Glitches

[Ed]

The forum has been experiencing some glitches since the last update. I’m hoping this is fixed in the next update but, in the meantime, I recommend copying any longer posts before you submit them, just in case they disappear into the ether.

[ptHarry]

Apparently you posted “Since the last update, we’re getting some glitching in the forum. I’d recommend copying any longer posts before you submit, just in case it disappears into the ether. Hopefully it will be fixed in the next update” but I only know that because it says so in the notification email. On the page itself, I’m seeing only a title without any post.

I think it always has been glitchy. A lot of my posts haven’t appeared, but I’ve been saved by Firefox’s TextArea Cache, which saves a local copy of anything I post in a textarea — so I can easily repost if it gets lost.

On one occasion recently the server seems to have timed out while I was composing the message. Normally, most forum software would detect that had happened, prompt to log back in without losing the post and then allow the message to be posted. But it just went through the normal posting message (and I’m pretty sure it “confirmed” acceptance of my post in some way) but nevertheless lost the post altogether until I reposted it.

It may possibly have got worse recently, but I don’t think this software has ever been fully reliable.

[ptHarry]

Interesting … now that I have posted a reply, your opening message has actually appeared but the page was showing “posted 9 minutes ago” and I refreshed it, still without any text in the opening post.

Ed likes this

[Ed]

Hmm. My post was visible for me as soon as I posted it. Not sure what’s going on.

[Arthur]

I always save everything that I post anywhere on the Internet in my journals under the date in which I posted them so that I never lose anything. And I always make sure to copy and paste whatever I am about to post before I posted so that at least if it doesn’t post  I can just put it back in there. But yeah if it’s going to be a longer post I always do that is a document pad and then just copy and paste it into here.

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[Ed]

Definitely going to rebuild the site if I move it to another server. The forum software was the 2nd most common on the web when I installed it (I assume it’s still up there).

 

An ongoing problem with this site is I’ve got too many plugins. I’ve always found up to around 6 works fine, but to achieve the functionality we have, there are 40 running. Many plugins affect other plugins, so having 40 maximises the possibility of clashes.

Which of these features should I remove though?

• Forums
• Forum formatting (So I can change its appearance to match the site)
• Notifications
• Notifications widget
• Attachments
• FAQ system
• EU Legal compliance
• Video embedding
• Extended profiles
• Polls
• Forms (This can probably go now)
• Content control (different content visitor and members)
• Gallery system
• Login redirection
• Stats
• Tables
• Badges (for admin/verified etc.)
• Like button
• Private Messaging
• User Blocking

A fresh start with a simpler setup can only improve reliability and speed.

[Since1980_v2]

I assume video and gallery can go if we have to remove content.

 

As for glitches

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[Ed]

I’m not sure about the gallery system. We can still show censored or cropped photos, or where the nudity is imminent or implied.

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[Since1980_v2]

True.

A site with no images probably wouldn’t get any new hits. Would obscured photos bring more people. Knowing that only obscured versions are shown might make it less intimidating for some to read the forum. Also leaves something tomthe imagination I guess making the story about the image more important I guess.

 

Was on another site the other day where you basically have to have a face pic as your profile picture but you can hid that from public. The general rule though was no access to the site without a face pic for your profile and a selfie with a few words on it. A bit like the original dares all those years ago to prove it’s you. Only then could you get access to the site. Actual ID was only required where you were lucky enough to look young.

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[Ed]

Is that site in the UK?

[Since1980_v2]

I think its pacific us from one of the comments about verification.

[Ed]

Different laws then. I don’t have any examples, but I’ve heard that some US sites are just going to block UK traffic to get around the problem. In time, Ofcom plans to block websites from outside the UK which don’t comply. Making the internet “safe” whatever the collateral impact.

I’ve already seen 3 related UK sites close in the past 2 months.

ptHarry likes this

[Since1980_v2]

yeah different laws but the general basis of you can’t see anything until verified still works right. You dont need someone’s address or anything just a selfie verification with a passport or driving licence. They can blur out not needed info. In theory you only need name and a dob evidence. So no need to share the address on the photo.

Just trying to figure out like you can have the blurred out blog and stuff as the main part of the site, forums can remain and not really change except that photos and videos are blocked to non members. If members want to put a photo to a forum post it goes on a personal gallery that can be linked but only members can open it.

then have the members only view of images like you do now with patron for example but that requires a manual verification with id. That should cover the patreon id requirement too. And the patreon thing is only since May last year (content posted by users before that don’t need to have provided you with id) so hopefully most people posting since then will still be active.

 

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[Ed]

If I change hosting company to something I can afford, adult content (photo/video nudity etc) won’t be permitted. It’s either that or I quadruple site income reliably to cover hosting costs. Right now, this site is on a dedicated server, beside AMOC and SGC. AMOC and SGC will be closing in July. NE is not in any position to take on their hosting costs, so the server will go.

The options are:

1. Increase site income drastically (4x) to keep the current server. I don’t see how this is possible.
2. Move to cheaper non-adult hosting (losing nudity on the site).
3. Move site operations entirely onto Patreon (which requires copies of photo ID documents to be kept for anyone appearing naked on the site).

Options 1 and 3 both require compliance with new Ofcom rules on age verification (with fines/blocking for non-compliance). I don’t believe the cost, workload, technical barriers and risks are justifiable given the current lack of popularity of the community. I don’t know how Patreon will achieve age compliance but with option 3 I believe it will be their responsibility(?). Option 3 also introduces GDPR issues, which complicates things further (and possibly increases costs?)

 

Option 2 is feeling like the best option to me. I could still move the forums onto Patreon which would save bandwidth and maintenance.

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[Ed]

I don’t know any way to blur out the blog etc.. I can make it disappear to non-members (as I do with many things currently). I have no idea if it’s possible to set up and manage a personal gallery for each member, short of manually building them. (That could be a HUGE workload for me).

One of the problems with all of this is the lack of court action. Until some people have been prosecuted in court, the experts don’t seem sure precisely how these things will be enforced. There are bound to be changes and clarification once these things are tested in law.

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