Ok lets see how this goes...

- NETWORKS
Networks have been running smooth although we've filled the new Bandwidth again. Seems like our growth is way too fast to keep up with. 3Mbps completely filled... looking into options on additional BW and costs involved. Will be tight this year, but maybe next year we can swing it.

[i]Forgot to add, we've replaced all the backup units in the server room!!![/i]

- CODE
The site has been undergoing a very large and serious code upgrade. The back end has been rebuilt for a much more scalable solution. This will basically allow us to throw machine after machine at the site if server resources ever get low. The front end was designed for this, but the back end was not. Clustering isn't a viable solution because it would hog too many resources, so this distributed solution should do VERY well. It's tested strongly so far...


I'd like to take a few minutes to highlight some of the major FORUM based changes coming...

- EMAILs from the site forums will be sent via a dead account so that people don't respond to them. [=D]
- Centralized Log Tables for bannings, locking of topics, etc. This will make it easier and faster for me to track down who did what! Not really an issue, but part of the merger process!
- Upgraded forum security. Faster, little tighter, no big deal.
- Better setup of admin forums/roles with common forums for Mods and Staff.
- Active Topic/My Active Topics fixed.
- Search upgraded to search message text
- Quotes with images will be converted by the system to URLs to cut down on BW use.
- Automailer tool will be fixed and upgraded.
- Subscription list to manage which topics you're subscribed to and the ability to manage those.
- Forums will be allowed to display different number of posts per forum. The busy forums will most likely be set higher.
- Printer friendly conversions. (Click button to generate.)
- Posts will allow a little over double their current length restriction, BUT will not allow infinite data. (Security risk!)
- Improved speed of execution and improved resource management.
- Autologin code will be upgraded and work better for those who do not use it. (Keep them logged in for the duration of their stay only...)

That sums up most of the changes finished or being finished. There's also a new set of admin tools, a new layout/gui, new web side tools, and a few other items.

On the agenda is an upgraded/completed Instant Messenger tool, a new stand alone photo sharing server and application (for team members - with an increase in disk space), and a few new outside services for hosting event pictures. (Headed up by RBAD!)

I've been working a LOT of long nights to get this done as quick as possible, so bear with me if I am late in responding to emails or messages. Also keep in mind that this upgrade will require some serious down time for the site. I'm estimating roughly a day, but can end up being 48 hours or more. (If things go smooth I expect 4-6 hours... depends on how the data is, there's a lot of back end work to do!)

[i]FORGOT TO ADD THE FOLLOWING[/i]

[b]- Merger of the sites into one interface. This means that the AK, Handgun, and 50 sites will all merge into one massive firearm site. What will happen is that each technical area will have it's own BOARD with the forums in them. There will also be a GENERAL community with all the GD type forums. Finally, a community called "THE ARMORY" will be created and house all the misc forums we desire. This means that the GARAND, FAL, SNIPER, KNIFE, SHOTGUN, etc forums will arise and become a part of the site. The main technical sections at this time include the armory, AR15.Com, and AK communities.

Navigation will be very CLEAR and easy to use. There will no longer be a cluttered navigation or button bar. You will see a clean logo up top with the Ads, a small menu (persistent throughout the site for the forums and homepage), and that's it. The forums will then create a COMMUNITY navigation bar where you will see your choices. This bar will be persistent through your forum browsing making it easy to go from one area to another.

There will also be a custom board feature for team members to be able to create their own grouping of their favorite individual forums from across all the communities.

Slight oversight on my part! Sorry I forgot this info![/b]

[i]Fixed the red type and made it bold... [=)][/i]

This coming weekend should be the date for this work. I will post the information so that it's expected!!! [=)]

A few things were forgotten or left out of the main post...

For examples:

- Topic Subjects will not be larger (100 characters as opposed to 50)
- Forum look and feel has been altered (not the colors!) to look nicer with the new design!
- Topic icons have been replaced with BIG UGLY buttons so you dont get confused when quoting or editing!!! (We can change this is people think it's ugly or what not!)
- Topic posts are better divided to show breaks between posts.

... and a whole lot more!

Any files you want housed here I can handle, but there's not a plan to allow file uploads to the site by anyone. (Outside of picture hosting stuff!) For security reasons, I don't want to take a chance that a file will be uploaded with a virus and then spread from here before the server catches it!

Email me what you need and we'll get things setup... I'm actually reworking all the content areas to bring over EVERYTHING and easily add more...