Bitcointalk - if it's not broken don't fix it

[libert19]

Many companies fuck up their products by changing up things which were fine to begin with.

Meanwhile bitcointalk has remained pretty much same. Yes, some features are needed but member made telegram bots have done a good job at filling that necessity.

I like the simplicity of this forum and hope it stays true to that.

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[mk4]

More “traditional” forums such as Bitcointalk have always been for a niche type of people — for actual enthusiasts. Gaming markets have Sythe, marketers have BHW and WarriorForum, etc. While the more “normie” type of people use social media groups instead.

While I’d say Bitcointalk is good enough as it is, wen new forum software? 

[nullama]

This forum reminds me of the early days of the Internet. I really like it.

It's a bit difficult for new people to start with it, but the more you use it, the better it feels.

It's a unique community, where quality is preferred over quantity.

It preserves the history of Bitcoin, while at the same time allowing new people to share their ideas.

Long live the bitcointalk forum.

[suchmoon]

I agree with the OP's sentiment but there are definitely things that can be done without taking anything away from the current forum experience. E.g. notifications can be fully optional.

wen new forum software

Things that will happen before then:

• Elon Musk's dog will land on the Moon.
• Adele will release an album titled "95".
• Satoshi will dump his bitcoins and marry CSW.
• An asteroid will bring dinosaurs back.

[YOSHIE]

Sometimes what you say makes me 'amused' I want to laugh out loud, afraid of being caught by the neighbors, they think I'm crazy, because my bedroom is adjacent to the neighbor's room. Laugh.


OP, yes I think so, honestly I also have the same thoughts as you, what we have is better than the new features, very comfortable in the current state.

Bitcointalk forum everyone's dream of in this world.

[Poker Player]

I believe that this topic has already been discussed and I commented that I have seen changes in other forums... for the worse. I hope that the forum is not changed while we are at it, but it seems that it is still in the pipeline no matter how long it takes. Does anyone know if Theymos is still willing to launch a new software after all these years?

[SFR10]

Yes, some features are needed but member made telegram bots have done a good job at filling that necessity.

In regards to the subject field, you have a point but don't you think it's a bit late for that ^{[considering how much they've spent so far]}? There are certain things that you can't achieve with those telegram bots ^{[e.g. responsive design and a few other stuff]}.
For what it's worth, I do like the overall feeling and look of the current software.

[NeuroticFish]

On one hand I agree with mk4's "wen new forum software?"
On another hand I am afraid that if it comes, I may not like it this much.

Still, the world has changed a lot since this forum software was made, many people would like to use it more from mobile devices, and I hope that we can agree that the current forum software is unfriendly at best (and whoever doesn't agree, I invite him answer from mobile to a post with nested quotes).

So, sorry, but I don't agree with OP.

[dkbit98]

But something is wrong if you first say that you want to fix something, than you collect money (Bitcoin), and hire workers for fixing, and then years later you still didn't fix anything.
Maybe original owner wanted to improve the forum rather than to fix it, but hey there is still time until world ends or apocalypse happens, there is still hope

[Mahiyammahi]

Simplicity is the icon of BitcoinTalk. What the needed to make it complex by changing it.
Anyone can understand by watching this forum. It's very flexible to me also.

In future necessarily things should be added by not changing the theme. It's perfect for me

[lovesmayfamilis]

When I came to the forum, I was surprised by the lack of a lot of banners in all kinds of advertisements that I periodically saw on other forums and removed using uBlock Origin. Also, the lack of animation, stickers, and everything that is full-on other forums, personally, is very convenient for me.
As a person, I am often distracted by various animations, I prefer that they are completely absent. Only in this case, it is easier to concentrate and read useful information correctly.

[DdmrDdmr]

There’s not only the user’s angle to take into account here, but also the developer’s/mods/admins of the system. Whilst, as a user, I’m perfectly fine with how it works (despite knowing areas of clear native improvement), and will possibly dread the change when it comes, simply because I’d have to change or scrap thing I do with the data, the initial quest for a change in the forum software was motivated by something along these lines:

The forum's software has proven to be insufficient for our needs. In particular, the general architecture of the code is both insecure and difficult to modify, and the moderation facilities are limited. Therefore, the forum is accepting bids for the job of delivering software that meets the requirements listed below. <…>

Ideally, what I'd like to get from this project is software very similar to SMF on the outside (similar features, fast, etc.), but with code that is clear and secure, plus a few extra features that SMF doesn't have (mostly moderation-related) listed below.<…>

The above referenced post (see the complete version) depicts requirements, but also highlights some seemingly major SMF problems. The above shows a will (at least then) to push things into constant evolution, whilst encountering drawbacks in the software that likely led to investing a bunch of time into reaching a stabilized version little prone to big changes or improvements.

It’s not really a Boolean question of it being broken or not, but rather more on the cost of opportunity the current software represents in relation to having a much more customizable, secure and dynamic evolving software that could benefit the forum on all fronts (user, programming, admin/mods, [advertisers]).

Of course, something’s clearly gone wrong along the way with the new software, likely time and over again, and I’m sure that, were it to be ready today for the migration, it would require a breath-taking amount of time to kick-off, supervise, correct and evolve over the following months, all of which require setting aside ample available time and resources (be them prime or delegated) to embark.

Side note: I still believe that the Forum is rather much more than a software per se, and would likely need to be accompanied by some though towards the strategic side to factors such as placement, user attraction, user engagement, and so forth.

[ShowOff]

New things always present a tremendous challenge for its developers to make it work as best as possible, user friendly and so on. Development isn't really the fastest way to destroy an existing system, but it is the best way to elevate something to a higher standard of effectiveness where we "users" will be able to benefit. Not all developments will have a positive impact as some of them are also known to fail, we certainly know that.

I think bitcointalk.org is still pretty ideal for me, but some new features like "mention, merit activity and more" notifications should be there without relying on third parties.

[PrimeNumber7]

It’s not really a Boolean question of it being broken or not, but rather more on the cost of opportunity the current software represents in relation to having a much more customizable, secure and dynamic evolving software that could benefit the forum on all fronts (user, programming, admin/mods, [advertisers]).

New software is always very expensive to develop, given the high cost of developers/engineers.

For whatever reason, SMF appears to be fairly inflexible.

Of course, something’s clearly gone wrong along the way with the new software, likely time and over again, and I’m sure that, were it to be ready today for the migration, it would require a breath-taking amount of time to kick-off, supervise, correct and evolve over the following months, all of which require setting aside ample available time and resources (be them prime or delegated) to embark.

At the end of the day, a forum is a database, and forum software will query said database.

Part of a forum database is various permissions that each user has -- this can be simplified by creating user groups that a user is assigned to, and giving the user group various permissions, and flexibility can be added by adding multiple group types, such as 'native_rank, paid_group, and banned_group'. For example to check if a user has permission to do something, the output of MIN(banned_group, MAX(native_rank, paid_group)) could be used.

Forum software ultimately needs to be programmed to make various database queries, and present the output of said queries in a user-friendly format.

When you look at forum software as the above, your only limitations on features are your ability to create programmatic database queries.

I really don't think there is any reason to reinvent the wheel. I would propose creating a flask app for the new forum software. Adding new features would be as simple as editing the database schema (if necessary), writing a SQL query, and editing a little bit of HTML.

[UserU]

While I’d say Bitcointalk is good enough as it is, wen new forum software?  

Shh, you're gonna attract brickbats from the purists. Keep it down!



By the way @libert19, congrats on your recently-attained Hero rank!

[RapTarX]

• Satoshi will dump his bitcoins and marry CSW.

No homo or no homo.

[hugeblack]

Let's be realistic, the deadlock will make any system out of date, and therefore the update will not be harmful. For example, Reddit has been updated several times, yet the number of users is increasing.

The forum provides information, this information is valuable, and therefore individuals are what makes this forum special. When they leave, it will not benefit the development of the system's infrastructure.

One of the reasons why so many continue to be here is the signature campaigns, but for sustainability it is better to look for other alternatives that will make them continue to post with the same activity.

[icopress]

Let's be realistic, the deadlock will make any system out of date, and therefore the update will not be harmful. For example, Reddit has been updated several times, yet the number of users is increasing.The forum provides information, this information is valuable, and therefore individuals are what makes this forum special. When they leave, it will not benefit the development of the system's infrastructure. One of the reasons why so many continue to be here is the signature campaigns, but for sustainability it is better to look for other alternatives that will make them continue to post with the same activity.

If you're suggesting to be realistic, let's be realistic ... Firstly, reddit has not undergone significant changes over the years of its existence, moreover, if my memory serves me, then each user has the opportunity to use both the old and the new version of the site. Secondly, the Bitforum is a narrowly focused social place, therefore it is not entirely appropriate to compare it with Reddit (especially since, unlike the Bitcointalk, it has no competitors). And I do not mean other forums like Alttalk and so on, I am talking about the evolution of platforms such as coinmarketcap, platforms that try to cover all areas related to BTC and crypto.

And finally, we can say with confidence that if coinmarketcap adds a forum to its infrastructure, a forum that will include the same features that bitcointalk has, then most of those who participate in sig-campaigns will leave this place. And the point is not at all that they will pay more there, but the fact is that it will be much more expedient for companies to launch sig-campaigns where there is more traffic.  

[BITCOIN4X]

Let's be realistic, the deadlock will make any system out of date, and therefore the update will not be harmful. For example, Reddit has been updated several times, yet the number of users is increasing.

The forum provides information, this information is valuable, and therefore individuals are what makes this forum special. When they leave, it will not benefit the development of the system's infrastructure.

One of the reasons why so many continue to be here is the signature campaigns, but for sustainability it is better to look for other alternatives that will make them continue to post with the same activity.

The signature campaign has maintained the forum's user base so far although we can see pros and cons. I think it's fine if this forum is developed for the sake of sustainability and future traffic, but maybe we will also run the risk of decreasing the user base. Even if this forum develops, I'm sure it will not be much different from the old forum with its uniqueness and stable browsing comfort. So far this forum is stable enough to use, but I just ask that the security system needs to be upgraded to prevent hacking account.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Assuming suchmoon talks about optional forum notifications (instead of email notifications) I'll add:

• Email notifications if someone quotes or mentions you. (Whether you're watching the thread or not)
• Discouraging of spamming.  (There're lots of ways!)
• Bunch of new sub-forums for better categorization.   (Such as Lightning Network)
• Reconstruction of the moderat... — <Cough, cough>

• Satoshi will dump his bitcoins and marry CSW.

It turns out self-marriage is a thing. 👀