Site update and changes
Hi, everybody! I've got an announcement.
I've almost completed a site upgrade/update that's been a long time in the making; it's been a rough road, with many potholes, delays, glitches - and there were a few software issues, too...
Anyway, I hope to have the "new" Dirk Benedict Central up and running in the next few days (my M-F day job permitting).
And with that update/upgrade will come changes across the site - in fact, you may not recognize it at first. Everything will be accessed through the main page, with clear menus and new, masterfully written introductions to each section. And that includes a brand-new gallery!
It also includes a fundamental change to this message board, Dirk's Works. Let's be perfectly honest: vBulletin is probably the premier message board software in the world, but this version is positively antiquated and we've been experiencing problems. It's also quite expensive to upgrade, so after looking at the big picture I've decided to use a completely different approach that still allows full participation, in a current and familiar format that is very similar to a message board.
Moving forward we're going to use WordPress' blogging software as the basis for Dirk's Works. The advantages to that are that it gets updated automatically, without interfering with the content, and the format is very similar to what we see on a message board. The blog is being set up to allow registered members to post, to comment on other posts, and generally have most of the same features we're used to seeing. Of course, navigation is a bit different, but it appears it will be easy to get used to.
It does mean that once it goes live you will need to register (and I hope you'll use the same ID as this forum), but it's a simple process. And first posts/comments might need to be approved, too...
And that does not mean that this message board (and the years of contributions it contains) will go away, either; we'll make this a read-only resource that can be linked back to as we carry forward our various conversations.
But to that end, I have suspended new registrations on this board, and at some point this week, immediately prior to the upgrade, I'll turn off posting as well; please don't be surprised if you try to post and it won't let you, it will mean that the switchover to the "new" website is imminent.
I've long said that the best days of Dirk Benedict Central are ahead - we've finally reached the next step!
-John
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