroyed our thriving, large family forum my dad had worked on for years. He went from a format just like this to the phpBB. There are literally two people that post there now from a high of probably 35-40. And they post only rarely now whereas before, family members were posting almost every night.
I hope it doesn't happen, but I do think you will see a real drop in the forum use here.
Believe me, I hate change perhaps more than anyone else.
I also like the ability to search posts from the past - loads of invaluable information can be found in the writings of the past.
Problem is, I seem to remember a fairly large batch of posts being lost to the netherworld due to some malfunction with the website host.
Therefore, if the present webmaster deems it prudent to make any change(s) BEFORE words are lost forever, I'm all for the change.
Thanks for all you do Chris...may you continue to keep this Forum operational - in whatever form you think necessary.
I spent a few minutes at the phpBB based Early Ford Registry site and that was enough for me.
I don't like how photos display in a frame and I wonder if the site software will automatically resize images the way vBulletin does or would it still be an annoyance resizing photos to match the site rather than the site making things easier for the user.
I'm chief moderator at a site with over 61,000 registered users and nearly 50 main forums with numerous sub-forums. If it's old iron chances are we have it covered.
However.......despite how terrific everything else is with vBulletin you are still better off searching with Google........hardly a surprise as the search function here is no better anyway.
Some are asking WHY CHANGE WHEN THIS IS WORKING. When you get a big fat virus or some other nefarious crap on your computer from this site you won't have to ask.
The owner/administrator of the site I mod spends about 98% of his time dealing with security issues and screening every single new user to make sure they are who they say they are.
The bots are getting smarter by the minute........NOT a good thing!
AND.......depending on the whim of the administrator you can EDIT YOUR POSTS within a reasonable amount of time!.......
Chris
Just looking at the 2 possible future websites, I would pick the phpBB over VBulletin. It is not a lot different than this one from what I can see at a glance.
The ease of use might come into question or the ability to post pictures, but I thought I might throw in my thoughts.
Thank you for all you do.
dave
VBulletin is by far the best route to go!
For all you afraid of segregation by topic, you will be AMAZED by a link at the top menu that says "Today's Posts" if you are not logged in or "New Posts" if you are logged in. That list all unread posts in all thread topics since you last logged in! Voila!
Try it, you will like it...and stop whining!
I will support whatever Chris and the administration decide to do.
I guess I'm just too lazy to learn a new system and I'm not very good with computers. If I liked change I would be driving a modern car.
I'm convinced that Chris knows what he is doing and knows what will work best for us. I trust Chris on this.
Complaining about any potential change won't prevent it. We all learned to use this format; we can learn another. The new one might be even easier to operate than this one, and it probably will work better and have features we'll like.
I think we all agree that Chris does a great job. I didn't realize that's what the discussion was about, however.
You call it complaining, I call it providing first hand knowledge of phpBB - it's a buzz kill. Period.
The MTFCI will not let me in. It will not accept connections outside of the US. Is that going to happen here if changes are made?
Peter
Dave Dufault -- I understand why you hate change.
For me it happened when my Drill Sargent told us that he had good and bad news for us after we had been in the field for about two weeks.
The good news was that we were going to be able to change our underwear!
The bad news was that we were going to change with each other.
Peter, it will let you (and me) in when it's fixed. The webmaster is working on it.
Thanks Steve
Keeping your mind active by learning new things is supposed to help prevent Alzheimer disease.
I don't like change either but it's coming and we can all learn how to use whatever we wind up with.
So far I have found the new software to not be as friendly to a dial-up connection as this software is. I wish I had another choice for my internet connection. There is a chance in two years when they build a new golf course/resort near me that we might get high speed connections here.
Can you get cell service where you live? We get our internet from Verizon. No DSL available at our place.
Please ...no 3rd party photo links. Tried that in another forum - it was a NIGHTMARE!
inserting embedded photos no problem
Ex-Trooper, WHATEVERRRRR!!!!!!!!
It's new, it's strange and different. To me any way but I kept plugging until I got in just to learn a new system. My problem was that some of the MTFCI e-mails were going into my junk file. I was logged into the site but couldn't post or add an avitar. The final complete your registeration e-mail had gone to junk and was deleted from there. Luckily I found it in the delete section & used the code to complete the reg. Flurry of activity there at first but it seems to have settled back to it's quiet state.
I hate change, but I love it. Typically I wonder why it took so long. It makes me think too.
If nothing else it teaches me patience and tolerance.
I've had no problems with the Ford Barn or for that matter any of the many forums I use. It can be trying at times but they all seem to becoming a little closer to being standardize.
One one of my favorite forums you can see all the bots mining it, Google in particular.
The new MTFCI forum is still not set up completely right but it is working pretty good. I have to believe there is some way to make it display photos properly that is not enabled right now.
For example, if I am logged out the pictures are not visible. This means that people who are not members of the forum cannot see the pictures either.
If you're logged out or visiting the picture doesn't show in the post, but you can see it if you click on the link in its place.
Hal,
Nope, no cell service here either. No cable, no cell, I get about 3 channels on TV from an antenna high in a Ponderosa pine tree. Half the time there's cross talk on our phone line. They have to bring in the "old timers" to chase wire pairs here, as the cables have so many shorts in them and are near capacity.
Fingers crossed that the new golf course & resort two miles away might change these things.
No "wireless world" out here!
Now to stretch the string taut so I can send this message!