# Archives now offline permanently



## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

After nursing along the old archives for over three years, I have taken them offline permanently. The major slowness and downtime from a couple weeks ago was a direct result of the archives being accessed. In addition, the old software was buggy and had security holes. One was exploited again this past week and links to a virus were put all over in several different fields. I've warned for some time that this day would come, and it has. I apologize for the inconvenience, but the old forums are just too much to support from now on. I will still keep the old database, and try to extract some of the data out at a future time. If you need something out of the archives, feel free to contact me and I'll see if I can dig it up, but keep in mind it might take some time to find it.

Thanks for your understanding,

Shad


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

*RE: Archives now offline permanantly*

Shad,

I really think that the master classes, articles and such should still accessible. You promised that when you went to the new software that this would be brought over to the newer so we would not have to go to the archives and now you have taken one of the resources that I was willing to pay for. I had not down loaded they articles or master classes to my computer because they were accessible and now with out any warning you have removed them. Please either rethink your decision or move the Master Class and related things to the new website so that we can access them!


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

*RE: Archives now offline permanantly*

The masterclasses & articles will be brought over as soon as I can get them.


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

*RE: Archives now offline permanantly*

Thank You


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Archives now offline permanantly*

Does this mean we can delete lots of old photos?? Can you make it so we can delete more than one at a time?? please...


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Good point Marty... Shad, can you tell us the date of the LAST archived post. Seems to me that any photo posted before then could be deleted without harming much.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Marty:

The ability to delete multiple files has been present in the new forum software since we switched over to it in Jan. 2008. Additionally, the MLS FTP interface for the 1st Class member has been available in both the old and new forum software.

You can manage your 1st Class web space via...
[*] Insert Image dialog accessed within the HTML editor. (see instructions below)

or...
[*] Through the MLS FTP interface, using a stand alone FTP client or the native MS/Internet Explorer FTP client.
See the FTP instructions in the MLS FAQ, or click the direct link below.

MLS menu-bar >> Resources menu >> FAQ >> Q1. How do I use my 1st Class FTP space?[/b]

For a free copy of the stand alone FTP client referenced in the MLS FAQ click the following hyperlink, then scroll down to the Older Versions box and click the WS_FTP LE 6 (1.9 MB) link.

Old Version - WS_FTP LE 6 (1.9 MB)[/b]

or...
FireFTP An Integrated FTP Extension For FireFox[/b]

or...
[*] You can use the old 1st Class user interface, but that takes a long time, because you can only delete one file at a time.

Old Style 1st Class User Interface[/b]
[/list] 
Managing the contents of your MLS 1st Class web space directly from the 'Insert Image' dialog.










Referencing the above image, you can navigate & manage your MLS 1st Class web space directly from the 'Insert Image' dialog.
[*] Notice that in the pane located in the upper-left of the dialog the contents your MLS web space is displayed.


[*] To mark each item you wish to delete, simply left-click the 'Check Box' located directly to the left of item you want to delete, placing a check mark in each box (as indicated by the red-headed arrows in the above image).


[*] Next, left-click the 'Scissors' icon, located in the upper-left corner of the pane (as indicated by the 'Pointing Hand' & 'Tool Tip' box in the above image). Also note if the 'Scissors' icon cannot be seen scroll to the top of the pane.


[*] Lastly, left-click the 'OK' button in the 'Confirmation' alert, as depicted by the following image.
[/list]


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## Mike O (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve, 

Please add your delete multiple files explanation to the FAQ. Thanks. 

Mike


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

The masterclasses & articles will be brought over as soon as I can get them 
That would be nice. I went looking for the "Figure" class this morning as someone wanted to make some for us, but it was gone.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

It's a real shame that the archives are lost but I understand the reasons! On the other hand, when someone new asks the inevitable question that has been asked and answered in multiple threads over the past ten years, we won't have the excuse to be rude and give a terse, snide remark about, "...look it up in the archives!!" (Okay, that was, admittedly, a snarky comment but that _has_ been a growing problem lately!) Yes, we've lost a valuable resouce but this also offers us an opportunity to once again interact with newer members to our hobby! (It's all in how you look at it. Bring on the Lemurian slave girls yeah!!!!)


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Understandable but a big loss, glad to hear the Masterclass' will be saved.


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

Would be cool, if you allowed the database to be downloaded, someone could parse through it(like me, I can write a PHP program to do it lickty split) and put up relevant information. (I am a believer that relevent information on the internet has no business being lost. It shouldn't happen period. - Wikipedia is built on this foundation)


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By afinegan on 29 Mar 2011 08:35 AM 
Would be cool, if you allowed the database to be downloaded, someone could parse through it(like me, I can write a PHP program to do it lickty split) and put up relevant information. (I am a believer that relevent information on the internet has no business being lost. It shouldn't happen period. - Wikipedia is built on this foundation) 



That's an excellent idea--a lot of people donated their experience and expertise to that archive, and it's a real shame to let it vanish. 


I'd also like to know when it stopped--what date?


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you Steve, I did not catch that before. 
I will copy this and try it when I have time.


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

Anything older than Jan 2008 was in the archives.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

I wonder if it could be copied to a Disc and sold for like $9.99

In the MLS Store 


There was really a lot of great info in there.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

but if you are going to do something to save the archives, do it quick! - quick as in "before everybody deletes the old pics"


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

I had around 10 "How To" postings in the old archived battery R/C forum which are no longer acessible. 

Shad has kindly offered to retrieve them for me, convert them to PDF files and allow me to have them on my RCS website for all to access.


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

At least let someone else put it up on a home server. I host my own websites at hope on my comcast cable modem, DNS is updated through a script (free external DNS server), so other than paying for my normal internet connection, I have free hosting. All the recent pictures I post on this form are hosted on my home server. Even my signature. I just don't want to see this info disappear, its not like our hobby has changed that much through the years. All those posts are still relevant. (yes I still did lookups on it. More recently for my coal fired boiler project I am currently researching).

(P.S. Ill still be happy with a database dump lol - cant be more than 100 megs(as long as you weren't storing images in the database as binary data) which is nothing in todays storage)


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

Andrew, it's actually about 500 mb.. But the problem is, much of the data in the database was compromised. It's going to take time to rebuild.


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

OK, just throwing my hand to ya 

I am willing to work on it if u like hehe


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

This would be a good time for everyone to get out their old postings, update them and re-post.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Shad - you'll note Mike Reilley has started loading the .PDFs of some useful threads. 

How do we insert references to them through the Helpful Threads Archive link above?


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

I'll connect with Mike and look into getting them into a better place that doesn't take up all his 1st class space. In reality, I like the posting each separately because he's putting search terms in them. That makes them searchable, which is better than just dumping them all into one "helpful threads" post.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ShadsTrains on 05 Apr 2011 03:24 PM 
I'll connect with Mike and look into getting them into a better place that doesn't take up all his 1st class space. In reality, I like the posting each separately because he's putting search terms in them. That makes them searchable, which is better than just dumping them all into one "helpful threads" post. 

He/we can keep 'posting' them to make them searchable even if there is a subsequent link in the Helpful Threads page.

They are already searchable as PDFs - the link is to mikes storage area.










And all you have to do is make up a new 1st class user for Mike to store them in, instead of his own space. The KISS rule?


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

NO NO NO!!! Just leave em in my space please. I don't want all the links I entered to become toast...and that's what happens when you move the files.

I don't mind having the threads in my space. When the archives were dumped, I asked how far back the current forums went. Shad told me 2008. That allowed me to delete all the photos I'd posted for threads in the archives that were now toast. That reduced my storage requirements by a bunch....and what I've done is to refill the area gained with stuff I had in my Oldies but Goodies directories on my computer disk.

I also think that putting the old posts IN the currents forums is a better approach...than to put them elsewhere on the site. That way, the search function works...and since Google reads pdf files too, it means the older stuff will show up if you use a Google search. I've added search terms to each thread to make that a bit faster...but other folks can add more search terms by adding to the thread. That will improve your ability to find stuff on MLS. 


If the files are put elsewhere on MLS, you also precluded remarks and questions. That's the power of forum software...you want this stuff in the forums.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike, 

I was only suggesting opening another username so that you (or I, or Dwight) would have another 100MB to store the rest of the docs. It doesn't matter where they are stored, as long as the link to the .PDF works. (I'm up to 65MB and every time I install a video it eats up some more.) 

And I don't understand the "put the files elsewhere" issue. The "Helpful Threads Archive" (Community/Forum Archives/.) just has a name and a link to a .PDF. The link can be to your storage, or another's (or even anoither server entirely); it makes no difference. And it doesn't preclude you from opening a thread in the forums with the link in it and some search terms. 

I mean, what's the point of a "Helpful Threads Archive" page if it doesn't have anything on it? It's just a place where all the links are in one place besides being scattered around the forums.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

OK...NOW I see where the Helpful Threads thing is stored. Never knew it was there...but I note that there is no way for a regular user to post into it. I think that's important.

Also, if you're a Newbie wanting to know something, like "how to build a building from plexiglass", I think they'd normally go to the Buildings forum and search for plexiglass. That's why I put the stuff in the right forum. Then again, that's based on me knowing how the Search function works. It doesn't search outside the forums as far as I know. So, putting stuff in Helpful Threads might not really help much. The Google option does go over everything, but there's no guarantee that Google's bots have done their job...yet.

As to the memory thing...you're right. I have 1G of storage on MLS because I signed up as a Lifetime Member years ago. That gives me more flexibility...flexibility you don't have with a 100M limit.

As to the linkage issue, each of those threads I posted has a link to a file in my space. If you move that file to another user space, the URL changes and the link dies. If Shad wants to add redirection code so that all my links in the Oldies but Goodies posts are redirected to a new space where's he's moved my files...that would be fine. If there was a special forum user space for those of us that post Oldies but Goodies and there were a set of folks that became Oldies Moderators so-to-speak that could write into that space, you're idea would work. 

If Shad recovers the archives, you'll find that most of the photos are gone now...so their value is very diminished. I only had two of the Masterclass articles...and only one of the Figure class articles. I'm still working on getting copies of them from others.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

If there was a special forum user space for those of us that post Oldies but Goodies and there were a set of folks that became Oldies Moderators so-to-speak that could write into that space, you're idea would work. 
Well, that's pretty much what I was suggesting. A "Helpful Threads" username or two, so that we can pass the password around (load your threads, change the password, and then the next oldster gets to go. Or something similar.) 

The "Helpful Threads Archive" is just a list of stored threads/topics. They can be anywhere - your space, my space, the special username space. It doesn't preclude your excellent work of posting links in threads, nor does it require you move your files. It's just another way to find something if you don't know exactly what you are looking for! 

I think I'd arrange the 'Helpful Threads" by Forum title. But that's just me.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Well...so much for my idea. I could NOT get either of the MLS search options to find any post I added. That includes the search function that is opened by clicking on "Search" or the box in the upper right hand quarter...and it includes whether I'm on the Active Topics page...or in a forum page...or on a specific thread. Nothing worked.

Then I went to Google...outside of MLS...and using "Oldie" and "mylargescale", I was able to find all of my Oldies but Goodies titled posts....and I could add further stuff, like "Jack", and it found all of Jack Thompson's stuff I posted. So, Google works to search MLS IF (and only if) you add "mylargescale" to the search query.

Sure would be nice if the MLS search functions worked...or if a regular Google search box were added to each page...that went straight to Google for searching...maybe adding "mylargescale" to the search query automatically. That's what I thought the search box in the upper right did.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

So, Google works to search MLS IF (and only if) you add "mylargescale" to the search query. 
Mike, 

If you look at my screen shot above, you'll notice I used "site:mylargescale.com ..." as a prefix to the search term. That makes it a 'site specific' search, and I find them very effective. I gave up on the mls search months ago.


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## railcandy (Dec 19, 2010)

*Mike*: You're doing a great service here to me... I feel Shad had some really bad scripts just under his pages.. Good luck in all you can save for me & all of us !

Perry


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