2017 resolution, CSBB in the crosshairs

[Phil Herring]

As most businesses do, we make an annual plan outlining strategies and supporting tactics for the new year. One of our key strategies this year is simplifying the many sites, platforms, and programming languages we work with. Our staff is small we need to focus more attention on a smaller number critical functions.

We have shut down several low-traffic peripheral sites already, and I post today not to shut down the CSBB, but to find it a new home.

Because the CSBB runs on a unique (and sometimes uniquely frustrating) platform, we have done a lousy job of supporting it anyway. A forum is like a living thing; it needs love and attention. Our parenting has been worthy of a visit from CPS. There is a tremendously knowledgeable and interesting core of users here that deserves better. And that's where you come in.

If you, or someone you know, dabbles with web sites there is a great opportunity to take this forum and help it grow. It can be hosted on any web server running Perl, which includes pretty much any cPanel setup. It's a little clunky to maintain and is probably due for an upgrade, so a willingness to tinker with it is desirable.

If you're interested please contact me at phil at sailboatowers dot com.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

I think others would agree that we greatly appreciate you providing a home for this group, all these years. It's a diverse group but we've gotten to know each other.

I don't want to ask too much, but if nobody steps up and it's not a big effort would you consider adding a "Cruisers" category to your main forums? (I would understand if it's too much trouble to bring over the historic content, but it would at least be a place to restart.)

We might be able to contribute content to the other boards and welcome some "fresh blood" also.

 

[Phil Herring]

First, there's no way this content is going to disappear and if no one wants to take it on we'll find a Plan B.

I _think_ we could import it into our regular SBO forums, although it would lose the multi-level threading. It's an interesting challenge, for sure. But that's a project to explore if and when we get there.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

I can't speak for others but I can get along without multilevel threading.

 

[Salish Sea Cruiser]

I think losing multi-threading would be a MAJOR loss

 

[TomY]

Phil has patched up this forum several times to keep it running but in doing that, we didn't evolve and integrate into the main forum, and stopped attracting new members. Our CSBB majority has wanted to keep this format but that cost us attracting new members. We're disconnected from Sailboatowners.com because this format can't be integrated into the main page.

I just talked with Mark (Manta 40 Catamaran) on Sailnet. He can't get onto the CSBB, the old format keeps knocking him off. Others have complained they couldn't get on, now they're gone. People like Mark off on his Catamaran for years now, added so much to the CSBB. Some complain about the photo upload and other archaic tools.

It was a great forum in it's day. But now if you don't visit for a few days - click the CSBB,... and there is nothing. There aren't enough members to supply content.

I don't know enough about the IT to know what options we have outside, but I'd vote for becoming a part of the SBO, if Phil can find a way that works for his Biz.

 

[CraigC]

integrating into the Sailboat Owner's site seems to be a better alternative than vanishing completely? I'm not a tech guy so really can't add anything other than my opinion here.

Thanks Phil, it was a good ride for sure.

 

[Ray Henry]

The problem with "integrating" into the other formats is really a matter of keeping or losing the archive of what is here - is this not the case?

What is the penchant for folks to just start a brand new "CSBB" forum over there? There's no work in that, right?

Surely creating a searchable ASCII-text archive of what is here is not too hard?

Or am I way off base?

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Re: Thank you Phil Could it be switched to the form TSBB uses?

 

[TomY]

Phil is working with the owner of our Alden Yachts forum. We can simply move to SBO's forum of boat brands but they are trying to salvage some of what is a wealth of details on these old Alden boats. There's no telling what we'll end up with.

Same with the CSBB, it can just be restarted somewhere, but can you carry any of the old info over? I don't think the history here goes back very far. I suspect we lost it in a previous migration of salvaging the old threaded platform(or whatever it's called).

 

[Westcoaster]

Second Charlie on this. Thanks Phil!!!

 

[Phil Herring]

Starting a new forum is trivial, it literally takes about two minutes. The head-scratcher is getting old content into it.

It would involve creating new users for all the users here, which would cause them to have new user ID numbers. Then converting the user ID's in the CSBB content to match the new ones.

In the content files, chances are the child posts are only indexed to their parent and not the new topic (first post in the thread). So that would require some sort of script to track it back to the first post. Bottom line, lots of opportunity for human error.

The text archive is a good idea.

Converting it over to the TSBB format is also a good idea (Charlie, I can't believe I didn't remember that myself!). Although that still leaves you with an unconventional forum.

Maybe what we need here is a poll to put some votes against various options. I'll see about doing that today.

 

[Ray Henry]

Are there any "export" and/or "import" formatting options between the two scripts? Maybe make a pass through a common format?

 

[Phil Herring]

No, there's literally nothing for this format. It would all be custom coding. That's not impossible, we do lots of it here, but it can be error-prone.

 

[Ray Henry]

Re: Got it.

 

[TomY]

There is a similar time-line history I think of the TSBB.

Your board seems to be strong with content and members. Have you gained members the last several years? Or has the TSBB resembled the CSBB in a downward number of participants. I know some old members are no longer there.

Do TSBB posts go into the 'latest posts' on the SBO so other members see a post that may interest them? Or are you guys sort of isolated like CSBB from the main SBO group?

What about when you went to the current format. Did you lose - gain posters, did people have trouble using it?

Does it have the same sort of limited photo loader we have here? We've always had posters complain about that. I long ago went to a posting software. But those only last so long, they scroll off after a few months. A forum needs a good easy to use photo storage on it's BB.

Also, I remember you had another shadow forum or something with the old format that some still used (do I have that right?). What happened to that?

Thanks!

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

where you must decide where your post fits, then search back to see any answers. I MUCH prefer the free flow style like here, or TSBB. In fact, i've stopped going to a few of that style

On TSBB I only use the "Newest posts" feature . But then I look there often (and here).

 

[TomY]

There is a main topic Trailer Sailers. That's the SBO format so it is part of the home page, 'Newest Posts' etc. Anybody on SBO will see the latest posts and may jump into the Trailer Sailors forum. Plus you have the SBO photo loader and size.

Then you have a threaded forum below that is like this one, no connection to the outside unless you specifically click in. That's a little better than this but not likely to see much growth in participation for us. Is the photo loader better than this one?

Is there a mostly separate group in the two Trailer Sailers forums or do you all use both. Does the old one survive in spite of the new, or does the new keep the old one alive?

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Posting on TSBB has declined from years ago, mostly via attrition. Many posters have simply faded out of sailing, and some have gone to power boats, or much larger, non trailerables. Some of those still frequent the board. in the late 90's, early 20's the board would have 400-500 posts a day. Now not nearly that many. Of course back then I was at work all day, and only looked in the evenings. Now?? I'm retired, so look often. Maybe too often

On the weekly chat sessions, we used to have 15-18 people nightly (Weds, Sat) Now down to one, two,, maybe 5 on a busy night. I attribute that to social media

I don't believe post on TSBB show on SBO- when i go there, I only go to the Ask All Sailors board myself, so really don't know, but I think a separate entity, as is this one

Yes, ,there was some difficulty with the new board, but almost all the bugs have been worked out. There are a few minor glitches left, but none critical

Photo posting is ok. Different from here, and photos stay hosted Allowed sizes are larger. The limit here has frustrated me many times. I think TSBB has a good setup,, but that's just me

The shadow forum was only during the trial of the new format. Gone now

Interestingly, I JUST now realized there was another Trailer Sailor forum on SBO- Never used, it never saw it, but looking over the names of the posters there, none are familiar names from TSBB- Many ARE familiar from Ask All Sailors

Hope this answers your questions. If not, ask again, I'll try to help

And as an aside- I too have been puzzled at the drop off in posts -some times several days go by with no new posts. But then, other good forums are now dead. Plastic Classic used to buzz- now? Last new post there was in November, 2016. We aren't THAT bad

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

there and loadable, back to at least Jan, 2014