TorontoJoe
Administrator
We have some pretty exciting news. I know I’ve been hinting about it, but it’s been a ton of work and there were some unknowns. Until now I wasn’t sure when we’d be able to deliver. Now we know
When this forum was first brought online, I didn’t really know what to expect. The platform it was on suited the purpose, but as more and more people joined, it became clear to us that we needed something better….and that all of you deserved something better. I did some research and decided on a new, robust software that is well supported and can grow with us.
The purchase was made and the necessary people were hired and with that, we installed a test forum where we migrated everything we’ve done so far over to the new system. There were some tweaks but after some time it now seems to be working very well. And it’s super impressive.
On Tuesday November 19th the tech-contractor will move over everything and the new system will officially be online. You may experience the site down for a short period while this takes place.
Nothing will be lost. All of your username and password info will be the same. Your messages will all be where they belong
A few things you should know about the new system:
Messages
The system uses the term Direct Message (DM) in stead of PM. You will also notice that the messaging system is light years ahead of what we have here. It’s more usable and you have many more options.
Posting Images
Advertising will be a thing of the past. We have been using a shared image hosting service that ran ads, but it was decided to suck up the expense and maintain long-term control over our images and not host them elsewhere.
Also, images will insert directly into posts now. They will not be thumbnails. You’ll be able to click on the corner of a picture before posting and modify its size
Mobile Users
I was surprised to learn that 95% of the activity on this forum is from a mobile device. Knowing that, it was important the new system has to work perfectly no matter what members were using. No more toggling between themes. The system is entirely adaptive… what that means is that it automatically accommodates to the screen and displays accordingly. This is an awesome feature and makes using on a mobile device so much better. I think it will be the first thing you notice.
Probably the best new feature about the mobile upgrade is what’s called a progressive web app. The site will behave like an app by default but you can in fact install it properly to your mobile home screen like a regular app.
The first time you go on to the new site using your phone, open the browser menu. Down at the bottom you’ll see the “install the app” option. You’ll be directed to a video that will guide you through the process. I very much recommend you enable “push notifications” when prompted. This way you don't need to worry about emails. And no more messages from "tag@figfanatic.com"
Dark Mode
At the bottom of the screen you will see a small two-tone circle. This will toggle the interface between light and dark mode. While I like light mode, I’m learning many people find dark mode easier on the eyes.
Donate Button
Who could forget this…. On desktop browser it’s in plain sight but on mobile it’s now a menu item. This was done because there is limited space on a mobile screen.
Privacy and Rules
This will no longer be a forum but rather a page link at the bottom of each page
Fig Fanatic Logo
Work isn’t done yet. Like the original site, the logo design up top was something that I just intended to use as a place holder. It was never intended to be permanent. Somebody… and I wont say his name but it rhymes with should bend pike, reminded me that the current design looks like 1970’s wallpaper. So we’re trying to get that done in a way that will make us easy to identify.
There are a few things I can’t do until the new system is up live. That will include adding, removing and changing some existing forums. So you will see some changes just after the launch.
If you are having any challenges with the new system please post questions here or reach out to one of the mods.
A final word (for now). It’s not lost on me that this is a small forum in a very niche area of interest. There are certainly many FB groups out there that boast many thousands of members. I’m hoping everyone can appreciate something a bit different. Something less intense and happier. My belief is that the world of social media has become a shallow, hustle culture of people fighting to beat an algorithym to get more views, while they constantly struggle to create “content”. It's full of feeds that are overrun with ads and bots. Everything is rushed and everyone seems quite distracted. I would describe many of the connections made there to be what I would consider low-quality interactions
What I hope we can enjoy here is something that is slower and calmer. A place where we can provide an archive of information, coupled with a group of experienced people who are ready to step in and assist newer growers in their fig journey. And equally important… I hope this can be a place where real friendships are forged and we can all have some fun without the stress of the hustle.
When this forum was first brought online, I didn’t really know what to expect. The platform it was on suited the purpose, but as more and more people joined, it became clear to us that we needed something better….and that all of you deserved something better. I did some research and decided on a new, robust software that is well supported and can grow with us.
The purchase was made and the necessary people were hired and with that, we installed a test forum where we migrated everything we’ve done so far over to the new system. There were some tweaks but after some time it now seems to be working very well. And it’s super impressive.
On Tuesday November 19th the tech-contractor will move over everything and the new system will officially be online. You may experience the site down for a short period while this takes place.
Nothing will be lost. All of your username and password info will be the same. Your messages will all be where they belong
A few things you should know about the new system:
Messages
The system uses the term Direct Message (DM) in stead of PM. You will also notice that the messaging system is light years ahead of what we have here. It’s more usable and you have many more options.
Posting Images
Advertising will be a thing of the past. We have been using a shared image hosting service that ran ads, but it was decided to suck up the expense and maintain long-term control over our images and not host them elsewhere.
Also, images will insert directly into posts now. They will not be thumbnails. You’ll be able to click on the corner of a picture before posting and modify its size
Mobile Users
I was surprised to learn that 95% of the activity on this forum is from a mobile device. Knowing that, it was important the new system has to work perfectly no matter what members were using. No more toggling between themes. The system is entirely adaptive… what that means is that it automatically accommodates to the screen and displays accordingly. This is an awesome feature and makes using on a mobile device so much better. I think it will be the first thing you notice.
Probably the best new feature about the mobile upgrade is what’s called a progressive web app. The site will behave like an app by default but you can in fact install it properly to your mobile home screen like a regular app.
The first time you go on to the new site using your phone, open the browser menu. Down at the bottom you’ll see the “install the app” option. You’ll be directed to a video that will guide you through the process. I very much recommend you enable “push notifications” when prompted. This way you don't need to worry about emails. And no more messages from "tag@figfanatic.com"
Dark Mode
At the bottom of the screen you will see a small two-tone circle. This will toggle the interface between light and dark mode. While I like light mode, I’m learning many people find dark mode easier on the eyes.
Donate Button
Who could forget this…. On desktop browser it’s in plain sight but on mobile it’s now a menu item. This was done because there is limited space on a mobile screen.
Privacy and Rules
This will no longer be a forum but rather a page link at the bottom of each page
Fig Fanatic Logo
Work isn’t done yet. Like the original site, the logo design up top was something that I just intended to use as a place holder. It was never intended to be permanent. Somebody… and I wont say his name but it rhymes with should bend pike, reminded me that the current design looks like 1970’s wallpaper. So we’re trying to get that done in a way that will make us easy to identify.
There are a few things I can’t do until the new system is up live. That will include adding, removing and changing some existing forums. So you will see some changes just after the launch.
If you are having any challenges with the new system please post questions here or reach out to one of the mods.
A final word (for now). It’s not lost on me that this is a small forum in a very niche area of interest. There are certainly many FB groups out there that boast many thousands of members. I’m hoping everyone can appreciate something a bit different. Something less intense and happier. My belief is that the world of social media has become a shallow, hustle culture of people fighting to beat an algorithym to get more views, while they constantly struggle to create “content”. It's full of feeds that are overrun with ads and bots. Everything is rushed and everyone seems quite distracted. I would describe many of the connections made there to be what I would consider low-quality interactions
What I hope we can enjoy here is something that is slower and calmer. A place where we can provide an archive of information, coupled with a group of experienced people who are ready to step in and assist newer growers in their fig journey. And equally important… I hope this can be a place where real friendships are forged and we can all have some fun without the stress of the hustle.
