Current Status of SDMB Upgrade

[Ed_Zotti]

@elmwood

Many Dopers run their own message boards. Instead of depending on outside support, most message board operators have learned, often by trial and error and a lot of experimentation, to maintain the server, update the software, tweak the settings, make regular backups, and otherwise perform the day-to-day technical work necessary to keep their sites up and running.

I know the work that Jerry has done is often thankless and unappreciated. Still, SDMB maintenance seems low on the list of his duties. The upgrade process seems to have stalled; many members have incorrect titles, it’s nearly impossible to easily browse through older messages, and many of the features of vBulletin 3.7 remain disabled. Since Jerry is always diverted away from the SDMB to work on other projects, and the SDMB is more-or-less Ed’s site, has Ed ever thought about getting underneath the hood himself? If not, why? If ed can restore a battered, century-old house to its former splendor, getting the SDMB running like a well-oiled machine should be easy.

No offense, but I bet Sarah Palin thinks being president and sitting down opposite Vladimir Putin would be easy. This isn’t some basement BBS, and you don’t want an amateur fooling with it, least of all me. It won’t be much comfort, but I have a weekly conference call with CL management about the Straight Dope, and I can tell you two things: (1) a lot of folks’ hopes are riding on TSD, not just yours and mine, and (2) small but steady progress is being made, although I make no predictions on when you’ll see any sign of it. I remind you that the company is in bankruptcy. I’m one of those guys who would have found reasons for optimism on the Titanic, but the real question isn’t whether we’ll get this or that featured fixed, but whether we’ll continue at all.