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Please read — Important Information about the move!

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Bobwhite:
Important Information about the move!

We haven’t talked about this for a little while now. A little over two months ago, we got sick and tired of our host, and we decided to do something about it. It took a little while to iron the bugs out, mostly because I had to learn how to make a crisp and new SMF distribution work with a database that was compiled by a... well, let’s just say less-than-crisp installation of SMF that in reality is little more than an old chunk of YaBB SE code that has been patched and updated all the way up through SMF 1.1.16.

It’s supposed to be an easy process. It was not. But, we’ve tested the type of move that we want to do, and we’ve got the procedure we’ll be using all figured out, and it works as perfectly as we need it to work.

Good news: the URL for the forum will not be changing. So, your internal links should all work as they always have. And, you won’t have to update your bookmarks.

Bad news: there may be a little downtime. Because of the DNS changes that are being made, it may appear for a short time that the MCF has gone down, and at some point you may log in to find it in maintenance mode. This downtime will be minimized as much as Chase and I can manage, and when the new MCF comes into being, well, we hope it’ll be worth all the trouble.

Since we will be working with a clean installation and upgrade, please be aware that there are almost certainly going to be some missing mods. When the new MCF is up and running, we’ll be relying on feedback to determine which mods you liked (like Spoiler tags) and would like to see again.

So, if the forum goes down this week, for once, it’ll be totally expected.

Oh, and lest I forget: none of this would be possible without the generosity of the High Queen of mind control pornography, a Dame who needs no introduction but will get one anyway, yes that’s right folks, your friend and mine, Daphne and the team over at the Mind Control Theatre. So, when you're thinking good thoughts about this move, drop her a line. Or, buy a movie from her.

Daja:
Thanks for putting all of that work and time in, Joe and Chase! And Daphne, thank you so much for offering to host! :D

Bobwhite:
Good news, everyone!

We were able to get things set up so that there won’t be a sudden and unexpected period of downtime. Instead, there will be a sudden and totally expected period of downtime!

On Saturday, April 6, 2013, at 6:00 PM EDT, we will put the MCF on Maintenance Mode and begin the moving process. When this happens, you will be unable to do much more than see that we are in maintenance mode. We do this so that you won’t make any posts or send any messages that would be lost forever. Also, it makes it easier for us to backup and download the database.

We will then move everything over to the new host, do a couple of upgrades, make the necessary DNS adjustments, test the whole thing, and then make it live. We will change the maintenance mode message at the old (and now dead) forum to indicate that the move has been completed. The old host will be left in Maintenance Mode until they decide to delete it; this will prevent anyone from accessing the dead forum and not knowing it.

The whole process will take an hour or so. We hope. We've practiced this, so there shouldn't be any surprises.

What this means for you: While the DNS information propagates, you may experience issues getting to the proper version of the MCF. We are taking steps to minimize this as much as possible, and it may not be an issue at all for the vast majority of you.

Also, because we’re moving the database and keeping the URL, all of the links you’ve used in your posts and profiles should still work. Also, your login information and stats won’t change, so don’t worry about any of that.

Also... this place was only green because the EMCSA was green, and it was a neat way to keep a theme of sorts going. Well, the EMCSA is no longer green at all. So, we’re not carrying over the color scheme.

So... save the date!

Chase the Wind:
One other thing  - when we move.. and you want to find the new site - be sure to close your browser and re-launch it. From some really old browsers, it's going to be an issue. Or could be.

Just to be safe, restart. :)

BB Zed:
Last post in, before lockdown! ;D

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