Smashers,
As 2013 gets started the changes with Smashboards will begin to accelerate. If you didn't notice, in the last week we have added Project M to the frontpage of Smashboards and started to consolidate and clean up the general presentation of the boards. Most of the remaining room organization and structure will be completed this week.
The big news for this week is that, baring something unforeseen, the server move will be completed by the middle of the week. Last weeks test migration was a success. We are targeting Tuesday for the server move and should have an exact timeframe by tomorrow, which will be announced here and on our social media channels. It is preferable to avoid any downtime and our current estimate is that Smashboards will be down for under 30 minutes, after which the boards will be read-only for several hours. More specifics to come. As previously mentioned, all efforts will be made to avoid any downtime during next weekend's major event - Apex 2013.
Once the server move is complete the chains that have been keeping Smashboards from innovating are removed. This raises the question - what exactly is the plan? Recently, I listened to the Melee It On Me podcast and Scar brought up a valid concern: the direction of Smashboards going forward.
Smashboards overall direction: to give the Smash community, and many devotees of the different ways of playing Smash, the resources, exposure, and home they desire and deserve so that they can learn, play, and grow.
After the server move there will be two top-priority items
The forum upgrade can be completed far quicker than the homepage redesign since it is a matter of licensing a product and transitioning to that product's platform. Assuming a successful server move in the next week, I would anticipate a new forum installation by early February, if not by the end of January.
The new homepage design will target highlighting the many amazing aspects of the Smash community. We already have a wireframe that the Smashboards Senate recently reviewed. While we upgrade to a new forum, this wireframe will get a graphical touch and we will be reaching out to the community for anyone who is interested in developing the homepage. In short: to meet the needs of the Smashboards community requires a very custom website - it won't be a copy/paste of how another site already operates. This custom site will give space to:
For this to work, for the best Smashboards possible, will require a community effort, and we will be reaching out to the community in the coming weeks for any volunteers interested in helping with the development of the new homepage or other cool features for the site.
As a final update: Smash 64 will be getting its own space once again, separated from the Melee section of the forum.
Have a Smashing week!
AlphaZealot
Follow on Twitter
Discuss this topic by going here!
Smashboards Transition Log
As 2013 gets started the changes with Smashboards will begin to accelerate. If you didn't notice, in the last week we have added Project M to the frontpage of Smashboards and started to consolidate and clean up the general presentation of the boards. Most of the remaining room organization and structure will be completed this week.
The big news for this week is that, baring something unforeseen, the server move will be completed by the middle of the week. Last weeks test migration was a success. We are targeting Tuesday for the server move and should have an exact timeframe by tomorrow, which will be announced here and on our social media channels. It is preferable to avoid any downtime and our current estimate is that Smashboards will be down for under 30 minutes, after which the boards will be read-only for several hours. More specifics to come. As previously mentioned, all efforts will be made to avoid any downtime during next weekend's major event - Apex 2013.
Once the server move is complete the chains that have been keeping Smashboards from innovating are removed. This raises the question - what exactly is the plan? Recently, I listened to the Melee It On Me podcast and Scar brought up a valid concern: the direction of Smashboards going forward.
Smashboards overall direction: to give the Smash community, and many devotees of the different ways of playing Smash, the resources, exposure, and home they desire and deserve so that they can learn, play, and grow.
After the server move there will be two top-priority items
- A upgrade to the forum
- A homepage redesign
The forum upgrade can be completed far quicker than the homepage redesign since it is a matter of licensing a product and transitioning to that product's platform. Assuming a successful server move in the next week, I would anticipate a new forum installation by early February, if not by the end of January.
The new homepage design will target highlighting the many amazing aspects of the Smash community. We already have a wireframe that the Smashboards Senate recently reviewed. While we upgrade to a new forum, this wireframe will get a graphical touch and we will be reaching out to the community for anyone who is interested in developing the homepage. In short: to meet the needs of the Smashboards community requires a very custom website - it won't be a copy/paste of how another site already operates. This custom site will give space to:
- News
- Livestreams
- Videos
- Discussion topics
- Tournaments
- Social media
- Rankings
- And more!
For this to work, for the best Smashboards possible, will require a community effort, and we will be reaching out to the community in the coming weeks for any volunteers interested in helping with the development of the new homepage or other cool features for the site.
As a final update: Smash 64 will be getting its own space once again, separated from the Melee section of the forum.
Have a Smashing week!
AlphaZealot
Follow on Twitter
Discuss this topic by going here!
Smashboards Transition Log