About the Forum Changes
Ken Gracey
Posts: 7,395
Dear Forum Members,
As you know, we had to move away from VBulletin when they confirmed that our forums could not be upgraded to a supported version while keeping all the content intact. We were very pleased to have successfully migrated all existing posts, attachments, and accounts to the new Vanilla platform.
The move also gave us the opportunity to revisit how well our forums are achieving their intended mission::
The Parallax Discussion Forums exist to support all Parallax customers, of any experience level, in their use of Parallax products.
This mission is the reason behind the changes we are making, and the new Vanilla tools we are using. Some of the features and uses I’d like to highlight include:
[*]
[*]Voting - The comment that best answers the original question rises to the top of the list, so folks can quickly find solutions to their tech problems and get back to working on their projects. If you prefer chronological order, click “Date Added” below the original post in any thread (enable cookies for your preference to persist).
[/list]
[*]Categories - These have been condensed from 26 to 10. Fewer categories makes it simpler figure out where to go for answers, especially for new and infrequent users.
[/list]
[*]Tags - As an alternative to dozens of categories, the tag cloud in the side pane creates member-generated navigation links to the most popular 25 topics. We encourage you to tag your posts to shape this cloud. You can also click on tags within posts to see related content.
[/list]
[*]Moderation - You will notice more proactive moderating. We are striving to make a welcoming product support environment for new and/or infrequent users who are focused on finding a quick resolution to a technical problem. We have rewritten our rules and guidelines and encourage you to read them; by continuing to participate in these forums you are agreeing to cooperate with them.
[/list]
[*]Thread Sinking - This gives moderators an option to keep the latest-post area clear for new tech support questions. A gentler option than locking threads, sinking allows potentially off-topic or otherwise problematic discussions to continue without becoming a distraction for others. Bookmark a thread if you want to follow a continuing discussion even if it has been sunk.
[/list]
[*]Activity Wall - You, and visitors to your profile, can write messages in this area for other members to see. It’s a great way to direct a question to your favorite subject matter expert, and for other members to benefit from the answer. You can also send a private message if you prefer, with the Message button in each person’s profile.
[*]
[/list]In the future, we may use more of Vanilla’s modern features in our product support mission. At this time, we're working to wrap up the Vanilla forum improvements by the middle of August.
I realize the change has been difficult for many of us because I read nearly every thread on this forum at one point or another. Stick with us and I think you’ll be comfortable with the outcome.
Sincerely,
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
As you know, we had to move away from VBulletin when they confirmed that our forums could not be upgraded to a supported version while keeping all the content intact. We were very pleased to have successfully migrated all existing posts, attachments, and accounts to the new Vanilla platform.
The move also gave us the opportunity to revisit how well our forums are achieving their intended mission::
The Parallax Discussion Forums exist to support all Parallax customers, of any experience level, in their use of Parallax products.
This mission is the reason behind the changes we are making, and the new Vanilla tools we are using. Some of the features and uses I’d like to highlight include:
[*]
[*]Voting - The comment that best answers the original question rises to the top of the list, so folks can quickly find solutions to their tech problems and get back to working on their projects. If you prefer chronological order, click “Date Added” below the original post in any thread (enable cookies for your preference to persist).
[/list]
[*]Categories - These have been condensed from 26 to 10. Fewer categories makes it simpler figure out where to go for answers, especially for new and infrequent users.
[/list]
[*]Tags - As an alternative to dozens of categories, the tag cloud in the side pane creates member-generated navigation links to the most popular 25 topics. We encourage you to tag your posts to shape this cloud. You can also click on tags within posts to see related content.
[/list]
[*]Moderation - You will notice more proactive moderating. We are striving to make a welcoming product support environment for new and/or infrequent users who are focused on finding a quick resolution to a technical problem. We have rewritten our rules and guidelines and encourage you to read them; by continuing to participate in these forums you are agreeing to cooperate with them.
[/list]
[*]Thread Sinking - This gives moderators an option to keep the latest-post area clear for new tech support questions. A gentler option than locking threads, sinking allows potentially off-topic or otherwise problematic discussions to continue without becoming a distraction for others. Bookmark a thread if you want to follow a continuing discussion even if it has been sunk.
[/list]
[*]Activity Wall - You, and visitors to your profile, can write messages in this area for other members to see. It’s a great way to direct a question to your favorite subject matter expert, and for other members to benefit from the answer. You can also send a private message if you prefer, with the Message button in each person’s profile.
[*]
[/list]In the future, we may use more of Vanilla’s modern features in our product support mission. At this time, we're working to wrap up the Vanilla forum improvements by the middle of August.
I realize the change has been difficult for many of us because I read nearly every thread on this forum at one point or another. Stick with us and I think you’ll be comfortable with the outcome.
Sincerely,
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.