[Gravity Defier]

I wanted to get the attention of the mods and techs (whoever is left of either group) and didn't want to take the discussion off board. Who knows, maybe as we hobble along others will have stuff to address to the powers that be.

Questions I have, that I would like you to consider or answer when possible.

Has any progress been made on getting a system in place for regular database backups? I could care less about invistext and member titles being separate from rankings.



Chris, since you are the most active tech, if the mods okay it, would you be willing to create something custom that is similar to the wordpress, so we can have everything on philoticweb.net, even if Ami doesn't cooperate? I don't know how this woman from Ender's Ansible is going to respond to an idea of collaboration but if she is okay with it, I'd like something more cohesive than the potential three different sites (thephiloticweb, philoticweb, endersansible). I'd ask Wil, since he custom made the other for Simple Machines software but he's had so much put on him from this group, that seems unfair.

OR

Mods, would you be okay with some forwarding of philoticweb to thephiloticweb?

OR

Mods, would you be willing to contact Ami or ask Taal to contact Ami to see what can be done so that we're not dependent on her to add a wordpress? Adam is unconvinced she would ever hand over everything but we don't know until we try.



Thanks in advance.

[Jayelle]

Sorry for taking a bit to respond.

I am 100% cool with the forwarding to thephiloticweb. Love the work that's being done there.

It would be great if Taal could contact Ami, since he's at least met her, that might mean something?

[zeroguy]

Gravity Defier wrote:

Has any progress been made on getting a system in place for regular database backups?

Sorry I wasn't clear on this, but this has been in place in some fashion since October 16th. Every week on Sunday I get another copy of the database on my laptop (except the Nov 20th, when it was in a hotel room without internet access). It's not the best, but it works and is easy to migrate elsewhere. I'm not "actively" working on improving it, but I plan to do so eventually.

[Noodle]

Gravity Defier wrote:

Questions I have, that I would like you to consider or answer when possible.

Sorry about the delay in my response. I have been really busy, and have some other reasons why I've been lurking more than posting recently, but I don't want it to seem like we're ignoring you.

Quote:

Has any progress been made on getting a system in place for regular database backups? I could care less about invistext and member titles being separate from rankings.

As far as I know, no progress has been made in this area. Between my time constraints and limited expertise in this particular thing, I haven't wanted to take it on myself, but it does worry me. I'd like to see something done here. Soon.

Quote:

Chris, since you are the most active tech, if the mods okay it, would you be willing to create something custom that is similar to the wordpress, so we can have everything on philoticweb.net, even if Ami doesn't cooperate? I don't know how this woman from Ender's Ansible is going to respond to an idea of collaboration but if she is okay with it, I'd like something more cohesive than the potential three different sites (thephiloticweb, philoticweb, endersansible). I'd ask Wil, since he custom made the other for Simple Machines software but he's had so much put on him from this group, that seems unfair.

This seems like a bad idea. Sorry, but it's either going to entail using a majorly outdated Wordpress install, which opens us up to security risks. Or it's going to be a custom wordpress like blogging engine, which is like reinventing the wheel. It's a lot of work, for little gain.

Quote:

Mods, would you be okay with some forwarding of philoticweb to thephiloticweb?

This is fairly straight forward, but migrating the PHPBB board over to the other host wouldn't be simple. It can be done, and with not too terribly much work, but that migration piece is the toughest part. Redirecting the domain name is simple, five minutes of work.

Quote:

Mods, would you be willing to contact Ami or ask Taal to contact Ami to see what can be done so that we're not dependent on her to add a wordpress? Adam is unconvinced she would ever hand over everything but we don't know until we try.

This is similar to above. Instead of migrating the forum, we'd be migrating the wordpress database. Probably a similar amount of work as migrating the forum software and database. The tricky part is getting PHP upgraded, which as we know requires assistance from Ami.

[Wind Swept]

I missed this thread somehow, but Noodle appears to have answered for me:

Noodle wrote:

This seems like a bad idea. Sorry, but it's either going to entail using a majorly outdated Wordpress install, which opens us up to security risks. Or it's going to be a custom wordpress like blogging engine, which is like reinventing the wheel. It's a lot of work, for little gain.

Building something like WordPress from scratch is a very bad idea.

If we want WordPress, we need Ami to upgrade PHP and MySQL, or we need to move.

[Gravity Defier]

Thanks for the responses, Jan, zero, Noodle, and Chris. I understand people are busy, so it's cool of you all to do that.

I have no major love for WordPress; I also don't hate it. I'm pretty indifferent, on the whole.

My ideas about what the site should look like have all pretty much crashed in the process of everything because I don't know what we're even aiming for anymore and won't have a better idea until we talk to Cassandra (Ender's Ansible admin) in a week or so. Even so, I'm trying to take a step way back in this whole thing and be enthusiastic support and general, positive pain in the ass.


Anyway, regardless of WordPress or anything else, I think you all need to make some sort of plan for next step forward. You're now just as aware, probably moreso, of our limitations and basic requests (that is, WordPress is the way we're going for now, so it's a basic request of mine that we at least be able to have one cohesive site with it in use or find an alternative that will work with what we now have) and know the pros and cons of doing or not doing various things.

If you all think contacting Ami is the way to go, please state so specifically and then approach the person you want asking.

If not, I'll be curious to hear your recommendations or decisions on what is the next step.

[Gravity Defier]

Hi, folks. I'm cringing as I post this because I feel a bit insubordinate for this but...

5 days ago:

Quote:

Hi again, Ami.

Not sure if you've heard of all the casting and movie news but things are really getting exciting for us all, aren't they?

At any rate, I was writing to ask if it would be possible to get PHP and MySQL upgraded for us; we're trying to work with WordPress but it is not an option with the current software we have. Any help at all in this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Alea

[no response]

Today:

Quote:

Good morning,

Just a friendly reminder to ask for some help, in the event you got busy and forgot.

Thanks!

Today:

Quote:

Hi Alea,

I talked to Vladimir about it and he said he'll look at it tomorrow.

[chit chat about casting]

Cheers,

Ami

[Taalcon]

[Gravity Defier]

Quote:

Hi Alea,

Vladimir says the most updated versions of PHP and MySQL should be there. Our server host takes care of that kind of stuff, and we have the most updated versions of software on our Geekatplay. Hope you can get the wordpress up and running soon. Maybe if you can tell me what error you're running into, we can help?

Thanks,

Ami

[zeroguy]

The version of PHP in use is 4.4.9, according to phpinfo(). The MySQL server is 4.1.24-max-log, and the MySQL client libraries are 5.0.18.

The current stable release of PHP is 5.3.8, and the current stable release of MySQL is 5.5.19. Modern wordpress, for example claims to require at least PHP 5.2.4 and MySQL 5.0.

It's understandable to me if they cannot easily change that since the host takes care of it (which is why I thought buying the domain from ami might be the only way to change that), but those are certainly not modern versions.

[Taalcon]

Hosts I've been a part of in the past haven't automagically upgraded, but rather often silently wait for you to go into your control panel and authorize the upgrade. But I have no idea what the situation is with the Chopine family's setup.

It does look like they're interested in keeping it up to speed if it's a possibility, though.

[Taalcon]

May I suggest a re-ordering of the Forum topics/headers, especially right now for the time being, with THE MOVIE being on top, with THE BOOKS underneath? Let's be honest - that's what people will be coming in here looking for. And that's actually where most of our new discussion is taking place. THE BOOKS will still be there, just as visible, but just, for the time, re-ordered.

[Jayelle]

I can do that- or any other mod who wants to. I am currently away from home for the Christmas season, so I won't be able to do much in the next week and a half. I'll be happy to do stuff when I get back home.

At the moment I can barely check pweb (but I love the new banner!).

[Dr. Mobius]

Done.

ETA: Moved the Foyer up as well. Rules and intros should be at the top, not buried in the middle in my opinion.

[Cassandra]

Good ideas, looks good!

[Taalcon]

Hey, Aramis Knight (Bean in the movie) has created a userID here, "IamBean". I suggest we create a VIP user-type to change the color for confirmed such VIPs.

Be cool, everyone

[Cassandra]

Taalcon wrote:

Hey, Aramis Knight (Bean in the movie) has created a userID here, "IamBean". I suggest we create a VIP user-type to change the color for confirmed such VIPs.

Be cool, everyone

I agree!

[TechChris]

Taalcon wrote:

I suggest we create a VIP user-type to change the color for confirmed such VIPs.

On it.

[mr_thebrain]

don't seem right that the dude's a launchie even though he's IN THE MOVIE!

[Taalcon]

Can someone stickythe thread in EnderVerse novels and Stories announcing the interview with Sebastian? I think its worth not getting lost, and being well seen by new arrivals. Same with the "Casting Call" announcement thread in Official News.

Not gonna lie - I sort of miss my old powers to be able to sticky/mark important stuff

[Taalcon]

Could we change the Title tag on our index page to have "Ender's Game" in there somewhere? Perhaps: The Philotic Web - An Ender's Game Community' - I just noted on Google when searching for Ender's Game, we come up at the bottom of page 4, and even then, the title is simply: "Philotic Web * Index Page" - putting the term in the title could significantly add to our SEO relevance, and up our rankings a bit.

Thanks

[Gravity Defier]

Chris, you said PHP was upgraded...does this mean we can add a WordPress page? I don't want to do what Cassandra is doing, if we can, but I am thinking we'd be a great database for the older books and materials. If possible, we can even fashion it to look similar to Cassandra's to make sure that connection stays in place.

[Wind Swept]

Gravity Defier wrote:

Chris, you said PHP was upgraded...does this mean we can add a WordPress page? I don't want to do what Cassandra is doing, if we can, but I am thinking we'd be a great database for the older books and materials. If possible, we can even fashion it to look similar to Cassandra's to make sure that connection stays in place.

I feel a wiki would likely serve that purpose better than WordPress...

[Taalcon]

Check this out: Ansible: An Orson Scott Card Wiki

Umm, I think we (or some of us) started that back in the day. I think I remember making that logo. Oh, it was us. Heh.

Anyone know anyone who's maintaining it now a days?

[Taalcon]

Taalcon wrote:

Could we change the Title tag on our index page to have "Ender's Game" in there somewhere?

Thanks!

[Taalcon]

also, it's been said before that a key desire is to make the Timelines (as noted in Shadow Puppets, Ender Companion, etc) prominent and available. Until there's a better medium, can we make theTimeline thread over in Enderverse Novels stickied?

Apart from the original timeline, it's got some links to and images of other useful ones as well - and I just added to it *grin*. Might be a helpful and easy to find resource - especially if people come here from Shadow Puppets looking for them!

Thanks!

[Gravity Defier]

Wind Swept wrote:

Gravity Defier wrote:

Chris, you said PHP was upgraded...does this mean we can add a WordPress page? I don't want to do what Cassandra is doing, if we can, but I am thinking we'd be a great database for the older books and materials. If possible, we can even fashion it to look similar to Cassandra's to make sure that connection stays in place.

I feel a wiki would likely serve that purpose better than WordPress...

Being a non-tech who is into conveying information that also looks appealing, I have to say, I have yet to see a wiki that would look nice enough to meet the criteria for both. I'm not willing to put up much of a fight over things but honestly, I'd still prefer to see Pweb with some sort of site like it had way before, with the forum linked to it, and I think what Dave did with WP looked nice enough. A banner and link to EA could be added to that, with a news ticker just like the forum has, I presume.

The other reason, besides superficial reasons like appearance, I'd like to see WP is because I think that can do what wiki does and more (but, again, non-tech here) and I don't want us to be limited to just what we can do now (timelines that Dave and philoticweb made, older book summaries, etc.) for the long run. I may not have genius ideas (yet!) but I'd like us to be a fan resource in as many ways as we can think of. With proper permission, for instance, I would like to post the epics in some sort of fan works section. Interviews can be cross posted to here and EA.

If any of the others think wiki is the way to go, I'll go along with it but I'd like to see more, personally.


Also

Quote:

You may embed only 3 quotes within each other.

What? That seems silly; how are we ever supposed to play the quote game if we are limited to three?

[Taalcon]

Also:

One thing that we could do with our own wordpress is keep generally updated on other OSC-related news. While many have grown jaded to OSC, still many are still interested in at least being kept aware of release information. I think keeping Ender's Ansible as solely an Ender-themed (movie and book release) is perfect.

But there are still people out there who would be quite happy to learn that OSC is finally working on finishing Rasputin, or to learn what new stories are being made available in IGMS, etc. Or who would want a place they can go to be sure they'll hear about when OSC will finally finish Alvin Maker.

Hatrack front page generally is behind - most of the news either is reported in the forums by OSC or Kristine, or we read about it in a press release.

The rest of the site can maintain an archive of Ender-specific things, but it would still be nice to know what's new and what's going on.

[Dr. Mobius]

Quote:

Quote:

Gravity Defier wrote:

Wind Swept wrote:

Gravity Defier wrote:

...

...

Also

Quote:

You may embed only 3 quotes within each other.

What? That seems silly; how are we ever supposed to play the quote game if we are limited to three?

Eh?

[Gravity Defier]

Hello, lovely folks in charge. Any thought given to giving us a WordPress page? Cassandra also had some questions in the other thread that a tech might be able to answer for her.

I really do think, if Pweb and EA kept similar/related but distinguishable appearances, we could continue to really help each other out, even with us getting a page.

[Jayelle]

I'm all for a wordpress page, I don't know how to technically do it.

Taal, if I give you access to the tech stuff, would you have that expertise?

[Taalcon]

While I'd be happy to customize and develop the Wordpress once it's installed, I'd feel more comfortable if the installation proper was handled by someone like Chris, etc. Once that's done, and there's a wordpress admin account established, I'd be happy to dive in.

[Wind Swept]

I'll install it this afternoon or sometime tomorrow.

[Wind Swept]

Hey, Tech peeps, if any of you are around:
Were any of you doing anything with the joomla install that's on the server? It appears to be using a separate database from the forum. So, if no one's using it, I thought I'd purge the joomla tables and house WordPress there. Any objections?

[Gravity Defier]

We're getting a WordPress.