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Topic: Old Threads (Read 4869 times)

Old Threads

It's been said/offered/promised that the Opera threads can be imported into DnD. Well that's nice, I guess we all have our favourites for one reason or another.We would have the posting history; we would, presumably, be able to search back and see who said what to whom.

But the old threads come with baggage. They inhibit a new start on subjects which are still interesting and which would benefit with fresh thinking, they contain statements which may be libelous in hindsight, some drifted off onto different subjects altogether and lost sight of their original thrust .... And so on. Who owns the material in those old posts? Opera? Opera's new Godfather? The posters? "DnD"?

So maybe it's not such a good idea to import those threads and lay claim to them. After all very few of them will actually be continued from where they left off.

I think there are two reasonable alternatives:

1 Not to import those threads at all
2 To import the threads, but lock them, while allowing anyone to reopen them and start the discussion again (not necessarily the old originator) and start the discussion again.

If the latter option I would propose that only Members, not Guests, be allowed to view them.

But maybe there are other options.

Ideas?

Re: Old Threads

Reply #1
I think we'll end up with #1 regardless unless someone's willing to do most of the work for me.

Re: Old Threads

Reply #2
That being the case, it's probably worthwhile persuading D&Ders to reopen their threads in DnD. It might bring in some more recruits.

Re: Old Threads

Reply #3

...... it's probably worthwhile persuading D&Ders to reopen their threads in DnD. It might bring in some more recruits.


I agree...

Luxor has done many 're-posts' of a number of 'Game' threads, most of which he wasn't the OP in that 'other forum'.

I have done a couple myself, & plan to do more.

I'm especially looking at the very popular, & most controversial threads ........... yes, the ones that some might love to hate, while some others might not be able to live without

I think supplying a link back to the original  - for reference only, & with a disclaimer that they are subject to indiscriminate removal by the stuffed shirts at MyOpera -- at any time.

See the bottom of this thread's kick-off post

...... I suggest we not re-post verbatim in order to avoid potential legal conflicts -- relating to ownership as you alluded to.

Creative & clever plagiarization imagination.

Re: Old Threads

Reply #4
ׂ

Re: Old Threads

Reply #5
Several good points made.

Frans - what is the nature of the work involved - transferring the database or locking each and every thread or something else? In other words what help would you need?

SF Yes I'd noticed the Islam thread of course and your slight rewording. I'm not so sure that it would benefit us in attracting new members to set straight off into the more controversial threads. Better I think to wean new members into the forum initially than put off them off by getting almost instantly into the high octane stuff which may make sense to us in view of the shared history of comment and counter comment but zilch to a new member. But then in a few months %*&!!^^POW.

One trouble is that we don't actually yet know what will happen to D&D or whether old threads can be passed on with or without any hindrance. Or at least I don't. Anyone seen any detail on that?

Perhaps one thing we should do as individuals would be to take a quick scan through the data base and check off the subjects which would be worth reanimating and do this over a period of time. If we suddenly had 30 new threads we would struggle to serve them all with our present level of membership.

j7n - The threads that you would like to see reserved - again this depends on what will be considered important by Opera. If the SW threads are about the Opera Browser's functioning one would hope tat they remained in the Opera site. A naive thought maybe on my part.

Re: Old Threads

Reply #6
Frans - what is the nature of the work involved - transferring the database or locking each and every thread or something else? In other words what help would you need?

As you know I'm currently running a Python script that grabs each and every public post on My Opera and some information about it (e.g. what thread and forum it's in). Unfortunately it's progressing slower than I'd like because only 1 in 10 posts actually exists over 3.2 million or so. I can't just skip the other 9 because the specifics changed at least twice. But I've been thinking I might be able to skip everything except 1 and 2. That way only 1 in 2 posts won't exist rather than 9 in 10.

Anyway, once I have the data I'll share it—I've already shared the first million posts.

Consequently, the data would have to be processed. A static reference page of old posts in a topic should be relatively quick and easy to generate. But if you wanted to truly import it, all kinds of further processing would be required. HTML to bbCode would be part of it, but it'd also need to be converted into relevant SQL queries to be inserted into the forum. You'd probably also want to associate old accounts with new ones so you don't have tons of ghost posts. None of this is particularly hard, but it'd take up quite a bit of time.

Perhaps one thing we should do as individuals would be to take a quick scan through the data base and check off the subjects which would be worth reanimating and do this over a period of time. If we suddenly had 30 new threads we would struggle to serve them all with our present level of membership.

Note that you'll need something like the precise title, topic ID, or a precise ID of a comment in said topic if you want to make sure it's easily found among millions of posts. A combination of title (so you know what it is) and URL (just in case) should be sufficient.


Re: Old Threads

Reply #8
ׂ

Re: Old Threads

Reply #9
Seeing how your My Opera account dates from September, would you mind sharing your previous 'nym? Or are you so embarrassed by something you posted a few months back? :P


Re: Old Threads

Reply #11
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Re: Old Threads

Reply #13
Quote
5. November 2013, 21:56:40

thedawgfan
Posts: 11585
Originally posted by Belfrager:
None, nada, start from zero. As a Phoenix that reborn from the ashes.

I second this motion.

6. November 2013, 01:16:48
OakdaleFTL
Posts: 6845
It's a no-brainer: Either we're a community or an archeological dig…

6. November 2013, 03:39:35
mjmsprt40
Undocumented Space Alien
Posts: 6659
I'm not sure saving anything would be good anyway. D&D tends to be topical in nature, and as topics change from day to day stuff from the past just gets old.

It's from this.

Re: Old Threads

Reply #14
Personally, whether or not old posts/threads from MyOpera are archived means jack.

You want to chew the fat about an 'old subject', start a thread --- here --- a new thread, & if it has merits it will take off, if not it will die soon enough.

What was said by someone else, on days past is history.

Some of you guys are startin' ta sound like old men reminiscing about the 'good ole days' ..... back in the day.

Get over it!

"You get nowhere on the highway of life looking in the rear view mirror, keep your eyes on the road ahead, but never forget where you've been."

The Opera we all knew & enjoyed is experiencing [glow=red,2,300]'death rattles'[/glow],[/size] let it rot (as if there was/is any public choice in the matter) ------ Start anew -- new forum, new outlook. 

Dump the bones of the past.

The further we all get from that brand, the better this forum will be.

If this forum dwells on that brand, it will pass on into dust, just as Opera will eventually pass on (sooner rather than much later).

If that's what you're interested i, then have fun while it lasts .......... .......... but it's days will certainly be numbered.


Re: Old Threads

Reply #16

SF.........I'm not so sure that it would benefit us in attracting new members to set straight off into the more controversial threads..........


There are already a couple of high octane threads which historically can get quite full-on & caustic. I think the only reason they haven't is simply because there are only 30 members here --- very few of which are new to the subject(s). I suggest when the membership rises to 100+, the conversations will probably get more diverse & heated, which wouldn't by any means, be out of character for those subjects.

So, that said, I agree with you ---- to an extent.

Being overly cautious regarding how 'full on'  the topic might be, or how controversial the conversations get, can also cause the forum to be too tepid, which can also bore some new members -- as well as more seasoned conversationalists -- to tears, who might then eventually leave for more exciting/stimulating topics elsewhere.

Trying to over-think the 'proper balance' regarding content's potential volatility may just castrate this forum in it's infancy, all the while the purpose may have been draped with 'good & noble intentions'.

Personally, when the membership increases substantially, & becomes much more active, I plan on many of what some may call  'high-octane' 'full-on' threads, of the like I've actively participated in in various forums over the past few years. Good moderation sometimes is the only saving grace when the flames begin to fill the night's sky so to speak, but hey, it mimics most of real life's actual elements, which can be extremely invigorating & stimulating if handled in an adult manner.

I look forward to this forum's genesis into adult discussion where children, the emotionally/sociologically insecure, & politically correct extremists need not participate.




Re: Old Threads

Reply #17
Yes I agree with virtually all of that SF. One problem is that we've not reached "critical mass" where a discussion can be self-sustaining.

Incidentally you could start a thread on the theme "Keep Christ in Christmas", although it's a bit late. Days are filling up with other things than posting.

I'll come back to this, my SWMBO is demanding to be taken out for coffee and last minute shopping, but in summary I'm coming more to the view that we should resurrect some "old threads" which may nevertheless be new to many of our current membership.