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[Philip Perkins]

So when do you push the button and send us all over to "the other side"?

Philip Perkins

[Jeff Wexler]

Seems it's a bit simpler to navigate this site but I'm a luddite.
Eric

That doesn't make you a bad guy...  or does it?

-  Jeff Wexler

[Eric Toline]

SocialGo is totally independent --- it knows nothing about you. You would have to register just like a new person (and I understand, Eric, if you don't wish to do this). There is no way to migrate or import the membership from this site to the other.

-  Jeff Wexler

I got through the sign in process and became a member, that said I'm not thrilled with the sort of convulted way it seems to work. Seems it's a bit simpler to navigate this site but I'm a luddite.

Eric

[Jeff Wexler]

I don't know if the sign in feature on social go is supposed to work but it says that my email address is not a valid address on JWsound as shown below.
Eric

SocialGo is totally independent --- it knows nothing about you. You would have to register just like a new person (and I understand, Eric, if you don't wish to do this). There is no way to migrate or import the membership from this site to the other.

-  Jeff Wexler

[Eric Toline]

I don't know if the sign in feature on social go is supposed to work but it says that my email address is not a valid address on JWsound as shown below.

"Email Address Not Found
The email address you entered is not registered with jwsound.net. Please create a new account here or login with a different email address"

Eric

[Jeff Wexler]

Thanks for weighing here, Marc, I value your input. As part of my investigation I actually did purchase a full license for vBulletin, installed it all myself and then with some help from Laurence Abrams we got it all up and running even managing to import substantial part of THIS forum into vBulletin. Then I started using it and I really didn't like it. I know there are thousands of forums that run on vBulletin and it is very solid full featured software, but there were actually several things that we have gotten used to hear on SMF that I prefer over vBulletin. So, I did the unthinkable and asked for a refund which they gave me. It is not cheap software!

I am going to have some major work done on this site and I think I have solved the registration problem, so it is possible we're going to stay right here. I'm not making any promises.

Anyone who hasn't done so yet and is so inclined, a visit to 2 of the various options, SocialGo and CinemaSound, could be helpful to me. If you do have the time, please concentrate on the FORUM features of each site since that is what really matters. Don't worry about posting silly test stuff either, I think everyone will understand.

SocialGo:  http://jwsoundnet.socialgo.com
CinemaSound:  http://cinemasound.ning.com/

[Marc Wielage]

I'm also a regular on another group which has used WebsiteToolkit, and while it's easy for the person maintaining it, it doesn't have the features of full-blown bulletin-board message software (like VBulletin or Invision).

I find the response time on WebsiteToolkit to be kinda buggy in that often the sites are unavailable, just because they get overloaded. But this is a bandwidth issue, not a software issue.

My vote would be for Jeff to find a way to commercialize the site (in a subtle way), just as they do on Recording.org and Gearslutz, both intended for industry professionals and audio newcomers. Both of these also use VBulletin but in very different ways, and are extremely flexible, both for the user and the people who own the forums. I have absolutely no objection to banner ads as long as they're inoffensive and are selling actual products that relates to the group (like recording gear as opposed to alcohol and porno*).

But ActiveBoard looks like the best of the options Jeff has posted (IMHO).

--Marc W.
___________________
* not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Jeff Wexler]

Thank you Daniel for taking the time to look at the options.

"The SocialGo seems to be a cross between SMF and Ning"

Very observant. SocialGo runs on the Ning Network and uses a lot of their APIs to develop the SocialGo site. So, there are actually quite a lot of similarities between the SocialGo site I have been working on and CinemaSound (which is on the Ning Network).

"The Ning is crowded (and has ads)"

CinemaSound on the Ning Network is FREE, therefore the Ads that they require. If I were to go with a paid system I could have the ads removed and run my own ads if I wanted to. SocialGo is a paid service (that I will cancel if I make the decision to not go with SocialGo).

"The Websitetoolbox is familiar, as it's boilerplate for several other forums I attend. It's reasonably friendly and seems to most resemble the SMF layout."

It is the cleanest and least cluttered and does some things a little more elegantly than my SMF forum. If we do make a change this is certainly high up on the list.

"I recognize Activeboard as boilerplate for a lot of European forums.  It seems a bit 'pinched' "

Right again. They have headquarters in Canada and the UK and their forums are in use in Europe.

"The Websitetoolbox seems to require a login to see the pictures.
The Activeboard andSocialGo did not require login."

These things can be set by the administrator (me). Our Discussion Group (SMF) does not display attached images either unless you are logged in.

"I am sorry to ear that SMF is such a hassle."

Whatever we decide to do, along with all this investigative work I am also doing major work on SMF. We should see some changes here in the next few days (which will be welcome particularly if we decide to stay right here).

[Daniel McIntosh]

Some quick initial thoughts:

The SocialGo seems to be a cross between SMF and Ning.
The Ning is crowded (and has ads).
The Websitetoolbox is familiar, as it's boilerplate for several other forums I attend. It's reasonably friendly and seems to most resemble the SMF layout.
I recognize Activeboard as boilerplate for a lot of European forums.  It seems a bit "pinched".

I see the testing of the picture attachments has begun:
The Websitetoolbox seems to require a login to see the pictures.
The Activeboard andSocialGo did not require login.


I am sorry to ear that SMF is such a hassle.

[old school]

We all vote, Jeff decides. So far, not many votes, so I decided to vote 5 times.
CrewC

[John Blankenship]

...I vote 2 or 3 times for this one as the new home of jwsound.net or whatever you end up calling it.

I didn't know we could vote more than once.  Are we in Chicago?

John B.

[old school]

The more I play w socialgo, the more I like it. I am working today at Downey So Called Studios, (Where they used to build the space shuttle), and the test site works well on my old G4 powerbook and verizon card. Seems like the best choice to upgrade with new features as well as the familiar old site. I vote 2 or 3 times for this one as the new home of jwsound.net or whatever you end up calling it.
CrewC

[Dre Rivera]

I am more of a reader than a poster but i would say the socialgo looks like a good option.

[Jeff Wexler]

For me, website toolbox.  If it has to be a soclal networking thing then the socialgo version works better for me.  I hope that somehow searches on the new forum will include posts from this one....
Philip Perkins

If we do make the move, this site will always be available but most probably as a searchable archive and read only. If it is at all possible, and it is doubtful, I will be able to export content from here and import it into the new site.

-  Jeff Wexler

[Philip Perkins]

For me, website toolbox.  If it has to be a soclal networking thing then the socialgo version works better for me.  I hope that somehow searches on the new forum will include posts from this one....

Philip Perkins