Website move

[El Gordo]

Remember the message about moving the RC hosting servers from Doncaster to Southern Florida? That was 16 months ago.

Well I'm now actually about to do it. Like definitely.

There are two things I need to do 1) move the runningcommentary.net files over to the new server and 2) move the forum (which is currently still on the old runningcommentary.co.uk domain).

The first bit is relatively simple. There may be a short time when .net is unavailable, while the domain 'propagates'. I'm always told that this can take "up to 48 hours" but in reality it's usually less than an hour.

There are several hundred files to move over, so it's likely that there'll be a few broken links and missing images for a while, but I'll get this sorted. Now that I'm off the beer for a while I seem to have a lot of time on my hands .

The second bit, the forum, is more complicated. I may take the opportunity to move the forum to the rc.net site so that it's all in the same place. Seems kinda logical. But if you link to the forum from your 'Favorites' as I'm sure everyone does.... ...you'll have to change the link. But don't worry about it at the moment.

As I'm moving the forum, I'm hoping to do two things: include the older posts that were sort of archived by accident, and which SP thought I had forgotten about, and upgrade to the latest version of the forum software, which will have some new features and, more importantly (for me anyway) should be a bit more robust in combatting spammers, which have been a nuisance for about 2 years now.

I'll be doing the .net move over the next day. The forum move will have to be planned and thought about, so will take a few days longer. Will give as much warning as possible.

Ta.

[Seafront Plodder]

....blah....blah....techie....ramblings.......include the older posts that were sort of archived by accident, and which SP thought I had forgotten about,.....yaddah.....yaddah........Ta.

Indeed I had. Nice one Landlord!

[Sweder]

Some interesting possibilities when moving/ upgrading the forum, like weeding out one or two dormant/ extinct diarists. There's certainly been a flood of activity around here in the last day or so - hmm, wonder why that is? Good to see.

I guess one option could be to have everyone re-apply to the forum creating an all-new 'clean' database? A bit like cleaning out your office after several years of unwitting detritous collection. All those 'vital' scraps of paper that seemed so important but never actually got used for anything; the collection of miscelleny waiting to be filed (although most are so obscure you'll never actually start a file for them), that old golf trolley with the wibbly-wobbly wheel, the half-built picture frames, decades of well-thumbed, yet-to-be-lovingly-encased family photos, that well-past-its-drink-by-date bottle of Banana beer once kindly profered by a bearded barbeque attendee, sheafs of old running numbers, the jumbled gloat of finishers' medals, a collection of unidentified electrical chargers, a spool of (non-working) christmas tree lights, that dust-encrusted first-edition Alien face-hugger video case, the (spiders)web-linked line-up of Marvel/ DC miniatures sharing a windowsill with several dead bluebottles and a large semi-translucent arachnid . . .

. . . or is that just my office? :o
I'll get me feather duster . . .

[El Gordo]

......that well-past-its-drink-by-date bottle of Banana beer once kindly profered by a bearded barbeque attendee..... the jumbled gloat of finishers' medals

Images within images: excellent. If we ever decided to form a proper running club, how about the Metaphor Platoon?

Anyway, yes, I agree that the forum needs some major surgery.... no hang on, let me get that idea out of my head...

Anyway, yes, I agree that the forum needs some changes, and they may as well be done now-ish. I can archive some of the vanished diarists easily enough. No need to re-register. I don't think we want to lose our heritage -- even if the Michael Henchard in me lives in constant fear of what it may hold for the widening eyes of my workmates, should they ever drift this way.

The rc.net move seems to have gone through, incidentally. As mentioned there are still a few glitches to iron out. I'll be thinking of changes over there too. I'm going to get rid of some of the links that are now way out of date.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Wow, banana beer - new delights!

[El Gordo]

Hi guys

If you see this message, please don't post anything as I need to close the forum temporarily to do some techie stuff.

Thank you

El Gordo

[El Gordo]

Open again, self-evidently.

Here's the plan, arrived at after talking to vbulletin and the two hosting companies:

First step is to upgrade the forum to the new version of the software. Presuming this is successful, it may look a bit different but should function as normal.

Second step is to move the whole thing over to the new server. This may be trickier as the database is too big just to download from A and upload to B. So I need some co-operation from the hosting companies which may take a while to secure.

Schedule? I'll choose a moment either Friday evening or Saturday daytime when there's no one on the forum, then I'll shut it down to do the upgrade. All being well, should be down only for a couple of hours max.

The move to the new server is unlikely to happen before next week. When it does, the new URL should be http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum rather than .co.uk.

[El Gordo]

Wasn't able to upgrade, incidentally. Won't bore you with the technical details.

[Seafront Plodder]

oh go on.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

oh go on.

Really SP, your interest in mundane things like zinc smelters and website servers is fascinating.

What have you been sniffing?

[Seafront Plodder]

What have you been sniffing?

My old runners...:o

[Sweder]

Just noticed that all the logos/ pictures on the .net homepage have naffed off. No doubt they'll return in due course.

Apologies to Marion (BHTT & JSJer) - if you found your way here - as I gave out the .net/forum address in anticipation of the move. I've never been terribly good at reading instructions and now realise the forum hasn't moved yet. I'll get me luddite's cloak . . .

[El Gordo]

Just noticed that all the logos/ pictures on the .net homepage have naffed off. No doubt they'll return in due course.

? The front page should be OK (unlike the other ones). Let me know if it isn't.

Apologies to Marion (BHTT & JSJer) - if you found your way here - as I gave out the .net/forum address in anticipation of the move. I've never been terribly good at reading instructions and now realise the forum hasn't moved yet. I'll get me luddite's cloak . . .

I've put a link on rc.net/forum.

[Sweder]

I've put a link on rc.net/forum.

Thanks EG.

Sorry to say it looks like the Rowdies have pulled their horns in so far for the run-in they've forgotten how to use them Hard though it is to say so Chelski deserve this; they're playing like they want it.

ps . . . pics are back on .net - must've been a local anomoly . . .

[El Gordo]

Yeah, Nani is having a shocker. Is Ronaldo on the bench? It's their only hope.

Man, I bet that hairdryer is in meltdown mode at this moment....

[Sweder]

Not for the debatable spot-kick (which might have been given two minutes earlier against Brown) but for a bemusing lack of ambition in the first 45. Chelski worked hard for and sorry to say deserved their win by at least played attacking football. Will it be enough for Abramovich (conspicuous once more by his absence)? Maybe enough to steal the title but I suspect not enough to save Grant who appears to be guilty only of lacking charisma.

For Lord Ferg a serious morale-building job awaits. I'm sure he'll use the perceived injustice of the penalty but if these players watch a tape of the game they'll be sorely ashamed of themselves and rightly concerned.
Barcelona will be licking their chops.

[El Gordo]

Aye, it's an annoying fact. Chelsea went for it (and so they should -- it was their final hope), while ManU were all over the place until the half time rage they undoubtely would have been subjected to.

I thought the penalty was probably correct seeing the replay, and the radio commentators were certain about it. But as you say, Chelsea deserved it.

The Rowdies should still get there but it's clear they're having some kind of wobble, and this isn't the time to lose their nerve.

[El Gordo]

OK, after several hours of grappling, I've managed to get the first big part of the task done i.e. moving us to a sunnier, slicker environment.

Farewell Doncaster, Hail Florida

You won't see any immediate difference because it's the same forum version, same files, same database -- just living on a different server.

Final step, tomorrow I hope, is to upgrade the forum to the new version which was released just a few hours ago. Again, I suspect it will look pretty much the same but should have a few new things to explore.

EG

[Sweder]

Nice . . . I like the palm trees and the golf courses are just peachy
Good work.

[El Gordo]

Right, believe it or not, we have now also been upgraded to a new version of the forum software for the first time in 2 years or so. You may not notice any differences at all -- at least immediately.

Let me know what isn't working. My calendar seems to have reverted to 2006 which is either inspirational, or a damning comment on my lack of progress. Or maybe just a technical glitch.