Big Changes Coming to DonsTalk this July

[DonsTalk Admin]

Alright folks, it is time for a massive under-the-hood upgrade here at DonsTalk.

We'e been running the current version of our forum software for a few years now, and while it has served our Aberdeen FC match threads, transfer tracking, and daily football debates well, the digital world moves fast.  With the current software reaching the end of its lifecycle at the end of this year, we are moving forward to future-proof the forum.

Starting week commencing 6 July 2026, DonsTalk will be undergoing a major software upgrade.

Because we proudly run a self-hosted setup, this isn't a standard "click update and hope" situation.  It is a ground-up platform rebuild.  Here is exactly what you need to know about the timeline, the upcoming features, and what to expect during the transition.

The Upgrade Tmeline (UPDATED - Friday 26 June 2026)

The site will be migrated in one day now, on Monday 6 July 2026.  DonsTalk will be unavailable from 10am on Monday 6 July, and the new site will be available later that evening (possibly earlier).

What's Changing? (And What You'll Love!)

This isn't just a security update; it fundamentally improves how you use the forum every day.

• Brand new text editor (TipTap):  The old clunky editor is gone.  The new froum introduces a sleek, real-time rich text editor.  This means pasting images, dragging and dropping quotes, embedding media, and formatting your match-day tactical breakdowns will be smoother than ever.
• Significantly Faster Page Loads:  The entire platform has been stripped of legacy code bloat.  Database queries are highly optimised, meaning the forum will load notably faster on mobile devices, even when threads scale to hundreds of pages during a tense transfer deadline day.
• True Progressive Web App (PWA) Capabilities:  For those who browse DonsTalk on their phones, the new version behaves much more like a native app.  You can expect better mobile responsiveness, cleaner dropdown menus, and vastly improved notification handling.
• Automatic Archiving and Index Cleanups:  Behind the scenes, years of old historical threads will be managed better by the system so they don't drag down the site's overall search performance.

A quick heads-up on launch week

Because the new software handles themes and layouts entirely differently than the current forum, the forum will look a bit different when we first open the doors on July 10.  We will continue to do some layout tweaks after launch and we'll be adding some new features over the coming months.

We appreciate your patience while we get the digital pitch sorted out.  Get ready for a faster, cleaner, and much more modern home for DonsTalk

Edited 2 hours ago by DonsTalk Admin
Updated timeline for migrating DonsTalk to the new platform.

[BigAl]

Great work mate

Bring it on 

[DonsTalk Admin]

A quick update on the upgrade timeline - we'll be migrating the site in one day, rather than through the week - so DonsTalk will be unavailable from 10am on Monday.6 July 2026.

The new site will be available from the evening of Monday 6 July 2026.