Are the MinMax Boards/Brilliant Gameologist website down for anyone else?

[prototype00]

It seems to be returning a web host message.

[cagemarrow]

I'm getting the same for the Minmax boards.

[Melcar]

I also cant access the site. I do not hope the same fate as dicefreaks has befallen the Min/Max Boards/Brilliant Gameologist...

[PanosIs]

And all the sweet handbooks were over there :/

[danielxcutter]

*raises hand*

[prototype00]

Anyone have any idea what's up with the site?

[Melblen_Cairn]

Nope, logged in this morning and got same message as you all have. Seen this a couple times before. Most of this times it was back up relatively soon.

[Toptomcat]

It seems kind of odd that it's redirecting to http։//box305.bluehost.com/suspended.page/disabled.cgi/www.howsyourmuffin.com, rather than something along the lines of http։//box305.bluehost.com/suspended.page/disabled.cgi/www.minmaxboards.com. Did it do that when it went down before?

And on a related note, does anyone know if Olescamo's monster classes are hosted anywhere else?

[RegalKain]

It seems kind of odd that it's redirecting to http։//box305.bluehost.com/suspended.page/disabled.cgi/www.howsyourmuffin.com, rather than something along the lines of http։//box305.bluehost.com/suspended.page/disabled.cgi/www.minmaxboards.com. Did it do that when it went down before?

And on a related note, does anyone know if Olescamo's monster classes are hosted anywhere else?

Yeah, I tried to go there just now for Oles' monster classes and got the same message. Man I really friggin hope they aren't dead forever. That'd be super friggin sad.

[Waker]

I want them to get back up so that I can easily access the ACF list.

[Madara]

I want them to get back up so that I can easily access the ACF list.

So have we learned an important lesson today?

We should probably get some backups set up.

[prototype00]

So have we learned an important lesson today?

We should probably get some backups set up.

Yeah, when (hopefully) they come back up, we can probably start storing some of the guides on google docs.

[Waker]

So have we learned an important lesson today?
I think we both know I have not. The only possible solution is for someone else on this forum to copy-paste everything from the other sites.

[martixy]

There's been a general advisory up for some time, the boards were supposed to move hosts.

Not sure what became of that, but this downtime is likely related.

Someone probably didn't update the DNS.

[Zephonim]

You can still access handbooks via google cache

[Psysama]

They are down for me too. Any idea on when they'll be back up?

[Telonius]

Really, really hoping we don't have another forum down for good. Saving all of the WotC boards stuff was traumatic enough, and that had a bunch of lead time.

[Zephonim]

So i suppose if it does come back up there's going to be a push to archive in google docs now huh?

[Prime32]

There's been a general advisory up for some time, the boards were supposed to move hosts.

Not sure what became of that, but this downtime is likely related.

Someone probably didn't update the DNS.As the guy who was supposed to be in charge of moving the boards to that new host, I can confirm that it's not related, and have no information on what's going on.

[RoboEmperor]

Nooo, i need that wizard handbook by treantmonk.

[Stratovarius]

As the guy who was supposed to be in charge of moving the boards to that new host, I can confirm that it's not related, and have no information on what's going on.

And as the new host, we did not receive the data before this event. So please back up everything possible via Google cache, etc.

Minor side note that you can ignore all Arhosa material (PbP excepted) - all of the homebrew is backed up.

[Zephonim]

Nooo, i need that wizard handbook by treantmonk.

Use google cache back that **** up

[RegalKain]

And as the new host, we did not receive the data before this event. So please back up everything possible via Google cache, etc.

Minor side note that you can ignore all Arhosa material (PbP excepted) - all of the homebrew is backed up.

Oh god, please don't tell me it's all gone ;o;

[DEMON]

Wayback Machine (https://web.archive.org/web/20160703013545/http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7908) to the rescue!

[daremetoidareyo]

I want them to get back up so that I can easily access the ACF list.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444354-3-5-Alternative-Class-Features-(ported-from-Wizards-community-boards)

Its even better here

[RedWarlock]

I know the BGs had been sorta disinterested/feeling put-upon about it for a while, thus the talk of moving. Anybody got an active contact for them? I'd hate to think they decided to just shutter it, if the move wasn't going fast enough..

[prototype00]

And as the new host, we did not receive the data before this event. So please back up everything possible via Google cache, etc.

Minor side note that you can ignore all Arhosa material (PbP excepted) - all of the homebrew is backed up.

Thanks for telling us! Please keep us updated if anything turns up.

[Baby Gary]

Nooo, i need that wizard handbook by treantmonk.

luckily I happend to have the tab open so I copied it all into a google docs, here it is (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tURLI5Iw9TBPHQteKMx5QOtVOXrl0SfU0V-DBYG5nWM/pub)

[GilesTheCleric]

And as the new host, we did not receive the data before this event. So please back up everything possible via Google cache, etc.

Minor side note that you can ignore all Arhosa material (PbP excepted) - all of the homebrew is backed up.

Do you think this calls for another thread index (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444041-Threads-from-the-Wizards-forums)? And, do you, Meg, or Prime have a timeframe on how long we have until the old sites are gone?

[Bhu]

As the guy who was supposed to be in charge of moving the boards to that new host, I can confirm that it's not related, and have no information on what's going on.

I have Megs facebook if you need to contact her

Also I have tons of stuff there not backed up that I intended to post here that I could use help on!

[Zephonim]

luckily I happend to have the tab open so I copied it all into a google docs, here it is (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tURLI5Iw9TBPHQteKMx5QOtVOXrl0SfU0V-DBYG5nWM/pub)

How can i copy this to my google docs?

I don't see a button.


I copied the ultimate list of Save or Be Screwed and am copying over the Archivist Handbook atm. I'll see if i can get the shadowcraft mage handbook too.

[Stratovarius]

I have Megs facebook if you need to contact her

Also I have tons of stuff there not backed up that I intended to post here that I could use help on!

Bhu, if you could reach out to Prime (he's the tech person for our end) - easiest way is IRC at #mmxgeneral on irc.Rizon.net.


Do you think this calls for another thread index (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444041-Threads-from-the-Wizards-forums)? And, do you, Meg, or Prime have a timeframe on how long we have until the old sites are gone?

Yes, another thread index would help immensely for backing up material. For the moment, mirror here. There is a new forum where we intended to put the MMX data, but for the moment I would recommend using GitP over it. There's a decision to be made about whether it's even worth attempting to resurrect the MMX community without any of the forum information.

As for timeline, uncertain - the little we know is that the hosting service for BG/MMX has suspended the account. Whether they give a month, a quarter, or longer to resume paying is entirely unknown. Bluntly, grab everything ASAP, MMX may be dead.

Areas to focus on (imo): Handbooks and Homebrew. There's a lot of good content over there (SirP, Bhu, etc.) as well as handbooks that have migrated from 309 to BG to MMX.

[TheFederalist]

How can i copy this to my google docs?

I don't see a button.


I copied the ultimate list of Save or Be Screwed and am copying over the Archivist Handbook atm. I'll see if i can get the shadowcraft mage handbook too.

Right click the page, there should be a save-as button. That should make it a file on your computer, from there you can probably just upload it to Drive. That's the easiest way that I could think of.

[Stratovarius]

I should note there is still an MMX irc channel (#mmxgeneral @ Rizon.net) and a MMX Discord (https://discord.gg/J2JBqka), although neither is that populated.

[prototype00]

Is there any possibility of paying for a grace period to get all the files back up for rescue (just in case Wayback fails us) or is the outlay for that too much?

[danielxcutter]

Is there any possibility of paying for a grace period to get all the files back up for rescue (just in case Wayback fails us) or is the outlay for that too much?

Yeah, if nothing else, we really need those handbooks. And I don't want to force people to give up all the homebrew that they spent countless hours making, either.

Too bad I'm sorta broke, though. :smallannoyed:

[Bhu]

Bhu, if you could reach out to Prime (he's the tech person for our end) - easiest way is IRC at #mmxgeneral on irc.Rizon.net.



Yes, another thread index would help immensely for backing up material. For the moment, mirror here. There is a new forum where we intended to put the MMX data, but for the moment I would recommend using GitP over it. There's a decision to be made about whether it's even worth attempting to resurrect the MMX community without any of the forum information.

As for timeline, uncertain - the little we know is that the hosting service for BG/MMX has suspended the account. Whether they give a month, a quarter, or longer to resume paying is entirely unknown. Bluntly, grab everything ASAP, MMX may be dead.

Areas to focus on (imo): Handbooks and Homebrew. There's a lot of good content over there (SirP, Bhu, etc.) as well as handbooks that have migrated from 309 to BG to MMX.
Prime is on gitp too.

Also I have no idea how rizon works as I have never been there

[Stratovarius]

Is there any possibility of paying for a grace period to get all the files back up for rescue (just in case Wayback fails us) or is the outlay for that too much?

It's more that we don't have access to the hosting account, and thus don't even know what to pay for. And BlueHost certainly wouldn't allow a transfer just by calling up and asking, even money in hand.

[GilesTheCleric]

I have created a unified thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?527170-Index-of-Minmax-Brilliant-Gameologist-Threads&p=22088148) so that we can keep our archiving efforts organised.

[Zephonim]

This is the greatest catastrophe we have ever faced

[Stratovarius]

***UPDATE****

The MMX forums should be back online shortly. This is a temporary reprieve. It's $14.99 a month to pay for hosting, and BlueHost is "kind" enough to allow outsiders to pay. HOWEVER: This does not solve the reasons that the forum was being transferred in the first place. The most critical of these are that the forum software is out of date and has known malware in the wild, and that because email verification is down, new users cannot sign up.

Prime32 and I can get a new forum up and running at MinMaxForum.com in short order (it's not there yet, don't go looking), but the data copy across would have to be entirely manual. We do not have access to the back end of MMX, nor will we unless the BGs grant it to us. Therefore, manual copying is the way forward, regardless of where it ends up.

Thoughts?

[danielxcutter]

***UPDATE****

The MMX forums should be back online shortly. This is a temporary reprieve. It's $14.99 a month to pay for hosting, and BlueHost is "kind" enough to allow outsiders to pay. HOWEVER: This does not solve the reasons that the forum was being transferred in the first place. The most critical of these are that the forum software is out of date and has known malware in the wild, and that because email verification is down, new users cannot sign up.

Prime32 and I can get a new forum up and running at MinMaxForum.com in short order (it's not there yet, don't go looking), but the data copy across would have to be entirely manual. We do not have access to the back end of MMX, nor will we unless the BGs grant it to us. Therefore, manual copying is the way forward, regardless of where it ends up.

Thoughts?

Well, if we have to, then it's better than nothing...

Also, your avatar doesn't show up on my end.

[Melblen_Cairn]

A new forum would be great. I have a lot of material on my PbP's that wouldn't be too hard to re-post via copying over having to re-create a lot of it. Thanks for your work looking into getting us back up and running quickly Strat.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Is it down now?

Tried to log in a few weeks ago but forgot my password, submitted a "forgot password?", never got anything, tried again 2 days later, and 2 weeks later still nothing. Pretty much have resigned myself to never accessing my account again. :smallfrown:

[GilesTheCleric]

Is it down now?

Tried to log in a few weeks ago but forgot my password, submitted a "forgot password?", never got anything, tried again 2 days later, and 2 weeks later still nothing. Pretty much have resigned myself to never accessing my account again. :smallfrown:

The payment for a reprieve month of service doesn't seem to have gone through as of this post, so currently yes.

Do you have the URLs for any resources you've created over there?

[Stratovarius]

Not so good news - old MMX/BG appears to have been taken down for non-payment related reasons. Otherwise it should have been back up already.

Better news - MinMaxForum.com (http://minmaxforum.com/) is up and running and can host threads. Prime is currently working to copy the look/feel, etc. from our test forum.

[Kuroimaken]

This is awful. I remember back when we had to move the first time around from the BG boards...

I know it's not much guys, but let me know if there's something I can do to help.

[lbuttitta]

Fortunately, the Google caches are still working, so we can still get to the handbooks (thank goodness!).

[Stratovarius]

Anyone who was having trouble logging into MinMaxForum.com (http://minmaxforum.com) shouldn't have any issues any longer. Had to fix an outdated part of the theme.

Edit: For those who are grabbing threads, we've found some that don't exist on Google or Wayback, but do exist in Bing. Make sure to check other search engines as well when trying to grab threads.

[GilesTheCleric]

This is awful. I remember back when we had to move the first time around from the BG boards...

I know it's not much guys, but let me know if there's something I can do to help.

We have a thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?527170-Index-of-Minmax-Brilliant-Gameologists-Threads&p=22088148) dedicated to a mirroring/ archiving effort.

[Kuroimaken]

Anyone who was having trouble logging into MinMaxForum.com (http://minmaxforum.com) shouldn't have any issues any longer. Had to fix an outdated part of the theme.

Edit: For those who are grabbing threads, we've found some that don't exist on Google or Wayback, but do exist in Bing. Make sure to check other search engines as well when trying to grab threads.

I still can't login. It says my username doesn't exist. That's just preposterous, dagnabbit.

[GilesTheCleric]

I still can't login. It says my username doesn't exist. That's just preposterous, dagnabbit.

You'll need to create a new account. I don't believe the old accounts can be transferred.

[Stratovarius]

You'll need to create a new account. I don't believe the old accounts can be transferred.

We have no data from the old forum, aside from what is being saved. So, save away and we'll see what happens going forward.

[martixy]

Terrible news indeed.

I can't devote much time this month to scouring archives sadly. (I guess I could help with technical stuff, though from what I read of the original migration thread there seemed to be no shortage of competent folk.)

[ksbsnowowl]

Better news - MinMaxForum.com (http://minmaxforum.com/) is up and running and can host threads. Prime is currently working to copy the look/feel, etc. from our test forum.

I saved my Sunless Citadel Adventure Path - Campaign Journal, along with boards code, in anticipation of the big switch. It seems it was an excellent thing I did.

However, the new forum doesn't seem to have a Campaign Journals section. I'll wait to repost it until there is an appropriate section for it.

[Stratovarius]

I saved my Sunless Citadel Adventure Path - Campaign Journal, along with boards code, in anticipation of the big switch. It seems it was an excellent thing I did.

However, the new forum doesn't seem to have a Campaign Journals section. I'll wait to repost it until there is an appropriate section for it.

I wouldn't worry too much about that - we can add boards very quickly as long as a user asks. That's how we ended up with the PbP and Homebrew forums. I'll go ahead the campaign journals.

Right now, Prime is feverishly testing a lot of improvements over the old forums, including ones for PbP gameplay, better tables, etc. We should be able to see those in a day or two, hopefully.

[LoyalPaladin]

And all the sweet handbooks were over there :/
It's the handbooks that worries me. I pray that our GitP will be the immortal forum.

[GilesTheCleric]

It's the handbooks that worries me. I pray that our GitP will be the immortal forum.

The internet archive or perhaps google is the best bet for lasting information on the internet in the absence of a funded DOI system. Could we move everything over to those two places? Yes, but that would also make it difficult for folks to browse or comment. There's not really any one perfect solution. For now, copying the data across multiple forums for redundancy is probably best.

Edit: theoretically if a scholar were to take up documenting these sorts of things as the subject of their research, we might have more reliable backups, such as this (http://www.indiana.edu/~libarchm/index.php) or other similar projects that I can't find a link to right away.

[TaiLiu]

HTTrack (http://www.httrack.com/) is probably the most reliant way to save a website as an outsider, since it saves the entire website - not just a single page, as Google Cache or Internet Archive does. Of course, it is of no use now, since the websites are down.

[Bhu]

Be sure to use Bing's cache too, it has stuff google misses.

BG Josh has stated it has something to do with there being too many files, and believes he can fix it. There is no certainty, so keep backing stuff up.

[Zephonim]

Be sure to use Bing's cache too, it has stuff google misses.

BG Josh has stated it has something to do with there being too many files, and believes he can fix it. There is no certainty, so keep backing stuff up.

So we might be able to have the site fully back up?

[Fizban]

While urls pointed at particular messages won't pop up on a cache search, it's easy enough to chop off the end and add .0 so it reads topic=numbers.0 and get the main thread to appear with the cache search.

It would also be really nice if firefox would fix the years old bug that makes it fail to save random pages.

[Stratovarius]

So we might be able to have the site fully back up?

Maybe. I would still recommend saving everything first.

[evedgebah]

I'm trying to help, but new to forums. I have some links, but even chopped up can't post them.

[GilesTheCleric]

I'm trying to help, but new to forums. I have some links, but even chopped up can't post them.

I think it's only 10 posts to be able to post links. If you post them without the http://www. portion, then I think it would be fine.

[Naoki00_]

Dang this is sad. I had so much good homebrew book marked from there. Did anyone happen to save the Martial Disciplines inspired by Blazblue page? That one was a pretty recurring trip for my characters :(

[Bhu]

Dang this is sad. I had so much good homebrew book marked from there. Did anyone happen to save the Martial Disciplines inspired by Blazblue page? That one was a pretty recurring trip for my characters :(

Perchance d o you remember the authors name? If it's oslecamo he's saving his stuff

[GilesTheCleric]

Dang this is sad. I had so much good homebrew book marked from there. Did anyone happen to save the Martial Disciplines inspired by Blazblue page? That one was a pretty recurring trip for my characters :(

A bunch of Touhou ToB stuff is backed up; if Blazblue is Touhou, then it might have been individually saved (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22088617&postcount=18) as well.

[Naoki00_]

Perchance d o you remember the authors name? If it's oslecamo he's saving his stuff

I think so? I feel kinda silly not remembering THAT part of something I've used on 4-5 different characters. But if it is that does take a small load off. I'm glad people seem to be able to save quite a few good things at least.

[Lix Lorn]

does anyone know if anyone's dealing with the Spellshaping Codices?? :smalleek:

[Stratovarius]

does anyone know if anyone's dealing with the Spellshaping Codices?? :smalleek:

Do you know who the author was?

[Lix Lorn]

DonQuixote. It had its own subforum. I checked the list of stuff that's already been saved,a nd I also just sent a PM to his GitP account, since he's been active less than a week ago. I've looked at the waybackmachine and it seems to have a backup from 2014 for at least some pages, but I'm not sure how much it's been updated since then. There also might be pdfs for some of the material around, in which case it's only the bonus 'web-exclusive' stuff that needs backing up.

[DonQuixote]

I also just sent a PM to his GitP account, since he's been active less than a week ago.

No clue how that happened, given that I haven't actually visited the site in...I want to say years. Fortunately, I always make sure to set all forums to e-mail me when I get a private message.

I'll be honest--transferring all of the spellshaping material to forum code again is something that I'm particularly keen on. I've compressed the files and hosted them in my Google drive (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3QF4xlozShjNnhwek1rbWl3MGM) for now, but it's entirely possible that, in a few years, I might delete them again if I run into space issues. If someone wants to rehost them, that'd be great. If not, private messages will still summon me from my personal abyss, so that's fine.

As I've said elsewhere, I won't be completing the revision and combination of the first two codices and the supplemental material, which was all supposed to end up together in one revised codex. If someone else feels like they want to finish where I left off, I have no problem with that--the .zip includes the raw .docx files I used to produce the PDFs, as well as all my notes and sketches.

[Lix Lorn]

You're a gentleman and a scholar. I completely understand not wanting to type everything out twice.

In that case, I shall probably try to put it all up and formatted on my google docs. I'll probably shoot a message at you when I do so, so you have somewhere to link to if anyone else asks about it?

[RegalKain]

So, by chance since he's saving his stuff is Oslecamo's stuff back up? Particularly his monster classes? My group and I really enjoyed using them. I currently have a Midgard Dwarf whom I can't really progress cause I don't have the rest of the levels written out. :(

[Stratovarius]

So, by chance since he's saving his stuff is Oslecamo's stuff back up? Particularly his monster classes? My group and I really enjoyed using them. I currently have a Midgard Dwarf whom I can't really progress cause I don't have the rest of the levels written out. :(

They should be here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?board=9.0).

[Snowbluff]

Well good to know this is well in order. I should make an account on the new site sometime.

[Stratovarius]

Well good to know this is well in order. I should make an account on the new site sometime.

This is actually an option for the first time in over a year (one of the reasons we were planning the move before this all happened).

[Snowbluff]

This is actually an option for the first time in over a year (one of the reasons we were planning the move before this all happened).

Well, I did have an account on the old one, I just hardly ever used it. :smalltongue:

[Stratovarius]

Well, I did have an account on the old one, I just hardly ever used it. :smalltongue:

I figured as much, but one of the difficulties with MMX as it stood was the email to sign up new accounts (and notifications, etc.) was non-functional. We had no new signups for over a year as a result.

Email notifications, etc. are on now, but the account sign-up has been done a little different.

[Bhu]

The old boards are now timing out instead of showing a 'suspended' page.

[Stratovarius]

For anyone who was subscribed to this thread but missed the announcements, both the MinMaxBoards (http://minmaxforum.com) and Brilliant Gameologists (http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com) are back up and running.

[trappedslider]

Finally found this info and now to wait for my password reset email.

[Stratovarius]

Finally found this info and now to wait for my password reset email.

If you have any difficulty, PM me here or find me on the Discord (https://discord.gg/J2JBqka).

[trappedslider]

If you have any difficulty, PM me here or

Thanks, I just figured out my old password

[Stratovarius]

Thanks, I just figured out my old password

Glad to have you back!

[Grod_The_Giant]

I'm still getting error messages every time I try to follow a saved/googled link to the boards.

[Luccan]

I'm still getting error messages every time I try to follow a saved/googled link to the boards.

The original site, at least for gameologists, is actually down. A lot of stuff was backed up to minmax, but brilliantgameologists as a board is gone. Here are the websites:

http://minmaxforum.com/

http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/

[Stratovarius]

The original site, at least for gameologists, is actually down. A lot of stuff was backed up to minmax, but brilliantgameologists as a board is gone. Here are the websites:

http://minmaxforum.com/

http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/

It's actually the complete forums as of when they went down, which we (the new hosts) received from the BGs (both for MMX and BG). The forums have been back up under the new URLs for a month or two.

Google, unfortunately, doesn't equate the two sites because of the slightly different URL.