The VGChartz Website Development Thread - Post Suggestions/Feedback.

[Edellus]

Probably this is way too far fetched of a suggestion, but it seems you guys made your own forums solution for this website (at least I haven't found any obvious traces of forums software I know of) and it shows sometimes (totally expected, though; a forum software is kind of a big thing). If so, have you considered switching to a largely supported forum software and then to extend the rest of the website from it?

Some BBS (that are free, even) support module extensions where you guys could make one and apply some of your custom user data (VGC supporter badge status, badges, my games, etc). I don't know the behind the doors of your website structure, but I pressume that the user module is the most complicated and the only one that would require an extension (given how it . All the other pages not intrinsicaly part of the forums should require no changes, unless they require users data.

To switch would require a lot of work, for you would need to migrate the database to the BBS', build the user extension module, rework the website indexation (if you want it to remain the same), remake the theme to be compatible with the BBS (maybe an opportunity to get a fresh face), tweak the non-forums pages that make use of forum data, check your own security patches (if you consider you still need them), tweak custom log processes (if you have any), etc. But then you wouldn't need to worry about forum maintenance anymore and you could easily update it if the BBS has any new version with new features, if you so wish. Easily change themes and templates (maybe even let users create their own and publish them, since the theme engines are secure and open source). For instance, I know that phpBB and MyBB can do all of that, altho I can only vouch for phpBB.

It would indeed be a time sink for a while, and I don't know if you guys have the man power, and you probably are already too comfortable with your own solution, but maybe give it some thought.

Cheers.