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Posted by Cep on 16-07-2010 at 10:16:
Important Site News!
Hello dear members!
For financial reasons and because the place hasn't seen a major update since 2004 I am in the process of updating our beloved site.
The first important change to note will be a move from our current host to a new host at the beginning of August 2010.
Our current hosts have been great but business is business and I want more bang for my buck (with exceptionally less buck!) so that I can do more things with the site, things that have in part not been possible because of our current host.
So stick it in your diary,
SITE WILL BE CLOSED AS OF 1 AUGUST 2010 FOR UP TO 7 DAYS.
Now some of you may be wondering why a downtime of 7 days? Well one reason is that apart from wanting to make sure the site transfers correctly and any loose ends are tied up, shot and dropped in the ocean I am also in the process of completely changing Gatchamania.net as well.
I am writing a completely custom forum and site for Gatchamania.net. Our current forums are seriously out of date and were originally written for PHP4, the upgrade to PHP5 saw some of the functionality break and the site is technically a mish-mash of hacks and add ons that never supported each other or the original software.
So I have been developing this new site on and off for over a period of 6 months and would like to push ahead with the update.
It is my intention therefore to replace the forums with this new software which will initially lack many of the features we currently have, allowing you to make only the most common actions on a forum (read, post etc).
Now before you start to worry the reason for this is because I want to involve you guys in the development process.
There are an awful lot of features on the current site which are never used or don't work in the ways which you guys would like them to work (the Fic Library for one!) so I want to involve you in helping me to build this site up piece by piece until we have exactly what we want.
Additionally I want to make the site more secure, user friendly and I want to take advantage of newer technology to offer you more.
So get ready for some BIG changes peeps, the change is a coming! 
__________________
Thanks Cep
Gatchamania.net Administrator 
Posted by Madilayn on 16-07-2010 at 10:55:
*wibbles* How am I going to get my fix......
Seriously - Cep it was always at the back of my mind, but now you forced it to the front.
You and Katse look after this site and pay the bills. Is there anything that the rest of us can do?
You give us such a wonderful place to play in and I'm sure that you will make it even better!
And now - for those of us in that week who are going through withdrawal symptoms - remember the Facebook Page that SJ setup back in 2008 when the site had a major problem and was down...
*sigh* I'm just going to have to e-mail people, facebook message them and plot and plan over the phone.
I may even have to work on other fics.
*wibbles*
__________________
"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart
Posted by Springie on 16-07-2010 at 10:58:
Wow, Cep! That is really exciting news! Although I'm sure I'll be suffering from withdrawal during that week, it will be wonderful to see the new changes.
Bless you for all of the hard work and financing that you put into this place! I believe it has become the #1 Gatchaman site because of you! You've made a lot of fans very happy!
__________________
Posted by clouddancer on 16-07-2010 at 11:37:
I am looking forward to the changes, but like the others have said will be suffering the week the site is down and it I do not even have facebook to be able to connect to people in another fashion. * sigh *
Thank you Cep for keeping us updated to what is happening and for doing this for us. I will keep my fingers crossed that the site will only be down for a few days because all goes exceptionally well with the transfer.
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by green on 16-07-2010 at 11:38:
Hear hear to all that's been said, Cep!
We don't say it often enough - but all your hard work, the bucks you spend on us - is all very much appreciated!
__________________
Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by tatsunokofan on 16-07-2010 at 16:31:
Hi all!
If people wish to continue posting while the site is down, I'd like to suggest using the BotP Mailing List over on Yahoo! Groups. It's one of the oldest lists for this show, and is fairly well known. Besides, people seeing the activity of people from this list over there might get some of the people on that list to come over here.
SJ's Facebook page is certainly another option, but people like myself who have no Facebook account would be left out.
James
Posted by SJ_SwanJun on 16-07-2010 at 16:37:
Cep ... you're killing me, dude ...A whole week?!?!
How will I survive? HOW!!
LOL!
Groovy on updating, though. I am looking forward to seeing the new format and your new ideas. It'll be totally worth the wait...
Just make sure we all know how to find the site when you switch it on over.
If there's anything I can do to help out, just LMK ...
__________________
Sighhh
Why do men snore when lying on their backs?
Because their balls fall over their butt holes and they vapour lock.
Posted by RIgirl on 16-07-2010 at 18:32:
I'm happy about the updating...I think...
I just got used to stuff the way it is, but my real worry here is this...
A whole week?! What on earth am I supposed to do for a whole week?
I could cry at the thought...
(and maybe I do need to admit that I just might be a tiny bit addicted to this as my husband has now started accusing me of being...sigh...a whole week...)
__________________
"It is a rare man that is taken for what he truly is...We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream...." Peter S. Beagle
Posted by amethyst on 16-07-2010 at 19:49:
Hey, Cep, I hope all goes well! Look forward to seeing the new look.
__________________
Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by amethyst on 16-07-2010 at 21:20:
Hey, Cep, quick question. Will all the previous posts be transferred over or will they be lost or archived in some way?
__________________
Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by condorcandi on 16-07-2010 at 21:32:
Are we still going to be able to edit posts if we see spelling errors and stuff?
Are the Gatchamaniac/OOC/Sidebar posts going to be in their own section/board?
Green, are you still copying and pasting the IF?
__________________
Candi
Hollywood is a land of money and cowardice.
-Henry A. Lee, Cracked.com columnist
Posted by clouddancer on 16-07-2010 at 21:46:
I suspect (hope) things will continue under the same sections as they are now. With perhaps a few of them being removed if Cep is finding some not being used.
Things like the posting of stories may become easier, and maybe there will be a section for all the information James provides as well as where the "character of the week threads" are easier to find.
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 16-07-2010 at 22:38:
I second 'character of the week' thread sections. That way, we can consult them for any reason (research, settling bets/arguments, just for fun, etc).
And a section for James's wonderful information about darn near everything Gatch.
Will older posts be archived in some way? I know we've often come up with interesting trivia and ideas in our discussions.
Although this means a change in position on the 'favorites' bar for Gatchamania. Darn it.
__________________
Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 16-07-2010 at 23:36:
Cep- Thanks for the notice and I'm sure the site will be heaps better once the move happens.... You do a great job where would the site be without you and Katse, You're the bones of the place.
__________________
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by condorcandi on 16-07-2010 at 23:48:
Will the web address be exactly the the same? Just making sure.
__________________
Candi
Hollywood is a land of money and cowardice.
-Henry A. Lee, Cracked.com columnist
Posted by condorcandi on 16-07-2010 at 23:50:
Will the web address be exactly the the same? Just making sure.
"Let me draw your birdstyle" should also be easy to access. It's so much fun seeing how it helped birth the IF, and I love looking over the pictures and entries.
__________________
Candi
Hollywood is a land of money and cowardice.
-Henry A. Lee, Cracked.com columnist
Posted by clouddancer on 17-07-2010 at 00:05:
Assuming the new website is searchable like this one is, I would say the "Let me draw your birdstyle" thread is easily enough found.
As much as I agree it is a great thread, if we were going to list threads we would like to have easy access too, I would have a list before that one. And I am sure others would have differing opinions than mine.
You know the saying, you can't please everyone.
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by amethyst on 17-07-2010 at 00:16:
Cloud, I couldn't agree more with you! While there are a great many IFs here that are quite fun, the site has so much more to offer. The episode reviews would top my list of posts not to lose because of all the hard work of our reviewers and the great discussions they have spawned. The forums devoted to each show and their incarnations are great places to find information about shows or variations that we've not seen. James's information and artwork shared by member artists or members who run across fanart from outside the site.
__________________
Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by condorcandi on 17-07-2010 at 00:17:
You're right, Cloud.
__________________
Candi
Hollywood is a land of money and cowardice.
-Henry A. Lee, Cracked.com columnist
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 17-07-2010 at 00:50:
I think keeping the ep reviews are important too Ame. A wealth of information not just for us but for future fans.
__________________
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
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