ForumsThe TavernProject Archive: A Digital Ark For AG's Treasures.

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CommanderPaladin
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CommanderPaladin
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It's Coming...
AGv3 is soon to pass from looming into being, despite the concerns and objections of those among us who are opposed to some of its "improvements." According to official information, it is highly likely that during the transition the content of the forums will be lost.
While it is questionable and ultimately unknown whether the forums would be able to successfully recover from this, one fact stands out: there are some things in these forums that simply can't be replaced.

Project Archive: Saving The Best of AG's Forums for the Future.
While it is impossible, and indeed unnecessary, to keep all of the forum's contents, it would be a definite loss to AG and its denizens if certain threads were forfeited. Fortunately, there may be a way to save them.
How?
What I am proposing is simple: All of you loyal forum-dwellers who have flash drives and hard drive space, put it to use. Copy and paste the contents of certain landmark threads to word-processing documents and save it for eventual reposting once the transition cycle is completed.
What should be saved?

Only keep the best and most useful subject matter. While the erasure of the forums would take a long time to recover from, there are many threads that the forum can survive without. Thus, only the real gems should be archived: the most comprehensive and used game guides, the greatest debates, the deepest art and writing, the best and most identified-with stories, and the most popular and longest running games.
Where Do I Start?
Here is a preliminary list of candidate threads for archiving:
>Tavern: Cenere's legendary discourse on internet behavior, "Super Cool and Awesome Bunnies!"
>Forum Games: You're Banned (This one will be the hardest due to its sheer size. That size, however, is part of why it should be saved.)
>AMW: The two constant writing contests (Poetry and Haiku)
>WERP: The Introductions to Logic and Rhetoric
>Tavern: Your Most Painful Physical Experience (A lot of people can identify with this one)

This list is by far not complete. Therefore, I would welcome any serious suggestions regarding threads suitable for archiving.

Project Archive Wants YOU!
Obviously, this isn't a one-man operation; it would be physically impossible to carry this out effectively if it were. Project Archive needs volunteers.
If you are willing to help out, please report to this thread that you will help, what thread(s) you will copy and store, and if possible when you will do so. Additionally, some larger threads may have to be copied in sections by multiple people; such efforts would have to be coordinated via this thread.

Some Guidelines
When Archiving, copy and keep the pertinent information and nothing else. Usernames, date/time of post, rank of poster (optional), and of course the text of the post should be copied and stored in an organized style, preferably as close to the original forum's format as possible.


AGv3 may gut the forums in its rise, but there's no reason why we can't salvage some things and try to improve the situation.

  • 69 Replies
xeano321
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xeano321
3,152 posts
Farmer

It's just there so that section isn't filled with console war spam.


You're right... I guess we should wait on that thread for the archive.

We should get more of the veteran users to search for threads to archive. Most of the good threads were probably created in 2009, before most of us were even active (so we wouldn't know about them.) Not that we haven't had good threads since then, but everyone is always talking about how 2009 was the "Golden Age" as far as the forums are concerned.
CommanderPaladin
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CommanderPaladin
1,531 posts
Nomad

@ Jeol
Re: BBCode

Okay, thanks. Most of that stuff comes up (at least for me) when I copy/paste the text to be saved, except for links.
Also, I've had that "foreign characters" issue before, even though I'm not running any form of Microsoft, so I don't know if that will affect me when I go to re-post this stuff.

@ Jeol, Xeano
Re: Threads

Go for it.
As to volunteers, I'd say go ahead and start and if anyone decides to help tell them where to start and let them pick up. We'll have to make sure to keep track of who has "Part A" and Part B" of each thread, otherwise this could get messy.

@ Xeano
Re: "Net Vets" and older users

Any suggestions? The only ones I know of are Cenere and Ernie15. Cen's assisting as possible, but he's pretty busy. I'll contact Ernie later and see if he'll help.

beckitten27
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beckitten27
336 posts
Peasant

I found a flash drive, I can help now!

Maverick4
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Maverick4
6,804 posts
Peasant

For personal threads, couldn't we just Google search the thread when needed, and pull material out as needed? Archiving my AMW thread isn't viable anymore for several reasons, and I no longer have access to my personal log of it.

CommanderPaladin
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CommanderPaladin
1,531 posts
Nomad

Sorry I'm late getting back to this, real world is busy though.

@Jeol
Okay, good.

@Maverick4
While archiving &quotublic" threads needs to be done completely and by the book, personal thread can be handled at the author's discretion, so if you want to edit your thread that's fine. When I get to my art thread, I'll be chopping out some duplicate stuff.

Also:
I spoke to Ernie15, and while it is uncertain whether he'll help archive he did provide two suggestions for threads to be saved:


xeano321
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xeano321
3,152 posts
Farmer

I spoke to Ernie15, and while it is uncertain whether he'll help archive he did provide two suggestions for threads to be saved:


I can take the questions about girls. I can do half of the make your own weapons, if someone wants to take the other half.
CommanderPaladin
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CommanderPaladin
1,531 posts
Nomad

@Xeano
Okay, you do pages 1-222, and I'll get 223-445. It may take me a while though, I don't always have much net time that I can use for stuff like this. Also, we'll have to be careful to coordinate the re-post on sectioned saves like this when the time comes to avoid mix-ups.

Also:
Any suggestions on how exactly to go about assigning/saving the "You're Banned" game, since it's so huge? If I work on it at my average pace, it would take me over a year to archive it. Thoughts, anyone?

xeano321
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xeano321
3,152 posts
Farmer

Okay, you do pages 1-222, and I'll get 223-445.


Got that. I'll have to wait till tomorrow or Saturday to start... Kinda busy.

Any suggestions on how exactly to go about assigning/saving the "You're Banned" game, since it's so huge?


I would just divide it up between the users available for archiving. Since it appears I have the most space available for archiving, the users archiving could email me their archives, then I could consolidate them into one archive. That could cut down on the re-posting confusion.
xeano321
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xeano321
3,152 posts
Farmer

I'm having problems with my external HDD right now... It's only working half the time. I'm currently not able to meet my archiving obligation.

I've backed up the archives I've got onto my computer, so no worries there. I'll let you know when/if I get the problem corrected.

Salvidian
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Salvidian
4,170 posts
Farmer

I've been asked for my seal of approval on this topic.

-Smack-

There it is.

Anywho...
I've been doing this behind the scenes , but not in a sense of literally capturing ideas that have spread around, but more of recording what said ideas did.I think a 1st-source and an analysis would go well together.

xeano321
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xeano321
3,152 posts
Farmer

Okay guys, I've been troubleshooting my external HDD for the past couple weeks, and I regretfully inform you that it's officially on it's last leg... So I'm gonna have to drop out of the archiving temporarily. (I would use my computer as the archive, but it's gonna get full up when I backup 10 years worth of pictures and stuff off the HDD.)

I am hoping to get a new HDD in the next month, so stand-by. Also, I would appreciate if one of the other archivers would take over my projects.

knight_34
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knight_34
13,822 posts
Farmer

Eh, without reading into the beginning too much (this is a good idea, and I approve of it and forum participation) it seems some of the best threads have been long deleted. D:

(yes, I still remember losing 1000 posts from the deletion of TTICA, even if it wasn't that long ago)


also, I love how Graham's reference to starscreamer went unnoticed

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