Exploring Some Changes for PipesMagazine.com

[admin]

I just thought I'd throw this out here so no one is surprised.

Short non-technical version: Currently, any logged in forum member is also logged in to the WordPress (articles / posts) side of the site, and can comment on stuff, like Kyle's tobacco reviews, or the radio show posts for example.

For current members, that should not change.

At some point, new members will have to make a separate account, or fill in their name and email to comment on blog posts - (anything outside the forums).

Longer more technical version:

In Sept. 2019, we relaunched the site with a much needed update for the forums platform, and a long awaited mobile friendly site as well.

We switched from a really crappy BBPress forum platform to a robust Xenforo platform.

The other parts of the site where we have articles (blog posts) for posting tobacco reviews, Fred Brown's column, news, and The Pipes Magazine Radio Show have always used what I consider the best, and most popular content management system (CMS), which is WordPress.

The typical hierarchy has WordPress at the top, and the forums being subservient. However, Xenforo requires it to be the other way around, and to bridge WP and X, there is a specific platform we are forced to use.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have never done this.

There have been tons of issues which have been mostly invisible to you guys. There are numerous bugs that have taken a lot of my time, and cost me extra money to pay my developer to fix, and they never seem to stop. Having the bridge between Xenforo and WordPress has been a nightmare.

The plan is to de-couple the two platforms. The pain is not worth the convenience of automatically creating a PipesMagazine.com WordPress account when someone signs up to the forums.

On my other site that does not have Xenforo, updating WordPress plugins (they require updates constantly) takes a few minutes. With Xenforo, it can take hours.

The other part of the plan is to update to a more modern, and simple blog theme instead of the current layout.

Something cleaner like the archive page on my other site that just has a running lists of posts with the most current at the top.

St. Petersburg Foodies - https://stpetersburgfoodies.com/blog/

Not sure on timing, but likely one or two months out.

 

[ofafeather]

Thanks for the heads-up Kevin and for all you do. Love the forum and need to take more advantage of the other features.

 

[Rockyrepose]

I take for granted the work behind the scenes, thank you for the update and explanation. Do what you need to do for the sake of sanity and efficiency. Thank you for providing such a great service to the hobby.

 

[beefeater33]

I appreciate the update, even though %90 went above my head...............
Thanks for all you do, Kevin.

 

[BROBS]

I just thought I'd throw this out here so no one is surprised.

Short non-technical version: Currently, any logged in forum member is also logged in to the WordPress (articles / posts) side of the site, and can comment on stuff, like Kyle's tobacco reviews, or the radio show posts for example.

For current members, that should not change.

At some point, new members will have to make a separate account, or fill in their name and email to comment on blog posts - (anything outside the forums).

Longer more technical version:

In Sept. 2019, we relaunched the site with a much needed update for the forums platform, and a long awaited mobile friendly site as well.

We switched from a really crappy BBPress forum platform to a robust Xenforo platform.

The other parts of the site where we have articles (blog posts) for posting tobacco reviews, Fred Brown's column, news, and The Pipes Magazine Radio Show have always used what I consider the best, and most popular content management system (CMS), which is WordPress.

The typical hierarchy has WordPress at the top, and the forums being subservient. However, Xenforo requires it to be the other way around, and to bridge WP and X, there is a specific platform we are forced to use.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have never done this.

There have been tons of issues which have been mostly invisible to you guys. There are numerous bugs that have taken a lot of my time, and cost me extra money to pay my developer to fix, and they never seem to stop. Having the bridge between Xenforo and WordPress has been a nightmare.

The plan is to de-couple the two platforms. The pain is not worth the convenience of automatically creating a PipesMagazine.com WordPress account when someone signs up to the forums.

On my other site that does not have Xenforo, updating WordPress plugins (they require updates constantly) takes a few minutes. With Xenforo, it can take hours.

The other part of the plan is to update to a more modern, and simple blog theme instead of the current layout.

Something cleaner like the archive page on my other site that just has a running lists of posts with the most current at the top.

St. Petersburg Foodies - https://stpetersburgfoodies.com/blog/

Not sure on timing, but likely one or two months out.

I think that's a good call, also so people who are not logged into the forum or on it etc can comment and the like.
Funny how different fora and sites just don't play well together.

 

[mso489]

Likely you are way ahead of me, but members will need periodic brief reminders and maybe a link to the expanded explanation or they'll never make it to the additional pages. People only think they are tech savvy, and I know I'm not.

 

[Sloopjohnbee]

your site - you are free to do whatever you so please to it

 

[cigrmaster]

I have no idea of what you are talking about but I can say that this site is the slowest one that I visit on a daily basis. I am not talking about 3 seconds or more maybe just a couple of seconds. It isn't so slow that it would ever stop me from coming here, I just thought you might want to know. I am using a higher end Dell laptop and it is only a few months old. I don't know if this what you are talking about. I just notice it here and there and sometimes I don't even notice it.

If it were my site, I would go with what is the easiest for you and you still get the features you are looking for. I am a lazy kind of guy so I would try to keep it as simple as I could. If all these issues are on the back end of your site and people would barely ever notice it, go with easy and less hassle. I don't believe any of us would stop coming here because of some techy kind of deal. Compared to the old site this is like a Rolls Royce.

I should have mentioned I have 85mp down and the same upload speeds. Not sure if that means anything to the issues you are dealing with.

 

[Mtlpiper]

Thanks for that insightful and well-worded explanation Kevin (which seems unusual to see these days).

The site runs fine for me here, but best of luck with the build/design work and the major structural shift, I hope it all goes smoothly.

 

[sablebrush52]

If keeping a bridge between the two sides of the site is causing major issues, do what makes life simpler. I suspect we can manage to create a separate account for the magazine side if that helps avoid compatibility issues between the two platforms.
All of this digital technologyl has been supposed to make things easier, a boy has that been a laugh.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm not sure what any of this means to how it will affect the way we use it, but sounds good. I just appreciate having a pipe forum. I'm sure that I can muddle my way through it.
Love the foodie site!!

 

[briarbuck]

Whatever you do, I predict much bitching and moaning to follow.

I would try and have the video, blogs, articles, content sections be the primary. Content is bread and butter these days.

Forums being of less importance imho. Simple Reddit style. No need for any bells and whistles for the Codger group.

 

[captainsousie]

Do what you have to do good sir. Honestly I have not wandered too far into the other side of the site. I do anticipate some bugs with the changeover but such is life.

 

[edger]

Thanks much. I am too much of a Luddite to understand the issues, but I do have a question.
Why do you never solicit requests for contributions to the upkeep? And if you did, where and how would we send them?

 

[admin]

Thanks much. I am too much of a Luddite to understand the issues, but I do have a question.
Why do you never solicit requests for contributions to the upkeep? And if you did, where and how would we send them?

Paid advertising is the revenue stream for the site so members do not have to pay. This is the business model that has worked well for me.

 

[ofafeather]

Paid advertising is the revenue stream for the site so members do not have to pay. This is the business model that has worked well for me.

And we’re extremely grateful!

 

[cigrmaster]

Whatever you do, I predict much bitching and moaning to follow.

I would try and have the video, blogs, articles, content sections be the primary. Content is bread and butter these days.

Forums being of less importance imho. Simple Reddit style. No need for any bells and whistles for the Codger group.

Reddit in my opinion is a total joke and looks exactly like the old alt.pipe site which is a 1990's look. Even back then we had better sites. We had Yahoo sites that were better than the old alt.sites.
Please Kevin don't even think that could be an option. I would be gone pretty quickly as I hated those formats. reditt is a joke of a site as is Facebook, Instagram, all the new sites are dog shit and I am way to worthy to ever spend time on those sites.

Hell , 14 year old Drew Newman built a better site than those above that I mentioned.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Can we get pages that we decorate with glittery css and bands that automatically play when people visit? Revive Myspace!

 

[mikethompson]

Whatever keeps the lights on around here Kevin, and makes your life a little easier.

 

[jaytex1969]

If tha bridge be down between the forum and the WordPress, we can ferry them across on the Black Frigate, for a fee, of course...



Gather the scalawags, Cap'n @chasingembers !