Sorry for any inconveniences.
Well people, let's show some support here. Let's see what we can do to get Jon back on the web.
Ironically enough, the lack of such enthusiasm was what made me decide not to move the site to another location. Truth is, my motivation surrounding Athas Online has been dwindling lately due to lack of feedback. Since I don't have time to maintain the site and update it as often as I want to, I decided to let it die alone and abandoned - in the true athasian spirit, some would claim.
1) Athas Online should probably have its own domain name. The old domain was sponsored by a kind spirit on the DS Mailing List. Though a nice gesture, 3sins.com does sound like a p*rn site of rather dubious nature.
If someone wants to sponsor a domain, that would be cool. Suggestions for the domain name include www.blueshrine.net, www.athasonline.net, www.athas.no, www.darksun.no. 2) I'm fed up with all the static pages requiring excessive manual updates and the layout could do with facelift. If someone knows how to create a database-driven site using asp, php or some other language, and also a system which allows me to easily administer and add new pages, scream up if you have too much spare time on your hands.
3) Hosting would also be an issue. If someone runs a server and has some spare space, do let me know.
UPS (or the Scandanavian equivalent) should be arriving with a package soon. Don't shake it too hard before opening, or you'll really make them angry. You wouldn't like them when they're angry.
Originally posted by Jon, Oracle of Athas
2) I'm fed up with all the static pages requiring excessive manual updates and the layout could do with facelift. If someone knows how to create a database-driven site using asp, php or some other language, and also a system which allows me to easily administer and add new pages, scream up if you have too much spare time on your hands.
That's easy enough, considering that's pretty much all I did with my old job. I am rather fluent with PHP, as well as JavaScript, HTML, XML, Java and other web technologies, plus have administered PostgreSQL and MySQL databases as well.
The problem I'm dealing with is my internet access is currently restricted to basic web capabilities through my friend's computer, as my own computer didn't weather a lightning strike to a nearby transformer so well a few months back (can we say BOOM). This pretty much halted any and all of my programming projects for the time being. Once I get employed, and have rebuilt my computer (at the rate it's going, I'll be starting from scratch, I've just about cannibalized everything on that computer into my friends' systems), I'll gladly help with getting Athas Online up and running for you.
See Jon, I'm not just a silly optimist
Xlorp, is there any way to contact you (via email etc.)? If so, drop me a line at [email=darkstarfalling@sbcglobal.net]darkstarfalling@sbcglobal.net[/email]
Ironically enough, the lack of such enthusiasm was what made me decide not to move the site to another location. Truth is, my motivation surrounding Athas Online has been dwindling lately due to lack of feedback.
Well, I don't have programming skills or the like, but if it's for lack of feedback, just lemme say that my gaming group uses (used) Athas Online almost constantly. The ever-growing 3e section was just great and the older departments were a real source of interest (if for nothing else than the wonderful KotDT strip). Guess we should apologise for not having said as much sooner...
What about pooling some of the different Dark Sun pages and giving several people admin rights? That way you only need to make a good design one time. Of course it depends on the different webmasters...
Originally posted by Jon, Oracle of Athas
1) Athas Online should probably have its own domain name. The old domain was sponsored by a kind spirit on the DS Mailing List. Though a nice gesture, 3sins.com does sound like a p*rn site of rather dubious nature.
But maybe it generated extra traffic to your site. :D Think about how many souls you saved from hell with redirecting them from p*rn to role-playing! Oops, this also can be misunderstandable... Well, whatever... :D
Originally posted by Nagypapi
But maybe it generated extra traffic to your site. :D Think about how many souls you saved from hell with redirecting them from p*rn to role-playing! Oops, this also can be misunderstandable... Well, whatever... :D
:invasion:
Btw, xlorep send me a email as well if you don't mind
at grummore[at]videotron.caThanks!
That's easy enough, considering that's pretty much all I did with my old job. I am rather fluent with PHP, as well as JavaScript, HTML, XML, Java and other web technologies, plus have administered PostgreSQL and MySQL databases as well.
Cool, Xlorep. Keep me posted on your status.
Well Jon, I'm half right at least. Getting the domain name is simple.
Well, as long as someone forks up the cash, that's easy.
Need specs first (check your mail). Cheaper to just do the whole shebang at once, register domain + signup for hosting. Also searching for the odd chance of a decent private hosting solution rather than inter corp hosting. Nothing promising so far though.
Who all is willing to help foot the bill though?
Domain registration for 5 years = $50
Cheap hosting of crappy/simplistic website = $10 monthly (prefer to pay for one year at a time so $120)
Good hosting of uber awesome huge as heck website with all the fixins of a fine truck stop meal = $35-40 monlthy (or yearly at around $450).
Finding someone to design a crappy webpage = Free (easy enough to do)
Re-publishing AthasOnline as it was before = Free as well
Finding someone o make a cool database driven website = $1,000 to $1,500 (lowest quotes so far). *mumbles something about overchaging little geeks sitting at a comp with nothing better to do anyway*
Finding someone to lend me their credit card = Priceless (sorry, you knew that old joke had to make its way in here at some time. Actually, I really don't have any credit cards at all anymore).
So . . . we're at a cost of just over $500 bucks (obviously nixing the whole paying someone to write up a database site).
I can cover 1/2 of that within a week's notice. I'm now passing around the donation platter. Anyone else?
Good hosting of uber awesome huge as heck website with all the fixins of a fine truck stop meal = $35-40 monlthy (or yearly at around $450).
http://www.1sthostweb.com
Seems like we can get away with 50 $ and then 35 $ per year. If we want more than 25 MB, then we'll have to fork up a little extra.
Originally posted by Mach2.5
I can cover 1/2 of that within a week's notice. I'm now passing around the donation platter. Anyone else?
You can count me in with 100$, just give me an account number where I can transfer the money to.
Nagypapi, thanks. That'll help. Hold onto it for now though ;) Especially if I can talk to a few of the webmasters hosting on 1sthostweb to see what they think of the host, we may not need much.
Originally posted by Mach2.5
I may have someone to do the site programming. She's a friend of mine who graduated from all that web site crap, but she hates doing it (either that or she really bites at it, either one). Give me a little while to talk her into it and we may have something.
Mach, you silver tongued bard... Web the girl in, man! ;)
Nagypapi, thanks. That'll help. Hold onto it for now though ;) Especially if I can talk to a few of the webmasters hosting on 1sthostweb to see what they think of the host, we may not need much.
I will hide it, and guard it with a flock of psionically dominated tembos. I only hope that I will be able to retrive it as well...
I have a www.PayPal.com account btw. By default I accept US dollars. That could be a way to transfer donations to the Athas Online Resurrection Fund. My e-mail address is [email]athas@online.no[/email].
Originally posted by Jon, Oracle of Athas
Lol, Nagypapi (on the tembos). Let me know if you need me to lightning bolt your tembos in case they get out of control.
I have list of my enemies, I will send it to you, so you can start your lightning business instantly... :D
Originally posted by Jon, Oracle of Athas
Hmmm.... Nagypapi, did it cross your mind to mentally dominate Mach's webdesigner to do the work for free? Also, do use your mental powers on anyone reading this, so they'll donate to the Athas Online Resurrection Fund (and the "Jon for governor of California" secret plan). Mwahaha.
To be a governor of California first you have to beat a T-800 101 modell, which is immune to psionic domination (construct trait). But hopefully your lightnings can do the job. It proved to be vulnerable to plasma energy... :D
I also try to check out with some of my friends if they have a server space. But even if yes, it will be a... how can I say that... "unofficial" solution (hiding the stuff on a server they maintenance), so it would need frequent backup. I don't know if this is acceptable by you (I suppose not), but maybe worth a try...
Well I'll try to chip in as well, I still have 50MB of webspace at my ISP (best part it is free as included in my contract with them), however I'm not sure if they support asp, php, or any other database based coding. But can check that with them.
The company is based in Belgium and is called
Telenet
If it might be of any help it is free for you to use at your disposal.
For a simple Website design, here's PHPWebSite, which is an open-source project found on SourceForge. There's other ones up on SourceForge, it just takes some looking around through the Software Map
ERk! Downloaded . . . tried very hard . . . comprehension minimal . . . cerebral failure . . . meltdown in 5. . . 4 . . . 3 . . . . .
Ahh well, I guess programming just isn't in my nature.
Mach, you silver tongued bard... Web the girl in, man!
Well, its ahhh, not like that, you see . . . I ahh, *whew, wipes sweat from brow* . . . nevermind.
(I'd talked with Jon some time ago about getting some of the content from athas online onto the Burnt World fo Athhas. For that matter, some of the content from the Sands of Eternity ought to go on to BWoA...)
Does anybody know of a good (preferably, but not necessarily) PHP based CMS system?
Before you list the standard group, let me add that I have a specific requirement: It must support administrator defined types ... going beyond the typical Article and Poll types. If it doesn't, than I may as well continue to tough it out on my own.
Reasoning:
if you migh recall, some time ago, athas.org was more database driven than it is currently ... there were databases for new spells, powers and such. When we moved hosts, I had to change web-environments from ColdFusion to PHP, and move the database from Access to MySQL (that was actually a driving concern.) At the time, most of the databases weren't monitored very well, and there was som really horrific stuff getting published, so I didn't take transfering that capability as a priority.
Re-developing that resource was one of the driving motivations when we put together the conecept of the Templarate. Now, I'm back to the point where I'm developing code for the database driven parts of the site.
I'm a Software Devleoper by nature. It's been fun to do development and work things out, but at this point, I'm also not a fan of reinventing the wheel if don't have to. If there are systems out there that do workflow processing decently, I'd rather use (and contribute to) them, if I can.
So, what I am looking for:
- Free (as in Speech and Beer)
- Runs on a Linux/Apache system (shouldn't be too unlikely there, esp given the above)
- Groks administrator defined objects -- that is, I'll be able to define a "Monster" object and be able to slot it in to the work flow system without too much hassle.
And, following that up, I'll be able to see all of the monster objects in their own section
The las one is the important -- and harder to find -- feature that I need If I can't have that, then I muddle through all the pitfalls of writing a workflow / cms-type system on my own, and things take a lot longer....
Free (as in Speech and Beer)
Wow! Free beer! Where ever it is that you live, I'm moving there . . . *begins packing bags*
I rather liked the fact that Athas.org hosted only 'official' material personally. Granted, I would imagine that some of the team's personal projects would become official in time (such as Jon's PrCs as an example).
Originally posted by Mach2.5
Wow! Free beer! Where ever it is that you live, I'm moving there . . . *begins packing bags*
That's actually more of a matter of who you know / bum off than where you live ... ;)
I rather liked the fact that Athas.org hosted only 'official' material personally. Granted, I would imagine that some of the team's personal projects would become official in time (such as Jon's PrCs as an example).
The intention with the stuff from the Templarate (which is what would be going into the databases) is that it *will* be official material ... without the ability to publish items on their own (outside of a full "product" release like City State of Draj or a Monster Manual) the Templarate is really nothing more than a reference/review body for product writers. That's not how Jon and I initially viewed the org, nor is it how we sold it to everyone else. ... of course, at the moment, that is the role it's performing.
Okay, here's a question then: Who among you actually misses the databases from the older iteration of the site? With the understanding that, reimplemented, the content of said databases will be better reviewed.
grummore[at]videotron.ca