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Upgrade to Community software on 16 May 2011

Graham Bird
09/05/2011 17:39
It’s been a long time coming but we finally have a date for the Community software upgrade – Monday 16 May. The Community site has to be closed during the upgrade and we estimate it will take 3 days to complete.
Just to be completely clear, this means the Community will be unavailable for 3 days starting 16 May.
I know this must seem like a long period of shutdown but there are good reasons for it and it will be worth the wait, we promise!
Why are we upgrading the software?
The upgrade is being done for a variety of reasons that include (but are not limited to):
  1. bug fixes (by that I mean resolving problems, not changes to functionality)
  2. performance improvements
  3. new features
  4. future proofing
What bugs are being squashed?
  • Duplicate e-mail notifications
  • Broken RSS links
  • Intermittent problems with the forgot password page
  • A variety of other small issues
What are the new features?
New site structure
The new version organises the Community entirely by topic rather than splitting it between blogs, forums, galleries and groups. This is rather different to how things are today but it does make alot more sense. The new Community will be organised into the following sections (subject to change):
  • Wildlife
  • Places to visit
  • Get involved
  • Our work
  • Local groups
  • Chat
Messages
Yes, Private Messages are here at last. Send a message to anyone from their profile page and get quick access to your Message box from any page.
Quick access to your favourites
At the top of every page is a new Favourites link which gives you direct access to your personal list of Favourites on the Community site.
Better performance
We know that the speed of the Community is a problem. The new version promises better performance but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, as it were. Along with this we are continuing to look into other ways to improve the speed of the site behind the scenes.
New look
The “Starlit” design is being replaced by a new “Birds on a wire” style. We hope you’ll find it easier to use.
More profile backgrounds
To accompany the existing Grass and Sumatra backgrounds for your profile page, we’ll be creating a selection of new styles so you have more choice over how you personalise your own page.
Quick reply
The forums now include a quick reply box at the bottom of every thread – a bit like the Comment box on blog posts. This means you can contribute to discussions more easily.
Spellcheck
The create/edit post box now includes an optional spellchecker.
More than one forum/gallery/blog in a group
At the moment, Community Groups (such as Volunteering, Big Garden Birdwatch or Minsmere) are limited to one blog/forum/gallery each. This limit is lifted in the new version which means we can do much more with groups from now on.
New profile fields
Profile pages will include two new sets of fields:
  • links to your pages on other sites (like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr)
  • ways to get in touch with you (via Skype, Google Talk, Windows Messenger, etc)

Of course, these are entirely optional - you don't have to tell the world this info - but for some people it will be very welcome.

New Community homepage
We’ll be replacing the current promotional page with a new page giving you access to the latest happenings on the entire Community site.
Is anything going away?
Unfortunately there are a couple of differences in the new software that will mean changes to existing functionality:
Different URLs
As a result of the new topic-based organisation, most URLs across the Community site will change. This means that any bookmarks you have (not including Community Favourites) may cease to work. We will be doing our best to redirect old URLs to their new equivalents but this may not be possible in some cases. We are aware that changing URLs is bad practice but we have no choice as the structural change in the software mandates it.
User profile Comments
The ability to post Comments on people’s profile pages is going away entirely - if you want to contact someone via their profile page, the new Messages functionality will be the thing to use. In our opinion this is a good thing as profile Comments were never really that successful as a feature. However, it does mean that the comments themselves will be deleted and once the upgrade is complete they will be gone forever.
UPDATE: User badges
The badges that appear in the current version and show who is a moderator, blogger, RSPB staff member or Community "Good egg" do not appear in the new version. They are still there but not visible. We are in discussion with the software manufacturer as this is a pretty significant issue for us. This means that the badges will not be visible when the new version goes live but we hope to restore them in the near future. Rest assured we are looking into this as a matter of priority.
So, that's everything. I hope everyone will enjoy the end result when it's all complete.
Graham

Got some feedback about our community? Let us know in the Feedback forum.

  • 09/05/2011 17:43

    Hi Graham that is good news.

    It's both what you do and the way that you do it!

    You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.
    William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922)

  • 09/05/2011 17:53

    Hi Graham

    It sounds like it will be a great improvement when it's done, and I will look forward to seeing it. :-))

    Best wishes Chris

    Click Here to see my photos

  • 09/05/2011 17:54

    Graham   So what is going to happen to all the threads already written? Are they going to still be available?

    Some very good news like the arrival of proper PMs.

    Tiger Signature

  • 09/05/2011 18:01 in reply to Tiger

    Hi Tiger,

    All the existing forum threads will still be here, as will photos, blogs and groups.

    Hope that helps put your mind at ease.

    :)

    Got some feedback about our community? Let us know in the Feedback forum.

  • 09/05/2011 18:22 in reply to doggie

    Thanks Graham for the news but it fills me with dread as I am not the quickest when it comes to things changing.  Hope I will be able to pick it up though. 

    Margobird

  • 09/05/2011 19:10 in reply to doggie

    Hi Alan,

    Thanks for your suggestion.

    First of all, I should say that unfortunately we cannot accommodate what might be termed "feature requests", particularly at this stage when we are about to put the new version live. I'll explain why.

    The process we are undergoing is an upgrade of a specific piece of software. Therefore, to a large extent we are at the mercy of what this software does or does not provide. That said, there is some flexibility and control over what the software does, of course, but not a huge amount.

    In this particular case, the Messages functionality does not include Report abuse capability. This is because "Report abuse" as a concept exists to allow people to report what others have said if it offends them or is legally on dodgy ground. Within the context of private messages therefore this doesn't make sense as no one else can see the message.

    The subject of abuse through private messaging is a valid one though and the software is designed to make this difficult or unlikely. Messages are only allowed from your Friends so this provides the first line of defence, as it were. If you have befriended a person on the Community and they are contacting you via Messages in a way you do not like, you can simply de-friend them and they will not be able to Message you again.

    I hope that explains a little more.

    All the best,

    Graham

     

    Got some feedback about our community? Let us know in the Feedback forum.

  • 09/05/2011 19:14 in reply to margobird

    Sounds good Graham, apart from the withdrawal symptoms and me being something of a technoklutz who picks up new stuff slowly - but I expect people will be patient while I fumble about, they usually are:-)

  • 09/05/2011 19:27 in reply to doggie

    Absolutely fabulous, and i will be in the Isle of Wight so it will be all done and dusted for my return.:0)ha ha

     

     

    An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .

  • 09/05/2011 19:37

    Hey Graham,

    Thanks for the heads up, it all sounds quite exciting!

    Dan

  • 09/05/2011 19:45

    Unknown said:
    this means the Community will be unavailable for 3 days starting 16 May.

    Thanks Graham

    Really good news - I expect there will be a few teething problems along the way but I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

    I shall probably get withdrawal symptoms for those three days. LOL

    TJ

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    Tony

    My Flickr Photostream