[IMPORTANT]: Changing domain name, hosting service, forum software, and setting up ~CUSTOM ADMINISTRATION EMAILS~

Alright, so, many of you may know that we're changing our domain to www.esotericservers.net, but we're also changing our hosting service, as well as our forum software.

I've narrowed it down to the best three I could find, and they each have their own pros and cons.



Invision:

http://www.invisionpower.com/

Very slick, very sexy GUI and interface. This might be the best option. Very organized layout, and there's a demo you can do to look at all the aspects of the forum. Fully customizable, very organized code. The theme editor is great, and would be very easy to set the site up once we'd of bought it. The GUI is very user friendly, as is the administration/moderation panel. The group system is also very good, and there's no unnecessary tabs that you can't remove easily, such as the unmovable "WHAT'S NEW?" tab that XenForo has. Over-all, it's sleak, compact, and doesn't have any unnecessary features that you can't remove. I give it a 9/11.



XenForo:

http://xenforo.com/

Sleak looking- but completely loaded with unnecessary features, as well as a very bad post viewing, and post system. I found the posting system to be very obnoxious and bulky. To get it to better, would take a large amount of actual coding, tweaking, and adjustments to the source code, which would be tedious, and take forever. Another down-side is how bad the administration panel is, and how hard making actual edits to the forum is. Everything is divided into an over-complex system of subcategories, which take forever to narrow down to. Personal profiles don't look very good, and normal users can't really set up that much for themselves. All-in-all, it's a lot of work for something that will still be loaded down with useless features, and a still-terrible forum view, and posting system. Edits would take forever, and the admins would probably have a hard time even finding buttons to ban users. I'd give it a 4/20.



vBulletin:

https://www.vbulletin.com/

Overpriced, with a not-so-sexy GUI. It really compete that well with the other two options that we have, but seeing how it has a high level of customization- Although I don't know how far that level goes, as they don't have a demo. vBulletin used to always be a standard for forums, but they've slipped under a while back. Their style is outdated, and blown-up. I have idea what to even give this in rating. It's way too diverse. But from what I would be able to do with it if I had it- It wouldn't turn out too good anyway, and is a potential 4/20 disaster, and a bunch of money spent down the drain.



In regards to our host changing, we're just going to find a different hosting service, as our current service is bound to this forum, and if we wanted some decent forum software, we'd have to change hosts.



In regards to the ~CUSTOM ADMINISTRATION EMAILS~, once we purchase our snazzy new domain, we'll be binding the domain with Google Apps, so we'll be able to have custom Gmail accounts, in our own domain. Eg: lone@esotericservers.net, and sanicthehedghog@esotericservers.net.

I'll probably end up buying the domain from Google, seeing how they have private domain registrations to protect against spam + WHOIS lookups, full DNS control and domain management, and automatic setup for Google services, such as Google apps, Email, calendar, instant messaging, web pages, and more.

Perhaps we can offer donators Esoteric accounts?

See more:

http://www.labnol.org/internet/register-domains-with-google-apps/18966/

http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=53929



Hold onto your butts kids, we're moving into the 21st century.

; _ ;7

Are the glorious posts, post-counts and other info gonna stay or is it gonna be depleted to emptiness? :<

Also, why the hell is it sanicthehedgehog@esotericservers.net, make it sinic@esotericservers.net.

Invision best vision.

vision yessssssssssssss

Invision all the way.

Post counts may be lost if I can't port them over. But think on the bright side, all of misterjohn's posts will be purged off of glorious Esoteric.

OUR GLORIOUS ESOTERIC

Already purchased the domain and hosting service, I'll put the website on a temporary bulletin board called "Simple Machines" until we get the money to buy an invision licence. Staff emails and google accounts have been set up and configured. All that's left to do now is link the webhosting to domain, and put the forum software on it.

yah, galo sengen

Oh god, i just realised Mr.John will be able to make a new acount on the new forums D: