Tad Williams' Message Board

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies -- 'God damn it, you've got to be kind.'
-    Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007

Welcome to the message board for tadwilliams.com. All comments are welcome, whether kudos or brickbats. However, please bear in mind that Tad would like this to be a friendly, civil message board, at least in the relations between users. We reserve the right to remove postings, or even ban postings, from anyone who crosses the boundary of reasonable taste. Basically, you can argue vigorously with someone, but watch your language, okay? We have a lot of young readers as well as grown-ups, so please show them some respect.

But the main requirement here is: have fun.


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#1 2007-12-18 06:26:00

strangeshe
Hierarch
From: Texas
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 11253

------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

We're looking into whether it might (MIGHT) be possible (MAYBE) to move the Smarch Matter (memberships, history, etc) to the new message board. (MAYBE MIGHT)

This will require a bit of poking at the actual Smarch details -- which include everyone's email and passwords.

SO.... Big thing first: please make sure your password is not something that you use for sensitive information somewhere.

AND... Please make sure your email address is valid.

Thanks ever so!!
StrangeShe

(MAYBE. MIGHT.)

 

#2 2007-12-18 06:33:00

Genisis X
Pilgrim
From: Canberra
Registered: 2005-05-08
Posts: 12434
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

*upanddownjumpingness*

-X


Cyan on the merits of Dubstep: "That's not music. That's a patchwork quilt made by a blind iron worker."

My new webcomic of sarcasm and profanity!

 

#3 2007-12-18 06:36:00

Em
Mantis
From: somewhere left of reality
Registered: 2004-12-28
Posts: 42283

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

*downandupjumpingness*


Don't let appearances fool you, there's always only one reality. 1Q84, Haruki Murakami.

 

#4 2007-12-18 08:38:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37884
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

That would be awesome!

Yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#5 2007-12-18 09:59:00

Jendaiya
Pilgrim
From: Canada
Registered: 2001-06-01
Posts: 21821
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

WoooHooo!!!

All info checked and compliant. :)


Beauty will save the world.

~Prince Myshkin,

The Idiot, by Dostoevsky

 

#6 2007-12-18 10:10:00

Magpie
Mantis
From: the town of thistly flowerbeds
Registered: 2006-03-27
Posts: 19924
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

*excited*

password - check.
e-mail - check.


I think we've just proven that our greatest power is silliness!
- cyan

babbling about books and plants
my crazy customers

 

#7 2007-12-18 10:23:00

rimses
Pilgrim
From: Uqbar
Registered: 2001-06-19
Posts: 5286

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Mighty mighty Smarchtones?

Thanks for the info! (data checked and updated)

 

#8 2007-12-18 12:20:00

Aan`allein
Hierarch
From: The Netherlands - occasionally
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 5637
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

It should also be noted that if this is going to succeed (which it probably won't; don't dare to hope), we'll only be converting the history up to the point where I get access to the message board files (I being the one who's going to try this conversion). So if you write any epic posts between [1 minute from now, 1 day from now, or whenever it'll be that I get said access] and [whenever the new site goes live] that you really care about, make certain to keep a copy of it in a text file somewhere, so you can repost it on the new message board.

[ December 18, 2007: Message edited by: Aan allein ]


Mozilla developer comment of the however long it'll be this time:
<Mossop> run for the hills!
<Boriss> i can't, i'm at a local maximum!


Just Imagine...

 

#9 2007-12-18 14:41:00

Aan`allein
Hierarch
From: The Netherlands - occasionally
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 5637
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Oh, btw, note that after the conversion (if it happens, which it probably won't!), your username will be the real username which you log in with on the forum. For most people that should be the same to the nickname they display all the time (minus weird and constant modifications), but I know there's some people around (from this thread so far: Em, Sahi and SS) for whom this differs a lot.

If you're someone like that, and after the conversion you want your display nickname used instead of your current username, let me know! I won't be able to fix anything once the forum is live, but during the conversion, I'll be the next best thing to your friendly neighbourhood Farmer! ;)

[ December 18, 2007: Message edited by: Aan allein ]


Mozilla developer comment of the however long it'll be this time:
<Mossop> run for the hills!
<Boriss> i can't, i'm at a local maximum!


Just Imagine...

 

#10 2007-12-18 16:21:00

wiked
Pilgrim
From: the land of ice and snow
Registered: 2001-06-01
Posts: 7490
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

dare to dream
now i need to remember to write a wiked diatribe between now and then, so it can be lost and i can make refrence  to the lost books               
of the wikedtribe


Slave of the lizard king

Master of the esoteric arts

He's exciting in a "here come the Magyrs" kinda way

 

#11 2007-12-18 17:10:00

strangeshe
Hierarch
From: Texas
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 11253

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

*L* Please do, wiked. That'd be awesome.

Yes, I've not decided whether to drop the ol' 'strangeshe' or not. Lisa just seems so ... unstrange. Heh.

So. We shall see. This is very iffy at best, but we wanted to give it one last stab just in case. And *if* it can be done, Aan will find a way.

Regardless of whether it works or not, I do want to assure you that the new MB will be as close to our home here at good ol' Smarch as we can get.

In fact we must, each and every one, thank Tad and Deborah profusely for caring so much about our little community and going to extraordinary lengths, not to mention considerable time and expense, to get this whole project *just* *right* for us all. They really are amazing individuals.

So, the conversion is an experiment and we'll see. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

#12 2007-12-18 21:14:00

Maladroit
Pilgrim
From: Passamaquadey
Registered: 2001-06-03
Posts: 1523
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Not to mention the Smarch freeload....err, I mean, volunteers (SS, Sahi, Aan, only 3 of a zillion who've contributed, I'm sure) who are working hard to help Tad and Deb make it so.

Hip Hip
Hooray

Hip-Hip
Hooray

Hip-Hip
Hooray

 

#13 2007-12-19 00:05:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37884
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

I may be around a lot, but I have nothing to do with the new boards (at least so far).

And Aan, I definitely want to remain Sahi and not suddenly become lvdpal.

Yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#14 2007-12-19 03:01:00

Stuart
Pilgrim
From: Yorkshire
Registered: 2002-07-08
Posts: 3736

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

So my full user name would be displayed, not the one in my profile described as my publicly visible name? I just want to stay as plain old me, I feel like Marlon when he's listening to Squirt in Finding Neemo, I know you're trying to tell me something important but I don't really know what you mean...

How do we tell you what we want Aan, and when?

plain old "Stuart", just the way he likes to be.


...- --- - . / .-.. .. .-.. -.-- !

 

#15 2007-12-19 04:46:00

Genisis X
Pilgrim
From: Canberra
Registered: 2005-05-08
Posts: 12434
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Oh god. If everyone changes thier name it will confuzzle the bejesus out of me...

-X


Cyan on the merits of Dubstep: "That's not music. That's a patchwork quilt made by a blind iron worker."

My new webcomic of sarcasm and profanity!

 

#16 2007-12-19 04:48:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37884
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

*wonders if changing your name will be possible on the new board*

Yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#17 2007-12-19 06:01:00

Stuart
Pilgrim
From: Yorkshire
Registered: 2002-07-08
Posts: 3736

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Genisis X wrote:

Oh god. If everyone changes thier name it will confuzzle the bejesus out of me...

-X

Yea


...- --- - . / .-.. .. .-.. -.-- !

 

#18 2007-12-19 06:33:00

strangeshe
Hierarch
From: Texas
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 11253

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Sahi wrote:

*wonders if changing your name will be possible on the new board*

I don't think it will be possible, Sahi. Apparently nearly all the new BB software view the ability to change the publicly viewed name as a bug not a feature. (I guess other boards' participants aren't nearly as nice about it as we are here.)

There will be a few differences, like the screen names, between this BB and the next -- but we tried very hard to find the very best software that would be stable, robust, validate (so everyone would have the same experience regardless of browser/etc), offer as many of the things the Smarchers requested back when Tad first asked us... in fact, some of the delay in the whole site move is due to these discussions and having to switch gears when we discovered that initial choices were not going to fill the bill.

Another problem was the spambots and how to control them. For now, virtually all MBs are defaulting to the "captcha" -- the "type what you see in the box" form when registering. That's what we'll have on the new BB to give us a smidgeon of control. (One of the earlier delays was related to the choice of a MB software that did not have *any* feature to control 'bots. That didn't fly.)

Anyway, I believe we now have the best choice available (and thank you, Aan, for helping us find it!) -- and the design company are now working to implement a copy we can test and make Smarchy.

(My role in these things is mostly "squeaky wheel" and "gadfly". Sometimes I feel like it's "whiny toddler". Heh. I poke at what they give me to review, try to find things that aren't working quite right, etc. Aside from testing and whining, I also have the responsiblity for compiling the links and Tadalog -- which is what I'll probably always call the Tad's Works area of the new site, though that name didn't make the cut. That part of the site, as you might imagine, is extensive as it contains details and cover art for all editions of Tad's Works in all languages -- plus a few extras where we have them. But I ramble off topic again...)

BB Features will be as close to what we have here as possible. You won't be able to change your screenname, but you should still be able to log on invisibly (that's an add-on that hopefully they can implement). You'll still have PMs (another add-on; keep your fingers crossed). No smilies (Tad would be cross!) or avatars or user-uploaded images -- this in keeping with Smarcher's expressed wishes to keep the look "clean and simple like Smarch". I'm not sure yet whether we'll be able to control the default font size and color for user-added text in posts/etc, but we're trying. (Most of the available software lets the user choose this -- which if we kept that ability, we'd lose our "clean and simple" look rather quickly. On the other hand, if we cannot control it in the settings, we'll just get the Salmon of Correction out of the freezer and put it to work again!)

Forums should be nearly identical to what we have here -- with a couple of mods to make them less Shadowmarch-centric. I'll have to come back a bit later & post what the current plan is for names & such. Alas and alack, there will be no forum that doesn't really exist... maybe. We'll see.

I'm probably forgetting to mention some important something or other, but I think these are the high points & I'll let the rest be a surprise.

Cheers!

 

#19 2007-12-19 06:44:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37884
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Thanks!

In that case I definitely want to be Sahi.

Yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#20 2007-12-19 08:26:00

Stuart
Pilgrim
From: Yorkshire
Registered: 2002-07-08
Posts: 3736

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

It appears you are all making a huge amount of effort to ensure we get a seemless transfer, I have no wish to jinx anything by saying that and hope all your endeavours work out, and I want to be called Stuart, was that enough butter?

Seriously though well done for all those involved in this transition, and good luck for the switch.

STUART, that's me plain old Stuart, soon to be 40 and too old to have a new name.


...- --- - . / .-.. .. .-.. -.-- !

 

#21 2007-12-19 08:31:00

Maladroit
Pilgrim
From: Passamaquadey
Registered: 2001-06-03
Posts: 1523
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Sahi wrote:

I may be around a lot, but I have nothing to do with the new boards (at least so far).

And Aan, I definitely want to remain Sahi and not suddenly become lvdpal.

Yalahii.

Ah, but you are the all-powerful Historian...who can make or break fortunes with the stroke of a key...

 

#22 2007-12-19 08:55:00

wiked
Pilgrim
From: the land of ice and snow
Registered: 2001-06-01
Posts: 7490
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

well, if you see dies ira  floating round that would be me


Slave of the lizard king

Master of the esoteric arts

He's exciting in a "here come the Magyrs" kinda way

 

#23 2007-12-19 10:14:00

Aan`allein
Hierarch
From: The Netherlands - occasionally
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 5637
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Stuart wrote:

How do we tell you what we want Aan, and when?

Just post here in this thread. I'll manually fix things up just before I send the files out to become the new forum. (If the conversion is going to work, which it probably won't! (And if Matt can actually find time to give me access, which hasn't happened yet so far...))


Mozilla developer comment of the however long it'll be this time:
<Mossop> run for the hills!
<Boriss> i can't, i'm at a local maximum!


Just Imagine...

 

#24 2007-12-19 10:40:00

Libra-in-a-roundabout-way
Mantis
From: the lowlands
Registered: 2006-03-29
Posts: 10990

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

Just a quick (probably stupid) question... My email is not in my profile, does this matter for the transition???

Oh and I'll, if I understand correctly, just be Libra then....

*wonders if she doesn't really want to be Libra-in-a-roundabout-way*

Gah! Decision-making is bad for my poor head now....


"If you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend you life completely wasting your time. You'll be doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living, that is, to go on doing things you don't like doing... which is stupid."
~ Alan Watts

 

#25 2007-12-19 10:56:00

Miiru
Pilgrim
From: Just a bit left of center.
Registered: 2001-06-20
Posts: 14675
Website

Re: ------ (PSST - HEY SMARCHERS) ------

I've been Miiru for years (barring occasional additions to the name); there's no sense changing that now, methinks. :)


Ted Kennedy in a speedo is just another sign of the coming apocalypse.
-wiked

 

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