Given that our forum software is old, I'm looking at replacements. One of the big feature differences is threaded or flat view. Many forum packages actually don't even offer threaded view as an option. Given all this, how do you feel about Threaded View vs Flat View? (Flat view is called "Linear Mode" in our current forum software.)

Poll question: How do you feel about Threaded View vs Flat View?

Poll result (13 votes) I wouldn't want to go to a forum without it (0 votes) Vote I'd definitely prefer it. (3 votes) Vote No Opinion - I can take it or leave it. (7 votes) Vote I prefer flat view. (3 votes) Vote I wouldn't want to go to a threaded view forum. (0 votes) Vote

On this board, I have always used threaded.


Now, looking at Linear, I can take it or leave it.
I can deal with either.


(When we used to have really long threads, it was easier to follow in Threaded mode.)


> our forum software is old

So.

> I'm looking at replacements

I'm not ;-).

The big problem with "old" is that there are bugs that are cropping up and there are fewer anti-spam features. If you try to click on a link to a message, you might get an error message. If you try to edit a message, you might get a blank text box instead of your message to edit. If you type in a replacement message and hit submit, you'll get an error message (even though the forum software seems to save the edit).

I could go in and fix all of these bugs, but quite honestly it's not worth the time. This software is 18 years old. There's a ton that I'd need to fix to bring this back up to modern standards and I simply don't have the time. It would be much easier to spend my time and effort in migrating to a new package that is still being supported.

And, as if to underscore this point, when I submitted my reply, I received a HTTP 500 error. My reply was submitted, but it's not good design to error out when the user tries to hit submit instead of telling them that their reply was submitted.

Quote:

> our forum software is old

So.

Oops.
That should have read, "So am I." :-).
(See that, I am getting old.)

Linear mode is what I've always used. Can't seem to get used to threaded mode.

Dave

Same here ! :--)

Threaded!

Jim.

I personally prefer Threaded so that you can see which post is being replied to, although sometimes people will respond to the wrong post anyway.

I couldn't quite figure out what option to choose in the poll because the first 3 options just refer to IT! What is IT???

Just a general observation, the new forum software I've seen in the last several months is horrible.

Maybe good from a back-end POV, but the user experience is horrid if you're an active user.

Example: I've seen two that did away with the simple ability to go to the first unread post. In a large forum, where you're trying to follow a thread, this is absurd to me.

The same software though, has a "last post" button, which, of course, just takes you to the end of the thread. Like that helps somehow.

I spend a lot less time in forums than I used to lol.

FWIW I use several forums and most of them use the free phpBB which I'm very happy with.
https://www.phpbb.com/

I prefer flat view myself but not like I post here that often anyway so it really does not matter. I still lurk and check up on the place once in a while but that's about it. Mostly for nostalgia and to see how old timers are doing, since PC911/this place was probably one of, if my first ever forum. I must have been like 12 or something... crazy how time flies. I'm 34 now.

I was kinda curious and checked, guess DC Scripts is long gone, not even a mention of it anywhere when doing a quick search.

My forum Iceteks and Anythingforums are gone too... was suppose to be a few month project to upgrade them then just got side tracked and it's been 5 years now? I lost track. I am still working on bringing them back up but sadly I don't know if any of the old timers will even remember to come back.

Going with Simple Machine Forum myself. Just beware, they sort posts/topics by ID and not by date, which makes conversion tricky. I ended up just rewriting the code to sort by date, as I am importing 4 forums into a single one. I have 2 forums that are active which I still run now and then the 2 that are dead. I had to take them offline due to security issues.

While you're at it, it may be worth looking into a SSL cert too, Letsencrypt is free.

Really makes no difference to mine eyes.

Spam removed by moderator.