Old Boards

[kalaskaagathas]

So write a script to read old post text, and post it to the new system as data. Hell, you could even call some Bayesian library functions to filter the spam inline.

Should be too hard if you have an XML dump (or similar) of the old stuff.

This sounds nontrivial.  Is this nontrivial?  I have no idea.  If it would work, that'd be great, but, again, to my under-educated ear, it sounds nontrivial.

[Jacemachine]

How soon do we have until the old boards are done with and are deleted?

I feel like I went on a long vacation and when I come home the roommates all told me that the house was condemned and we all have to go in and grab whatever shit we can.

 

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

I have tons to move because I don't have a consolidated place to move it to yet...

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Hmm... would the Internet Archive be interested in taking the database?

2nd-ing

{ ... insert or maybe my ignorance is showing smiley face ... }

[bhu]

I have tons to move because I don't have a consolidated place to move it to yet...

I might be able to help with that once i finish helping Oslecamo

[Whisper]

So write a script to read old post text, and post it to the new system as data. Hell, you could even call some Bayesian library functions to filter the spam inline.

Should be too hard if you have an XML dump (or similar) of the old stuff.

This sounds nontrivial.  Is this nontrivial?  I have no idea.  If it would work, that'd be great, but, again, to my under-educated ear, it sounds nontrivial.

Depends on the data format. It's certainly not the hardest task ever.

Might take an experienced software engineer a day or three.

[veekie]

^^
It may have passed notice, but none of the people with actual database access are experienced software people.

[kalaskaagathas]

^^
It may have passed notice, but none of the people with actual database access are experienced software people.

Indeed, that would seem to be an issue.  Perhaps some on the boards are, and would have the time and inclination to take on the task?  Because unless we can find some to do it (and therefore get the people with actual database access in talks with said people) then I think it'd be more fruitful to pursue a different tack.

I have tons to move because I don't have a consolidated place to move it to yet...

Same here.  Except I don't have tons to move.  But I do have stuff to move, and lacking the ability to easily get at it all, and a place to put it, I'd hope we have a decent amount of time before the old BG boards go away.

[Kuroimaken]

I do have stuff to move, but it's all over the place. I had over 6000 posts at the old boards, and sorting what I want and what I do not want from it will take time that, at present, I do not have. It might help to know which, if any threads I started people would like to see here again. Anyone who remembers a particular thread or threads that they'd like to see around, feel free to PM me.

[Whisper]

^^
It may have passed notice, but none of the people with actual database access are experienced software people.

I'm an experienced software people. Perhaps I can help.

Is the data in a running database, or do you have some sort of file-format dump?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Anyway, contact them at info@archive.org

They're datahoarders - I'm fairly sure they'll take it.

[kurashu]

^^
It may have passed notice, but none of the people with actual database access are experienced software people.

Dumping a database out into a CVS format or just downloading it into a SQL file (or whatever format databases dump into these days) isn't hard. Installing MySQLPHPAdmin is super simple and that should have an option to just download it. At that point, using the tables for user names, topic data and post data would be so easy even a novice with a crash course could do it.

SQL isn't a very complex beast. It's just knowing how to tell the server to retrieve the right information. Sure "SELECT p.u_id, u.name, u.u_id AS id p.content, p.title, p.timestamp, p.thread_id FROM posts p, users u WHERE p.u_id = id AND p.thread_id = X SORT BY p.timestamp DESC;" looks complicated but even still, you can probably still figure out what's going on.

[Spaulding]

I actually joined this forum after being a lurker at the old boards for something like 2 years or so. Frankly, I find them a fascinating wealth of information. When I read that they were being deleted i was like and then . As a result, I went on a search to hunt down a way to save the interesting and useful information, especially since it seem that there is an interest in getting rid of the old forums. So here are my personal ideas:

1)

Anyway, contact them at info@archive.org

They're datahoarders - I'm fairly sure they'll take it.

The archive is a great resource, but I think it can take a few months (like 6 or so, maybe up to 2 years) before everything gets ported over.

2)

So write a script to read old post text, and post it to the new system as data. Hell, you could even call some Bayesian library functions to filter the spam inline.

Should be too hard if you have an XML dump (or similar) of the old stuff.

This sounds nontrivial.  Is this nontrivial?  I have no idea.  If it would work, that'd be great, but, again, to my under-educated ear, it sounds nontrivial.

I don't think this should be too terribly hard. I did some digging and I *think* Forumotion http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=861505 would be able to get this done. However, according to the documentation, it works best when you have:
A Web Server with [preferably] MySQL.
Forum Software installed on this web server, configured and ready to go with phpBB or SMF
Database Access - need to be able to insert, delete and truncate
Python (versions 2.5 to 2.6 will work (probably 2.7 as well), but Python 3 will NOT work!) -- download from http://www.python.org
I haven't had time to look into this, but people at phpbb.com state that it can work without needing access to the database, you just don't get all the user information/profiles/etc., but the directories, threads, and posts should remain intact (or so I understand).

3) Dump the threads/directories that don't matter so much and don't really contribute to creativity bulk information. In my opinion, this would include (feel free to disagree, just my opinion, no offense to others intended) almost everything under: "Board Business", "Show Stuff", "General Gab", "Playtime!", and "Trash bin". This would eliminate ~176000 of the ~429000 posts or about 41% of them. Some of the most heavily externally linked information that I have found is located under "Min/Max It!" and especially it's children boards "Handbooks" and "You Break It, You Buy It". If it wouldn't be too terribly expensive (I have no understanding of the costs involved), but many of these boards could be copied over, locked, and placed under an "archived" section of the new forums or just dropped wholly into an appropriate forum over here. If you locked all of them, it would preserve their locations and prevent zombifying any of the threads from the old site as well.

At the very least it would be nice to keep the optimization information, handbooks, and "special" overly broken builds to prevent people form having to reinvent the wheel, as these section took ALOT of work to pull together by a dedicated community over a fairly long period of time.

Just some thoughts, I might have time this weekend to play around a bit.

[altpersona]

did we ever get a size on the old boards?

i would like a copy edited or not...

[brainpiercing]

I would be really, really neat if we could export entire threads, instead of having to copy/paste individual posts. Especially old game threads, I still find myself frequently having to look through, because PbP games are so slow.
Then there are all the handbooks, etc.

[ImperatorK]

I would be really, really neat if we could export entire threads, instead of having to copy/paste individual posts.

You can. just Click at Print option at the start of the thread with your right mouse button and choose "Save as", save the .html file on your hard drive and you will have the entire thread as an easy to read file.

[brainpiercing]

I would be really, really neat if we could export entire threads, instead of having to copy/paste individual posts.

You can. just Click at Print option at the start of the thread with your right mouse button and choose "Save as", save the .html file on your hard drive and you will have the entire thread as an easy to read file.

Thanks!! I'll do that.

I also just noticed that I have the firefox addon Scrapbook installed which actually saves entire threads!

[ksbsnowowl]

I would be really, really neat if we could export entire threads, instead of having to copy/paste individual posts.

You can. just Click at Print option at the start of the thread with your right mouse button and choose "Save as", save the .html file on your hard drive and you will have the entire thread as an easy to read file.

I will be doing this later in the weekend.  Thanks!

[awaken_D_M_golem]

[minor tangent]

I recovered a decent summary of "why" BG happened.
Anybody link/copy meg's pov post of that situation?

(click to show/hide)

    * Autumn_Serene is the representative for the Character Optimization boards, she has been for 8 years.

    * Gamer_Zero is in charge of the forums at large.

    * Autumn's volunteer position lasts 3 months and she has to apply for renewal, she is the only one that applies.

    * The forums have to be reorganized for the coming of 4E.

    * G0 posts a proposed new organization.

    * This organization sucks; Autumn and others point out flaws.

    * G0 posts a second "nearly final" organization which has all the flaws of the prior one plus more.

    *



          o G0's proposed organization includes the merger of all the Optimization boards with eachother and the Development board.

          o G0 says that any forum that gets more than one page of new threads per day will be split under the new system.

          o Character Optimization alone has two pages of new threads per day.



    * Autumn is upset and posts a slightly emotional rejection of G0's plan.

    * G0 lets Autumn's position expire and gives it to somebody who didn't apply.

    *



          o Accusations of favoritism fly.

          o The person who didn't apply steps in to explain that he told G0 he was going to apply but waited a little bit to consider, during which he got the position anyway.



    * Autumn posts a goodbye thread in the Character Optimization boards.

    * Archerpwr arranges a protest in a community feedback forum that nobody goes to, with a link in Autumn's thread.

    * G0 locks Archer's thread and tells people to post in a giant feedback bucket thread.

    * Character Optimization fills about four pages of this thread with protests, some of their posts are mysteriously deleted.

    * G0 moves Autumn's goodbye thread to the community feedback forum and locks it.

    * Multiple threads spring up in Character Optimization detailing what happened and where to go protest.

    * An increasing number of Character Optimization regulars decide to go to Autumn's board, Brilliant Gameologists.

    * G0 says that a sticky link will be provided in whatever replaces Character Optimization that leads to Brilliant Gameologists.

    * Character Optimization begins a mass exodus.

[dipolartech]

I was looking through the GM Gamology section and found a great a deal of useful material. Unfortunately none of it is really in handbook form and only a few threads are of large size so I don't think any one would be willing to cherry pick through it for good stuff like in the min/max section. Is there any chance of getting an code-powered transfer still being in the works? Or could we get a subsection of General DnD named GM Gamology and maybe cherry pick a few things?