Way to go on the new forums!

[tag]

Congratulations to Avault administrators. You fixed one of the very few things about the site that wasn't broken. Also, you cleverly didn't have the forum link from the front page link to the new forum site- that way only the hard core is likely to find the forums, which will really help control all the extraneous chatter. And as an extra bonus, all the threads that got brought over are screwed up.

Now that this forum is blowing and glowing maybe you can get back to writing some more hard-hitting reviews on PC cases. I know we would all like to see more of those.

[Angus McFeargus]

I know I shouldn't, but :rofl:

[Sno]

:popcorn2:

[Angus McFeargus]

You know, the more I think about it the more it makes sense. The front page has been neglected for so long, all that Avault has now is the forums. Why not make that your first shiny new upgrade? I may be way off here, but I think to most of the regulars, Avault = Forums, at least over the last couple of years. Before that it was a grade-A gaming website.

Now that the forums are done (besides a ton of bloat that needs to be trimmed, the fact that the forums link still doesn't link to the new forums, and the lack of any kind of announcement besides Chip's links in the old forums), maybe they'll roll out the crash cart and zap the ever-living snot out of the front page with some real content.

[Patrick.Cox]

Greetings tag. Sorry if you find something not to your taste. We are working out the kinks in the change over and have been for several days. With new software and improved features will come problems, please be patient.

In the last year the site has fallen apart and a concerted effort by many people is underway to restore/rebuild a gutted game review team, publish a massive backlog of delayed reviews, improve content, add a couple of related features, revamp the backend of the site with new technology that will make it easier to run the site and produce content faster without sacrificing quality, and repair a lot of damaged 'bridges' to the gaming and hardware devs/pubs/manufacturers. While all of these are currently under way some will come to fruition at different times and with seemingly a different pace, but all angles are being attacked rigorously and you expect improvements everywhere as the time passes.

The forum change over was/is a neccessary 'evil' as some would put it. It introduces a needed upgrade and a path to integration with other back end work centered on a CRM system.

Granted, it was not as smooth as one would want it to be, but certain things happened unexpectedly and people like myself and Kyleh and Chip and all the other mods jumped in and did as best as we could to keep the two from diverging. Chris has flown home early all the way from Taiwan to address the remaining issues as well, not an easy task but he did it to meet community expectations, to polish off a few remaining items with the forum, and to keep things rolling.

Some of the problems exerienced here, such as the old link remaining on the home page and the like, are a notable result of the age and innefectiveness of the site's back end. Again, this is being examined, budgeted for, and hopefully will change over to a CRM very soon.

As for hosed up threads and the like... that is an artifact of the porting of data from one forum software and database to an entirely different one. Quite often you will find that forum change overs like this mean a complete wipe, but we felt that this was better than that in that it retained user accounts and much of the posts/threads to some degree at least.

The old forums had their charm and in their simplicity they shined at what they did. But let me point out that they weren't particularly well organized in their simplicity often leading to redunant threads, confusing in posting, difficulty in administration/mod work at times, and limited capacity to expand. We are still tunning the new forums but some of what you see is an effort to better organize them as well as accomidate what we hope/expect to be a resurgence in their use by the community as well as accomidating some new features and content support.

The default 'skin' is still being tweaked to compress things and make it easier on the eyes and for users to utilize. We have been implimenting change after change as we can based on the comments of the community, mods, and staff. Chris is back now and can handle some of the advanced skin changes that I and others have not been comfortable in handling and additional tweaks are in the works to make it better for all.

All I can ask for now from everyone is please be patient and allow us to finish the conversion and tweaking and give us your feedback. Some change is simply neccessary and we hope you will find the new features, different skins, better organization, and support for other projects associated with the make over and improvement of AVault balance out the difficulty experienced.

I hope this clears up a few things.

[tag]

Well, gee whiz Patrick, if you are going to be so nice about the whole thing I am going to start getting embarrased about being nasty and sarcastic. (Also, my wife saw my post and strongly hinted I was out of line.)

I am rooting for avault. The truth is, I will almost certainly come back here as long as the forum is as well run as it always has been and the regulars continue to stick around. I lurk mostly, but I check in at least once a day.

[Angus McFeargus]

Curse you, Patrick, for defusing what could have been a great Heated thread! CURSE YOU! Keep your level-headed replies out of the Heated forum!

[Patrick.Cox]

Roflmao.

[Moosehead92]

:rippedhand:
Why can't we have a good fight with Tag against Pat? Why?! Why!?!?!?
:D

[kyleh]

The old forums weren't difficult to moderate. :( Stop saying that. heh

[Patrick.Cox]

Sorry. I was refering to when there were more active poster... which is the goal. I did a lot of moderating the first year they were re-launched and it got to be a pain trying to do it... lots of threads derailed, lots of off topic posts that had to be moved, etc. But... you did it/do it full time so you have a better perspective.

[gorilla325]

would love to see the site running again soon, like the game reviews. now, avault has so many old games to cover, i am so glad. i like to see an old game review better than a review for a game just came out. less hype i guess.

[Mara]

Y'all are way too pessimistic. I'm kinda disappointed in y'all. You haven't really given the admins and mods a chance. Constructive criticism is great and they need the input. But to just pan all of their efforts!! Shame.

They seem to be really trying to revive the old AVault y'all remember so fondly, so give them a chance. Okay?

[Angus McFeargus]

Y'all are way too pessimistic. I'm kinda disappointed in y'all. You haven't really given the admins and mods a chance. Constructive criticism is great and they need the input. But to just pan all of their efforts!! Shame.

They seem to be really trying to revive the old AVault y'all remember so fondly, so give them a chance. Okay?

No offense, but I think you're missing the point of any complaints we might have. There's no doubting the effort that's being put in; it's just a question of whether or not it's being directed wisely. You say they seem to be trying to revive the old Avault, but "the old Avault" doesn't really have anything to do with forums. :P

I'm sticking around to see what happens.

[shoboy]

While I agree that the main page is/should be the priority, doing game reviews and interviews, hardware and news is not a simple "by the end of the day" thing. Pat, Chris(while on the other side of the planet) and I believe Chip and kyleh, did ALOT in a very short time. And this ALOT I am speaking of is unpaid, volunteer work that the staff does on thier own time, away from thier jobs/school/wives/ect..... All for the love of games, game news, game hardware, and the game community.

I certainly have reservations about some of the things here in the new forum, I guess it's because we've had "forum x" for so long along with the drama of it being closed down years back, I'm just used to what I've had for so long.............

But the AWESOME smilies and other little guys, like this cutey:pug: makes it all worth while !

But seriously, the site is going to go thru some changes, changes that will be bringing it back to the "good old days", dare I say, the days of Brian Clair?;)

We also just had yet another EIC change-over, and no matter what subject it is, something like that takes a toll. The fact that Avault is still FREE, non-register, next to NO Ads, and what is obvious a LOYAL COMMUNITY, it's just a matter of getting new stuff up on the site and trying to keep to a schedual. A schedual that I have to re-iterate as, a totally VOLUNTEER work schedual..............

As long as Obob and The-Rack keep having thier own little war, Kyleh keeps being PIMP SUPREME :pimp: Chip and Sno keep posting like no ones business, everything will be fine.........

I have said it and it is so!

[Mara]

I agree with you shoboy. It's the community that's important. I believe Chris, et al will work to bring back the website to its original glory. At least they're trying. As for the forums, does it really matter what they look like as long as you are able to remain together as a community. That's very important and its as much what AVault is as well as the website.

[OmegaBob]

But the AWESOME smilies and other little guys, like this cutey :pug: makes it all worth while!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a295/omegabob99/teehee-01.jpg
X-RAM !!!

[Moosehead92]

I agree with Mara and Shoboy! I never really used the reviews etc. so I don't really have an opinion with that, but the new forums is a plus! It is not as bad for the eyes as people are making out. I think that these forums are just as simple, but with added bonuses like the smilies, quick reply and othr options in the User CP.

Well done Chris and all mods!

[Angus McFeargus]

At least they're trying. As for the forums, does it really matter what they look like as long as you are able to remain together as a community.

Exactly! So why waste the time? Now you see the point! :P

Of course that point is moot now, so as I've said numerous times, I'm just gonna wait and see.

[ATW]

Hey, that's a great picture Obob!

[Sno]

You can see Obob in the reflection on the eyes!

Quick! Somebody blow up the image!

Wait a sec! That's not Obob's pug! Obob's pug is fat!

[Mr No Name]

You can see Obob in the reflection on the eyes!

Quick! Somebody blow up the image!

Wait a sec! That's not Obob's pug! Obob's pug is fat!

Well it does have a rather large head. :shifty:

[shoboy]

Well it does have a rather large head. :shifty:

Perect to hold his rather large ego :p