Major upgrade to T2W coming soon!

[Sharky]

[Updated]
We'll be migrating to the new website on Saturday Dec 1st. The site will be unavailable from 10:30am UK (5:30am ET) for approximately 6 hours.

[Updated]
You can check out the new beta site now here:
http://new.trade2win.com

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Hi all,

I'm pleased to announce we're working on a major upgrade to the site that we plan to release next month.

I'll be posting more details in the coming days, but the biggest change will be a move away from our current forum software, Vbulletin, to new software called Xenforo, developed by a couple of the lead developers behind Vbulletin.

In my opinion it's the best forum software in the market today. We've been stuck in a bit of a time-warp the past several years, and thankfully this upgrade will leapfrog us into the present.

I'm be making sure the changes are done sensitively. I want it to feel like an evolution of the existing site. Getting back to basics, and making sure the forums, the heart and soul of the site, have a really strong foundation that can power us through the next 10 years.

I plan to release a beta site for members to play around with before the official release date, that way everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinions.

A few of the improvements you can expect are:

• Improved site security using https
• Improved search, finally search for 2 letters eg. FX, IG or ES etc.
• Drag and drop attachments to posts
• Mobile friendly and optimised
• Improved prevention of spam

And of course, you can expect all your posts/threads/pms/contacts etc to be migrated across. The aim is not to lose anything. For example we'll be developing a custom journal add-on, to make sure the journal privacy settings are just as they are today on the new site.

More updates to follow...

 

[FXX]

Would be great if we could get some type of fxbook or similar integration where you can click on a profile and see a trading account which the owner can lock down elements so as to keep what they wish private. Not sure if this would be possible via a plugin on the new site

 

[Sharky]

Thanks for the suggestion FXX. With the new site we'll have a solid foundation to make further enhancements. Right now the software is really old and brittle so even making small changes is a huge pain.

 

[Nowler]

Would be great if we could get some type of fxbook or similar integration where you can click on a profile and see a trading account which the owner can lock down elements so as to keep what they wish private. Not sure if this would be possible via a plugin on the new site

Thats a really good idea!

 

[NVP]

good luck guys .....sounds excellent

 

[Pat494]

I would love to be able to program up my ideas and have a section to attract others with their input.
I would suggest using the most popular and free platform as a basis i.e. MT4.

I expect someone who understands English, who is knowledgeable and for small pay would be interested in hosting the mini forum.

 

[Sharky]

I would love to be able to program up my ideas and have a section to attract others with their input.
I would suggest using the most popular and free platform as a basis i.e. MT4.

I expect someone who understands English, who is knowledgeable and for small pay would be interested in hosting the mini forum.

I'm also keen to expand on the algorithmic side of T2W, outside of day to day of T2W it's something I'm planning to spend more time involved in.

 

[Sharky]

So, the new beta version of the site will be available later this week on a special URL. It'll be populated with a snapshot of the site back from earlier this year, so that you can access your accounts and get used to the new forum software. It'll be a temporary version where any changes you make will be subsequently deleted so think of it as a digital playground. When we make the actual switch later in the month we'll shut down this site, move everything over and start things back up so conversations will continue where they left off.

 

[Sharky]

As promised earlier in the week, I'm making the beta version of the site available to everyone, so I can get as much feedback as possible before making the switch later this month.

You can check out the new beta site now here:
http://new.trade2win.com

You'll spot straight away the site is based on a backup of the data taken on the 1st August, this year. Obviously this is for testing only, but you'll need to login with the password you used back then (hopefully it hasn't changed, or if it has you remember it!).

I've intentionally turned off emails from the site, so if you have trouble logging in, just ask and I'll reset your password over there. Everything will get deleted at the end of the beta, but in the meantime feel free to test adding posts/threads/pms etc.

Some known issues:

- Still need to upgrade to https (secure site)
- There's just one article listed, the rest need to be imported
- The reviews section has not being moved over, I might still do this, but I didn't want to delay the switch in order to make this available, given that regular members don't use it much.
- Nor has the Traderpedia moved over (yes - it still exists as a link from the current homepage to http://www.trade2win.com/traderpedia/)
- Vendors are not yet indicated on posts

I'd like to keep all feedback in one place, so rather than post it here, if you can post it on the new site, it'll also give you an opportunity to test-drive it:

http://new.trade2win.com/index.php?threads/new-beta-website-post-your-feedback-here.231377

Alternatively pm me here: http://www.trade2win.com/boards/private.php?do=newpm&u=3 or send me an email at [email protected]

Cheers!

 

[Nowler]

Are those sticky notes in the bottom right of the home page going to be on the new site? I liked those when I first began trading.

This just came to mind, but is there a way of expanding on that feature and making it in some way interactive and engaging?

 

[Sharky]

That'd be the Traderpedia, and no, as mentioned on previous post, that's not going to make it over I'm afraid. It was an initiative from the earliest days of T2W to make a sort of Wikipedia for trading; but it's been a graveyard now for so long, I'm surprised to hear you actually found it useful.

 

[Nowler]

In the beginning I found it useful to help with terminology.
I had zero experience or understanding of this domain, so reading those improved my understanding.

Not so much now of course, but perhaps it would help other newcomers to the trading sphere...
Or maybe I was particularly lacking when I began

 

[dbphoenix]

The Traderpedia is a good idea. Or was. All those years ago. But today a simple link to Investopedia is sufficient. When it comes to websites like this, clutter is your enemy.

I don't know exactly what you had in mind with regard to the site's make-over, but you must have a great deal on your plate. Even so, I hope you will give sufficient consideration to how the site looks. You've already received comments on how "sharp" the new design is, how "clear" it looks. And clarity should be a chief consideration; without it, visitors move on to other pastures.

The homepage is the front door of any website. As such, it should be as welcoming as one can make it. What is after all the first question a visitor has when he comes to a site such as this: "What is this site all about?" In other words, "I'm new to T2W; where do I start?" And that's one of the first things one should see on the homepage, if not the first. A close second is "I'm new to trading; where do I begin?" Fortunately, you already have these threads (though they should most likely be limited to their first two or three posts and "replies" relegated to other threads), and though they may require updating, timsk provided a wealth of information to work with. As far as what to plug thereafter -- the book, the articles, the reviews, the forums -- that depends on what you believe people who visit want to see, what will encourage them to explore, what will encourage them to register. There are after all tabs for each of these elements, just to the right of "home". What instead can be provided on the homepage to make T2W distinctive? What can bring order out of chaos for the visitor, particularly the beginner?

Db

 

[Nowler]

I noticed from the new Beta site that I got achievements for posting, re-logging on and for a few other things. In terms of psychology, those will help to keep some newcomers interested. How much? I don't know, but it's certainly not a bad feature.

The users status being upgraded as a result of posts deemed useful by others via voting them up might be something worth considering.

It will help users have a better idea of who the community consider to be worth listening to.

Though I would suggest not having a negative counterpart for this if it was to be implemented. All forums have spiteful bellends

 

[Pat494]

Interesting and useful are the two words that spring to mind.
Somehow rating each contributor to a forum sounds good to start with . Hopefully it won't be abused.

 

[Sharky]

Thanks for all the feedback. With regards the homepage, my plan to start with is to keep the list of forums but make sure there's some signposting to help new visitors. In future we'll have the option to switch this out for a dedicated homepage, and then the list of forums will move to something like /forums - it won't affect the urls of the forums or threads, so we don't have to worry about the impact it'll have to our visibility in the search engines. Regarding the points system, this is enabled by Xenforo (the forum software) out of the box. It's pretty simple, you earn points (and trophies) when you hit certain milestones, outlined here: http://new.trade2win.com/help/trophies/ so things like the number of likes on posts you have are taken into account only so far as they can enable you to hit a milestone, and therefore earn those points (and the trophy). It's seem harmless enough and I like how it recognises not just post count but other factors, so for now I'll leave it included.

 

[Sharky]

By way of an update, the current demo site is just that, a demo, it's not supposed to be production ready in terms of the setup. But I'm making progress with the actual production infrastructure. My goal is to make the site as fast as it possible can be and stability is also a major consideration. Hence we'll be moving from our existing baremetal server in Washington DC hosted with Softlayer, to the cloud! Google Cloud to be precise, and we're moving home (well my home!).. to London (yes even in the cloud you have a location).

 

[Pat494]

Thanks for all the feedback. With regards the homepage, my plan to start with is to keep the list of forums but make sure there's some signposting to help new visitors. In future we'll have the option to switch this out for a dedicated homepage, and then the list of forums will move to something like /forums - it won't affect the urls of the forums or threads, so we don't have to worry about the impact it'll have to our visibility in the search engines. Regarding the points system, this is enabled by Xenforo (the forum software) out of the box. It's pretty simple, you earn points (and trophies) when you hit certain milestones, outlined here: http://new.trade2win.com/help/trophies/ so things like the number of likes on posts you have are taken into account only so far as they can enable you to hit a milestone, and therefore earn those points (and the trophy). It's seem harmless enough and I like how it recognises not just post count but other factors, so for now I'll leave it included.

Will you include past likes ?

 

[Dowser]

Hi Sharky, I'm a member of another forum that is built using Xenforo software, it has a 'Chat' window at the bottom of the main page. I don't use it much myself but it is quite popular. Have you considered this feature for T2W 2.0?

 

[Nowler]

Just to touch upon FXX's suggestion of some MyFxBook style stats book.

I'd be willing to pay for it.
Could be a little earner for you Sharky.