Ok folks. The word from the hosts is that they don't have any backups of our server from before the rebuild. Question is, where do we go from here? Do we build an HTML archive of the current forum, wipe it, and start anew? Just leave it as it is right now? There are still some compaints about the speed of things like rep, but honestly, I doubt starting fresh would change that - I think that has become an issue of perception. So, what next?
I would be opposed to wiping it all out. But, an HTML archive and a healthy prune would not hurt my feelings.
Why start anew? We've lost a few months, that's it. Just be up front with people and go on from here. Wiping things over and starting again would present many more problems in my opinion.
My preference is to go from here. Wiping everything out would be fairly unpopular with the membership, I think. Let's just roll and meanwhile, anyone who runs across a webhost capable of providing a better level of service should speak up about it.
Well, we ahold probably let everyone know we're going from here so people can start posting with their usual vigor?
If anyone does keep on going on that they want the database wiped clean, I would also point out to them that there is an option in your UserCP to select hold old the threads are you can see if seeing such old threads is offensive somehow to them.
My proposal is:- 1) Archive the board as it is. 2) Reset rep to 0. 3) Reset posts to 0. I know it seems silly to some, but I really do think that starting from scratch might help to get some fresh blood. I think that a lot of potential members are probably turned away when they realise how much of a clique the board has become, especially when they see most members with post counts in the tens of thousands. Those who might complain about their rep levels and post counts, well they have already been compromised by the problems so I think its the perfect oppurtunity. Sure those people might whinge for a little while, but they will still post here and I promise you that people will have a great deal more fun for a while while they rep war the shit out of each other and compete to have the most posts. Go on, give it a go, you know you want to! I say we put it to a vote amongst the staff.
I think it's a terrible idea that will do more harm than good, but if it did go to vote it would have to be everyone, why should just we get a say?
The more members the better yet wiping the board clean would do nothing to attract new members. I can't see any prospective poster on the verge of joining up only to be put off by post counts. In fact we have started from scratch a couple of times before and it did nothing to attract new members. People are already annoyed about losing four months of posts/rep, this is not the "perfect opportunity" to erase every single post and all rep points. So the membership can suck it and be pissed off because they have to post here anyway, and the upside is an increase in rep war? Plus it seems counterintuitive to your primary goal of attracting new members. No I don't. This amounts to little more than trolling the membership Divisive and inappropriate. Basically your plan will not attract new members, will anger an already annoyed membership and encourage rep war. It honestly makes no sense no matter how you look at it.
^ Pah, that's just your opinion. This place feeds off of drama and "events". Despite all their whinging its what a lot of people here want. I say put it to a vote. If people don't want it then I will respect that opinion.
So attracting new members was only so much BS? I believe you want to erase all things Wordforge despite there being zero benefit. No you won't, you only want the drama and events related to the vote. Staff engineered controversy is pathetic and ultimately detrimental to the board as a whole. Is there another reason you want this to happen beyond what you've already shared?
Of course not, they are seperate issues. WF is the sum of its members and you cannot erase them. Fuck you. I want the vote....legitimately. I'm not trying to engineer controversy. I really do believe this is a good idea. No. But let me ask you somehting Clyde, why the sudden beef with me? You have your PMS or something? Just because you don't like my proposal does not entitle you to assume the moral high ground and dictate to me that my proposal is nothing but a cover for trouble making. You're being a fucking twat.
Then why claim that as the primary reason for erasing Wordforge? Nevermind. You've yet to respond to any of criticisms of your proposal and I've no interest in playing any further. There's no value in repeating a point by point rebuttal. I do not have a beef with you. Your proposal has no value beyond controversy. Meh, I've been called worse. And is insulting me is the best case you can make for your proposal?
Wiping the board and starting from zero likely would accomplish nothing except costing us posters who are already pissed about the week's outage and loss of four months worth of data. Probably not going to happen.