Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

All things related to the general running of the forum - got a suggestion? Here's where it should go.
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Gob
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Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Gob »

Following on from the "gibberish" thread...

If we archive it, then although it will look a bit shit with those error messages etc.

it's still readable, and we can just do a fresh install of the new forum software.

It means everyone starts from 0 post count but there's usually some way to hack that so if that's important to people we can give them their numbers back potentially.

BUT ...... everyone will need to re-register on the new board.

But its worth us trying, as any other option comes with lots of restrictions on what can be posted, and that would be the death of PlanB
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by BoSoxGal »

I’ve read both threads. Just a bit confused - when the upgrade happens, the entirety of the current board will be archived and no longer available as active threads?
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Scooter
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Scooter »

I can remember this happening a few times on Darwin Awards Forum; an upgrade would basically require a complete reset with everyone re-registering. Sometimes the old threads could be archived in the new board and sometimes they couldn't be. Once or twice a virus infected the board and the whole thing had to be purged. There were always a few people who bitched (especially those who had hard ons about their post count) but sometimes it's unavoidable.

This would only work to the extent that those registered have up-to-date email addresses attached to their accounts, but sending an email out to everyone around the time that the conversion is happening should minimize the occurrence of folks wondering what happened and why they can't log in.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu."

-- Author unknown

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Gob
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Gob »

We may yet get away with just an upgrade.

Reality Bytes has been a brick about helping out.

We are awaiting further responses from Dreamhost on their support ability.

It may just be a case of "wait and see", it may be a fresh new board, it could be a disaster....
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

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Reality Bytes
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Reality Bytes »

Essentially whats happened is twofold, the first is we have been happily bimbling along with the forum running on an old version of the forum software, to upgrade it there was a "one click" option via the webhosts, however when Gob looked into that they said we were on the latest version so couldn't "upgrade into the future" - this is incorrect we are actually at least 4 versions behind so any upgrades will have to be done manually - which is often a wee bit tricky (more on that later).

Secondly our version of the forum runs on PHP 5.6 newer versions run on PHP 7 or 7.1 and the latest version runs on PHP 7.2 Dreamhost upgraded all of its servers to PHP version 7.2 this is what broke the forum as the forum software is incompatible with that version of PHP. To fix it we have been able to manually change the server we are hosted on to run the old 5.6. which is where we are right now. However celebrations turned out to be premature as Dreamhost have now told us (see gibberish post) that in February they will be disabling all old PHP versions so we won't have an option to keep things as they are and the forum will once again be broken but this time for good.

To keep this forum and all member accounts and posts intact and ongoing we would need to upgrade to the latest version - it appears that cannot be done in one step. Because of the various PHP versions and because upgrades work on the previous versions files we have to upgrade 3 or 4 times through the various newer versions until we reach the latest one. Each one will need to be done manually, each time it's done the potential for stuff to stop working because of conflicts with outdated files increases exponentially (e.g. the forum skin is a custom one which would also need updating, various hacks we have made to add functionality behind the scenes may also stop working). Each thing that breaks will need to be fixed before we do the next upgrade at which point it could stop working again until fixed etc. etc. etc. To say this is a HUGE amount of usually very frustrating work is an understatement - which is why we're 4 versions behind.

The alternative would be to "archive" this version, essentially we do nothing as it'll cease to be functional once the PHP7.2 starts running, however when it was broke we could at least read the posts even if it had a load of debug code at the top of the screen all the time. We would then do a completely fresh and clean install of the most up to date version of the forum software and essentially start again with an empty forum. That option though would mean you losing all your post counts (unless I can hack it to give them back manually) and you'd need to reregister.

Before archiving the old board we'd have a very prominent link to the new forum address so that those members who have wandered off or only show up now and again (a bit like me) would know where to find us.

So thats where we are ....
If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you may have misjudged the situation.

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TPFKA@W
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by TPFKA@W »

I vote for you doing whatever is easiest for you to do.

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Scooter
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Scooter »

Yeah, that whole upgrading everything 3 or 4 times sounds like WAY too much headache.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu."

-- Author unknown

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RayThom
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Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by RayThom »

Gob, and regardless, you have my longstanding email addy so you will keep me apprised as to my next move, right?

I enjoy this forum for its tolerance and minimal censorship. Nowhere else will we find this kind of open forum.

In the end -- do the right thing. Thank you. Ray
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“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.” 

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Sue U
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Sue U »

What @w said.
GAH!

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Guinevere
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Guinevere »

Agreed. Please do whatever is simplest and easiest!
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké

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Joe Guy
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Joe Guy »

I vote for anyone who suggests doing it the hard way to be banned from the new forum. Do whatever is easiest. I appreciate the fact that you're doing anything at all to keep things running. Thank you for all you've done and continue to do.

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TPFKA@W
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by TPFKA@W »

Joe Guy wrote:I vote for anyone who suggests doing it the hard way to be banned from the new forum. Do whatever is easiest. I appreciate the fact that you're doing anything at all to keep things running. Thank you for all you've done and continue to do.

The real question here is whether you plan to regitwes to the new place.

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RayThom
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Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by RayThom »

TPFKA@W wrote:... The real question here is whether you plan to regitwes to the new place.
wesw is the prime example for tolerance and minimal censorship.

Let the shit fall where he may.
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“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.” 

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Joe Guy
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Joe Guy »

TPFKA@W wrote:The real question here is whether you plan to regitwes to the new place.
You should probably ask wesw. I just ran out of Thorazine so he should be showing up pretty soon.

wesw
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by wesw »

what is a regitwes?

it s0unds painful

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Econoline
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Econoline »

wesw wrote: it s0unds painful
Indeed. ;)
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by MajGenl.Meade »

Agreed with all - do what's easiest and best. I am grateful for all the hard work that goes into keeping the playground open.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by BoSoxGal »

While I will keen and rent my clothing and forever mourn the loss of the ‘trump is serious!!!!!’ thread - I will survive.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by BoSoxGal »

Wait just one more question: I am still working my way through the 28 pages of the music recommendations thread. Will we definitely have an accessible archive of threads inclusive of links? Or do I need to spend the next couple of days scrambling to bookmark all those YouTube links?

Please advise - thanks!
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Reality Bytes
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Re: Big Warning!!! PLEASE READ!!!!!

Post by Reality Bytes »

Thats the $64mil question - when the board was most recently broken after the switch to PHP7.2 then I was able to login and read threads albeit with lots of debug code at the top of each window, so in theory thats what will happen when they switch over permanently in Feb however there are no guarantees. If we do a fresh install before that happens we can perhaps with a bit of help from you guys copy over threads to the new board - obviously realistically we can't do them all but if people have a thread they wanted to save they could copy it and quote it into a new thread on the new forum, but it will be laborious.
If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you may have misjudged the situation.

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