vBulletin updates?

[kbasa]

Hey all, I believe we might be a ways behind in our vBulletin software, notably the implementation of a Like button. https://forum.vbulletin.com/forum/v...blems-and-troubleshooting/4424994-like-button

Any potential to get this turned on?

 

[pglaves]

Au contraire! I think a like button is a bad idea. As is readily apparent on Facebook and other platforms, the existence of a like button leads to ego driven competition to see who can get the most like. And as is readily observable and intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer, the more outrageous a post or thread is, the more likes it can earn.

IMHO it is a bad idea FWIT

 

[Omega Man]

Hey all, I believe we might be a ways behind in our vBulletin software, notably the implementation of a Like button. https://forum.vbulletin.com/forum/v...blems-and-troubleshooting/4424994-like-button

Any potential to get this turned on?

I think you will find that this is only available for a later (not really recommended) version of the vB software. So, not possible here.
OM

 

[20774]

This is not a full feature in vB 4.x. As the link says, this is for vB "Cloud" and there are no intentions to go that direction.

 

[52184]

This is not a full feature in vB 4.x. As the link says, this is for vB "Cloud" and there are no intentions to go that direction.

But is there openness to look at other forum software solutions? Not that I’m looking for a “like” button, as I agree with Paul on that, but there are features on other fora platforms that would be useful here. One in particular would be jumping the user to their first unread post in a thread, wherever it may be, when a thread is selected.

Best,
DeVern

 

[Omega Man]

But is there openness to look at other forum software solutions? Not that I’m looking for a “like” button, as I agree with Paul on that, but there are features on other fora platforms that would be useful here. One in particular would be jumping the user to their first unread post in a thread, wherever it may be, when a thread is selected.

Best,
DeVern

From the tool bar at the top of the page>

Quick links>

Today's posts.
This brings one to the latest post in each unread thread.

OM

 

[Visian]

But is there openness to look at other forum software solutions?

Last year, at a BoD meeting, after I expressed a concern that vBulletin code had jumped the shark, it was stated that the vBulletin code was going to be replaced by XenForo.... within the next 90 days.

 

[kbasa]

But is there openness to look at other forum software solutions? Not that I’m looking for a “like” button, as I agree with Paul on that, but there are features on other fora platforms that would be useful here. One in particular would be jumping the user to their first unread post in a thread, wherever it may be, when a thread is selected.

Best,
DeVern

When you've got a list of threads open, you can click on the little circle thing next to the thread title and it will take you to the first unread post in the thread.

The "little circle" actually seems to have two little down arrows in the middle of it. I'd paste a screen cap, but this forum software doesn't seem to support that, or at least this version. I can do it on another vBulletin forum I'm on and it's a lot easier than capturing a screen shot as a file, then uploading as an attachment.

We're on 5.7.3 over there of vB. I'm not sure what version we're on here.

Edited to add: Looks like we're on v 4.2.5.

 

[mikegalbicka]

Last year, at a BoD meeting, after I expressed a concern that vBulletin code had jumped the shark, it was stated that the vBulletin code was going to be replaced by XenForo.... within the next 90 days.

Wow. And I never even noticed the change. What a seamless transition - he said with tongue in cheek.

I have expressed security concerns about the age of this platform before to no avail.

 

[kbasa]

Wow. And I never even noticed the change. What a seamless transition - he said with tongue in cheek.

I have expressed security concerns about the age of this platform before to no avail.

Currently implemented version 4.2.5, was released in 2017 and that's it. No further development or patches are planned. I dunno about y'all, but that gives me concerns about where we are security wise. Is my membership information and PII subject to a potential breach? Every other product and device I use has had security patches and updates since 2017.

Why won't we move to the cloud to host this stuff where security is much tighter and we benefit from security oversight from the folks that provide it like Microsoft, Amazon or Google. I work for a company where our entire product line is developed and implemented in Amazon Web Services. My clients are all attorneys, who host their client's most sensitive data and almost all of them have forsaken local storage to go the better security on cloud based infrastructure.

Remember when North Korea was cranky about that movie about them and they swiped a bunch of data? They swiped it right out of Sony's law firm's data center, which was run by some poor IT guy, who couldn't possibly keep up with emerging threats and zero day exploits. So they've since moved all of their data into web based services where their data will be safer.

I'd hope we have at least had some board level conversations around security for the information we've all provided to the MOA and how to best safeguard it.

 

[pglaves]

I'd hope we have at least had some board level conversations around security for the information we've all provided to the MOA and how to best safeguard it.

Oh no!! For more than 20 years my name, address, email, and telephone number were published monthly in the BMW Owners News. I certainly hope no copies of those magazines ever wound up where some nefarious person with ill intent could find them. I hope everybody has burned or composted their copies by now.

That said, if the Chinese, N. Koreans, Russians, Iranians, Iraqis, Sudanese, Uzbekistanis, or Norwegians ever got a hold of my Forum posts I don't know what might happen. I suppose they might be a little more able to fix broken post-war Ural motorcycles.

 

[88bmwjeff]

Oh no!! For more than 20 years my name, address, email, and telephone number were published monthly in the BMW Owners News. I certainly hope no copies of those magazines ever wound up where some nefarious person with ill intent could find them. I hope everybody has burned or composted their copies by now.

That said, if the Chinese, N. Koreans, Russians, Iranians, Iraqis, Sudanese, Uzbekistanis, or Norwegians ever got a hold of my Forum posts I don't know what might happen. I suppose they might be a little more able to fix broken post-war Ural motorcycles.

There's not a lot of PII on the forum or MOA main page, but it depends on what each person decided to upload. Those nefarious individuals scan various sites to compile information about individuals. Some information that would be helpful are date of birth, location, occupation, and other interests that an individual may decide to upload. My choice is to enter minimal information on the site (and others) just in case.

 

[52184]

From the tool bar at the top of the page>

Quick links>

Today's posts.
This brings one to the latest post in each unread thread.

OM

When you've got a list of threads open, you can click on the little circle thing next to the thread title and it will take you to the first unread post in the thread.

The "little circle" actually seems to have two little down arrows in the middle of it. I'd paste a screen cap, but this forum software doesn't seem to support that, or at least this version. I can do it on another vBulletin forum I'm on and it's a lot easier than capturing a screen shot as a file, then uploading as an attachment.

We're on 5.7.3 over there of vB. I'm not sure what version we're on here.

Edited to add: Looks like we're on v 4.2.5.

But I don’t want the latest post in a thread, I want the first unread and without any hunting or poking around that takes as much or more time as scrolling. On many of the other fora I visit it’s that simple—click the thread and the browser immediately jumps to the first unread post if it’s a thread I’ve previously visited. Simple, fast, direct.

And I agree with the comments on security—if this is an end of the line version it’s time to move to the cloud version or select another software package. It sounds like we’re trying to stick with the Windows XP equivalent in forum software.

Best,
DeVern

 

[Visian]

And I agree with the comments on security—if this is an end of the line version it’s time to move to the cloud version or select another software package. It sounds like we’re trying to stick with the Windows XP equivalent in forum software.

Not talking out of school or anything, but it is kind of a pita to integrate the membership database with the vBulletin permissions database, and that (expensive) work has been done. I sympathize with this issue, butt.... we really do need to move on to a more current tech platform.

fwiw, at the last BoD meeting the answer to my question about our Mobility strategy revealed that we are in the process of moving to an updated MMS (Membership Management System). These two things, membership forum and membership management, need to be tightly integrated... and consistent across all domains.

We do have an integrated discussion board within our YourMembership MMS, but there is no connection between what is there and our Forum here. And then there is the FB Group...

on edit: some clarity, hopefully!

 

[Omega Man]

But I don’t want the latest post in a thread, I want the first unread and without any hunting or poking around that takes as much or more time as scrolling.
DeVern

There is no hunting or poking. The latest post that you have not read will show up along with any subsequent posts. It allows a member to see all the new posts since their last visit. If you want you can scroll to the next thread and read it or skip over it and come back later. Give it a try. It works.

OM

 

[88bmwjeff]

But I don’t want the latest post in a thread, I want the first unread and without any hunting or poking around that takes as much or more time as scrolling. On many of the other fora I visit it’s that simple—click the thread and the browser immediately jumps to the first unread post if it’s a thread I’ve previously visited. Simple, fast, direct.

Best,
DeVern

When I get into a thread, I click the View First Unread button. This takes me to the first unread post. It only shows up when there's unread posts.

 

[kbasa]

There's not a lot of PII on the forum or MOA main page, but it depends on what each person decided to upload. Those nefarious individuals scan various sites to compile information about individuals. Some information that would be helpful are date of birth, location, occupation, and other interests that an individual may decide to upload. My choice is to enter minimal information on the site (and others) just in case.

Vintage motorcycles are great. Vintage software with antique data protection is not.

I don't run a single bit of software that hasn't been updated since 2017 anywhere in my life. Not personally, not professionally. Increasingly, I don't even run software that lives on my local machine.

Jeez. Now I feel like it's 2002 and Ian, Rob Nye and I are trying to convince the board that we should open a forum for the members.

 

[88bmwjeff]

Vintage motorcycles are great. Vintage software with antique data protection is not.

I don't run a single bit of software that hasn't been updated since 2017 anywhere in my life. Not personally, not professionally. Increasingly, I don't even run software that lives on my local machine.

Jeez. Now I feel like it's 2002 and Ian, Rob Nye and I are trying to convince the board that we should open a forum for the members.

Dave, I guess I failed in my post. My post was intended to support your view, but apparently I failed. I agree with you that we should have the most secure software that we can.

Edit: I was trying to point out that even the limited information we have can be used in conjunction with other information on the web in a nefarious way.

 

[kbasa]

So I'm a member of a very small forum running on vB. Like we support our forum with pocket change.

We're upgraded to VB 6.0. One of the things we got in the new implementation is a response ability so we can put an emoji on the post to indicate a response without having to post.

Given that we're I dunno how many versions behind here (4.2.5 was released in May of 2017), is there any impetus to maybe update this place? We're two full versions behind at this point and who knows how many intermediate updates.

This place looks like it did when Visian, Rob Nye, Scott Conary and I set it up and opened it on the day we invaded Iraq. How long ago was that? About a week after the join date under my name.

Can we PLEASE get some updated software. I'm still concerned about security and a quick googling of vBulletin 4.2.5 exploits shows an entire list of potential security issues. If we are not taking security seriously, we are, IMHO, doing a disservice to the memberships by potentially exposing their data to malicious actors. Code injection, one of the issues noted is a Very Big Deal and can provide a vector for access by nefarious actors to the data tables MOA members entrust us to keep confidential. Are we still storing passwords in plain text? We still don't have two factor authentication, nor do we require strong passwords, all security items that have been required in the rest of my life for at least a decade.

Can someone tell me where we are with this? I'm not trying to bust anyone's balls, but I also respond to security questionnaires at work so this place and where we are is quite concerning to me.

Anybody from the BoD got any thoughts on why we haven't addressed this?

Thanks for any thoughts you can share.

 

[52184]

+10 on kbasa’s post!