Topic: Southern Spirit Hunters - 1 year old

[Jim]

in about a month Southern Spirit Hunters will be one year old.  Let's be thinking about what we can do to celebrate our successes and set our sights on even higher accomplishments for the next year.  Anyone have ideas for our 1 year celebration?

[Jim]

The 30th of July Southern Spirit Hunters will be one year old.   

We had our beginnings scratched out on a piece of paper on Aunt Bonnie's porch.  We listed the board categories and sub-boards and decided we would attempt this for a year and see what happens.  I searched the internet for information on forums and discussion sites trying to find something that was inexpensive but still afforded us some customization options.  I'm not sure how we arrived at Xsorbit but we ended up there with one of their Platinum plans, paid for a year and began to set things up. 

If you've ever had any experience with a remotely managed site, then skip this paragraph.  Needless to say, these types of sites are easy to set up.  You don't have to know too much about the software, and absolutely nothing about the server side of things as all that is taken care of by the remote host, in this case Xsorbit.  Xsorbit wasn't all bad though as they were running a stripped down version of the SMF software that we are currently running. 

I began learning about this software and adding a few customizations.  I think we made it through without me blowing the forum up because I had set up a test forum that was free to test the small changes to the code.  We were very limited to what we could actually do because of being remotely managed.

It's getting late so I'll add some more to this tomorrow night.  Anyone have any ideas on what we should do for our 1st year anniversary?

[Bonnie]

I think you've done a marvelous job, Jim. I think we should do something to celebrate. If we can't find some place to investigate we can always do a vigil at the cemetery.

Bonnie

[Jim]

I think you've done a marvelous job, Jim. I think we should do something to celebrate. If we can't find some place to investigate we can always do a vigil at the cemetery.

Wish we could set up an investigation.  That would be great.

Around the first of this year I began to frequent the SMF support forum and the more I read, the more I thought we should be using the full blown software instead of what Xsorbit was providing.  Additionally about that time one of Xsorbits servers went down and was down for over a month.  If we had of been on that server, we would have been without access to the forum for a month or more.  As it turned out, Xsorbit didn't own any servers, they just rented space on servers set up for hosting so they had no control at all over the physical server or any influence to get it fixed.

I decided then that we would have to do something to insure the surviveability of the forum.  I began to investigate the possibility of converting the existing forum database including users and post to the most up to date Simple Machines Forum.  From the info on the support forum it sounded simple.  All I had to do was download the structure and the data in SQL from the existing forum, upload it to our host and run the update.  Right!

We would first have to have a host.  After deciding on a hosting plan which specifies the amount of disc space and the bandwidth available each month, the first hurdle was how to decide what amount was enough.  I researched and researched and finally came up with our current host and a starting point and so far we have stayed within the limits.  We also decided we would pay for our own domain name.  After signing up and paying for a year, the domain was propagated and on April 11, 2007 I began working on getting the new forum over to the new host.

To be continued tomorrow ...

[Jim]

It's taken a while to get back to this but I will get it finished before the one year anniversary.

Working on getting the new forum over to the new host started with doing a backup of the existing MySQL database.  Every time I did it on the Xsorbit system it put an error at the end of each table.  I didn't know what to do about that so I posted a help topic on the SMF support board and someone immediately told me to just remove the error because it was placed there to make it a bit more difficult to transfer the database.  I guess it was a sly way for Xsorbit to try and keep their customers.  Anyway I edited the backup, removing 131 error lines from the file and was then ready for the next step.

Well, I had never done anything at the server level so I had to go back to the SMF support board and post another help request in my topic.  There were lots of folks willing to help.  I was told that I would need to create the database using my server control panel and PHPmyAdmin which should already be on my server.    I would then have to create a SQL database user in order for the forum to access the database.  Once all that was done, I would be able to create and load the existing data from my backup to the new database and I wouldn't lose any members, post, etc.  Sounded good.  After watching several tutorials and several emails to the hosting support, I was able to do just that.  The database query worked perfectly.  No errors! 

Next I had to learn how to use an FTP client for uploading files to our host.  This was pretty simple and there are lots of freeware programs out there that work great.  The SMF folks suggested Filezilla and I downloaded it and still use it today.  Anyway the next step was to FTP the SMF software upgrade package to our host.  I was to do that, then run a file called "upgrade.php" and everything would be good to go.  Again, it sounded simple.  The software installed great, but when it was done I was left with a white screen and and error message that said my settings.php file was missing.  Of course it is, I didn't really upgrade,  so now what am I going to do?    for a bit and realized if I download the complete SMF as if I was installing without upgrading, I would have a settings.php file.  I did that, went back to the SMF support site and found a utility called "repair-settings.php".  I downloaded it and then FTP ed it to the folder where my settings file was, ran it and  it fixed it.

By now it was after 1 AM and I logged on to our new full version of SMF.  I still had a few tweaks to the file paths and smilies but for the most part it was all working.  I told Dianna and Patty to come on over to the new site and went to the Xsorbit site and placed it in maintenance mode.

Southern Spirit Hunters as we know it today was reborn on April 12, 2007.

[sunsoaker]

You have done a great job with this board Jim. I don't know where you find the time between work, the veggie garden, and the karaoke business (I know it's Dianna's, but you go with her), and all the other stuff the two of you are always up to. Your days must be longer than mine! Anyhow, great job on the board.

[Jim]

Thanks for the kind words Barb.  It's something I enjoy doing just like all the other things you mentioned.  I believe when you enjoy doing something, you will always find time to get-r-done.  These endeavors are always a learning experience for me and I don't ever intend to stop learning.

Our aim in creating this forum was to create a community where our friends (members) could come and feel right at home.  It has evolved into some broader topics that may have not been planned from the start but that is what keeps it lively and interesting.

We definitely appreciate all the members that make this community what it is today. 

Thank you all for being a part of Southern Spirit Hunters.

[MassMama]

  you have done a great job with this site!! as well as make sure things run nice and smooth!!
All the tech stuff is over my head  I just have no clue!! But we are lucky that you have it down!!
Thanks Jim for all the hard work you put into this site I love it here!! 

I am just sad I am so far away for any celabrating

[Jim]

So far we haven't really planned much to celebrate.  Aunt Bonnie mentioned a cemetery vigil but the 30th is on Monday and I have to work that day.  We can't do much on Saturday with Dianna working so we may just have a few beers tonight and a few on Monday night and call that the celebration.  Maybe we could all get in the Spirit Lounge on Monday about 8 PM and  a few.

[MassMama]

Sounds like a plan!! 

[Dianna]

Aunt Bonnie is baby-sitting for a few days, but we have something that is "in the works". It won't be on Southern Spirit Hunter's anniversary, but we will get it together somehow...

[patches]

Maybe we could all get in the Spirit Lounge on Monday about 8 PM and   a few.

  Jim, that really sounds like a great idea,  as long as there's chocolate milk in some of those mugs! 

[Jim]

Maybe we could all get in the Spirit Lounge on Monday about 8 PM and   a few.

  Jim, that really sounds like a great idea,  as long as there's chocolate milk in some of those mugs! 

Of course!  The neat thing about the net is everyone can have their favorite beverage.  Mmmmmm a mug of chocolate milk sounds soooo good. 

[Patty S]

OK Boss... I'm totally confused now!

• ...put an error at the end of each table...
• ...transfer the database...
• ...create the database using my server control panel and PHPmyAdmin which should already be on my server...
• ...create a SQL database user...
• learn how to use an FTP client...
• FTP the SMF software upgrade package to our host...
• ...my settings.php file was missing...
• FTP ed it to the folder where my settings file was...
• All I had to do was download the structure and the data in SQL from the existing forum, upload it to our host and run the update....
• ...
• It's something I enjoy doing...I believe when you enjoy doing something, you will always find time to get-r-done.

#1 -I had no idea you were doing all that! (Even though I don't have a clue as to what the heck you're talking about there)! 

#2 -I'm sure glad it was you (not me) doing it.

#3 - I'm even "gladder" that you enjoy it, cuz if you didn't, it sounds like none of us would be here!

Anyone have ideas for our 1 year celebration?

Well I was sorta thinking along the lines of you springing for plane tickets (or gas money, for the non-flyers) so we could all get together & celebrate!  Maybe while we're at it, we could pick corn for you, help Dianna with her canning, do a little weeding... & give your pool chemicals a run for their money!

Aunt Bonnie mentioned a cemetery vigil but the 30th is on Monday and I have to work that day.

So, who wants to hang around a cemetary during the day, anyway? (You don't "work" nights, big guy, other than doing stuff around here, which, BTW, you don't need to bother trying to explain it to us... unless you really want to!)

Folks do things like having National Days of Prayer, Great American Smoke-Outs & stuff like that all the time... so if you think it's too late for you to buy plane tickets/send gas money, hows about we each just go to a cemetary of our choosing (about an hour after dark on Monday) & do vigil stuff & maybe try some astral projection/bilocating, then report back here during the week if we run across each other?

Well, you DID ask for suggestions, you know!

Happy Birthday SouthernSpiritHunters.com
Thanx, Jim, Dianna & Bonnie, for bringing us all together & making SSH such a happy place for us to land!

*Something that our members might not be aware of, is that Bonnie is a vested partner in this Website, & deserves our thanx too, for providing us with such a terrific "home"!

[MassMama]

  Patty
Well I was sorta thinking along the lines of you springing for plane tickets (or gas money, for the non-flyers) so we could all get together & celebrate!  Maybe while we're at it, we could pick corn for you, help Dianna with her canning, do a little weeding... & give your pool chemicals a run for their money!
  That would be fun!! 

[Jim]

Well I was sorta thinking along the lines of you springing for plane tickets (or gas money, for the non-flyers) so we could all get together & celebrate!  Maybe while we're at it, we could pick corn for you, help Dianna with her canning, do a little weeding... & give your pool chemicals a run for their money!

Aunt Bonnie mentioned a cemetery vigil but the 30th is on Monday and I have to work that day.

So, who wants to hang around a cemetary during the day, anyway? (You don't "work" nights, big guy, other than doing stuff around here, which, BTW, you don't need to bother trying to explain it to us... unless you really want to!)

Folks do things like having National Days of Prayer, Great American Smoke-Outs & stuff like that all the time... so if you think it's too late for you to buy plane tickets/send gas money, hows about we each just go to a cemetary of our choosing (about an hour after dark on Monday) & do vigil stuff & maybe try some astral projection/bilocating, then report back here during the week if we run across each other?

We thought about the plane tickets and gas money for 1 fleeting second, then decided not to do it.  We got the pool instead. 

I like the idea about the cemetery. 

[Dianna]

We sure are enjoying that pool, too!

by Jim:

Maybe we could all get in the Spirit Lounge on Monday about 8 PM and    a few.

If we are all planning on meeting in the SL tonight, is 8:00 our time (EST) or the west coast time (PST)? Might be only able to share one drink if it is PST time...

I, too, like the cemetery idea! That is one way we could all experience something with the spirit side of the forum, with us living all so far apart. Might need to schedule that for a weekend night, though...

[barleychown]

Jim and Dianna...I want you to know that I really appreciate the work both of you have put into this forum. it truely does feel like "home".

You both were (and are) wonderfully welcoming and positive, though things are not always easy. I love your attitudes.

Please do keep up the great work!