We're moving... ABB Robotics Community Platform Migration

Maxim Riabichev

Hello everyone!

First and foremost, we would like to thank you for being part of the ABB Robotics User Forums! The amount of knowledge that has been generated and shared via these forums is simply astounding. I personally use these forums as my knowledge base in my daily work and I'm sure many of you do too. 

With this post/thread, we would like to let you know that we'll be migrating this community from the current service provider to a new one at the end of the year/beginning of next year. The new service provider will be Discourse.

Why we're moving

Discourse offers better threading, improved search functionality, and a cleaner interface for technical discussions. The platform is open-source, actively maintained, and widely used by engineering communities. It's a more modern platform, simply put.

What happens to your data

Everything - all posts, discussions, user accounts, etc. - will be migrated. After 22 years on this platform, we'll be making sure that all that shared knowledge comes with us.

Action required

When you first access the new platform, you'll need to create a new account using the same email address you currently use on this platform. Your new account will be automatically mapped to your migrated posts and history.

Please verify now that you have access to the email address associated with your current account. If you've changed email addresses or no longer have access to your registration email, please update your profile now.

Timeline

• Now – Mid-December: Current platform remains fully operational
• Late December/Early January: Migration window. Current platform will be set to read-only.
• End of year/beginning of next year: New platform goes live

What to expect

The new platform will look slightly different, but the core functionality will remain the same. The layout might need some adjustments during a transition period, so please bear with us.

You'll notice several improvements:

• Better search and navigation: Discourse's search functionality is significantly more powerful than what we currently have. Finding old discussions, solutions, and technical details will be much easier.
• Mobile-friendly: The platform works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices, so you can access the community from anywhere.
• Rich media support: Embedded images, videos, and automatic link previews make sharing technical solutions and demonstrations more intuitive.
• Real-time updates: No more refreshing pages to see new responses. Discourse provides live notifications and updates.
• AI AI AI: Did I mention AI? It has AI!

We're looking forward to another 22 years and beyond with this community!

Thank you!

Questions? Reply to this thread.