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[shavethewhales]

I think the time has finally come. SDCFans needs a restart. Our forum software is very outdated and between it and our server we are seeing more and more issues and errors. We have already migrated the existing forum database once when we upgraded SMF versions. I think that led to some of the issues we are still experiencing.

I've been looking into various options and have been trying to decide what makes the most sense. Considering how people use the internet has changed dramatically since we started this site, it might make more sense to radically change our software to be more social media integrated and dynamic. Basic forums feel pretty dated at this point, but obviously I still like how they are more permanent and allow us to look back on conversations from a decade or more ago.

I've considered Flarum, XenForo, and MyBB as well as simply re-installing the latest version of simple machines. I think at this point the best option is probably Flarum. It's free, and the extensions would allow us to easily do everything I've been wanting to do for years with these forums. We could have photo galleries, login with your FB account, mentions, blog posts, and more.

Unfortunately it would essentially be a brand new site from the ground up. I would lock the old forums and have them available to browse on a new directory, such as sdcfans.com/forums/archive

I'm just curious how many people would still use the site if I go through the effort of restarting it. Like I said, the way people use the internet has changed dramatically since we started this site, and at this point it's hard getting people off of FB and twitter to even look at a news article. I'm grateful we still have a small active community here though, and as long as there are still a few people around I feel like it's worth it to keep things going.

Let me know what you think.

[kbosch1]

I, for one, enjoy going down a rabbit hole every-now-and-then of old posts or searching something that I remembered someone saying.   If restarting the site gives us access to forum archives, I am all for it!   

Thanks for all you do in here.   I still check it daily!

[SharkWatch]

I check this site severally times a week, and even though I really don't post, I thoroughly enjoy reading the content everyone posts. It is much different than Facebook communities, and I really appreciate that.

[Okiebenz]

I usually check this site daily.  I guess I am old fashioned but I much prefer forums. 

[Lampie]

I too enjoy perusing the archives. And having some discussions with fellow fans away from the mess on Facebook fan groups.

I appreciate that even though we don't all agree here we can do so respectfully and have good discussions about a park we love.

[KBCraig]

I would continue using it. I don't really dig into old threads.

I agree that SMF is outdated. It doesn't handle images well, and images are a big part of the forum.

[History Buff]

I'm here!

[Gilligan]

I'm here, also.  I like the forums best, but understand your need to change.

[biscuitcreek]

I am not a Facebook user so hope this continues in some form that I can access.

Many thanks for you providing this for so many years!

[runner1960]

I agree the old forum formats are outdated and need a jumpstart. Not sure what is best but I do not go back and read older threads. I would hope it does not evolve into a Facebook page that is nothing but an ask questions about my cup, or what kind of season pass did I buy.  Whatever you decide I appreciate the work that is put into it.

[DeweyBald]

I'm here as well!!  I'm on  three or four times a week. Don't post much, but read A LOT!   

[Coaster]

I'm here for the long haul. I also like the opportunity to go back and read old threads. Thanks for all the work, Shave

[shavethewhales]

I think I'm going to target July 20th to have the new forums setup. Might be able to figure out a way to let people preview it before then. We'll see how easy it is to setup.

[Lampie]

Does Flarum have a way to react to posts without commenting?

I frequently want to thank people for a post or just give them a thumbs up, but don't have anything substantial to say in a comment.

[mudhead]

I really enjoy the site. I don't post much, but still like to see and read what is happening.