I'm going back and forth about the Blogs. Invision has a module that we can plug in and use for blogs. Or I can adapt my code to work with the new system. Either option will take the same amount of work. If we use their blog software I have to migrate all the old blog info into the new system. If we keep my system, I have to figure out why it doesn't work and fix it.

Here's the Invision Blogs.

the old format was great.

I liked the old version.

I didn't use either one, so, do whats least work for you Mark (IMHO)

You did a great job on the original Mark. Having said that...

Despite the fact that the inital effort will be the same no matter which one you put in place now, long term the Invision version will be less work in the future. If we upgrade board software again, the blog upgrade will at that point probably be easier. Especially if you document the tweaks you do to the software. And it looks like it already has a search function so you won't have to build that. The list probably goes on and on. I didn't look at it that closely.

i know you don't want to hear this, but i think we should go with the NEW system and figure out a way to get the old blogs converted over ...

Andy

In the LONG run, it would probably make more sense to go with Invision's. Not because it's better than yours, but because once you migrate you won't have to deal with re-coding or migrating again. And they will keep improving it and adding new features with each new release.

Old version.

What I liked about the old blog on the 914club was that it had unlimited image holding capacity.

The new one (or at least the one at the Invision Forum link):
File Attachments
Global Space Left: 4.88mb

Just an opinion.

The old style seemed to work well enough (for the people who actually used it). The new Invision one looks like it has some interesting options. (I didn't look at it in detail) Choose the option that is easier for you to implement.

One suggestion I have is to make the default set without a blog link for every member (if that is possible). Make it so each person who has a blog must make a choice to activate it. I got frustrated clicking on blog links that were empty. This way, if you see a blog link, you will know that there is something in it to see and read.

Although I love the work that Mark did for our original blogs, I voted for using the Invision blogs. There are a couple of main reasons. First, as has been mentioned, it allows for an easier upgrade path. There WILL be upgrades to this software. Either to fix bugs, add function or fix a security hole. I'd hate to see us in a postion where we are scrambling around to protect the site again.

The second major reason is that the Invision blogs are Searchable. In my book, being able to find things = more gooder.

I also liked the old version, but either will be fine I'm sure....

I am not much of a computer guy, and probably didn't know how to use the old blog correctly, but it seems that there are more options for formatting the individual blog pages!
Plus I KNOW that when it is time to change to the next version liek you had to do last week , you will be glad you used the built in blog tools

werd

Don't care......................

The new stuff is searchable, and allows pictures and text to be intermingled, which makes writing "how-to" articles with photos that look much better. The old blogs seemd to be either photos or text, or text with all of the photos arranged along the bottom.

I also like the index on the side of the most recent blog entries by that user.

That said, more image space would be good (I assume this is configurable).

Either is fine by me, I liked the old style, but the new style is just as good...basically I got nothin. Do what you like, as long as our old info is recovered for whatever style you go with.

I liked the old style (simple fast and worked good), but it makes sense to go with the new stuff solely for the easy (hopefully) upgrade path.
Having the requirement that users somehow activate the blog feature would be great to eliminate dead blog links.

I voted "invision" blog...I liked the old style but I see quite a few advantages of the new one....

I didn't use the old blogs myself and haven't seen Invision's style, but I know that for the long term it will be better if you use theirs because it will upgrade with the next new version.

I like what I've read about search capabilities and such. What I'd really like to see is a way to be notified when a blogger adds to their blog. I don't know if the new style has the capability to subscribe to a blog, but that would be cool.

A big thanks to Mark for putting together the original blogs. I had no idea it was custom code - certainly a lot of work on Mark's part!

Actually, I don't care which BLOG is implemented, just as long as some BLOG is set up. My 3.2 progress pics are stacking up...

Stay with the stock blogs (the invision ones). The more custom coding, the more of a PITA this becomes in the future.

I really should start updating a blog at some point...

With the invision blogs, cna anyoe read them, or just board members?

Zach

Any news on the blogs yet?

The software is purchased and installed. There is currently a minor issue that's holding me up, but Andy and I are working on that. Once that issue is handled, I'll write a script to migrate all the old blog data to the new system.

Short Answer: We're close...

not gonna be able to get to it today. *maybe* tomorrow. or saturday. or sunday night ...

Andy