Anyway to create a seperate "shadow" forum to experiment with design changes etc ?

[D. Thomas]

In other words, I have an ad agency wanting to experiment with various design changes for ad placement and such, that they need to do off line but without closing the forum.

They want to download the entire database to their server for this purpose but just wondering if there is a simplier (and safer) alternative ?

[Steve Machol]

Make a backup of your database, then restore it to a new db, not the live one. Upload the vB files to a 'testvb' directory, password protect that directory and edit the config.php file to point to the new db.

[D. Thomas]

Thanks Steve.

Now they want to possibly put the "shadow" forum copy on a seperate server and also want to do they alterations on the current version of VB. Any thoughts in that regard ?

Personally I would like to avoid the hassel of upgrading my forum to latest version at this time... so to do what they want to do, should they buy their own copy of the latest VB and somehow upload my forum to that somehow ?

[Steve Machol]

What 'alterations'?

I suggest they purchase their own license. Once you allow them to use yours you have lost all control over it if they want to use your files illegally.

[D. Thomas]

What 'alterations'?

I suggest they purchase their own license. Once you allow them to use yours you have lost all control over it if they want to use your files illegally.

I guess "alterations" was the wrong word.. "changes" in the forum layout to accept banner advertising in places other than header and footer...ads down the right side of the page for example.

[Steve Machol]

You can use the Styles 'Download/Upload' function to do this.