Upcoming Board Update and Interruptions

[James Steele]

Just want to fill you all in on what's going to happen in the next couple of days. I received a notice from my hosting company that they are updating all the servers to the newest version of php which is what this board runs on. The update will happen November 16.

I have been using an older version of phpBB (the open source board software) and been on borrowed time. The hosting company has more than once made allowances and configured things so that this board could continue to use the older version of php. This time that's not an option. The upgrade is mandatory.

Because of that I MUST update phpBB to the newest version which is 3.3.2. This update is a bit daunting and in order to assure it's done properly I've contracted with a professional to do this for me.

One thing to share also is the look and feel of this forum (the "style") is an older third party style that will "break" when the board software is updated, thus after the update the board will LOOK different. It will appear more generic. I plan to overhaul the style and make something more customized and modern for our community, but my priority for now is making sure the board remains compatible and continues to function after November 16. So you may have to put up with the generic user interface for a while... possibly through the end of the year with the holidays coming.

Hope that all makes sense. Any questions... let me know. Thanks folks!

[mikehalloran]

Great to hear from you, James.

Thank you for the heads-up. I think we can put up with something generic for awhile.

[cuttime]

Thanks for checking in and thanks again for all you do! Say "Hi!" to Doris for me.

[James Steele]

Thanks for checking in and thanks again for all you do! Say "Hi!" to Doris for me.

I will. She's a little cranky. She thinks I should have saved the money and done it myself, but I explained to her that me making a mistake and wiping out the board was not worth the risk!

[HCMarkus]

Thanks James!

[waterstrum]

Hey James,
Many thanks!
Much appreciation for all of the work you put in to keep this board up and running.
We are lucky to have you captaining this ship.

[monkey man]

If I'm not mistaken the Rig Talk forum has found itself in the same situation as you, Jimbo.

The version of phpBB that it's been on for eons is long-in-the-tooth. A mod issued a downtime warning just yesterday.

Good luck with it man. We all appreciate your historic and ongoing efforts, as I'm sure you know.

[nk_e]

Can we send you a few $$ to help offset the cost? If so, how?

[labman]

appreciate it Sir James

[HCMarkus]

Can we send you a few $$ to help offset the cost? If so, how?

This. We can't have a cranky Doris!

[leigh]

Can we send you a few $$ to help offset the cost? If so, how?

Yes!!

**Leigh

[bayswater]

Can we send you a few $$ to help offset the cost? If so, how?

I'm in. How do we do it?

[mikehalloran]

Count me in.

[James Steele]

It's very kind of many of you to offer to help kick in. Let's wait and see how it turns out first. Also, you can express your thanks to Sweetwater as I do get *some* income from their banner ad you see across the top of this site. I'm not getting rich, but it covers the hosting and will also cover the cost of paying for a professional to shepherd the update.

I *could* have attempted it myself, but my knowledge is limited. I know "just enough to get in trouble" as the saying goes, and I didn't want you guys to wake up one morning and find some bizarre error screen. As Clint Eastwood's great character, Detective Harry Callahan, said, "A man's got to know his own limitations." As I get older I'm only all to aware of my own... and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's WHY we ARE older! LOL

[monkey man]

Prudent move, Jimbo.