Keith's back! WOOH!

Check out his dev blog if you haven't seen yet. There are two posts on there and some interesting comments he's made on my previous post about our options.

It turns out that Keith hasn't had any access to the server 'gubbins' since... January last year? Pretty much when we switched -and hasn't had contact with Martin in that time either.

The last period of down-time was a server issue, and since Keith didn't have any access or means of contacting those people in charge, even he wouldn't have been able to look into it or fix it - or the CL's with his level of admin.

In which case, I think our options can change slightly. Considering our reason for talking about starting this new site was to get exactly what we have here but with more control;

1) We take the whole of this current efx and move it to a server that more than one person has access to (Keith, Utah, and some other people, for example). We have a more structured community leader system, and a more visible one, whith regular updates, and we have a couple of coders working on things behind the scenes - this way, Keith isn't the only guy getting pressured to do things, and the job is shared out. We all take responsibility for the site as a community.

2) As above, but we start completely fresh with a new 'blank slate'.

Since this whole thing is Keith's brainchild, and since Keith is around now for the foreseeable future, I'd be more inclined to let him decide what he wants to do and we all follow suit, but with FAR more support for him than previously and with shared access and shared responsibility.

What say you?

09:23 - Wed-23-Jul-2008 - post a comment

No offence to Keith, but we seem to have been in this "Keith is around now for the forseeable future" position before...

Fair enough that he decide, it's his site, but I do think the input of the CL's is important.

Twist - 09:49 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Well, the options above both include having more than one (even more than two) people with complete full access to EVERYTHING - including server stuff - and the server being hosted on a paid professional site that conduct their own maintenance. So even if Keith, or anyone else with access, goes AWOL again there'll be other people in position to keep it going.

WelshPixie - 09:55 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

A friend of mine has a blog/chat server in their house and it involves having a computer on 24/7 and the pressure of constant fixes. Pesumably it's better for server space on a shared basis where the server would be always on anyway and with back up computers available? I have no idea where but it's a big commitment for one individual.....

Chandramoon - 09:56 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I don't think it's a good idea to go with a 'household' server because then the maintenance falls to one person - and if that person ever drops out of contact, we're screwed.

The server hosting I'm talking about is through a professional hosting company that lease server space (or even complete servers) to businesses for a monthly fee; a professional package which includes upkeep and maintenance.

WelshPixie - 10:00 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Yes exactly what I was trying to say ha ha!!

Chandramoon - 10:02 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Ah, hehe. :D yeah, Utah and I have looked into some options. The best one we've found so far (without knowing how much 'load' this site puts on a server, which Keith can tell us I think), was one for $30 a month - £15 ain't bad, hehe.

WelshPixie - 10:05 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Globbin, dammit, globbin!!

dantesinferno - 11:46 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I like the idea of moving this place to "our own" server, Utah, you, Styles, Keith, etc seem to be willing to help in the Dev side of things and there are several other CL's willing to handle the "keep the masses informed" side of things, so between you all making our own home should work out fine.:)
I think one of the major frustrations is that when there is down time no one knows why, and no one knows when it'll be back up, with a professional service running the server you leaders would get notice(and the many people behind the scenes could pass the word along) of any planned outages.

sarai - 01:59 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Since everyone who has signed up has to give a valid e-mail, would it be possible in the future to have a system wide notification by e-mail if the servers go down?

treasa - 02:13 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I think Sarai hit the nail on the head....it's the frustration of not knowing what is going on that is frustrating. It would be nice to know the site isn't working because of server issues or what ever. This last time with everyone in the dark and everyone thinking we were on a ship with out a captain....can't blame people for jumping ship!

I'll go along with whatever keeps EFX like it is now (with more communication about down times). I'm getting to old to keep learning new ways!

littleMissConfused - 02:18 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Treasa - that's possible only if the whole site hasn't gone down. The notification system runs from the admin control panel so obviously if we can't access that, we can't send out a notification - but in future, if we're able to, we will of course try to keep everyone informed of these things by a system-wide notification of some sort ^.^

WelshPixie - 02:25 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

What about using the front page with the chat box as a way to notify everyone? It seems that is always working even when there are other issues!

littleMissConfused - 02:27 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Again, if the whole site goes down then we won't be able to access that page. Otherwise, I think the chat box WAS utilised this last time by Styles and Chica who posted a link to a thread on the forum briefly saying we were aware of an issue and trying our best to fix it - but I think a system-wide email would work better; I'd think more people are likely to read it.

WelshPixie - 02:30 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I've been trying to read through a million an a half comments around here, and so now reading this post it sums everything up nicely. Either stay here and move it, or move completely.. Hmm. It doesn't matter to me really. The community as a whole should decide. :)

Chica - 03:20 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Is there a way to make a 'stay here or move' blog wide post. like there was a while back about (i think) spam problems?

There might be quite a few that have no idea this is going on.

Maybe even set up some type of poll to let everyone know which way the vote is going?

littleMissConfused - 03:26 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Yeah - when we're more clued up about what our options are, after talking with Keith some more, we'll do something like that - put out a couple of concrete well-detailed choices.

WelshPixie - 03:28 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Since Keith doesn't dislikes the idea of sharing 'the power' with others i would say we stay at efx2blogs and work further to improve it. The only thing we have to do in my eyes is to change servers.

logis - 03:30 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

whatever we do I think it's good to "keep it simple" - if it works don't fix it just fix the bit that doesn't work - don't throw out the baby and all that!

Chandramoon - 03:46 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

In other words ...

Change servers ...

Share the Keys to the City ...

Sounds good to me.

I already have an off-site page that can be used for notification ...
http://efx2-mbnomads.blogspot.com

It has it's own email that can become a post if need be ...
dikanogiageya.efx2-mbnomads@blogspot.com

And can have more "Authors" in case I'm not around.

There is a CL gmail (I forgot the password ... lol) where there can be a EFX2 Group Contact list for everyone's addy. That way, a link to the post that explains what is going on and they could answer in the comment section instead of tying up the CL gmail (unless it's a private message) could be done.

Will this help?

heeey ... how come my font is a different color? o_O

womanoffeathers - 05:28 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I think Chandra's right. Try to keep it as simple as possible. Keep what works and fix what doesn't. I can go with either option.

texican - 05:50 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I agree with WoF....
Change servers ...

Share the Keys to the City .

littleMissConfused - 06:11 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

We can move the domain to a new server, not a hard task at all. The hard part will be getting all the information to move servers.

Once we have access to it we can make a plan to move it, or not.

I would vote, for now, that we develop a good thorough plan for the move. We have time, nothing has to be done this weekend. We have 8 months on this domain, and really if the server is free as much time as we deem needed.

I told Welsh, and I will make it public now, I will be moving homes in the coming weeks. I already have internet access at the new place, but I will be spending a good majority of my time in the coming weeks moving little by little (I hate moving).

I should never be without internet, and there is a library close by if I happen to lose it for whatever reason. I would propose that we wait til at least mid-aug, or the first of September, to start really developing, or working our asses off. Spend the time between now and then to setup our hierarchy/whatever and formulate the plan and think long and hard about it.

utahcon - 08:52 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Sounds good Utah ;)

WelshPixie - 08:57 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Allright then, I suppose we can continue discussion on this at that time (Sept) and for now go back to bloggin as usual. :)

Chica - 08:57 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

I can go back to blogging?



edited note ...
See ...
my font is black
Oh No ...
I've fallen into that BLACK HOLE of cyberspace ...
I'm fading into darkness ...

womanoffeathers - 10:29 - Wed-23-Jul-2008

Well I will stick around the community whatever is decided :)

And I'm glad the guy is alright. Was worrying something bad happened or something :(

bitzky - 04:31 - Mon-28-Jul-2008