Facebook changes 2017

[ivanp]

Just got an email from Facebook saying "Forum currently has access to Graph API v2.2 which will reach the end of its 2-year lifetime on 27 March, 2017. To ensure a smooth transition, please migrate all calls to Graph API v2.3 or higher." I've checked API Upgrade Tool and this means on 27 March Facebook integration will completely stop working. Please advise.

[Paul M]

Thats not anything specific to 4.2.5, the same code runs in 4.2.3 & 4.2.4.

What do you actually mean by "Please advise" ?

[ivanp]

Should I submit this issue to Jira? This is a showstopper bug for Facebook integration.

[Mark.B]

Should I submit this issue to Jira? This is a showstopper bug for Facebook integration.

You can, but it's very unlikely that it will be updated in vBulletin 4.

Facebook Connect is effectively deprecated in vB4...if it works, fine, but we are no longer updating Facebook code in vB4.

[Paul M]

Should I submit this issue to Jira? This is a showstopper bug for Facebook integration.

Feel free, but as Mark says, the chances of anything being done on vB4/FB code are almost zero.

[ivanp]

Does this mean that both existing and new Facebook users won't be able to access vBulletin 4 from 27 March 2017?

[Paul M]

Moved to new thread as this is about FB Integration, not vBulletin 4.2.5

It means (according to your post) that FB integration may no longer work.
That doesnt prevent anyone from accessing or logging into your/any forum in the normal manner.

[ivanp]

I was asking specifically about Facebook users accessing and logging vBulletin 4, not users registered using email address. Will they be able to access vBulletin 4 from 27 March 2017?

[Wayne Luke]

They will need to log in via the user account created in your forum. They should still have an email address we pull that from Facebook.

[ivanp]

They don't have vBulletin password, meaning every existing Facebook user would have to reset password, also?

[BirdOPrey5]

Yes they will need a VB password.

[ivanp]

That's disaster, we are talking about 20,000 Facebook users for our vBulletin forum.

Can you at least issue a patch similar to this one: https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/foru...17#post4353017

[Paul M]

I'm afraid atm, I can only refer you to post #5

... the chances of anything being done on vB4/FB code are almost zero.

[Mark.B]

That's disaster, we are talking about 20,000 Facebook users for our vBulletin forum.

Can you at least issue a patch similar to this one: https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/foru...17#post4353017

I think that post highlights the problem very well indeed.

September 2016 Facebook completely rewrites its API and everyone has to re-code their software.
February 2017 - not even six months later - and everyone has to do it again.

vB4 is not the current vBulletin product line. If Facebook didn't keep deliberately moving the goalposts it mightn't be such an issue, but we can barely spare the resources for this on vB5, let alone vB4.

I appreciate none of this helps. Back when the whole idea of creating forum accounts with Facebook first came along, I warned that this kind of thing could be a problem. That's why I never touched it on my site. You're handing the future prosperity of your site over to Mark Zuckerberg.

I appreciate none of this is really any help though. Your best bet is to communicate with these users well in advance, hopefully they will have a valid, working email address and if all else fails you can send them a password that way.

[ivanp]

Facebook has 1.9 billion users, we cannot just ignore that fact.

What exactly is status of vBulletin 4?

I understand you are fixing bugs in vB 4, not introducing new things.

This is a showstopper bug. Facbook integration is part of vBulletin 4.