PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

I've contacted several people running contests, and started hiding contest/event forums for contests and events where status is unknown, or where I've heard nothing yet.

Several of the remaining contests are included due to expected replies, or explicit confirmations. In one week, the only contest/event forums that remain will be for contests or events where I have explicit confirmation from one or more organizers.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

The DB that supports the forums died at around 10:00am pacific time. DB have been repaired and forums, and pics are back online as of 1:40pm pacific time.

New posts attempted around that time may have been lost, but I've found no evidence of other posts before 9:45am being lost, yet.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Mail Server Update:
DT says that forum mail should work once the new mailserver is ready.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

DT has acquired two new plugins for the forums that I'll be adding the weekend.

Forum will be down some time Saturday afternoon for this maintenance.

I think he may have posted about them somewhere around here.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Maintenance complete. If you see any bugs, please post something in the new project space. If that is broken, you can post here. If this thread is broken, then send an email to defconforums@gmail.com

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Pics will probably be back online 48 hours from now.
Need to review code since upgrade.

[TheCotMan]

Cookie settings have been altered. If you see anything strange, you may need to log out and log back in again.

Additionally, pics was upgraded, but the the specific problem reported on pics was not fixed by the upgrade. (Ooops.)

We now have a fix for the specific problem, but it looks like there might be other problems, which are being reviewed.

The re-opening of pics may be delayed a little longer, but not much longer.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Need to add forums for the following DCG. To busy this weekend to do it. Will try tonight:

US:
207
209
216
310
401
405
518
847
860-1
970-1

Non-US:
4131
6227
91033

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Need to add forums for the following DCG. To busy this weekend to do it. Will try tonight:

US:
207
209
216
310
401
405
518
847
860-1
970-1

Non-US:
4131
6227
91033

Forums for above DCG created. I think they are correctly described with URL to their home pages. Please let me know of mistakes.
Usergroups for these DCG also created, and verified as visible with DCG-US usergroup.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Forum maintenance taking place this friday, some time after 6:00pm Pacific time.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Thanks to Neil for the new style that more closely matches the Defcon 16 theme on the main site. I've set this to be the default. Send complaints to me for abusing my authority. If you like the results, then please thank Neil for his hard work. :-)

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Access to forums and main site was blocked for a short time. This loss of service was reported as a hardware problem. ???? (name hidden on purpose) made a "house call" and now service is restored.

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

Access to forums and main site was blocked for a short time. This loss of service was reported as a hardware problem. ???? (name hidden on purpose) made a "house call" and now service is restored.

More of the same. for about 5 hours. The same, kind volunteer went in to check it out again and gave us updates on the progress. This time, he was sick, at home, had called in sick, but went in anyway. I asked him if he minded being singled out, and he said he didn't care... the name of this mystery person is Neil. :-)

At this point, it seems the underlying cause still exists. These two fixes are patchwork until the part can be replaced. This will probably happen again. This is unrelated to forums, the main site, and the db either might use. So far, I know of no data loss, just loss of service and access to servers over the network.

Obviously, DT can be more specific if he wants, but the above is probably good enough, except for the most curious. :-)

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

DT Spent some more time over the past week and a half to two weeks building and configuring a new mail server that the forums should be able to use to route mail through to the real world.

Some testing has been done, and though all his work is not complete, it appears that as of right now, at least, the forums now have mail access. (Subject to availability as the configuration of he server and filter rules are refined.)

So, you all should be able to use the password reset procedure to get automated email messages, and not wait for someone to check defconforums@gmail.com for your messages.

New users should be able to register without sending us email too. Subscription email notices should be working again too.

Please report problems or success with email here over the next 2 weeks,

Thanks Jeff for working on this. Not having to check gmail for manual forum stuff will be so nice.

Thanks!

[TheCotMan]

Re: PUBLIC-NOTICES: Forum Changes/Fixes. Any Questions?

People who were approved as previous years' "Forum Leader(s)/Organizer(s)" of contest(s)/event(s) forums have been carried forward to the new DC16 Contests/Events. (This was supposed to be done January, but I've been busy.)
If you were listed on the forums as a "Forum Leader(s)/Organizer(s)" for a specific contest/event in previous years for a specific forum, but are not now, please let me know.

"Forum Leader(s)/Organizer(s)"