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Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:19 pm
by PHONOMIKE
mick_vt wrote:
HisMastersVoice wrote:
The goal is for the site to be taken over and hosted by APS, so that this can never happen again if one individual person has control.
That makes a lot of sense - happy to lead the move for the APS too if desired (I am a member) - also happy to be involved in other ways if you have a need

I'd just like to add my .02 on this.

mick_vt is making a very generous offer. Why not be proactive instead of reactive. TMF has been a bit hit and miss the past couple weeks and this past Easter weekend a complete nightmare. You could barely load a page before it crashed with the next left click and that was if you could load it in the first place.

Let's think about one thing for a minute. The inevitable will eventually happen. Or is it already happening and we're starting to see it now? Let's say this site does crash (pause to think it thru for a minute) All data on here will be lost. All posts, pictures, links, the people you were in contact with and could you reach them again and how?

Maybe it's time to take action and get another updated and supported site active before the above scenario comes into play. IF this were to happen would APS want to look after and host it? I would think it could only help build their membership.

If a new and updated site is set up and taken on by APS, no one would have a monopoly on this site and what we are facing right now would be less at risk of ever happening again.

Again, just my opinion. But I'm always willing to listen to others ideas.

Mike

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 4:04 am
by fran604g
I agree completely, Mike. I would help anyway I can, but unfortunately the dark arts of the innernut are as alien to me as...well...aliens.

If it's volunteers who are needed, then maybe it's time to survey the APS membership as a whole.

Best regards,
Fran

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 4:23 am
by CarlosV
I agree with Mike. The easiest thing to do in my view would just to open another forum under control of the APS or another institution with the same user list of the TMF, so that people would start to use it instead of this one. Some of the more perennial posts of this forum could be transferred manually, like the Featured machines. To me the highest value of the forum is to be a communication medium among the active collecting community. As a data base its value is secondary, as it is not designed to be easily searchable, and more often than not whenever someone is looking for information that was already posted, someone else responds by more of less repeating the old info.

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:40 am
by phonogfp
The APS has already begun discussions with its web developers on this. I think I can safely say that there WILL be a future APS-maintained forum. Right now a primary concern is preservation of what's here on the TMF.

Some of you may remember in February and March 2018, when the APS approached the owner of this forum with an offer to buy, assist, or assume the responsibility of maintaining the TMF. Whatever arrangement would suit the owner. Two packets were sent a month apart via Registered Mail. Both packets were ignored.

Please know that creating a stable forum is a priority at the APS, and work has begun. Thanks to all APS members whose dues make this possible.

George P.

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:54 am
by fran604g
Thank you George, for the update.

I had tried to inform the correct party of the server failure on Sunday, by sending an email to: "webmaster@forum.talkingmachine.info" as was specified in a prior server error message (Google?).

BUT, literally just now, I received a "Delivery incomplete" notification via gmail (mailer-daemon@googlemail.com).

I guess this certainly illustrates one aspect of the incommunicado issue with the owner(s).

Thanks again,
Fran

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:17 am
by Bleachbit
webmaster@.............

is a “default” error message and many Domain owners do not establish a

webmaster@.............

email account, rather, provide other avenues of contact.

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:20 am
by fran604g
Bleachbit wrote:webmaster@.............

is a “default” error message and many Domain owners do not establish a

webmaster@.............

email account, rather, provide other avenues of contact.
That's good to know, I'm proving my ignorance on the topic.

Fran

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:23 am
by HisMastersVoice
I said this in the other thread, but I’ll repeat it here as well:

I have over 15 years of experience with configuring and managing phpBB (and Simple Machines, Invision, etc.) and I’m also a network engineer. While I appreciate the kind offers to help, we (the APS board members and I) do not require any assistance with setting anything up at this time. I’ve also owned talkingmachineforum.com for years in preparation for this. It will be transferred to APS when that time comes.

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:58 am
by Bleachbit
Fran604g

My apologies. No intent on my part to highlight what someone might not know, rather to inform.

Re: Forum Problems

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:20 am
by gramophone78
Just curious...would a person need to be a paid subscriber to APS in order to use the forum if taken over by APS. Or would (as now) anyone be able to use as it exists now without paying for a membership..??.