Things are looking up!

So, I've got a few thoughts regarding the forum—specifically, why haven't we migrated to a more robust server or upgraded the infrastructure? The pages are constantly lagging, and there are frequent stretches where the whole thing just refuses to load entirely.

It would also be a massive improvement if we could move to a more recent version of vBulletin, because the 3.8.4 build you guys are currently running feels pretty ancient by today's standards.

And honestly, it wouldn't hurt to roll out a fresh skin; the site could definitely use a visual facelift, maybe something looking a bit more modern like this layout ( http://forum.codehook.com/ )

Plus, it would be great to see "Thanks" and "Last Visitors" integrated directly onto user profiles.

At the end of the day, if a few thousand dollars were invested into upgrading the platform, it would go a long way in making things much smoother, though everything else is actually quite great—especially the admins.

I’d suggest reaching out to the Owner directly—he can walk you through everything 😉

Walter Taylor76 said:Just a few questions about the forum—why hasn't there been a move to a new server or any actual fixes? The pages lag constantly, and half the time they don't even load at all.

It would also be great if you upgraded the vBulletin version, since 3.8.4 is pretty ancient by now.

And maybe add some new skins so the forum looks less dated; for example, something like this site ( http://forum.codehook.com/ ).

Also, adding "Thanks" and "Last Visitors" options to profiles would be nice.

If a few thousand dollars were actually invested here, the forum would look much better. Everything else is fine, though; the admins are great.

Servers cost money (pay up and you can upgrade whenever you want).
New versions cost money too.
That skin is hideous.
If you want likes and social features, go to Facebook.

slycrane94 said:The server costs money (so pay up if you want fancy upgrades)
Well, the new version costs money too
That skin is hideous
If you love it so much, go hang out on Facebook.

Look, I totally get that everything comes with a price tag—it’s not like we’re living in a charity case—but when you've got 400,000 members and a massive amount of daily traffic, surely the ad revenue is decent enough to reinvest a little? It's like running a successful local diner; you've got customers coming through the door every single day, so you can afford to fix the upholstery once in a while. If people aren't feeling this specific look, there are plenty of other skins available, and honestly, the current layout feels like something pulled straight out of a 2006 web design textbook.

At the end of the day, hats off to you guys because this is easily the premier forum in the country, hands down, but you've gotta admit that a little bit of a facelift wouldn't hurt.

Walter Taylor76 said:Look, I get that everything costs money. But you’ve got 400,000 members and massive daily traffic; surely enough comes in from ads to reinvest a little? If people don't like the current look, there are plenty of other skins available. Right now, the forum looks like something stuck in 2006.

Anyway, props to you—you're easily the biggest forum in the country—but you have to admit, a little polish wouldn't hurt.

Most people are running some version of AdBlock, so just try to guess how much ad revenue is actually coming in...

If ads weren't so aggressive—and stopped trying to shove malware down our throats—we probably wouldn't even need AdBlock

George Sanders37 said:If ads weren't so aggressive and didn't constantly try to shove malware down our throats, nobody would even bother with AdBlock.

Fair point. I remember back in the day when using an ad blocker was seen as taboo. People always had some excuse for why they shouldn't use one.

I don't really care either way, but if you want free content, you should probably pay for it somehow.

slycrane94 said:Look, I don't really care, but if you want something, you've gotta pay up somehow.

I just wanna be an admin so I can troll, spam, and—well, let's just say "cause some trouble"—without getting banned. What's the damage? 🍿

slycrane94 said:True. I remember back in the good old days when AdBlock wasn't such a big deal. There was always some excuse for it.

I don't really care personally—but if you want something for free, you should probably pay for it somehow.

Back when ads were just sitting in the sidebar and rotating quietly, most people didn't mind. But, strangely enough, advertisers realized nobody actually looks at them if they're too subtle. So, they decided to start throwing pop-ups at us. Then came the pop-ups where the "close" button or the X is hidden. Then "hackers" figured out that since nobody checks those ads anyway—starting with Google and moving down the line—they could just bundle in all sorts of scripts, ranging from malicious to just plain stupid.

If ads had just stayed where they belonged, tucked away on the side, there wouldn't be any need for AdBlock.

The easiest thing would be to just set up AdSense on the forum, run some ads, and then when people catch a virus through them, nobody is held responsible. Even Nica mentioned, while relaying news from the technical admins, that it’s just a plugin that's out of their control.

So what are people supposed to do now? Disable AdBlock and just catch viruses in the spirit of "taking one for the team"? You're trying to convince me that even though things haven't changed in years, we'd suddenly find the budget for a new server, a new version of the Bulletin, dropdown menus, or... facepalm.

I'd report you for trolling, but we all know that doesn't really do anything.

The forum looks top-notch.
Honestly, it’s the only place around here that actually feels professional.
Every other board looks like a playground for middle schoolers. You've got these massive, flashing avatars, signatures that go on for miles, and images so huge you practically have to tilt your head just to see the whole thing. It's a mess.

George Sanders37 said:When ads were just sitting quietly in the sidebar, nobody really cared. But lo and behold, advertisers realized people weren't actually looking at them if they were too subtle. So they decided to start throwing pop-ups at us. Then came the pop-ups that hide the close button. Then some "hackers" figured out that since nobody checks these ads anyway—starting with Google and moving down the line—they might as well inject all sorts of scripts, ranging from malicious to just plain stupid.

If ads had stayed where they belonged, tucked away on the side, there wouldn't be any need for AdBlock.

It’s easy to just slap AdSense on a forum, run some ads, and then act like it's nobody's fault when someone catches a virus through them. Nica actually mentioned, while reporting news from the tech admins, that it was caused by a plugin that was completely out of their control.

So what's the solution? Should everyone just disable AdBlock and catch viruses for the sake of "taking one for the team"? Do you honestly think that after years of things staying exactly the same, we'd suddenly find the budget for a new server, a site update, or a better interface?

I'd report you for trolling, but we all know that doesn't change anything.

Well, Google blocked AdSense, so there isn't much choice. Given how many massive sites survive on AdSense, I doubt they're all just breeding grounds for viruses.

I don't use any blockers myself, and I've never had an issue. Though, it's possible I'm just missing certain ads because someone is constantly messing with the style sheets.

At any rate, from what I hear, there just isn't enough money to do anything better. How or why that is doesn't really matter.

George Sanders37 said:If companies just stopped pushing such aggressive ads—you know, the kind that try to sneak malware onto your computer—nobody would even need AdBlock

🙏

slycrane94 said:Well, AdSense is blocked by Google, so there isn't really much of a choice—and considering how many massive sites rely on AdSense to survive, I doubt they're turning into some kind of malware-ridden mess.

I don't have any blocks on my end, so I haven't run into anything either. Though, I guess it’s possible I’m just missing certain ads because someone is constantly messing around with the style sheets.

Anyway, from what I've heard, you aren't going to find better money elsewhere. How or why doesn't really matter.

I'm not exactly a tech expert, so I don't know which ad plugin you guys are using. But it seems pretty telling that Google has already flagged us—or you—twice this year as a malicious site. To me, it feels a bit like being both the prosecutor and the judge in your own trial, but whatever.

I won't get into the financial side of things; at the end of the day, this is about the business behind the forum, and I agree that's not our concern—it's yours.

I'm only stepping into these threads because I hate seeing the forum lose its credibility with users over issues that seem pretty fixable.

George Sanders37 said:I'm not exactly a tech expert, so I have no clue which ad plugin you're running. But isn't it telling that Google has already flagged us as a malicious site twice this year? It feels like being both the prosecutor and the judge in your own trial. Or maybe that's just how it works now.

I won't get into the specifics of the finances. At the end of the day, we're talking about the online business model behind this forum, and I agree—that’s not our concern to worry about. Isn't it better to just let them handle their own books?

I only step into threads like this because I hate seeing this community lose its credibility over issues that are actually quite easy to fix. Why let things slide when they don't have to?

The first time around, they blocked it because of some images users uploaded—honestly, Google is just as trash as any other big American corporation. Once that happened, I noticed they started using third-party ads, which triggered all that panic when antivirus software started flagging them and everything went sideways.

It’s an easy fix if you actually have the budget for it. The Owner seems to think there isn't any money to spare, and I suppose he's right—he knows exactly what his margins look like and what everything costs these days. Either way, none of us admins are ever consulted on these kinds of decisions.

My final post on this thread.

I know nobody really asked, but isn't this just a sad state of affairs? I'm glad I finally figured out why the forum was blocked—and honestly, I can't say I disagree with the take on Google.

What follows is mostly directed at the Owner. Look, maybe organize a charity drive, set up a PayPal button to take donations, or just start a membership fee... goodness, just do something.

George Sanders37 said:My final post on this thread.

I know nobody actually asked me, but isn't this all just pathetic? At least I finally figured out why the forum was blocked, and I can't say I disagree with the assessment of Google.

What follows is directed more toward the Owner. Organize a fundraiser, add a PayPal button to accept donations, introduce a membership fee—for heaven's sake, just do something.

I’ve suggested this several times, but honestly, it's hard to gauge how many people would actually be willing to pay. Without knowing the costs, it's also impossible to figure out how much everyone would need to donate to make it work.

The reality is that nobody has built a competing forum yet. It's easy enough to launch one, but paying to maintain something of this scale is anything but cheap.

I honestly can't imagine who would be naive enough to just hand over money to Mr. Anderlon—I mean, let's face it, this whole forum is basically his business and his way of making a living, right? I guess there might be some people willing to do it, which is honestly pretty sad if you ask me ☕

Especially considering how little he's actually shown he cares about this place lately. Personally, I wouldn't give him a single cent. There are just too many things going on here that are totally rotten, and it has nothing to do with the technical side of the site.

northerncyclist2 said:I can't imagine anyone being naive enough to just hand over money to Mr. Anderlon—especially since running this forum is clearly a business for him. Sure, I bet people would do it, which is honestly pretty pathetic. ☕

Especially considering how little care has been shown for this community so far. I wouldn't give him a dime. There are too many underlying issues here that have nothing to do with technical glitches.

Another reason why donations are a bad move? People start acting entitled once they pay, demanding special treatment or expecting things to run their way. Since this place opened, there’s always someone complaining that the moderators are out to get them. It’s like those kids in high school who swear every teacher has a personal vendetta against them.

slycrane94 said:I guess another reason why donations and stuff aren't such a great idea is that everyone who chips in might start acting entitled, you know? Like they’ll expect special treatment or want everything done their way just because they paid up. Ever since this forum started, I feel like there's always someone complaining that the moderators are all out to get them or hate them for some reason. It's kind of like being in high school where it feels like every single "genius" student somehow ends up on the teachers' bad side.

Well, I don't think that's (only) the issue. I mean, who's actually going to guarantee that the donated money goes toward making the forum better instead of Mr. Anderlon just tucking it away in his own pocket?

If we're really doing donations, there probably needs to be some kind of oversight. So, maybe the forum shouldn't just be run by a private company, but should instead become a non-profit organization.

Just look at the Blue Paw Foundation (which is honestly one of the nicest communities on the internet, by the way). Non-profits have their own bank accounts, which makes it easy for people to donate, and all the expenses are backed up by receipts. They regularly update everyone on how the money was used, too. That’s how you build the trust needed for people to actually want to give.

Look, personally, ads don't bother me all that much, though I have to admit that one specific one was incredibly grating because it popped up the second I opened the forum. When we’re being bombarded with this many advertisements, you’d think we’d at least see some actual progress; after all, the vBulletin version you guys are running is already four years out of date... and this current skin feels like one of those free templates you just download and