Uploading the Old Forum

[Mar]

You can save the old forum by going to settings, getting "40 posts per page", then use the "file" -> "save as" feature on your browser to download the page. Then we can all upload the pages we save.

If we coordinate this, like one person per thread, we can get a lot of old posts and upload them into this forum.

What do you think?


HTTrack works, btw, if anyone wants to keep the memories of the old forum, you can download the whole forum to your harddrive. I think mattroe is figuring out a way to upload them too.

[Shurtugal]

It'd be easier to write a program to do this and then upload the files.

[Mar]

Yeah you're right, but who can write a program that can do this?

[xyxaxyz2]

I've been looking around for a way but I haven't found a good solution. I'd really like to save RDT, don't really care about any other threads

[Gryph]

Personally, we should bring over the snail thread and Dragoen Link death. But that's just me

[The Butcher]

2nd for snail thread. Epic Ramblings also.

[KBHoleN1]

As long as we save the elim-Gandhi posts I'm happy.

[Aristocatt]

Kash it isn't that simple. The HTML generated by vbulletin is dynamic, and the actual content is stored in a database. Having the archive is good though, because it can probably still be scraped in the future to format all the necessary content into files the database can read. . .

. . .Anyway, no point in making people work too hard on this.

The forums are already being archived.
We also have a script running that can grab all the forum content and convert it into files that can be inserted into the new forums database. The only caveat is that we used TAOs archive to do this, so we can't regenerate quotes, images, videos, etc.

Right now we are working on building a script that can scrape through the actual forums quickly enough to grab all of the information we need to actually regenerate quotes and other stuff like that.

My awkward post in the bug thread was so that I could get a look at how the database stores smileys and quotes and stuff in the database, so we can reformat the data we are scraping from the old forums.

Don't go around talking about this on the old forums.

[Zoticus]

I second the motion to bring over Epic Ramblings thread.

All those in favor of the motion to bring over Epic Ramblings thread say "Aye" and all those opposed stick your head in the sand.

[Hulky]

All of the threads are being transferred over in some manner. Read the post above yours [including the last line].

[DivineLeft]

Its the people we need more than the pages.. tick tock on the timer. and Where's BR?

[elimination]

As long as we save the elim-Gandhi posts I'm happy.
Must have been an historical moment. Why did they not win any awards I would not know, I don't even remember if there was an award for funniest post/most embarrassing lmfao.
-Also, why not try to retrieve the battle recordings thread, or at least the majority of the recordings posted so that we can still enjoy watching them. Once the forum is gone it will more than likely be much more difficult to find these videos, at least the really good ones.
I would bring mine, but sadly none of mine are available anymore, unless I somehow get the hard drive from my old computer which I doubt I can.

[Aristocatt]

I'll just update this.

Looks like we will be able to transition the old forum. We grabbed about 1.8M posts, and all of the users(I think its something like 55K).

The post count and user count on the old forum is probably incorrect. I know that the user count is not accurate, and I am pretty sure the Post count is also inaccurate.

I am about 90% sure we will be able to grab everything again, this time from the actual site, so that we can also reformat quotes and images and stuff. I'll be converting my previous script into a script that can handle this task later today.

Just a heads up though. . .
. . .Old forum posts won't be migrated immediately. I still need to sanitize all of the information pulled, and we still need to build the procedures to smoothly merge all the information from the old forums with the data already present on this forum.

I don't think the procedures should take very long to do, but I am pretty overwhelmed with school for the next two weeks, so I may not get to sanitizing everything until mid may.

[xyxaxyz2]

Very impressive. I've been lazy about grabbing the stuff I wanted, so thanks for doing this

[Wizzy]

Cool stuff.. it'll be like the forums were never gone

[Hulky]

Rep though is something that isn't captured. Same with VMs and PMs to the best of my knowledge, so if you have memories stored there you kinda gotta save it yourselves.

[DivineLeft]

What Hulky says is true. PMs and VMs go bye bye, Rep comments as well as rep totals not captured. Also, no polls, unless we add something for that, but more concerned with overall content.. posts and quoting.

Signatures are on you, if you want them, copy them over. And if you subscribed to any threads in the past that will be broken as well.
Ignore lists will start over.. I believe all attachments gone too as there are upload to the website db.

Friends list will be broken as we update so wait on the friend requests here please.. Will have to purge and start over. (just discovered this today)


The over good news in posts and their general content saved as well as the memberlist just as Aristocatt states. He has done a great deal of work and putting up with me to make this work.
(I will move this thread to announcements..)

[Zoticus]

I am against bringing over ALL of the threads from the old forums.

I understand bringing over the popular threads.. but why bring over all of that crap and junk up this fresh new forum?

Can WE not have a discussion or vote about this?

[Hulky]

I am against bringing over ALL of the threads from the old forums.

I understand bringing over the popular threads.. but why bring over all of that crap and junk up this fresh new forum?

Can WE not have a discussion or vote about this?

If you want to have a vote you should probably pick something that you wouldn't lose in an overwhelming landslide.

[Toledo]

I see no reason not to bring over all of the posts, what's your thinking Zot?

[Zoticus]

New era.

Simply put.

Not to mention the overwhelming amount of garbage and waste of space on the old forums.

[Mar]

Very impressive. I've been lazy about grabbing the stuff I wanted, so thanks for doing this

Mattroe belongs at Stanford

[Luxvero]

here's a thought

so you guys will import all the messages into this board, nice, what if its all inserted under a toptier archive section, but threads still in its own subforums.



Announcements

Tactics Arena Community
_ General Discussion
_ Sports
_ Forum games

Ye Olden Things
_ Nostalgia
_ Ideas and Drawings for a new game

Old Community Archives
_ Announcements

_ Tactics Arena Community
_ |_ General Discussion
_ |_ Create-A-Unit
_ |_ Tactics Arena Discussion
_ |_ Newbie Board
_ |_ TAO Tournaments

_ Clan Warfare
_ |_ Clan Discussion

_ Gold Forums
_ |_ secret forum

_ Development
_ |_ Technical Support



its still marked under the original posters, still linkable, still searchable (but you can choose to filter it out), but locked

its permanently archived, safe from loss, but anyone can reference and quote those messages in a fresh new thread on the regular subforums

[Aristocatt]

here's a thought

so you guys will import all the messages into this board, nice, what if its all inserted under a toptier archive section, but threads still in its own subforums.



Announcements

Tactics Arena Community
_ General Discussion
_ Sports
_ Forum games

Ye Olden Things
_ Nostalgia
_ Ideas and Drawings for a new game

Old Community Archives
_ Announcements

_ Tactics Arena Community
_ |_ General Discussion
_ |_ Create-A-Unit
_ |_ Tactics Arena Discussion
_ |_ Newbie Board
_ |_ TAO Tournaments

_ Clan Warfare
_ |_ Clan Discussion

_ Gold Forums
_ |_ secret forum

_ Development
_ |_ Technical Support



its still marked under the original posters, still linkable, still searchable (but you can choose to filter it out), but locked

its permanently archived, safe from loss, but anyone can reference and quote those messages in a fresh new thread on the regular subforums

This seems like a pretty good idea. I think it's definitely worthwhile to ask everyone how they think the old forum content should be preserved once we are ready to update the new forums DB.

I disagree with Zot that we shouldn't merge the old forum content onto the new forum. There is a huge difference between being able to view an archive of a forum, and being able to enjoy and interact with that content on a new forum, the same new forum that the old community is using to keep in touch and stuff.

[KBHoleN1]

I like the idea of preserving the old stuff, but just starting fresh with new threads. I mean, we've already recreated and updated many of the threads we used to post in, so it's not like we need to import the old threads to replace them. I think this subforum archive is a swell idea.

[DivineLeft]

Suggestion for how to use old forum: /modified by meletus



Announcements

Tactics Arena Community
_ General Discussion (move popular and active threads here)
_ Sports
_ Forum games

Ye Olden Things
_ Nostalgia
_ |_ TAO Tournaments
_ Ideas and Drawings for a new game
_ |_ Create-A-Unit

Archives 2003-2015

_ Tactics Arena Online Community
_ |_ Older Discussions
_ |_ Tactics Arena Discussion
_ |_ Newbie Board /might move to under development as well

_ Clan Warfare
_ |_ Clan Discussion

_ Gold Forums
_ |_ The Revelation Server
_ |_ Gold Strategy

_ Development
_ |_ Announcements /truncated maybe merged with Tech support with new header
_ |_ Technical Support / Truncated maybe removed..



its still marked under the original posters, still linkable, still searchable (but you can choose to filter it out), but locked

its permanently archived, safe from loss, but anyone can reference and quote those messages in a fresh new thread on the regular subforums


This seems like a pretty good idea. I think it's definitely worthwhile to ask everyone how they think the old forum content should be preserved once we are ready to update the new forums DB.

I disagree with Zot that we shouldn't merge the old forum content onto the new forum. There is a huge difference between being able to view an archive of a forum, and being able to enjoy and interact with that content on a new forum, the same new forum that the old community is using to keep in touch and stuff.

I modified your suggestion slightly and would be up for something like this.. The idea is to have the content to mov forward and with the hopes that the/a game is made to keep this community growing. Over the past 13 years there have been great threads, good suggestions, trolls and other abominations, and of course worthless shit. :) But I think if we archived the stuff but made the useful things exist as others discover taoforums and reconnect it will be nice to see their history and reconnect with their own accounts. Personally I have 5 accounts I would like merge and reactivate as one. But thats just cause I got banned alot for voicing opinions :)
I also disagree with Zol and really like the concept of your idea Lux, it will definitely be a work in progress and once hosting actually goes down on tacticsarena.com we can review more closely the desires of the community rather than just my opinion.

[Zoticus]

Hey now, I'm fine with archiving the old forums.

I just don't want them replacing the new threads on here, and if you created a thread from the old forum please reference the original thread creator.

Thanks.

[Mar]

Are we going to merge the old forum? Or at least make it a part of this one?

I was hoping to scroll through some old archives just to reminisce if nothing else.

[Hulky]

Are we going to merge the old forum? Or at least make it a part of this one?

I was hoping to scroll through some old archives just to reminisce if nothing else.

Give it time. Finals are coming up too.

[Mar]

Any updates with this? It would be cool to scroll through some old posts

[KBHoleN1]

Kash, stop being annoying. Instead of posting every few days asking when it will be done, try reading Matt's post about it where he gave you his timeline for doing it. And stop being a whiny beggar, he's doing this in his spare time, no one is paying him to do this.



Just a heads up though. . .
. . .Old forum posts won't be migrated immediately. I still need to sanitize all of the information pulled, and we still need to build the procedures to smoothly merge all the information from the old forums with the data already present on this forum.

I don't think the procedures should take very long to do, but I am pretty overwhelmed with school for the next two weeks, so I may not get to sanitizing everything until mid may.

[Mar]

I didn't read it that closely, sorry for angering you KB

[The Butcher]

I didn't read it that closely, sorry for angering you KB

You hardly ever read things closely.

[Zoticus]

I didn't read it that closely, sorry for angering you KB


You hardly ever read things closely.

http://i2.wp.com/imgmr.com/fr/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/that-70-show-kelso-burn.jpg

[Aristocatt]

Deadline for getting this done needs to be pushed back now.

I don't have experience with the VBulletin DB or the VB admin features. So without Mel's help I am going to need to spend time doing more stuff now.
Spending a lot of time trying to get this game built too. Old Forums will be resurrected if I can get the data from Mel. But I have no idea when I will get around to it.

[Madamos]

No stress. You all take your time, we appreciate it all!

[DivineLeft]

Spoke with matt yesterday.. this is still being worked on and will be added once I complete it and setup the structure to fit here.

[Mar]

Nice to see you, Mel :)

[Wizzy]

Nice to see you, Mel :)

dont ruin this

[Mar]

dont ruin this

you're ruining it by saying don't ruin it

[Zoticus]

you're ruining it by saying don't ruin it

John 11:35 Jesus Wept

[Mar]

John 11:35 Jesus Wept

I can't believe you just cited the Bible

[rainblade]

I can't believe you just cited the Bible

Well, he is a conservative.

[Mar]

What's going on with this? I actually wanted to look through a couple old threads that I've been thinking about recently.

[Aristocatt]

Not sure, I'll have to talk to Mel about it. As far as I am aware we should still have all the information stored on a db. There may have been some problems organizing it properly.

[Mar]

Well even if you can't organize it, having it all in one place would be the best. We can cut it down to only the largest threads (or those threads that current active members in the community have made) and just upload those. Otherwise, we have thousands of useless threads, too. Might as well filter those out.