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ATTN: New User Registration & Password Recovery Issues

Discussion in 'Communications' started by Katya Jade, Aug 29, 2011.

Page 3 of 4

Moderators: Grimby, Katya Jade, LAJ_FETT

HongKongFu-y Jedi Padawan

Member Since:

Nov 11, 2000

Sigh. OK.

I wonder if they would be open to allowing myself (heck or Brian "aka ZeroSleep") in to see if we can fix it while they work on the new stuff. Probably not.

HongKongFu-y, Oct 13, 2011 at 9:33 AM

#51
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

It probably couldn't hurt to ask. (The worst they can do is say no). Brian hasn't been there for awhile though.

LAJ_FETT, Oct 13, 2011 at 10:46 AM

#52
Grimby JC Head Admin & Southwest US RSA

Administrator

Member Since:

Apr 22, 2000

I suppose we could ask. Although I can probably guess what they'll say.

Grimby, Oct 14, 2011 at 6:32 PM

#53
Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master

Member Since:

Mar 27, 2004

I?m not sure if this has been discussed or answered before, but since this began I haven?t received any emails to notify me when someone has posted on something I?m watching.

I still get PMs, but I don?t usually ask for them because I use active notification. My email address has been updated and checked when the first announcement about the shift was advertised and all my details are current.

So are emails down for everyone or just some?

Gkilkenny, Oct 23, 2011 at 1:00 AM

#54
JoinTheSchwarz Community Manager

Manager

Member Since:

Nov 21, 2002

They're down for everyone, I'm afraid.

JoinTheSchwarz, Oct 23, 2011 at 1:05 AM

#55
Katya Jade Comms Admin & Community Overlord

Administrator

Member Since:

Jan 19, 2002

Yep.

Katya Jade, Oct 23, 2011 at 7:19 PM

#56
arwen_sith Jedi Master

Member Since:

May 30, 2005

I do hope this issue is solved sooner rather than later, because a board which can't accept new members is a dying one, in the medium and long term at any rate, no matter how viable it seems in the short term.

Seems to me a move's been pending for most of the time I've been a member.

Would it be possible to enable manual password setting and joining by mailing an address, where an admin would send a password which would be good for the first login only? Obviously this system would require monitoring to avoid spammers, but the same is required no matter how the sign-up process is handled.

arwen_sith, Oct 29, 2011 at 1:32 AM

#57
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

Unfortunately we admins can't view passwords, otherwise we could have done something like a manual email for new users. (The system assigns a random password when you join and that's what normally gets emailed.) It's really up to IGN to fix the mail problem as there's really nothing we admins can do. IGN are concentrating on getting their own boards ready for their move so we're stuck on this one, I'm afraid.

LAJ_FETT, Oct 29, 2011 at 1:37 AM

#58
Katya Jade Comms Admin & Community Overlord

Administrator

Member Since:

Jan 19, 2002

What that admin above me said. If we still had the capability of seeing passwords, it would might be a different issue, but we probably wouldn't be able to see the computer generated one anyway.

Katya Jade, Oct 29, 2011 at 4:16 PM

#59
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

Actually when we were able to see passwords that would be the one we saw if the user hadn't changed it to something different. So if we still had that ability we could get around the mail problem for new users. But we don't.

LAJ_FETT, Oct 30, 2011 at 2:03 AM

#60
stilldreaming Jedi Padawan

Member Since:

Nov 5, 2010

Apologies if this is inappropriate or the wrong place for this. I mainly lurk here, but I've had no luck using the "contact us" section of the fanfiction archive.

I submitted a story for review a couple of months ago, and when no one picked it up for review I thought that it was just a matter of my title/description not being what you were looking for. If that's the case, it's fine with me! That's the whole point of a moderated archive, right? But I tried to use the "contact us" page to confirm that that was the case, and to ask that I be removed from the queue if it would allow other stories to be reviewed quicker...and not only did that not receive a reply either, but I apparently wasn't removed from the queue, if I log in I'm still "being reviewed by 0 reviewers." Then, it was suggested to me that maybe no one had ever received EITHER the story or the inquiry.

It's been so long at this point that I don't really care one way or the other. Please don't think this is a complaint at all, whatever the situation is it's completely fine with me, but I am curious, especially because there have been NO updates to the fanfic archive since August at all. Is this mail issue affecting the archive as well, or is it just a coincidence that nothing's been accepted since then?

stilldreaming, Nov 25, 2011 at 6:36 AM

#61
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

Have you tried posting your question over in Fan Fic Resource, or PMing one of the fanfic mods? I don't really know much about the archive and you might get a better answer through one of those methods.

LAJ_FETT, Nov 25, 2011 at 7:50 AM

#62
Luna_Nightshade Fanfic Manager

Manager

Member Since:

Jan 25, 2006

Hi, stilldreaming--I have pmed you with more details. Thank you!

Luna_Nightshade, Nov 25, 2011 at 10:55 AM

#63
stilldreaming Jedi Padawan

Member Since:

Nov 5, 2010

Thank you for the PM and the advice! I am such a lurker that I can't even send you a PM in response (I mainly come here to read, not to post my own stories or opinions!) but I really appreciate it. I'll definitely consider taking your advice as far as posting in the forum for feedback... although, I am such a newbie that I'm a little nervous about starting a new thread!

stilldreaming, Nov 25, 2011 at 4:10 PM

#64
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

Stilldreaming - we have a thread here in Welcome New Users that you can use to get your 20 posts so you can PM.

LAJ_FETT, Nov 26, 2011 at 2:50 AM

#65
lexu Jedi Grand Master

Member Since:

May 28, 2002

I don't suppose we have access to the database and/or files. Could we get those IGN slackers to give us access, export, then take this party somewhere else? Doesn't TF.N have a contract with IGN? Surely they're in breach and will need to turn over all the files and data. This really shouldn't be that complicated.

Also, the markup for this site is disgusting.

lexu, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:15 AM

#66
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

Problem is that we are not yet set up to receive the IGN data. Yeah, they could export it but there is no existing conversion routine to take data from their format to VBulletin's. They are going to Xenforo's software for their boards. They haven't announced a move date for their boards yet but they are currently in beta testing with them. They will have a conversion routine for their format to Xenforo and we are currently discussing whether to follow their example. Problem is that we have done a lot of work customizing with VBulletin on our test site. That will all go to waste if we have to shift and go with Xenforo. Grimby and I have done some playing around with Xenforo on a demo board system that they have but we would need a test site to really dig into it. I believe Grimby is still in discussion with Philip Wise on what path to take at this point. VBulletin has been around a lot longer and there are more customization opportunities with it. Xenforo is newer.

LAJ_FETT, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:25 AM

#67
ApolloSmileGirl Jedi Grand Master

Member Since:

Jun 18, 2004

Well, the way I look at it, sometimes change can be a good thing. I was going to ask if you'd seen any of the IGN beta sites, but apparently you have. I mean, I know there's been a lot of work put into it, but it has been over a year and a half since the announcement of moving. If it's easier to convert to the other format, could we not do that, and then convert to V-Bulletin later on, if the community doesn't like the new style?

ApolloSmileGirl, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:23 PM

#68
Grimby JC Head Admin & Southwest US RSA

Administrator

Member Since:

Apr 22, 2000

lexu, I cry a little bit inside every time I look at the code for this site.

We do not have access to any of the data for the boards. Even if we wanted to (and we definitely want to), we couldn't just take our data from IGN right now and go our own separate way. Believe me, I've already looked into doing this several different ways. I've been on the phone with people from IGN, a data company that specializes in working with IGN's data, as well as people who specialize in converting data from one format to another. The things that are preventing us from doing this are:
1) IGN is unwilling to commit ANY resources whatsoever to extracting our data from their system. Think that's unreasonable? Well they aren't even willing to fix the current bugs on their own forums that have existed for over a year, if that tells you anything.
2) The only contract that exists between IGN and TFN is that they are allowing us to be hosted on their servers because it would cost them even more to get rid of us. The move that never happened in 2005 was a result of them being unwilling to commit the time and resources necessary to complete our data migration.
3) For some reason, people seem to want thousands of dollars in exchange for exporting a forum database comprised of 20+ million posts, 256,000+ user accounts, and 6.8 million private messages.

Grimby, Dec 19, 2011 at 7:09 PM

#69
eht13 Ep. VII & Beyond Moderator

Moderator

Member Since:

Sep 13, 2007

Of course user accounts and all posts being moved makes sense, but I never understood why people hold on to old PM's in the first place. "6.8 million private messages" is no joke.

Edit: I just realized my old ones are there too... I never noticed they are saved by default, with apparently no option to delete them for "cleaning out" purposes.

eht13, Dec 20, 2011 at 6:42 AM

#70
LAJ_FETT Tech Admin and Collecting/Games: CCG Mod

Administrator

Member Since:

May 25, 2002

Yeah, there is no option for clearing PMs out. I've got a ton that could go.

LAJ_FETT, Dec 20, 2011 at 9:23 AM

#71
ApolloSmileGirl Jedi Grand Master

Member Since:

Jun 18, 2004

I'm kind of glad that option isn't there tbh, because honestly if it was, Bumblebee that shall not be mentioned was ousted because of it.

ApolloSmileGirl, Dec 20, 2011 at 9:34 AM

#72
Juliet316 Force Ghost

Member Since:

Apr 27, 2005

Then maybe it's time to start fresh. Tell users to back up their work the best they can, archive these boards and move to the new boards without the present data and just give people a grace period to reclaim/register their current user names. That seems like the easiest way at this point.

Oh and have Wise sue the hell out of IGN.

Juliet316, Dec 20, 2011 at 4:25 PM

#73
harpuah Force Ghost

Member Since:

Mar 12, 2005

1) Sue them for... what?
2) People would register under other's user names... guaranteed. I call dibs on Katya_Jade.

harpuah, Dec 21, 2011 at 11:09 AM

#74
Katya Jade Comms Admin & Community Overlord

Administrator

Member Since:

Jan 19, 2002

Yeah, unless we've had some sort of contract or something, suing them probably isn't an option. Nor would it be a good option anyway.

Take it, harps. Please. I'm going to register as EmpressPalpatine.

Katya Jade, Dec 21, 2011 at 11:37 AM

#75

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Moderators: Grimby, Katya Jade, LAJ_FETT