GS has moved to a new server... no longer hosted by me anymore!

[andy]

Hey peeps,

Hope you're all keeping well!

Apologies for the website being unavailable for the past few days.

I'm going to be moving in a few weeks and wanted to switch the website to be fully cloud based - not running off my own server anymore. Was a bigger task than I first anticipated but it's all transferred over now and running on latest versions of software etc. Please be patient if there are any bugs and just let me know... I'll try and fix them along the way!

I'm back too... I was having to travel around too much with work previously but will be settled again and can devote some time to GS once again!


Mwahs

A xox

[Cridders88]

Hi Andy, good to hear from you again

Love the look of the new site, now we just need to get some people back here...

One thing I have just come across is the @ doesn't work for tagging people now, I am on my phone at the moment and can't see a button for that...

Also, the reply button is completely white and textless for me, but I am also on dark mode on my phone so maybe it is that.

[andy]

Thanks Si,

Nice to be back and great to hear from you too.

Yeah, it's been a bit quiet and neglected so will be puting a lot more love and attention in to hopefully get it back to what it was or even better!

Thanks for the testing - think I've fixed the @ mention tag! I had a look on my phone and could see the Reply button ok - white text with dark background. Are you on an iPhone? (I tested on Android with dark mode enabled!)

[Cridders88]

Thanks Si,

Nice to be back and great to hear from you too.

Yeah, it's been a bit quiet and neglected so will be puting a lot more love and attention in to hopefully get it back to what it was or even better!

Thanks for the testing - think I've fixed the @ mention tag! I had a look on my phone and could see the Reply button ok - white text with dark background. Are you on an iPhone? (I tested on Android with dark mode enabled!)

@andy (it works!)

I'm on Android. It isn't the reply button with the arrow by it, it is the "post reply" button at the end of a draft message. It's fine out of dark mode. Weirdly, the login button after you type your password is also blank and white. No biggie really as it is pretty obvious what the buttons are really.

[andy]

@Cridders88 glad it working again!

That's really weird about the Quick Reply 'Post Reply'. On my Android phone with dark mode on it looks like:


Can anyone else test it out on their phone in dark mode?

[CellarDweller]

Hello! Like the new look of the site!

[Scruff Bunch]

Is it really worth it anymore? The whole place is practically dead.

[andy]

@"Scruff Bunch" Thanks for that! You're fairly new to GS so won't know about the fondness and sentimentality old members still have for the site. Forums have been in the decline slightly due to other social media platforms but am confident we can reinvent ourselves and gain back a lively and diverse community once again.

[rnd256]

Is it really worth it anymore? The whole place is practically dead.

That's certainly a big question, and an existential one for all forums who have been around for a long time.  

With the right leadership, strategy, and content, forums can hold their own even in this wider and busier world where users have more choices than ever before.  Forums that try to cater to general lifestyle conversations are going to have a very hard time keeping up, since all of the social and popular and lifestyle conversations have been vacuumed up by social media.  

But I do think there can still be a vibrant future for some forums - I'm active on a few that I love.  And even though GS isn't as active as it used to be, it's always nice to check in and see familiar faces every once in awhile

[Scruff Bunch]

@"Scruff Bunch" Thanks for that! You're fairly new to GS so won't know about the fondness and sentimentality old members still have for the site. Forums have been in the decline slightly due to other social media platforms but am confident we can reinvent ourselves and gain back a lively and diverse community once again.

I've actually been on this site since 2007, with various accounts over the years, coming and going.

What I said was aimed at the popularity of forums, not the relevancy or validity of their subject matter, and it was backed up by the lack of action on this site. It IS a shame - in making this site andy, you have done a lot for a lot of people - but it just doesn't seem like forums are popular and therefore needed anymore, and yet it must still cost you money??

So how do you "reinvent" beyond a revamping the appearance of the site?

content,

And this is part of the problem. The content is made by the users. I can log in for several days in a row, or go for weeks without logging in... and 99% of the time, all I see is those game threads. If that is the "content" of this site, then I don't hold out much hope.