The Forums are getting an update!

General Name Discussion
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Edit: The update has now happened!

We hope you enjoy getting to know the new community. If you have any questions, take a look at our Quick Start Guide here:

(There is also a mobile version of this guide.)

For any further questions, please ask in the All About Nameberry category and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

(Pssst… Want to be in with a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher? Check out our fun launch competition, full details here)

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We want to share with you some exciting news which, as many of you will know, has been a very long time in the planning and testing.

Next Sunday, April 26 we will be updating the Nameberry Forums to run on a new platform, called Discourse.

This will not change how you access the Forums, and all content on the current site will be kept.

The upgraded Forums will feature a much more modern, interactive, intuitive interface than the one we’re currently using, with a whole host of fun features we’re excited to bring to the community here (more on that below).

Logging into the new Forums for the first time

But first: the important bit.

When you log in to the Forums for the first time after the update, you should enter your email address rather than your username. Some usernames may have changed a little (e.g. some special characters removed), which is due to some characters not being allowed in usernames on the new platform.

Your current password should still work.

If you have forgotten the email address you registered with, please message us – including your username – at support@nameberry.com and we will be able to find it for you.

New features

Some of our favorite features of the upgraded Forums include:

  • The ability to @mention other users, which will notify them that they have been tagged;

  • The ability to like posts, earn badges and unlock different privileges as you contribute to the community;

  • Automatic embedding of images, videos, link previews and other media within posts;

  • Highly customizable user profiles and user cards (more on this below);

  • Improved anti-spam capabilities, and the opportunity for active community members to participate in Forum moderation.

We are also confident that this update will eradicate all of the annoying little glitches which have been springing up on our old Forums platform, and which have proved so difficult to fix.

Signatures

One feature of the current Forums which we know many of our members love is signatures. Unfortunately, Discourse does not include this function as standard.

HOWEVER, after listening to all of your feedback on this point, we do plan to add them back in as soon after the upgrade as we are able to.

We will not be able to bring over the content of your current signatures, so please save this somewhere before Sunday if you want to keep it.

In the meantime: The new Forums does include a feature called user cards, which function in much the same way. These can be customized to include background images, links and text, and are viewable by clicking on any member’s username or avatar.

You can learn more about user cards here. (Note: this link takes you to an external site.)

Getting used to the updated Forums

When you first log in to the new Forums, you will receive a message from @discobot, inviting you to complete a quick walkthrough of some of the key features. This is a fun way to get a feel for the new functionality – plus, you can earn your first badge!

We have also created this quick start guide which includes some helpful hints (with pictures) for navigating the new platform.

Thank you for reading! I will leave this topic open for any questions you might have.

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Honestly not super psyched about this, but will see how it goes…

[name_m]Will[/name_m] all of the threads that are currently on this website going to stay on here or will they switch over to discourse?

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@futuremama It is a big change, we know, but the current platform is just getting too old to be fully functional now, and we don’t want glitches like the current issues with links and quotes to keep springing up and dragging the functionality down.

Thanks for your question: I meant to include that, actually, and will edit my post now. All content – all posts, all attachments, all users – will be migrated to the new platform. We have tested and tested this and are confident that nothing will be lost.

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Question… When a name is used or suggested in a forum post, it is highlighted automatically and links to the NB page for that name. [name_m]Will[/name_m] the new platform have the same function?

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[name_m]How[/name_m] do we put in usernames? The members on the site don’t have their email addresses as their usernames, so I’m a bit confused.

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@fearlessfirefly
When I joined (a couple months ago) it asked for my email and stuff then asked me to make a username. So you should still be able to use your username instead of your email.

@elenajeanine
I have the Discourse app on my phone and it was free but I think if you want it on your laptop or computer then you have to pay for it. I’m looking into it right now.

@katinka
I have used discourse before and I’m honestly not really a fan. It’s really hard to follow along with the conversations if there are a lot of people, and on these forums there’s a lot of people.

I have a few questions…
How are you going to sort of the different threads? Are we still going to be able to post questions (like on the “Quick Question Thread”)? And post our own threads?

I’m really going to miss our signatures. I feel like that’s what really helped us come together, connect, and bond. Will the user cards easy to access so we can still participate in threads like “Favorite Names in the Previous Signature”?

Also why can’t the website be updated or something (sorry, I’m not a computer person so I’m not sure how this works)? Why do we have to move platforms?

I would prefer to use Discourse on my laptop (it’s easier to navigate then on my phone) but it says it’s $100 a year which is a little out of my price range. If we join the Nameberry group is it free? Do you only have to pay if you host a server?

Sorry for all the questions, but this came as a complete shock. It seemed like everything was fine. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

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@adroitartemis Oh, okay. Thank you.

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Gotta be honest, I’m trying to be positive and optimistic, but this is making me anxious. I’ve been part of Nameberry’s forums since I was 14 and it’s always been an escape for me. I don’t want to lose this part of my life, especially not at a time when I’ve lost so much else to this pandemic. This just comes at a bad time, I think.

Losing our signatures really bums me out. Switching up my signature has been giving me something to do while in self-isolation.

So will the forums now be separate from the blogs and the name database? Sorry, I’m not a computer person.

I’m just not sure how to feel about this. I don’t expect anything to change but I thought I’d voice my concerns.

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I agree with you @sparkleninja18. I’m really bummed about losing my signature and losing the site. Nameberry is so peaceful, fun and different from other sites. I’m definitely going to miss it.

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Thanks for voicing your questions and concerns, I’m going to answer each one of you in turn below.

But here are two very important points that have cropped up in several people’s questions:

  1. The “trial” link I’ve posted above is just an example of how Discourse looks and works. It is not the new Nameberry Forums and has no connection with Nameberry, so you will not be able to log in there with your Nameberry details.

Perhaps I should remove this link, if it’s confusing? [EDIT: link removed as it was too confusing. My apologies!]

  1. It is free. You will not need to download any app or pay any money to visit the Forums; just navigate here in the normal way and everything will be here as it normally is, it will just look a little different.

I will address more specific questions below.

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@elanorelle Yes, names in posts will continue to be automatically linked to the relevant Nameberry name page.

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@elenajeanine You had a few questions:

  1. It is free.

The “pricing” tab you see on that site is for businesses wanting to use Discourse for their forums. That is not the new Nameberry Forums, I was just linking to it as an example of how Discourse looks and works.

I think I may remove the link, as I can see that it’s confusing and that’s the last thing I want right now! [EDIT: link removed, with apologies for the confusion!]

  1. We won’t be able to leave this platform open, unfortunately. I do understand your concerns around adjusting to a new platform right now (we all feel it!) but it’s important to keep all discussion in one place.

All of the current posts, threads, and users will be brought over, and everything will automatically redirect, so practically speaking the only difference you’ll see will be the new look and functionality. You will not need to navigate to a new site or sign up for anything extra.

  1. You can’t access the Discourse Nameberry Forums yet; the changeover isn’t happening until this [name_f]Sunday[/name_f], [name_f]April[/name_f] 26.

You do not need to make any additional accounts with Discourse to access it. [name_m]Just[/name_m] log in as normal on Nameberry with your email address and regular password on [name_f]Sunday[/name_f], [name_f]April[/name_f] 26 and everything will be here.

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@fearlessfirefly

  1. The usernames you see on that site are just examples; it’s a trial site, not related to us, which lets people play around with Discourse and get a feel for how it works. You do not need to register again there. [EDIT: link removed from my OP as it was proving too confusing]

If you log in to Nameberry with your regular password and username on Sunday, April 26, everything will be here.

  1. I love your summary of Nameberry as “peaceful, fun, and different from other sites”. I totally agree! I’ve been here for almost 5 years now (I had a different username before this one), and I feel very close to the community here.

From playing around with Discourse myself, I feel that the way it works really lends itself to the way the Nameberry community naturally operates. Yes, it takes a little while to get used to, but features like liking posts, community moderation of spam and trolls, and tagging other users are things that I see a lot of people naturally trying to do on the current platform. This update will provide those capabilities for those that want them, but can equally operate as a simple question-answer forum for those who want to keep things simple.

Our current VBulletin platform has been with us from the start, over 10 years ago, and we’ve been pushing back on updating it because we know how attached our members (and we!) are to it.

But there have been more and more issues cropping up here lately: for example, quote and link functions causing whole chunks of people’s posts to disappear; and spammers overwhelming the Forums at certain times, despite the mod team’s best efforts. Frankly, the current platform is just getting too old to cope, and fixes and updates don’t always work to solve these issues at this point.

I will be on hand as much as I physically can (sleep and children permitting!) in the early days and weeks to guide people around the new platform, and I will be running a basic how-to on the blog on Sunday to help with that too.

I hope that helps to address your concerns at least a little.

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@adroitartemis

  1. Discourse gives you the option of how you want to view threads. You can choose to see the latest posts (across all categories), the top posts (across all categories) or you can view by category ([name_u]Baby[/name_u] Names, Girl Names, Boy Names, etc. – these are being brought over from the current Forums).

You will still be able to post questions on long-running threads like the “Quick Question Thread”, and you will be able to create new threads/topics just as you can now.

  1. The user cards are easy to access. You can just click on the previous poster’s username or avatar and their user card will pop up, without taking you off the page you’re currently on.

We share your concerns about the loss of signatures, and it’s something we’ve thought long and hard about. There may be a way of adding them back in via a plugin if the user card system just isn’t working for people, but we are trying to keep things as simple as possible initially, which is why we are going ahead without for now. If there is enough demand in a few weeks time once everyone has settled in to the new platform, we will of course reassess.

  1. At this point, the current VBulletin platform is so old that we lose functionality and trigger glitches every time we update it. This necessitates the move to a more modern platform, although the website itself will not be moving. Practically speaking, you will access the Forums in the exact same way, it will just look and perform slightly differently.

  2. It is free. It will be no different from visiting the current Forums in practical terms.

My apologies for including that confusing link! We would absolutely not charge anyone to access the Nameberry forums; the pricing information on that website is aimed at site owners, not regular users. [EDIT: link removed to avoid confusion].

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@sparkleninja18

[name_u]Abby[/name_u], I really do understand your concerns. It’s such a difficult time right now, and I’m truly sorry to hear that you’re feeling anxious over this.

  1. I hear you on the signatures. We’ve looked at several ways of doing it and the user cards feature is the simplest and most streamlined approach, at least while we all get used to the new platform and iron out any teething problems. But we are continuing to talk about it and consider different options, and I can see that the loss of signatures is a big stumbling block for many of you so I will make reassessing this ASAP a priority.

  2. No, the Forums will be here in exactly the same place, accessible in exactly the same way. They will just have a new look and some new features.

Please do voice your concerns! I’m here to answer or clarify anything you want to know, no question is too small.

I really hope you’re doing OK, [name_u]Abby[/name_u].

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@katinka Thank you. I feel much better about the situation now and I’m glad that the website will be in good shape again.

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@fearlessfirefly

That’s wonderful to hear, thank you for bearing with us on this!

Your feedback has been very helpful, and I’ve realised that I’ve perhaps been unnecessarily technical on some points in my OP. I’m going to find a way to reword some parts to make things clearer.

A big thank you again for your input!

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It sounds incredible! I love Nameberry a lot, and I do believe the change will be for the better. All the new things sound exactly what Nameberry needed (@ berries is something I think will improve the forum)
I already sent a email because I can’t remember which e-mail I used here.

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@undertherainbow

Fantastic! Pleased to hear you’re as excited as we are for this.

Have you had a response to your email yet? If not I can check that for you.

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@katinka
Thank you so much for answering my questions! I do feel a lot better about this now that I know it wont be too different. I’m now excited for the new change and looking forward to [name_f]Sunday[/name_f]! :slight_smile:

[name_f]Edit[/name_f]: I have two more questions. If we come to the Nameberry website and go to the Forums will it take us directly to the Discourse Website? Also will the thing where you click the name and it takes you to the meaning and origin page still be a thing?