# Any chance of a forum software upgrade? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 24, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444 "2015-04-24T15:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/41 "2015-04-24T22:15:25Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > Thanks for the reply, Ed! > > Any chance of minor enhancements to fix nagging issues (such as the incessant “install Tapatalk?” prompt on IOS)? I’m guessing vB doesn’t actively support v3.x given its last release date. If you have the forum log you in automatically each time you visit (click the “Remember Me” box), you don’t get the Tapatalk prompt. I realize some Dopers prefer to manually log in, and if that’s your preference, that’s fine. But you only get the Tapatalk prompt if you log out and don’t have the forum remember you on the next visit. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/42 "2015-04-24T22:49:52Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > Only problem with your maxim and analogies is that Sun Times Media owns your chair, and it exists outside the eternal sameness of your living room. Yes, and Ed has spoken. The Sun Times media prefers a well worn, oak, coffee stained chair over a 21st century extruded plastic chair any day. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/43 "2015-04-24T23:16:11Z")
En Vogue said it best to people who want the board upgraded. Never gonna get it, never gonna get it Never gonna get it, never gonna get it Never gonna get it, never gonna get it Never gonna get it (whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa) Never gonna get it, never gonna get it Never gonna get it, never gonna get it Never gonna get it, never gonna get it Never gonna get it, never get it ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/44 "2015-04-24T23:56:33Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If you have the forum log you in automatically each time you visit (click the “Remember Me” box), you don’t get the Tapatalk prompt. I realize some Dopers prefer to manually log in, and if that’s your preference, that’s fine. But you only get the Tapatalk prompt if you log out and don’t have the forum remember you on the next visit. Thanks, but for me and my IOS devices, that appears to only be true for a short duration or within the scope of some sort of session. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/45 "2015-04-24T23:59:10Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Yes, and Ed has spoken. The Sun Times media prefers a well worn, oak, coffee stained chair over a 21st century extruded plastic chair any day. Enjoy it while it lasts. Change always comes. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/46 "2015-04-25T00:13:06Z")
Now who’s being condescending? And if you didn’t want replies from anyone except mods why didn’t you e-mail one or all of them instead of starting a thread? I’m sorry you find so many problems with the boards but it seems like some of the problems you mentioned are easily solved and others are not problems for many of us. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/47 "2015-04-25T00:20:52Z")
Relevant thread on having up down votes (consensus: thumbs down) : > **[vote up/down comments](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=691638)** > > how difficult would it be for SDMB to add the option for voting up/ down comments? Should the Straight Dope enable images? (A: no) [Should the SDMB enable images? - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=697289) Should we have avatars? (A: no) [Avatars - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=618021) Should we have avatars? (A: no: but there’s an app for that!) > **[No Avatars Here? Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=655746)** > > How come none of us can have picture avatars at this forum? Who here wiches they had an avatar? i do etc etc IMHO arguing that updated software is newer isn’t particularly persuasive. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/48 "2015-04-25T00:23:31Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Now who’s being condescending? > > And if you didn’t want replies from anyone except mods why didn’t you e-mail one or all of them instead of starting a thread? > > I’m sorry you find so many problems with the boards but it seems like some of the problems you mentioned are easily solved and others are not problems for many of us. Given the forum title, it really seemed the best place for the question. My reason for not contacting a mod directly was the thought that, if I have these questions, others might, too. It would also allow said mods to publish an up-to-date answer. I really don’t think you’re sorry, btw. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/49 "2015-04-25T00:35:14Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > Any chance of minor enhancements to fix nagging issues (such as the incessant “install Tapatalk?” prompt on IOS)? I’m guessing vB doesn’t actively support v3.x given its last release date. > [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > Tapatalk is a plugin. When you install it, it (not unreasonably) starts asking mobile visitors if they want to use it. It has no way of knowing they were asked this question before and evidently decided in the negative. So no, short of uninstalling Tapatalk, we have no way to make this stop. I just looked at this (there are more details in another recent ATMB thread). There are a couple of fixes for it, and the best of those that I found on the tapatalk forums has already been installed on the SDMB. So as far as the SDMB is concerned, it should be fixed. The script in its current form on the SDMB sets a cookie just before displaying the popup. That way, no matter what you press or even if you just close the popup, the cookie gets set. The next time you come to the SDMB, it looks for the cookie. If the script finds the cookie, then it does not display the popup. In other words, it uses the cookie to detect whether you’ve been asked the question before or not. The script displays the popup for every type of browser or device that has either a tapatalk app or a tapatalk plugin available, which is blackberry, android, ipad, iphone, google chrome, and probably a couple of others that I am forgetting off the top of my head. As long as your cookies work, you should only get the popup once (or maybe it’s once every 90 days, I think the cookie is set to expire). If you disable cookies, or for some reason your cookies aren’t working, then you’ll get the popup every time. I tried it on my android, and I got the popup once, and only once. At least one user here, and several on the tapatalk forums, have complained that even though their cookies seem to be working fine, they still end up getting the popup every time they come here. All of the complaints that I saw were only for IOS, which makes me think that this is an IOS issue and not a SDMB issue. Like I said, as long as your cookies are working, then the fix has already been installed here and you should only get the popup once. The user who had the problem here tried setting a restriction to block the tapatalk detect script, but due to a copy and paste problem caused by the SDMB shortening the link I sent, ended up accidentally blocking the entire SDMB. Once that restriction was removed (which should have just then gone back to still getting the popup every time) the problem disappeared. I don’t have an explanation for that. All I can say is that was what worked. If that doesn’t work for you, try entering this URL as a restriction: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/mobiquo/tapatalkdetect.js](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/mobiquo/tapatalkdetect.js) If whatever device you are using can block on a URL, then this will completely block the tapatalk detection script and you won’t ever see the popup. However, if your device blocks on domain and not URL, then this will likely end up blocking the entire SDMB. To set up a restriction using IOS7, open the settings app, tap on general, and scroll down to restrictions.You may need to enter a password. Once you have restrictions enabled, scroll down to websites (in restrictions) and tap on limit adult content (yeah, I know, this isn’t really adult content but apparently safari’s ability to block web sites is limited to this). Tap never allow, tap website, and enter the URL. I haven’t been able to confirm that this blocking works, so if someone tries it, please let us know one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/50 "2015-04-25T00:41:06Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I just looked at this (there are more details in another recent ATMB thread). > > There are a couple of fixes for it, and the best of those that I found on the tapatalk forums has already been installed on the SDMB. So as far as the SDMB is concerned, it should be fixed. > > The script in its current form on the SDMB sets a cookie just before displaying the popup. That way, no matter what you press or even if you just close the popup, the cookie gets set. The next time you come to the SDMB, it looks for the cookie. If the script finds the cookie, then it does not display the popup. In other words, it uses the cookie to detect whether you’ve been asked the question before or not. > > The script displays the popup for every type of browser or device that has either a tapatalk app or a tapatalk plugin available, which is blackberry, android, ipad, iphone, google chrome, and probably a couple of others that I am forgetting off the top of my head. > > As long as your cookies work, you should only get the popup once (or maybe it’s once every 90 days, I think the cookie is set to expire). If you disable cookies, or for some reason your cookies aren’t working, then you’ll get the popup every time. > > I tried it on my android, and I got the popup once, and only once. > > At least one user here, and several on the tapatalk forums, have complained that even though their cookies seem to be working fine, they still end up getting the popup every time they come here. All of the complaints that I saw were only for IOS, which makes me think that this is an IOS issue and not a SDMB issue. Like I said, as long as your cookies are working, then the fix has already been installed here and you should only get the popup once. > > The user who had the problem here tried setting a restriction to block the tapatalk detect script, but due to a copy and paste problem caused by the SDMB shortening the link I sent, ended up accidentally blocking the entire SDMB. Once that restriction was removed (which should have just then gone back to still getting the popup every time) the problem disappeared. I don’t have an explanation for that. All I can say is that was what worked. > > If that doesn’t work for you, try entering this URL as a restriction: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/mobiquo/tapatalkdetect.js](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/mobiquo/tapatalkdetect.js) > > If whatever device you are using can block on a URL, then this will completely block the tapatalk detection script and you won’t ever see the popup. However, if your device blocks on domain and not URL, then this will likely end up blocking the entire SDMB. > > To set up a restriction using IOS7, open the settings app, tap on general, and scroll down to restrictions.You may need to enter a password. Once you have restrictions enabled, scroll down to websites (in restrictions) and tap on limit adult content (yeah, I know, this isn’t really adult content but apparently safari’s ability to block web sites is limited to this). Tap never allow, tap website, and enter the URL. > > I haven’t been able to confirm that this blocking works, so if someone tries it, please let us know one way or the other. Thanks for the info - I’m a software developer by trade, so you’re speaking my language. My issue is either cookie expiration or some part of IOS flushing the cookie cache in Safari. 95% of my visits here via IOS are via links clicked in email notifications, which launches the site in Safari. I’ll try explicitly blocking the script in the next day or so and post back here. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/51 "2015-04-25T01:34:44Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > You can have threaded replies. It’s an option under User CP when you choose Edit Options. Scroll down and look for Thread Display. There is a drop down menu with choices. > > Just remember to hit save to lock in your changes. Did you actually try this? There as an option to view avatars as well, but that doesn’t mean we have avatars. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/52 "2015-04-25T01:53:05Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Did you actually try this? > > There as an option to view avatars as well, but that doesn’t mean we have avatars. Yes, I did try it before I suggested. It worked. I hated it, fwiw. Why, did it not work for you? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/53 "2015-04-25T02:43:47Z")
vBulletin does what we want for the type of community we have here, and upgrades to the next big version are fraught with problems. These problems aren’t necessarily huge or unmanageable, but we barely have tech support. Moving over to some other system would be even worse. And what would be the gain? We don’t like plugins, we don’t want avatars, we’re not big on gameification, we see no reason to modify the UI, and we have Tapatalk to handle mobile. There’s really not that much of an upside. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/54 "2015-04-25T03:03:39Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > There are a couple of fixes for it, and the best of those that I found on the tapatalk forums has already been installed on the SDMB. So as far as the SDMB is concerned, it should be fixed. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/55 "2015-04-25T03:58:39Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Yes, I did try it before I suggested. It worked. I hated it, fwiw. Why, did it not work for you? I got an error screen when trying to save the changes. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/56 "2015-04-25T10:49:03Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I got an error screen when trying to save the changes. Weird. I was even doing it on my iPad. I quit the browser, reloaded the page and it was still threaded. Did I mention I hated it? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/57 "2015-04-25T11:24:56Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Weird. I was even doing it on my iPad. I quit the browser, reloaded the page and it was still threaded. Did I mention I hated it? Turns out it was a user error screen. I missed the spambot filter at the bottom. You’re right, it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/58 "2015-04-25T14:00:02Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Weird. I was even doing it on my iPad. I quit the browser, reloaded the page and it was still threaded. Did I mention I hated it? It doesn’t work very well. I liked topic threading better on phpBBS, but even there, it’s not for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/59 "2015-04-25T20:04:13Z")
One feature of Xenforo that I love is that its alert system tells you who has replied to you and gives you a direct link. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444/60 "2015-04-25T21:07:52Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > You may as well be talking about books. Good analogy. Of course, it opposes your rather stupid argument, but hey… With an e-Book, I can change the font size, the background color, the…whatever the spacing between paragraphs is called and make my reading _a better experience_. With a dead-tree book, I’m stuck with whatever font/formatting the publisher chose and if it’s hard to read with my eyesight, or in a given lighting condition, oh well. Ditto with forum software.\* What terrifies you so much about other people having different skin choices with which to view the board? \*Note, I realize there will be no upgrades: Ed said so and explained why. Your argument, on the other hand, is so dumb it has to be rebutted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-of-a-forum-software-upgrade/718444.md?page=4)