Can someone explain this new Sticky to me please?

Does this mean the various boards, as they exist now, will no longer exist? Or what does it mean? Can someone please explain this to me?

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement.php?f=171&a=518

It sounds to me like they're just adding some features.

What’s Not Changing

• Your post count will remain the same, all your posts will be accessible

• Avatars, signatures and profile pictures

• Member names and passwords

• Existing subscriptions to threads (topics), forums, etc.

• Legacy join dates will remain unchanged

• All the forums and discussion areas that you know and love , including our Roll Call forums

Does this mean the various boards, as they exist now, will no longer exist? Or what does it mean? Can someone please explain this to me?

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement.php?f=171&a=518

It means, beginning on Oct 10th you can only come to Cruise Critic and read the various forums. You cannot post on them.

As the new software is installed, various forums will again be accessible for posting on. The time line for all of Cruise Critic to again be functional (well, at least able to be posted on) is unclear.

Also, there will be no more Cruise Critic app, as the new software will allow CC to load on your phone directly.

Can someone please explain this to me?

The way I read it is that, even tho it wasn't broken, they decided to fix it.

There are a lot of people who use the app that are going to be surprised and very unhappy.

The way it reads it looks like the occasional posting on a thread that is 5 or 10 or 11 years old will come to a screeching halt...in fact, posting to any thread, even if a few hours old, will stop.

What is not clear is if posting to existing threads will resume once they open the forums again.

It sounds to me like they're just adding some features.

That's how I interpret it as well.

Thank you, Venn Diagram (still love that name) for pointing out that announcement.

I make it a strict habit to scroll by the announcements, and barely glance at the stickies. I would not have known about this without your thread.

Also, there will be no more Cruise Critic app, as the new software will allow CC to load on your phone directly.

I'm not sure how you interpret "Easy to use mobile version" (sticky) as "no more Cruise Critic app".

I'm not sure how you interpret "Easy to use mobile version" (sticky) as "no more Cruise Critic app".

Don't have to interpret it - the sticky also says:

What is Changing

• The Cruise Critic App will no longer be accessible

I guess they didn't see what happened to HAL when they decided to update their software.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

But guess neither of their IT Depts. pay attention.

Good luck CC. Hope all goes as well as you hope. (yn)(yn)(yn)(yn)

Thank you VennDiagram -- I never look at all the stickies and didn't see it.

So -- we may or not be posting right away on Tuesday.

What I don't like -- the new feature "like". Had this on another forum I used to post on. It was a contest between seeing how many people got a lot of "Likes". Example, some people would hit the "Like" button for a person who just said "good morning". UGH!!

Thanks Venn, for pointing out the sticky. I hadn't noticed it either.

seems to me that they aren't giving a whole lot of notice. Glad you posted, as I will need to check the Bon Voyage threads.

Those that don't come on CC every day or read stickies are going to be cursing when their CC app doesn't work.

I hope tapatalk will still be functional?

The last update caused grief trying to do various things and copying and pasting from Word Perfect so I hope this one is improved and doesn't have a bunch of bugs in it (yn)

What I don't like -- the new feature "like".

I had the same reaction. There’s no need to turn this into Facebook. These are discussion boards.

I echo others. It AIN’T broke, so why fix it?

And “lessons” of HAL website should give hints of the future. So, it has been fun sharing and learning from others, but—-!

Thank you VennDiagram -- I never look at all the stickies and didn't see it.

So -- we may or not be posting right away on Tuesday.

What I don't like -- the new feature "like". Had this on another forum I used to post on. It was a contest between seeing how many people got a lot of "Likes". Example, some people would hit the "Like" button for a person who just said "good morning". UGH!!

Agree. It gets distracting.

Is it any surprise that the announcement did not allow responses?

Roy

I wonder if they are moving to Zenforo.

Is it any surprise that the announcement did not allow responses?

 

Roy

Don't have to interpret it - the sticky also says:

What is Changing

 

• The Cruise Critic App will no longer be accessible

Thanks, Shmoo, I don't know how I missed that! :o

I hope tapatalk will still be functional?

 

 

I asked that question on the support board. I received no answer. (This is my shocked face.)

*If* they're upgrading to the new version of vBulletin, which is the software they currently use, Tapatalk will work. (There also an SDK - software development kit - for branded forums. That's what the existing app was built on.)

I use both my phone and my computer for CC. However, I don't know if it's worth doing a "live from" if everything is browser-based. The paid version of Tapatalk, which I use, supports photo hosting - important for a quality live thread.

I guess we'll know in a few days.

FWIW, I read the feature set of the new version and it does match the vBulletin feature list. However, it matches the feature list of several bulletin board systems.

I'm in a wait and see approach. I also missed the stickie. I've seen too many discussion boards ruined by "upgrades".

Thanks Venn Diagram. I very rarely read the stickies so missed this. I’m of the opinion “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” [emoji849]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for pointing this out, Venn, because I too would have missed it. I am hoping it fixes the issues I have with posting pictures. I was able to overcome this on my LIVE thread by using Tapatalk. But I was only ever able to post one pic at a time using that app, with a wait of 60 seconds between pics, so it got a little tiresome.

There will probably be some bugs to work through in the beginning but I am hopeful it will be worth it in the end.

What I am finding MOST confusing is the title of the Sticky, the part that says "These Forums Will be Read Only Beginning Tues Oct 10th" which seems to contradict the bit in the actual message that says "All the forums and discussion areas that you know and love , including our Roll Call forums"

Thanks for the replies. (y) ;)

What I am finding MOST confusing is the title of the Sticky, the part that says "These Forums Will be Read Only Beginning Tues Oct 10th" which seems to contradict the bit in the actual message that says "All the forums and discussion areas that you know and love , including our Roll Call forums"

 

 

Thanks for the replies. (y) ;)

Just guessing, but the announcement is probably talking about putting the boards into read-only mode until the migration is complete.

My reason for guessing that they're going to use vBulletin has to do with search engine optimization. If you've ever done a cruise-related search on Google or Bing, you've seen that many of the search results are from CC. If they start using a BBS system that changes the URL structure, they're going to lose vast amounts of SEO value. It can be a business killer, so I'm hoping that they took that into consideration.

It could also break a lot of the internal post-to-post links that people use to answer questions.

Some of the migration tools to other systems provide redirection scripts, which would keep the links sort of working more or less, but getting every link to look like a 301 (http redirect for "moved permanently") would be huge on a site with this many posts.