hamster food…
btw re site speed.. I’m working on something which would convert this forums to a more up to date framework which would allow all sorts of clever stuff like uploading pics, member photo galleries and stuff all under one login. It’s actually not a million miles away from what TC used to go on about with joomla, it’s a similar framework, but this is based on code run on our own server which we have full control over, as well a control over development of new features etc, but without having to write every damn last bit of code myself which takes forever.
It’ll mean me migrating the forum from one type to another and then to another again and mean changing database platform, scripting language as well as operating system, so it’s no small task at all, but i’ve built a prototype community site on the new platform which is of a similar interest group to vwsyncro and it’s working brilliantly (www.onlinedrifting.com/?trk=vwsyncro).
We already did some initial tests of the syncro site under the new platform (drupal) when i first started messing with it and it looked ok, but I’ve since spent 6 months or so mucking about with it on a few prototype sites and see how it runs in practice and I reckon I’ve formulated a plan for this site.
I’ve even done a test migration (the “and to another framework again” bit) and I know that works, it’s the first bit and the preparation which is tricky.
the new platform would also allow better spam filtering, a full private messaging system, tagging, twitter updates, fivestar rankings like on youtube, you name it…
Have a look at the onlinedrifting site – see what you think. It’s built as a files type repository for folks on a drifting forum I’m on and is not massively different from what we’d need to add here, just with the forums integrated.
more as I have it….
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I thought it might be a good time to broach the updates thing though