Touchy issue, but we have to talk about it...

[Peter Skinner]

Hello everyone,

Over the past few months I've noticed that I come to these forums less and less for one simple reason: Lack of TapaTalk integration.

As my life gets more and more hectic with my children's activities, I find I browse my favorite forums via my mobile devices more often than I do from my home computer, and to put it plainly, browsing these forums on a mobile device sucks.

We are using antiquated software on a forum with a lot of activity. By updating and enabling the ability users to connect here via mobile apps such as Tapatalk we ensure the community stays vibrant and meets the userbase needs, which I don't feel we are currently doing.

I'm sure I am _not_ the only one who feels this way, so we must find a solution, I sadly I will fade away and use forums that meet my needs. I'm willing to pay a nominal monthly/yearly fee if needed to help with the upgrade/maintenance costs or even moving out on our own.

Your Move Chess & Games have been an outstanding sponsor for as long as I can remember, but if they are not willing to let us grow and modernize, it's likely time we thank them for all they've done for us and redesign/rebrand elsewhere.

I know this is a touchy subject, but it's time we discussed it and voted on a solution.

Please keep replies topical and I ask the moderators to sticky this thread AND keep it clean. I don't want this to break down in to a fight. I want real discussion and debate and potentially a solution.

I think we owe it to this community to do so.

Peter Skinner

[zullil]

What's a "mobile device"?

Seriously, the software we're on is pretty poor at this point, even for us "non-mobile" members.

[Steve Maughan]

Hi Peter,

I agree. And I think when this was put to a poll about 70% of members agree with you. I think this is an overwhelming mandate to upgrade. But there are some vocal members who disagree. I think it's odd that 30% can hold up the upgrade process.

Steve

[JuLieN]

I agree too. With Adam and Miguel there's so much we'd like to change (updating the software, tapatalk integration, new sub forums and so on) and we can't do it (despite we're backed up by overwhelmingly positive polls, if you remember). This is very frustrating.

[JuLieN]

Hi Peter,

I agree. And I think when this was put to a poll about 70% of members agree with you. I think this is an overwhelming mandate to upgrade. But there are some vocal members who disagree. I think it's odd that 30% can hold up the upgrade process.

Steve

The update is not blocked by the minority. When we asked for the update, after the poll, we were told that our sponsor would probably not bother. The only thing we managed to get was to get Sam add the pgn viewer plugin (he did what he could with the current software, and did it well). That's not much.

Maybe it's time to move Talkchess to a place we (Talkchess' users) can control ? I've been told the database would be around 500 GB, which is a lot to host and to move...

[syzygy]

I've been told the database would be around 500 GB, which is a lot to host and to move...

It can't be that much. 500 MB I can believe.

[Peter Skinner]

The update is not blocked by the minority. When we asked for the update, after the poll, we were told that our sponsor would probably not bother. The only thing we managed to get was to get Sam add the pgn viewer plugin (he did what he could with the current software, and did it well). That's not much.

Maybe it's time to move Talkchess to a place we (Talkchess' users) can control ? I've been told the database would be around 500 GB, which is a lot to host and to move...

When you asked for the update previously, "who" said the sponsor wouldn't bother? Was it actually proposed to the sponsor?

I'm assuming the issue is having root on the server to accomplish the needed SQL conversion into a new database? (we'd need to create a new database)

As stated, I'm willing to pay a monthly/yearly fee if needed to accomplish this. On other sites I pay between $10-30 for subscriber status so I don't have to see advertising. We could certainly do something like that here.

On one site, I pay $15/year for "Subscriber I" status initially, and once the goal of the server cost + domain costs are reached, everyone gets that tier and the people that donated get tier II which allows them some goodies on the forum like options/avatars and what not. It's funny because after the initial year of fundraising, people want all the features so when donations come up again everyone rushes to pay the nominal fee.

Peter

[kinderchocolate]

I agree. I always come to the forum on a small iPhone screen. The experience wasn't great in the beginning but I got used to it and in fact got quite comfortable with it over time.

[jdart]

I am an old guy. I don't do anything on my phone but make phone calls. And I'm not so attached to talkchess that I have to have it everywhere I go. Sorry, but that is just not a problem I have.

--Jon

[gerold]

I am an old guy. I don't do anything on my phone but make phone calls. And I'm not so attached to talkchess that I have to have it everywhere I go. Sorry, but that is just not a problem I have.

--Jon

Same here Jon.
Also i have no problem with this forum at all. I like coming here each day and not have to worry about a fee of any kind. If a fee is charged a lot of people would never come to this site.

Best,
Gerold.