I actually believe that all the changes I'd wanted to make here before we make the switch to the new system are finally done (hard to believe but true
![[wink2]](http://www.dsboards.com/SMF/Smileys/classic/wink2.gif "Wink #2")
).
Observant members may have noticed that the Forum History stats now reach all the way back to January 2002 (they'd previously only gone as far back as part of February 2003). This YaBB SE system didn't begin to measure the stats displayed in that chart until February 18, 2003, once we'd made the switch to SE, however, I wrote up several PHP scripts to pull up the missing stats from the database for when we'd still been using YaBB SP. I've also readjusted the posting dates and member status for all the posts that had been transferred from our temporary eboards4all home. (Several of the members who were active between the time VantageNet shut down (January 16, 2002) and the YaBB SP version of the forum officially opened (late on February 28, 2002) might have noticed that their posting totals increased significantly a few weeks ago once that task had been finished.) Sereral members will continue to see a bump in their posting totals as the six remaining Robservations topics (for episodes #598-#609) are restored, as well as the Members' Archive topics (however, the MA topics won't be restored until after we've made the switch to the new system).
(As a side note, the newly displayed forum stats from 2002 show quite clearly why it became necessary for us to close down guest access and new registrations back in August 2002. I suppose one could call it an embarrassment of riches because the forum was simply becoming too active for its own good. And the downside of that was that the Perl based YaBB SP system was simply consuming way too much bandwidth. If only this PHP based YaBB SE system had been available to us back then, converting to it might have solved so many of the headaches, not the least of which was frequently being shut down by our host, not only for using way too much bandwidth, but for exceeding our alotted CPU usage on their server.
But alas...)
At least one other significant change has taken place with regard to the way posts are now being counted, but I'm going to leave that a mystery to see just how long it might take before someone notices. The change has been in place for about two weeks already and so far no one seems to have noticed - but then, it actually effects so few of you that it might take quite some time before anyone ever realizes what it is.
But anyway, now I'll be free to devote most of my time to working on the conversion to the new system. Two days ago I installed the latest beta version and Midnite, dom and I are busily checking it out and trying to decide just what we want to do with it. From our perspective, it's a radical change from this SE system, though, thankfully, it will be less of a change for you. As I've mentioned before, the most significant difference you will see is probably the way in which you'll adjust the settings in your profiles. But the developers' goal is to simplify that process for you, and I think they've done a fairly good job of doing just that. Hopefully (and I know I keep saying this, but) it won't be too long before you get to see everything for yourselves.
I suppose that's it until it comes time for the next upadte...
