Attention: Regions who use Zetaboards forums!

[Shizensky Prime]

Another thing I've always liked about PB is the single sign on aspect of it. I only need one log in and I can access the RIA's forums, 10000 Islands, and Fort Triumph. That is pretty useful in an environment like NS where someone might be expected to be a member of several forums.

If anybody is going to make a switch to ProBoards, please feel free to hit me up, I'd be more than happy to help.

[The Church of Satan]

That global account thing is actually a huge pain. >_<

[Shizensky Prime]

That global account thing is actually a huge pain. >_<

I'm curious, how so? I always thought it was pretty easy to jump to different accounts, and the actual profile is specific to a forum so you still get to be custom to whichever community you're a part of.

[Glen-Rhodes]

GDPR isn’t really something any of us have to worry about, as offsite hobby forums aren’t offering goods and services to EU citizens: https://gdpr-info.eu/recitals/no-23/

Most forum software will eventually be updated to automatically comply with the regulations.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

That global account thing is actually a huge pain. >_<

I'm curious, how so? I always thought it was pretty easy to jump to different accounts, and the actual profile is specific to a forum so you still get to be custom to whichever community you're a part of.

I don't like being called Diol wherever I go. It embarrasses me.

[Shizensky Prime]

I'm curious, how so? I always thought it was pretty easy to jump to different accounts, and the actual profile is specific to a forum so you still get to be custom to whichever community you're a part of.

I don't like being called Diol wherever I go. It embarrasses me.

The "Hello, [name]" is generated by whatever the user sets as their display name, so it's changeable.

[The Church of Satan]

That global account thing is actually a huge pain. >_<

I'm curious, how so? I always thought it was pretty easy to jump to different accounts, and the actual profile is specific to a forum so you still get to be custom to whichever community you're a part of.

Because my login never works until I change my password. I've changed my password at least a dozen times this year.

[Cormactopia Prime]

In case anyone was still thinking about using IcyBoards, don't. They announced today that they're discontinuing service on July 31st.

My takeaway from all of this is: RIP forums.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

In case anyone was still thinking about using IcyBoards, don't. They announced today that they're discontinuing service on July 31st.

My takeaway from all of this is: RIP forums.

Are they going to tapatalk or just...going?

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

In case anyone was still thinking about using IcyBoards, don't. They announced today that they're discontinuing service on July 31st.

My takeaway from all of this is: RIP forums.

Are they going to tapatalk or just...going?

Just going. They offer DB exports though, and are working actively with Jcink to make them compatible for upload.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Zetaboards should at least offer db exports for premium users.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

Zetaboards should at least offer db exports for premium users.

Should.

Won't.

[Cormactopia Prime]

Are they going to tapatalk or just...going?

Just going. They offer DB exports though, and are working actively with Jcink to make them compatible for upload.

I wouldn't recommend Jcink to anyone though. I've done a bit of research, and the reason for the persistent downtime Jcink experiences, mentioned by Avakael (Klaus Devestatorie) earlier in the thread, is Jcink only has one server. I can't imagine an influx of former ZetaBoards and IcyBoards users is going to help with their downtime issues, despite Jcink very much wanting users of both platforms to migrate there.

It's looking to me like Proboards, paid self-hosting, or just embracing minimalistic but at least functional platforms like Tapatalk are going to be the only options. Given that Proboards has been doing some work with Tapatalk, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Proboards sell out before long either. So it's looking to me like the options for people who want forums are either going to be paid self-hosting or Tapatalk (or other functional but minimalistic services). There is also the option of somehow making Discord work without even having a forum, if that's something that appeals to people. Personally I would rather gouge out my eyes and call it a day than do everything for a region on a real time chat service, but that's just me.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Zetaboards should at least offer db exports for premium users.

Should.

Won't.

Has anyone checked whether for premium users this even complies with their own ToS?

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Just going. They offer DB exports though, and are working actively with Jcink to make them compatible for upload.

I wouldn't recommend Jcink to anyone though. I've done a bit of research, and the reason for the persistent downtime Jcink experiences, mentioned by Avakael (Klaus Devestatorie) earlier in the thread, is Jcink only has one server. I can't imagine an influx of former ZetaBoards and IcyBoards users is going to help with their downtime issues, despite Jcink very much wanting users of both platforms to migrate there.

It's looking to me like Proboards, paid self-hosting, or just embracing minimalistic but at least functional platforms like Tapatalk are going to be the only options. Given that Proboards has been doing some work with Tapatalk, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Proboards sell out before long either. So it's looking to me like the options for people who want forums are either going to be paid self-hosting or Tapatalk (or other functional but minimalistic services). There is also the option of somehow making Discord work without even having a forum, if that's something that appeals to people. Personally I would rather gouge out my eyes and call it a day than do everything on a real time chat service, but that's just me.

They...run a forum hosting service and only have one server?

Wow, clever people.

Their was a website I used a while ago called freeforums.org. Have they gone under?

[Cormactopia Prime]

Their was a website I used a while ago called freeforums.org. Have they gone under?

That URL redirects to Tapatalk. Surprising, I know.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Their was a website I used a while ago called freeforums.org. Have they gone under?

That URL redirects to Tapatalk. Surprising, I know.

Sad, they were pretty good. A few ads but you got a fully-featured phpbb forum.

Like I've said though, enadia.eu is a great forum hosting service. It's free, fully-featured phpbb forum and its web hosts don't care what you do on it as long as it isn't something disgusting (kiddy porn, rape vids, you get the picture.)

[New Fakeland]

just embracing minimalistic but at least functional platforms like Tapatalk
…
Tapatalk (or other functional but minimalistic services)

In what way do you consider tapatalk to be minimalist?

For that matter, does anyone know what's different? (i.e. does anyone have a list of the stuff that Zetaboards has, that Tapatalk currently doesn't have?)

[Cormactopia Prime]

just embracing minimalistic but at least functional platforms like Tapatalk
…
Tapatalk (or other functional but minimalistic services)

In what way do you consider tapatalk to be minimalist?

For that matter, does anyone know what's different? (i.e. does anyone have a list of the stuff that Zetaboards has, that Tapatalk currently doesn't have?)

I'm not familiar enough with Tapatalk to say how functionally minimalist it is, but at the very least it's very aesthetically minimalist compared to ZetaBoards (or any of the other platforms that have been discussed here). There's not much you can customize in terms of its appearance.

How much that matters will probably vary. For many gameplay regions, their forum theme is part of their regional theme and is important to them.

[New Fakeland]

it's very aesthetically minimalist compared to ZetaBoards (or any of the other platforms that have been discussed here). There's not much you can customize in terms of its appearance.

How much that matters will probably vary. For many gameplay regions, their forum theme is part of their regional theme and is important to them.

As I understand it, the custom Zetaboards themes will be transferred across with the rest of the forum info

With codes, if you mean CSS / themes, your CSS will be grandfathered, yes.
Regarding posts and members, everything will transfer. You will not lose anything.

(from https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/tapatal ... 39965.html)

And if anything, the simplicity (/ minimalism) means that it "should" be easier to edit or create new themes.

But if there are some serious problems with the CSS/theme transfer to the new forums, I'd be able to offer some help to regions that don't have their own coders (for reference, I made the "Balder Dark Tower" them on the Balder forum [I also made the Balder gold theme, but don't look at that])

[Christian Democrats]

I don't see why Tapatalk isn't just making a wholesale switch to a ZetaBoards-like platform. They've bought ZetaBoards out, and ZetaBoards is clearly a superior platform.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

it's very aesthetically minimalist compared to ZetaBoards (or any of the other platforms that have been discussed here). There's not much you can customize in terms of its appearance.

How much that matters will probably vary. For many gameplay regions, their forum theme is part of their regional theme and is important to them.

As I understand it, the custom Zetaboards themes will be transferred across with the rest of the forum info

With codes, if you mean CSS / themes, your CSS will be grandfathered, yes.
Regarding posts and members, everything will transfer. You will not lose anything.

(from https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/tapatal ... 39965.html)

And if anything, the simplicity (/ minimalism) means that it "should" be easier to edit or create new themes.

But if there are some serious problems with the CSS/theme transfer to the new forums, I'd be able to offer some help to regions that don't have their own coders (for reference, I made the "Balder Dark Tower" them on the Balder forum [I also made the Balder gold theme, but don't look at that])

They've promised zeta users a special hybrid with some CSS grandfathering. They've said things like HTML hacks folks have done will not transfer. No other forum has gotten such a hybrid when bought out by TT, and you can see on various TT board how limited visual customization is. Their platform is heavily aimed at a mobile presence, and doesn't even look great on mobile. Also generally force the whole "clean, modern, square, app-like" look on fucking everything. Also, TT locks a number of standard zeta features behind paywalls, like favicon customization. Another thing with promised grandfathering-in, but no future edits.

Meanwhile, none of these promises are currently present in the "beta"/"preview" version of our sites that TT has shown us, and for many of us, permissions/groups aren't even transferring properly. It's a vanilla TT board without our data shittily copied over.

[Pyravar]

This is a major gameplay issue for tons of regions, past and present.

Apparently, all Zetaboards forums will be involuntarily converted to Tapatalk in a matter of weeks or months.

I haven't seen much discussion of it in NS circles yet (I know like 2/3rds of you are only on Discord!!!!) but wanted to flag it so that regions it pertains to has time to discuss with their regions/communities what they want to do.

example of tapatalk forum

Well that looks terrible actually. No offense to GB & I. If that's what zetaboards are going to end up, time to find a new forum provider!

[Pyravar]

(Image)

Another thing I've always liked about PB is the single sign on aspect of it. I only need one log in and I can access the RIA's forums, 10000 Islands, and Fort Triumph. That is pretty useful in an environment like NS where someone might be expected to be a member of several forums.

If anybody is going to make a switch to ProBoards, please feel free to hit me up, I'd be more than happy to help.

I considered using proboards for regions, I've used it for social clubs and things but it always seemed like a dumbed down version of ZB. If I were to look to your pic example "forum staff" would take me right out of IC as far as running a regional government or presenting a proboards forum as the main part of the region.

[New Fakeland]

They've said things like HTML hacks folks have done will not transfer.

What do you mean by HTML hacks?
If you mean actual hacks (i.e. doing something that isn't designed to work, but does), then those would probably stop working if Zetaboards were updated, or if you transferred to another forum. If you mean customisation of JS, CSS, HTML, etc. they've already said that will transfer.

you can see on various TT board how limited visual customization is.
...the whole "clean, modern, square, app-like" look

Again, they're transferring CSS and JS. That means the visual customization is nearly unlimited.


Okay, seeing as people seem to keep thinking that the new Zetapatalk hybrid will look exactly the same as the current Tapatalk preview, despite it being repeatedly stated that CSS is customisable, I'm going to do a quick example of how easy it is to change the look of Tapatalk.

So basically, what I've done, is "borrowed" the [Great Britain and Ireland Regional Forums] page (that was given as an example on the first page of this topic) for the HTML, added my own CSS theme from Zetaboards (which I mentioned in a previous post), spent a few mins adjusting things (because Tapatalk uses divs in places that Zetaboards uses tables. If you're wondering, divs are far better). And voila

(please remember, I'm not an artist, this is just an example that Tapatalk can be changed, not that it can be made to look good )