Forum software update - Forum unavailable weekend 7th to 8th June

[Adrian]

We have been working on a plan to update the forum software (from a very old version of Xenforo to the latest) which has different templates and a slightly different look and feel to it.

We are now ready to do the transition having tested the update path. So we plan to do this on the weekend on the 7th to 8th of June. This means that the forum is likely to be down for 1 day or slightly more probably from 1pm (UK time) on the 7th of June to sometime in the afternoon of the 8th.

Assuming all goes well we will have the forum up with the new software and can adapt the look and feel further in response to requests from members. If it all fails we will rollback to the old version and work more on the update path.

Issues will be flagged or we can be contacted through either my bluesky account or the forum's:
https://bsky.app/profile/uab9876.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/scienceforme.bsky.social

 

[Andy]

Thanks for the work on this Adrian. To ask a question that some might well be thinking, if the software update goes to plan, will members be able to use their logins as usual? And for those of us who rely on the forum to remember our password, will that carry forward as well?

 

[forestglip]

Here is the time that the forum update will start, converted to various timezones, using this website: https://meetingplanner.io/timezone

• Honolulu, United States (HST) Jun 07, 2025 — 02:00 am
• Anchorage, United States (AKDT) Jun 07, 2025 — 04:00 am
• Los Angeles, United States(PDT) Jun 07, 2025 — 05:00 am
• Mexico City, Mexico (CST) Jun 07, 2025 — 06:00 am
• Chicago, United States (CDT) Jun 07, 2025 — 07:00 am
• New York, United States (EDT) Jun 07, 2025 — 08:00 am
• Sao Paulo, Brazil (-03) Jun 07, 2025 — 09:00 am
• Accra, Ghana (GMT) Jun 07, 2025 — 12:00 pm
• Reykjavik, Iceland (GMT) Jun 07, 2025 — 12:00 pm
• London, United Kingdom (BST) Jun 07, 2025 — 01:00 pm
• Berlin, Germany (CEST) Jun 07, 2025 — 02:00 pm
• Paris, France (CEST) Jun 07, 2025 — 02:00 pm
• Cairo, Egypt (EEST) Jun 07, 2025 — 03:00 pm
• Moscow, Russia (MSK) Jun 07, 2025 — 03:00 pm
• Tehran, Iran (+0330) Jun 07, 2025 — 03:30 pm
• Dubai, India (+04) Jun 07, 2025 — 04:00 pm
• Kolkata, India (IST) Jun 07, 2025 — 05:30 pm
• Manila, Philippines (PST) Jun 07, 2025 — 08:00 pm
• Singapore (+08) Jun 07, 2025 — 08:00 pm
• Seoul, South Korea (KST) Jun 07, 2025 — 09:00 pm
• Tokyo, Japan (JST) Jun 07, 2025 — 09:00 pm
• Sydney, Australia (AEST) Jun 07, 2025 — 10:00 pm
• Aukland, New Zealand (NZST) Jun 08, 2025 — 12:00 am

 

[forestglip]

Should this thread be moved to a non-members only forum? There might be people who visit to read but don't log in and would want to know about this.

 

[Adrian]

Thanks for the work on this Adrian. To ask a question that some might well be thinking, if the software update goes to plan, will members be able to use their logins as usual? And for those of us who rely on the forum to remember our password, will that carry forward as well?

I believe so. But I do intend to redirect s4me.info to www.s4me.info which could cause a password issue.

But in the settings in a browser you can find password for a given website.

My password worked on the test system I have as did the email based authentication. The new system will support other authentication mechanisms as a second factor (like google authenticator)

 

[Yann04]

Thanks for everyone working on the logistics behind this. Sounds complicated yet worthwhile.

• Tehran, Iran (+0330) Jun 07, 2025 — 03:30 pm

• Dubai, India (+04) Jun 07, 2025 — 04:00 pm

• Kolkata, India (IST) Jun 07, 2025 — 05:30 pm

Dubai India? To be fair, quite a large indian diaspora there so maybe ahha.

 

[Trish]

Should this thread be moved to a non-members only forum? There might be people who visit to read but don't log in and would want to know about this.

Done.

 

[hotblack]

Thanks to everyone involved and good luck with the update. May the SQL gods be kind to you and hope you encounter no PHP gremlins on your travels.

 

[Adrian]

Posting a reminder here that the forum will be down over the weekend. See first message.

I will try to keep the old forum up on a different address (https://old.s4me.info) and as read only whilst I do the update. But something could go wrong (Particularly the certificate may flag errors).

 

[Binkie4]

Thanks to all working on this. Hope it goes smoothly.

 

[Chestnut tree]

Posting a reminder here that the forum will be down over the weekend. See first message.

I will try to keep the old forum up on a different address (https://old.s4me.info) and as read only whilst I do the update. But something could go wrong (Particularly the certificate may flag errors).

Thank you Adrian and everyone else who is making this happen!