Complete copy of Wizards of the Coast boards now fully online?

[Solauren]

Hello Everyone.

Remember how Wizards of the Coast shut down thier Forums in November? Well, they did. Fortunately, they gave some lead-time warning. So, at the beginning of October, just after they announced that, since there wasn't time to sort through all the threads, I started the process that ended up downloaded every D&D/D20 System thread.

This is actually the third time I've done this. (I did this previously in 2005 and then in 2008 just before 4E was out).

I want to put it all online as a lifeboat/archieve, but it needs to be sorted out first.

So, I made a program to do it, and I've made it so people can help.

http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/Threads/SOAM.zip

It's a Microsoft Access Database, so unless you have Microsoft Office Professional, you'll need the viewer.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downloa ... px?id=4438

The program is simple. After unzipping it, (and installing the viewer if required), you launch the file like you would any other file.

Your first time running the program, you'll be asked for a User Name. This is required for sending results to the FTP server. The filename format is the handle you enter, and the date.

Working in the program is simple. By default, you'll have no work. Select one of the two 'assignment buttons', to give yourself 100 threads to review.

The buttons can either assign work from the entire thread list randomly, or select them from whichever Year/Forum you choose. (i.e Wizards of the Coast, 2008, Magic and Spells)

The choice buttons are along the bottom. The current beta also shows the link/file path you're looking at. Depending on traffic, you might have to wait a few seconds for a thread to load.

The Choices are:
Has Content: There is something mechanical in this thread. i.e Something you could find in a sourcebook.

Questions or Rules Discussion: Meant for threads were people were asking for and explaination on how something worked, discussing custom house rules, or the like.

Ideas: Catch all for anything not mechanically related, but has in game use. This includes people discussing or posting character creation/optimization and the like.

Humor: For things like '1001 funny character' deaths and the like

No Content: For Trolling, complaining, or threads like 'hey, where do I find....' or 'Can someone send me a copy of...'

Upload Results send the files to the FTP server I've set up.

The idea up uploading results is, say Rob does 300 threads this week, and Bob does 200. They send their results to the server. I download them, and combine them into a single file.

You then use the Download Results button to pull those results in, and your copy of the database is update. Now, Bob will never be assigned the 200 he did, or the 300 Rob did, and vice versa.

This will minimize people doing the same work, and will hopefully let this be a coordinated effort.

At 630,520 threads, it would take me years to go through it all. (I figure 23 years at 100 threads per night). But, if 200 people help, and manage 100 threads per night each, this could be done in a little over a month.

Oh, and if you want proof of intent, here is what I squirreled out of just the Magic and Spells Section, and partially from the Monsters Lair Section, from the 2008 download

http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/Re ... esults.htm.

So, please, download and help out?

Any questions or comments, PM me or post them here.

[Jub]

I was hoping that somebody would download these threads. I hadn't used the forums much in the years before the end, but I'll gladly help with this archival project.

EDIT: I downloaded the viewer and I'm getting a runtime error when trying to run SOAM. I'm using Windows 10 if that helps any.

[Solauren]

Did you unzip it?
Do you have Microsoft Office Professional already installed?

[Solauren]

Also, you might have to get the 64 bit viewer vs the 32 bit viewer.

[Jub]

I unzipped the file, and was using the viewer you linked to. I'll try with the 64-bit viewer, and get back to you.

[Jub]

The 2010 64-bit version did the job.

[Jub]

Trying to download the existing results is giving me 'File Transfer Error. Please try again later...'

[Solauren]

Trying to download the existing results is giving me 'File Transfer Error. Please try again later...'

That's because there are no existing results The project has been online for all of 2 days.

I haven't put the results of my earlier efforts online yet. I'll be doing that in the near future.

[Jub]

That works, I'll keep plugging away on my end to get this ball rolling.

[Solauren]

A quick update.

While updating the database copy with my results prior to making this a 'group' project, I found two issues in the code.
First was what was an integer should have been a double.
The other was for larger updates (4000+ results), you get a recordcount error.

Both have been fixed, and the database updated.

Upload any results you have to the server, and redownload the database with the corrected code.

Also, the first results are up. Turns out I've looked over 55,000 + threads in the last 6 years.

[Solauren]

ANother update.

Primary Index file is now up, along with a FAQ, how to use the program, and a list of all the threads that are in the project

http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/index.html
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/FAQ.html
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/theprogram.html
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/ThreadLists.html

[Jub]

I'm getting 'Run-time Error '75' Path/File Access Error' when trying to upload my most recent batch. Any ideas what might be causing this?

[Solauren]

Hmmmm...

Try closing the database down and reopening it if you haven't.
Also, when the database sends and recieves files, they are put into the same directory as the database itself.
Go in and clean the old ones out, just to be on the safe side.

If that doesn't work, it might be server side. Are you able to download new results? (I put my work from the past few years online, and it's a 50,000+ record update).

If you can't download results, it's differently server-side, and I'll take a look. (actually, I'll take a look anyway...)

[Solauren]

Okay, took a look.
Server is fine. I was able to use the database (and therefore the databases FTP account) to upload.

Does the database create the upload file?

[Jub]

I can download, so it's not a server issue. I'll try restarting the program and worst case, I'll clean out the old files download the program fresh and start again.

[Solauren]

I did a little googling. Since the program seems to be working, it might be something at your end.

The articles I found all suggested a clean boot followed by a registry cleaning program.

Is the program making the file for upload? It would be in the directory as the database.

If it is, try using button to resend all results. Even if it doesn't upload, if it generates the file, I'll send you my email address, and you can send it as an attachment until we figure this out.

[Solauren]

Hello

One of the people using the program has noted a problem between 32bit and 64bit (bloody hell it Microsoft....)

He's currently testing out the database with the conflict removed. (a keyword that tells 64bit the code is safe from 32bit, but it's not supported in 32bit but all the documentation I found said it was, sigh...)

Once that's confirmed as working, I'll make the code change in my copy, and there will be a 32bit and 64bit version of the database online for download.

[Solauren]

Quick update.

I change the website somewhat....
I added Index pages for each Forum and year, and now anyone can see the threads
Meaning you and help out without using MS-Access.

The index.html has the explanation

http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/index.html