Server Migration
 

Hi chickies!

If you missed it in today's newsletter, I just wanted to let you know that we're migrating our server from one host to another this week. There should be little to no downtime, but if you get any weird results or no connection closer to the end of the week as DNS propagates, don't panic, we'll be back <3

Let me know if you have any questions or experience any weirdness this week!

I'll update again as soon as the move has been completed!

R

You've been busy in the background, R!

Will the site be any different where you can tag someone when responding to their post or anything like that?

Great question!

So this is a straight server move from one hosting provider to another, so when our move is finalized, the site will be the same as it is now, but will be hopefully more reliable (ie. please God no more crashes like we had again this morning!).

Once the move is complete and we're settled in and feeling like things are stable and good, I am definitely considering upgrading our forums and gallery to Xenforo (which OScraps and TLP currently use) but I've been told in the past that we might lose everything in that transition. I am still researching this though as that that may not be the case, so upgrades are definitely on my mind.

I'd be curious to know... Would you, our community members, want that kind of upgrade or is keeping the existing data as-is more important to you? I've asked in the past and people overwhelmingly said that losing the gallery was not worth it for a like button, but maybe feelings are different now.

If we started fresh on a new forum and gallery (ie. couldn't import the existing data to the new platform) but had a locked "read only" version of our current gallery so you could still see the "archive" of all of your old layouts but could only upload to the new gallery, would that be an acceptable compromise to starting fresh? It's something I'd love to hear from all of you on as the community is yours and we want it to be what you want it to be. I truly want being here at SSD to feel like an awesome experience for you.

With the fresh start and a clean server IP, I'm also working on upgrades to our newsletter sending routine so that our newsletter reaches as many of our subscribers as possible, etc. With our new web host's help I am looking into using amazon aws to send our mass mails and making sure our server and business have the correct credentials to improve deliverability. I know "I'm not getting your newsletters anymore" has been a problem for some of you and I am working on it with our new provider (he is awesome btw). I have a feeling our current server is blacklisted on att.net which includes yahoo, prodigy, att, sbcglobal addresses, etc.

In any case, that may be more than you bargained for, but the TLDR is that I love SSD and I am working on making our site the best it can be <3

R

I wouldn't want to lose the ability to get an email notification about things like gallery comments and thread subscriptions. I've tried every setting at TLP to get notified about gallery comments with no success. The forum works for me, but not the gallery. I just gave up trying.



I lost my gallery here from when I started once already. I was inactive for a while, came back, and had no gallery. I guess it's no big deal to me to lose it again; however, what about all the layouts posted to Pinterest? Would those be gone or just not linked to a gallery any more. I would think that would hurt designers more than scrappers.


I don't envy the decisions you have to make. It seems like a lot.

I honestly don't care about new bells and whistles of a new forum and gallery. I love how it works now and I wouldn't want you to spend more money on something upgraded (because I'm assuming it would come at a cost of course).

I'm not a fan of changing something that works.

This is honestly great to hear. I feel the same and I love our site as-is but I know the question of being able to "like" posts / photos has been asked in the past, so it is something on my mind sometimes so I wanted to ask. I agree that it is something that has to be weighed carefully in terms of activity around here and expense, so I appreciate you guys sharing your thoughts!

I would hate it if I lost my gallery and all the layouts I once posted.
I sometimes browse my gallery in search of a kit or template I know I have used before.

The only thing lost on Pinterest is the link to the original layout. A layout of mine from Scrap Orchard (closed Dec 2015) was found by the gal that runs the Scrapbook Campus forum/website and was used as an example in the paid area of the campus in 2018. They didn't have the information of who did the layout or where it came from. When I saw it and told the admin, she wanted to link to the original but I told her it was no longer available since the site had closed.

I don't even remember posting it to Pinterest so I'm thinking someone pinned it from the Scrap Orchard gallery and that is why it is out there.

I know I don't post much in the gallery so you might just disregard my opinion. The reason I don't is I don't find the gallery user friendly. I get frustrated when I'm just browsing layouts. Even with hints about how to get the most recent layouts showing, it never works for me.

But then I have used the TLP gallery since 2016 and that is what I'm used to. I find it so much easier to browse layouts. I get alerts on my layouts with no issue but have chosen not to receive emails.

These are the kinds of things I want to hear and consider. We WANT you here and we want you to have an awesome experience.

In doing some research this morning, I've discovered we CAN import our existing forum and gallery completely into Xenforo, so the question becomes is that platform and user experience something the majority of you would prefer or is it a bit of a 6 of one / half a dozen of the other kind of situation?

It would be an expense for sure, but it's been a long time since we've been able to make these kinds of upgrades, so I want to weigh it carefully based on the activity here in the forums and the potential benefits of a more modern software environment.

Your feedback is definitely appreciated <3

One of the things that I really like on the TLP forums is the "Like" button for posts!

I may not always have much to say about a post but if I agree with it, I certainly hit the Like button. There are times here that I want to hit like and it isn't available!

I joined TLP when Scrap Orchard shut down and I found that it was very easy to navigate even though I came from another forum. I would certainly be very happy if you switched but do understand if the decision is made that you won't.

I do really like the "like button" for the forum, but find the gallery is not as interactive because people just thumbs up people's comments and reply with tags thanking people. People don't reciprocate comments or interact the same way as here because they just like your comment to show they saw it. It's definitely not the same friendly vibe in the gallery as it is here.

I love the way you can tag members on TLP forum & gallery. I actually find it much easier to navigate their site. I also love how you can easily copy and then paste the hyperlink (I think that's what it's called) of a kit into the gallery credits right from your own purchased products list. I'm usually not one for change, but honestly, I do prefer the Xenforo platform (I have never heard that name before today---I learned something new!)

I love the way the forum as it is, but upgrade is always welcomed given that we do not lose the whole forum and gallery. I am just hoping that with the server migration, it will be faster for me to load SSD here. It's been getting slower to load and access SSD on my end, but I won't complain, because it could very possible that it is just a problem of mine.

There are some things in the background that worked well with TLP software when I was a guest there last year - if you want to know details let me know :) I love the community here - meaning the people and the vibe, the platform is incidental!!!

I love the Sweet Shoppe. I love our community, and I love the idea of building it into an even tighter-knit group.

When posting at TLP, I liked the ease of being able to dialogue with people who commented on my layouts. They'd post a comment, and I could hit "reply" right there and either answer their questions or start a conversation. I love the tradition here at SSD of reciprocating for their comment by commenting on one of their layouts, but it's sort of ... disconnected.

It's also significantly easier to post layouts and their links in the forum on a Xenforo platform, because the sample code is provided on the layout page. One version lets you post the layout with link; another lets you post a thumbnail of the layout with link. We can certainly post layouts and link to them here at SSD, and for those of us who have been doing it forever, it's just a couple of steps and we hardly have to think about it ... but the learning curve for newer users is a little steeper than it otherwise could be.

It's fantastic news that the historical gallery can be ported over!!! If you wind up deciding to make the move, just let me know what I can do to help behind the scenes with testing or migrating data or what-not - I'm all yours!

This for me as well!