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How many of you shook your head when you saw the title of this thread? 
I know the question: We've just gotten used to NWFA Version 3.1 and we're talking about the next version already??
I'm positive the most popular question I'm going to get everyone is "Why fix it if it ain't broken?!", so let me explain.
Our site runs on XenForo, a software package first released in 2011. Since then there have been many version updates, right up to our current version which is 1.5. Despite these version updates, the 'core' codebase is largely unchanged from way back in 2011. Lots has changed in the years since, namely improvements in all aspects of web technology (speed, efficiency, security, programming languages, etc). The XenForo team decided to start working on a new version (2.0) a couple years back, one re-written from the ground up which could take advantage of these improvements.
For better or worse, I've always taken a proactive approach regarding the technology we use here on the site. Part of this is so that we can take advantages of the aforementioned improvements in technology, and part of it is so we can offer our members features and improvements (sometimes subjective) which aren't found on many of the other websites. By adopting this approach we've been able increase speed, stability, and efficiency with significantly less hardware than our vBulletin site required back in 2008-2011 (and we're now 5x the size!).
Along with the core XenForo software we rely on a large number of third-party add-ons which add additional tools and features. Some are very complex (such as the media, review, and search systems) and some are very minor (such as the sidebar widget displaying our monthly donations). Due to the completely re-written nature of XF 2.0 all of these add-ons have to be rewritten as well. The developers who write these add-ons have known about this since XF 2.0 was announced in 2015. Since that time the frequency of new add-ons as well as updates to old ones have declined dramatically. Rightfully, nobody wants to write new add-ons or add features to existing ones if they're going to have to be re-written in the not-too-distant future. Since the developer builds of XF 2.0 were released (November 2016) these developers have been hard at work, re-writing and adding features to their old add-ons as well as developing new ones which we've been asking for (classifieds, events, etc). In time XF 1.5 will fall by the wayside in favor of XF 2.0. The main advantage in getting ahead of this and getting involved is that (due to our size) we can provide input and feedback in development of both the core system and the add-ons which we'd like to see. Have I mentioned I really want new classified and event systems?
Through making mistakes I've learned a TON about updates, migrations, and general changes to NWFA over the past 9 years. So much so that I believe I have a fairly good list of things not to do. Number one on that list is to have patience and not make too many changes or too big of changes too quickly. Because of this I can tell you that while we're beginning rough development on NWFA Version 4, I don't expect we make the actual upgrade before next fall. This is a HUGE update in which we'll have invested hundreds of hours in development work, and I intend to make sure we do it correctly. The factor that has the biggest impact on the timeline will be the rate at which our current add-ons are re-written (we don't want to lose any tools or features). Also because of this, for the most part NWFA V4 will be developed in a way which very closely resembles both the look and operation of our current site (people seem really happy with it, as am I).
Due to the nature of this update, we won't have the luxury of flipping back and forth between the old version and the new version like we had the last time. Once we do the migration, it's final, so pre-migration feedback on the beta version you'll eventually have access to is critical. The reason I'm posting this today is not only to announce this update, but also to gather suggestions and ideas from our members regarding changes, new features, etc. Feel free to post any questions, comments, or concerns here as well
I know the question: We've just gotten used to NWFA Version 3.1 and we're talking about the next version already??
I'm positive the most popular question I'm going to get everyone is "Why fix it if it ain't broken?!", so let me explain.
Our site runs on XenForo, a software package first released in 2011. Since then there have been many version updates, right up to our current version which is 1.5. Despite these version updates, the 'core' codebase is largely unchanged from way back in 2011. Lots has changed in the years since, namely improvements in all aspects of web technology (speed, efficiency, security, programming languages, etc). The XenForo team decided to start working on a new version (2.0) a couple years back, one re-written from the ground up which could take advantage of these improvements.
For better or worse, I've always taken a proactive approach regarding the technology we use here on the site. Part of this is so that we can take advantages of the aforementioned improvements in technology, and part of it is so we can offer our members features and improvements (sometimes subjective) which aren't found on many of the other websites. By adopting this approach we've been able increase speed, stability, and efficiency with significantly less hardware than our vBulletin site required back in 2008-2011 (and we're now 5x the size!).
Along with the core XenForo software we rely on a large number of third-party add-ons which add additional tools and features. Some are very complex (such as the media, review, and search systems) and some are very minor (such as the sidebar widget displaying our monthly donations). Due to the completely re-written nature of XF 2.0 all of these add-ons have to be rewritten as well. The developers who write these add-ons have known about this since XF 2.0 was announced in 2015. Since that time the frequency of new add-ons as well as updates to old ones have declined dramatically. Rightfully, nobody wants to write new add-ons or add features to existing ones if they're going to have to be re-written in the not-too-distant future. Since the developer builds of XF 2.0 were released (November 2016) these developers have been hard at work, re-writing and adding features to their old add-ons as well as developing new ones which we've been asking for (classifieds, events, etc). In time XF 1.5 will fall by the wayside in favor of XF 2.0. The main advantage in getting ahead of this and getting involved is that (due to our size) we can provide input and feedback in development of both the core system and the add-ons which we'd like to see. Have I mentioned I really want new classified and event systems?
Through making mistakes I've learned a TON about updates, migrations, and general changes to NWFA over the past 9 years. So much so that I believe I have a fairly good list of things not to do. Number one on that list is to have patience and not make too many changes or too big of changes too quickly. Because of this I can tell you that while we're beginning rough development on NWFA Version 4, I don't expect we make the actual upgrade before next fall. This is a HUGE update in which we'll have invested hundreds of hours in development work, and I intend to make sure we do it correctly. The factor that has the biggest impact on the timeline will be the rate at which our current add-ons are re-written (we don't want to lose any tools or features). Also because of this, for the most part NWFA V4 will be developed in a way which very closely resembles both the look and operation of our current site (people seem really happy with it, as am I).
Due to the nature of this update, we won't have the luxury of flipping back and forth between the old version and the new version like we had the last time. Once we do the migration, it's final, so pre-migration feedback on the beta version you'll eventually have access to is critical. The reason I'm posting this today is not only to announce this update, but also to gather suggestions and ideas from our members regarding changes, new features, etc. Feel free to post any questions, comments, or concerns here as well
