A few small changes.

[sbaros]

Ah, OK, for a simple browsing visitor like me security issues were not self-evident. I trust that fixing them won't damage the looks or functions here.

[Gumboots]

Nope, not at all. Parts of it should even get a bit better.

[Gumboots]

Just discovered that there is a bit of a bug with presentation of PM's in the Light and Dark style options. Will sort it out sometime today.

[Gumboots]

I have just found out that the site will have to change hosts again, sometime this year. It will have to happen before the current hosting in due for renewal in October, and possibly sooner, but there's no immediate issue.

However, I may take the opportunity to simplify the site down to the things that people who actually still use it will actually take an interest in.

I may also seriously consider changing software for the forum, because quite honestly phpBB is a nuisance to customise and a real nuisance to keep updated. Their approach to their "stable" builds is similar to the way that other projects approach development builds. IOW, constantly changing small stuff and breaking existing things, while requiring all updating to be done manually. I would much prefer something that was just as effective as a forum, but easier from the perspective of administration.

[RayofSunshine]

Okay Gumboots,
It has been a while that I have made any attempts with the website, but am trying to get more involved, as my projects are requiring less, with more spare time.
At this time I would like to know if the site "needs" some donations, as was previous, and with the inflation, probably "more". Hence if you could reply as to such, I can send a check, if you will advise me of an mailing address, as I "don't do" cell phone or credit cards for payments. Guess you can advise me on "private messages". Apprecheated

[Grandma Ruth]

Hi again
Sorry I've been "awol" for a while. Let me know your sort code, etc, and I'll send a donation. I have a package with SiteGround that lets me have as many sites as I want; you're welcome to host it on there if it's good enough. It's a shared server, whatever that means, so it probably wouldn't be able to handle it. See "GrowBig" here: https://www.siteground.co.uk/web-hosting.htm Perhaps I could keep some stuff we don't want on my spare site (which I keep for testing, etc), just so it isn't lost for ever
Good to be back!

[Gumboots]

Hi Ruth. Good to hear from you again. Hope you are all boosted and plague-proof now.

TBH I have no idea about SiteGround, but traffic on this site is generally low (apart from the occasional unwanted spider blitz, which I tend to kill via .htaccess when I notice them). Offhand I think peak monthly traffic was around 75 gig, and that was largely a blitz from spiders which are no use for this domain. I don't know the peak number of visits, but can look it up in cPanel if it's relevant.

The site requires around 5 gig of storage, but that could be reduced by recoding some of the image-heavy pages (RT2 site section, etc). Of course some spare space, for when creating site backups, is handy too. Realistically you would probably want to have around 7 gig up your sleeve.

I would want access to cPanel (or an equally good equivalent) and the ability to set up cron jobs for automated database backups. Any hosting package that will handle those requirements should be fine (althogh there are obviously some hosts I would avoid like the plague, regardless of the claims on their websites).

[Gumboots]

Ok people: given the low level of activity on this site I think it is fair to say that most saved PM's (private messages) are old stuff that nobody actually reads. I know this is the case with my own PM folders.

So, given that a change of forum software is on the cards in the next few months, and given that the new software uses a different structure for PM folders, I am thinking the easiest conversion option is to simply drop all existing PM content from the database.

If there are any PM's you really want to save, you can export any PM folder to your desktop, in either CSV or XML format.

This is very quick and easy to do. See the "Export this view:" option at the bottom left of an folder's index page.

Note that there is no almighty rush on this. The software conversion is not happening immediately, and there will be plenty of warning.

[Gumboots]

Been thinking: I quite like the idea of a list of the five most recent posts at the top of the main forum page. Sort of like another category, but just displaying the most recent posts. That would save having to click the "Unread Posts" link. You'd be able to see straight away if there was something new that you hadn't read.

[RulerofRails]

Been thinking: I quite like the idea of a list of the five most recent posts at the top of the main forum page.

For me, this would be a welcome addition, and as you say minimize navigation when doing a checkup. Also, I could easily re-find recent posts that I already read.

[Gumboots]

Standard feature on the software I was thinking of changing to.

[Grandma Ruth]

Sorry, I've only just seen this. Probably my settings are wrong. I'll enquire from SiteGround if their package is OK for this. They are recommended by WordPress and I've had my sites with them for years now, with no problems. They're based in Bulgaria but they also have data centres in US, Australia, etc. They don't have cPanels any more but you would have access to the equivalent, I think. We could experiment with one of my sites before transferring this one, to see what happens!
I'll let you know what they say about the technical specs.

Hi Ruth. Good to hear from you again. Hope you are all boosted and plague-proof now.

TBH I have no idea about SiteGround, but traffic on this site is generally low (apart from the occasional unwanted spider blitz, which I tend to kill via .htaccess when I notice them). Offhand I think peak monthly traffic was around 75 gig, and that was largely a blitz from spiders which are no use for this domain. I don't know the peak number of visits, but can look it up in cPanel if it's relevant.

The site requires around 5 gig of storage, but that could be reduced by recoding some of the image-heavy pages (RT2 site section, etc). Of course some spare space, for when creating site backups, is handy too. Realistically you would probably want to have around 7 gig up your sleeve.

I would want access to cPanel (or an equally good equivalent) and the ability to set up cron jobs for automated database backups. Any hosting package that will handle those requirements should be fine (althogh there are obviously some hosts I would avoid like the plague, regardless of the claims on their websites).

[sbaros]

Couldn't storage be somewhat decentralised by splitting stuff among various free space providers and linking to it appropriately?

[Gumboots]

It's already done that way. Most of the game files are hosted on MediaFire, with both RoR and myself having extra backups on desktop. I think Hawk still has a desktop backup too, and of course anyone else is welcome to have one (I can easily zip all game files into a few mega zips, if anyone wants that).

But, the forum content includes a lot of attachments which are all linked directly from posts. Realistically, they all have to stay as they are. That means the forum itself still ends up needing a fair amount of storage space, and that has to be part of the site hosting. And of course, anytime you want to run a full backup the required storage space is temporarily doubled.

[Hawk]

I think Hawk still has a desktop backup too,

I do but it's kind'a old. I haven't added any of the new files added since you took over. Even at that the files add up to about 4.5 GB.

BTW! You should probably change that moniker "The Big Dawg", since that's you now.

[Grandma Ruth]

BTW! You should probably change that moniker "The Big Dawg", since that's you now.

Never! No-one else could ever be "The Big Dawg"

[Gumboots]

I'm not worried about it. I have had umpteen forum titles over the years. I can easily invent another daft one if I feel like it.

[Grandma Ruth]

Just by accident, and strictly in the interests of testing the game, I found out what the "big dog" is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hawk]

Just by accident, and strictly in the interests of testing the game, I found out what the "big dog" is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My use of the term Big Dawg (note the spelling, which is intentional) is very loosely based on an old cartoon from my youth called Deputy Dawg (1959). It's also where the domain name comes from, since my last name is Hawkins.

I have no idea what you're referring to but I'm pretty sure I don't like the implication with the thumbs down stuff.

[Grandma Ruth]

Well, what a coincidence! "big dog" is a cheat code that gives your player $10m. I would only ever use it when testing a game, of course, which is why the No other implications intended.