We previously built a lightweight forum ourselves and are migrating to Discourse. We want to maintain the original forum for a period to give users time to migrate. We have encountered some technical issues.
Transferring existing usernames and posts to Discourse
We have exported the database of all original forum posts, but when adding them into Discourse, it seems bulk writing is not possible; following the method suggested by the forum, where an administrator posts and then transfers post ownership, also seems ineffective. We are looking for recommendations on how to import old posts (the minimum requirement is just the old post content and usernames).
New posts on the original forum
As we want to continue operating the original site for a period, when someone posts on the original forum, we automatically forward it to Discourse. We are currently simulating user posts and are looking for more recommended methods.
Transferring existing usernames and posts to Discourse
We have exported the database of all original forum posts, but it appears that Discourse does not support bulk insertion. The method suggested by the forum, which involves an administrator posting and then transferring ownership of the posts, also seems to be ineffective. We are unsure of the recommended method for importing old posts (the minimum requirement being the content and usernames).
Bulk is supported in our importer scripts. There are many, and the process is documented at
New posts on the original forum
As we intend to continue operating the original site for a while, any new posts on the original forum will be automatically forwarded to Discourse. Currently, we are simulating user posts. We are unsure if there is a more recommended method for this process.
The recommendation is to not do that. The one way sync will be confusing, specially if someone replies on the new forum and doesn’t understand why everyone else on the topic is ignoring him.
The best practice is to pick a cutoff date and do the move.