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.


You are not logged in.

#1 2007-10-12 15:33:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37887
Website

Help for the newby members who still can't post

Calling to all Hierarchs!

I just got a desperate email by a new member who has been waiting since the beginning of september and who still can't post! Is there any hope for the new members to be allowed in before we migrate, or will they have to wait for the new site?

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.

 

#2 2007-10-13 16:51:00

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

I was lead to believe that they would have to wait for the new incarnation of the boards.


Beauty will save the world.

~Prince Myshkin,

The Idiot, by Dostoevsky

 

#3 2007-10-14 06:35:00

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

I find it odd that people who want to post cannot, but there have been several obvious 'bots posting. "bbonlinecasinogames" being one I see in the magic mirror.


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

 

#4 2007-10-14 06:55:00

chamberk
Pilgrim
From: Athens, GA
Registered: 2001-12-29
Posts: 3219

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

The site says our most recent member registered back in April...


"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."  - Bob Dylan

 

#5 2007-10-14 07:24:00

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Keep an eye on the number of members ... you'll see that new members are being signed up, and I see obvious 'bots in the magic mirror.


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

 

#6 2007-10-14 08:34:00

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Those bots are accessing the pages to post (and hence show up in the magic mirror), but since their membership has not been approved, their posts don't succeed.

Likewise, real members can still register - they just can't post.

Manually approving real members just isn't possible for the Hierarchs anymore with this message board. The id of the bot who registered minutes before I wrote this is 7770. The id of the last member from before the bot storm got overwhelming (back in April) is 4201. That means there's well over 3500 registrations that'd have to be weeded through, with probably only two or three dozen registrations from real humans in the lot.

Given that there's an actual company working on the new site now (whereas Matt and Seoman had other dayjobs and thus couldn't spend nearly enough time on it all), I'd expect the move to happen within the month; with a bit of luck even within a week or two. The real members just need to have a little bit more patience (hard and annoying though I understand that to be).


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...

 

#7 2007-10-14 10:00:00

Magpie
Mantis
From: the town of thistly flowerbeds
Registered: 2006-03-27
Posts: 19930
Website

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

waitwaitwait - what?! noooo - we can't move while I'm stuck at school!
wait... I'm of age, I can write my own excuse note if I miss a day... *very evil grin*


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

babbling about books and plants
my crazy customers

 

#8 2007-10-14 15:08:00

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Thanks for the clarity, Aan.


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

 

#9 2007-11-08 20:18:00

Kikisan
Pilgrim
From: Montana
Registered: 2001-07-08
Posts: 1881
Website

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

uh, new site?  Is this going to require anything on my part?  What exactly is changing?


We are not vessels.
We are missles.
-YSKOV by Dave Eggers

 

#10 2007-11-08 22:42:00

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Kikisan wrote:

uh, new site?  Is this going to require anything on my part?  What exactly is changing?

This is what's going to happen. We're moving to a new shiny site as Tad takes over tadwilliams.com.

:)

You'll prolly just have to show up and register for a new forum.


Beauty will save the world.

~Prince Myshkin,

The Idiot, by Dostoevsky

 

#11 2008-01-17 21:40:43

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Any of those poor folks who were unable to post on Smarch should be able to post here now. If they remember their username and password they can get right in. Aan migrated everyone. If they do not recall their username and pwd, they can register again and should have no problems!

If any of you regular Smarchers are still in touch with people who've been patiently waiting to join us, please let them know!

Welcome to all!

 

#12 2008-01-17 22:21:02

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

I'm going to start emailing the people who had contacted me and were unable to post and the people who wanted to be notified of the change.

:)


Beauty will save the world.

~Prince Myshkin,

The Idiot, by Dostoevsky

 

#13 2008-01-18 02:26:15

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

strangeshe wrote:

Any of those poor folks who were unable to post on Smarch should be able to post here now. If they remember their username and password they can get right in. Aan migrated everyone.

Actually that's not quite true. I only migrated people who registered up to April 2007. After that the ratio of spambots to possible real new members grew simply too overwhelming, and I wasn't able to effectively filter out one or the other, so no one beyond that got migrated.
So: if you registered on shadowmarch after April 2007, please re-register! (Sorry for the inconvenience, but we promise you can post this time!) :)


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...

 

#14 2008-01-18 03:36:01

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37887
Website

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Jendaiya wrote:

I'm going to start emailing the people who had contacted me and were unable to post and the people who wanted to be notified of the change.

:)

Good idea! *makes mental note to self to do the same*


"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.

 

#15 2008-01-18 03:43:09

sisterdew
Pilgrim
From: Vienna, Austria
Registered: 2007-01-08
Posts: 5868

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

one question(i think it fits here):

smileys-i enabled them in my profile,but when i create a post,underneath it it says"smilies:off"-?do i have to enable them somewhere other than the profile-display or are they turned off for the whole board at the moment?


daisy-headed, one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater!

 

#16 2008-01-18 04:02:20

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

They're turned off for the entire board, and that overrides any personal settings.


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...

 

#17 2008-01-18 04:20:15

sisterdew
Pilgrim
From: Vienna, Austria
Registered: 2007-01-08
Posts: 5868

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

alright,thx:)


daisy-headed, one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater!

 

#18 2008-01-18 04:53:02

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Just a quick thought, as there are alot of people from different timezones here and people get confused with the board time to real time conversion is it possible to have a clock somewheres like on this forum:

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/

Just a thought.

-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!

 

#19 2008-01-18 04:56:40

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

I'm not seeing what you mean on that page, but if you go into your Profile, there's a bit that says: "Timezone: For the forum to display times correctly you must select your local timezone." and there you can set which timezone you're in, after which all times on the board (when you are logged in) will show in your local time.


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...

 

#20 2008-01-18 05:00:58

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Aan`allein wrote:

I'm not seeing what you mean on that page, but if you go into your Profile, there's a bit that says: "Timezone: For the forum to display times correctly you must select your local timezone." and there you can set which timezone you're in, after which all times on the board (when you are logged in) will show in your local time.

Damn. For me it just always comes up with the local time. Basically a clock that is on the main page that tells you the current board time. If I had an ftp thingo installed I'd show you a screenshot...

-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!

 

#21 2008-01-18 05:10:15

mabinogi
Pilgrim
From: Canberra, Australia
Registered: 2001-07-26
Posts: 10087
Website

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Genisis X wrote:

Aan`allein wrote:

I'm not seeing what you mean on that page, but if you go into your Profile, there's a bit that says: "Timezone: For the forum to display times correctly you must select your local timezone." and there you can set which timezone you're in, after which all times on the board (when you are logged in) will show in your local time.

Damn. For me it just always comes up with the local time. Basically a clock that is on the main page that tells you the current board time. If I had an ftp thingo installed I'd show you a screenshot...

-X

Is that after setting the timezone in your profile?
It works for me, so there's no Downunder discrimination hidden in the software :P

It's good that it has that feature, but it's a strange feeling having the times actually be relevant after nearly 7 years of being completely wrong...hehehe


..and then one day you find, ten years have got behind you,
no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun..

My Musical Experimentations

 

#22 2008-01-18 09:11:18

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

Re: Help for the newby members who still can't post

Aan`allein wrote:

strangeshe wrote:

Any of those poor folks who were unable to post on Smarch should be able to post here now. If they remember their username and password they can get right in. Aan migrated everyone.

Actually that's not quite true. I only migrated people who registered up to April 2007. After that the ratio of spambots to possible real new members grew simply too overwhelming, and I wasn't able to effectively filter out one or the other, so no one beyond that got migrated.
So: if you registered on shadowmarch after April 2007, please re-register! (Sorry for the inconvenience, but we promise you can post this time!) :)

Oh, yes, that is true. Sorry for misleading anyone! I wasn't thinking about the spambot registrations and any poor souls who tried to register in the midst of all that, well, it would've been quite difficult to find them to bring them along. Thank Dog (and Aan!) we left the bots behind!

Some interesting stats from the Smarch roster (though I may have these off a little too, but Aan can set me straight *g*):
Our last registered member on Smarch who was approved to post to the boards was #4201 on April 4, 2007. As of Jan 14, 2008, Smarch had 11,162 "members" registered.

That's a lot of bots!!

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB