I've been threatening it for months but it's finally here: the day we convert to the new forum system. Beginning somewhere around 2-3am ET / 11pm-12am PT the forum will slip into Maintenance mode while the conversion takes place (so be sure to wrap up any posts you might be working on before that time or all your work might be lost). Afterward most things will look and operate the same, but there will also be some differences.
One thing that will be different is the main menu - it will be missing the "guidelines", "search new", "who's online", "cousins list", "chat", and "notifications" buttons.
Buttons for "guidelines", "cousins list", and "chat" will be added back as soon as I find the time to write up some new routines for them.
"Search new" has been replaced by two new buttons: "show unread posts since last visit" and "show new replies to your posts". The latter is self-explanitory, the former operates a bit differently than "search new" did. "Search new" would always bring up all the posts that you haven't read regardless of whether they'd come up in a previous search during a previous visit to the forum. However, "show unread posts since last visit" does exactly that. If you visit the forum and don't read all the new posts since the last time you were here, the unread posts will
not come up on your next visit. However, topics with unread posts in them will always display the "new" icon next to them, so catching any unread posts is as easy as going to the boards and clicking on any "new" icons.
The who's online feature is still available, but to access it you click on the icon opposite the online members list in the Info Center.
Notifications are now set in your profile.
And speaking of your profile, you'll notice it looks very different, but it actually operates the same. Instead of everything being on one page, your profile has been broken up into separate sections: "Account Related Settings", "Forum Profile Information", "Look and Layout Preferences", "Notifications and Email", and "Personal Message Options", which were previously set in YaBB SE in the Instant Messages festure itself.
And speaking of Private Messages, this new system does not currently have the backup feature, so all of your incoming PMs will be listed together in your inbox. When/if the backup feature becomes available again, I'll be sure to install it - or I may simply write one up myself if no one has gotten around to writing a mod for it.
A new feature which had previously only been available to admins/mods is the ability to bcc messages, just like one can with e-mails.
Also missing will be all the extra smileys. But I'll remedy that as soon as I get the chance to write up a new routine for them.
Also, keep in mind that this system is still in beta testing form. During our trial runs with it we didn't come across any problems, but that doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't any. If you come across something that brings up an actual error, please feel free to make a post about it on the Testing board and we'll look into it.
I think that's it for now - but more will surely come...
