Complete copy of Wizards of the Coast boards now fully online?
Posted: 2016-03-17 05:17pm
Hello Everyone.
Remember how Wizards of the Coast shut down thier Forums in November? Well, they did. Fortunately, they gave some lead-time warning. So, at the beginning of October, just after they announced that, since there wasn't time to sort through all the threads, I started the process that ended up downloaded every D&D/D20 System thread.
This is actually the third time I've done this. (I did this previously in 2005 and then in 2008 just before 4E was out).
I want to put it all online as a lifeboat/archieve, but it needs to be sorted out first.
So, I made a program to do it, and I've made it so people can help.
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/Threads/SOAM.zip
It's a Microsoft Access Database, so unless you have Microsoft Office Professional, you'll need the viewer.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downloa ... px?id=4438
The program is simple. After unzipping it, (and installing the viewer if required), you launch the file like you would any other file.
Your first time running the program, you'll be asked for a User Name. This is required for sending results to the FTP server. The filename format is the handle you enter, and the date.
Working in the program is simple. By default, you'll have no work. Select one of the two 'assignment buttons', to give yourself 100 threads to review.
The buttons can either assign work from the entire thread list randomly, or select them from whichever Year/Forum you choose. (i.e Wizards of the Coast, 2008, Magic and Spells)
The choice buttons are along the bottom. The current beta also shows the link/file path you're looking at. Depending on traffic, you might have to wait a few seconds for a thread to load.
The Choices are:
Has Content: There is something mechanical in this thread. i.e Something you could find in a sourcebook.
Questions or Rules Discussion: Meant for threads were people were asking for and explaination on how something worked, discussing custom house rules, or the like.
Ideas: Catch all for anything not mechanically related, but has in game use. This includes people discussing or posting character creation/optimization and the like.
Humor: For things like '1001 funny character' deaths and the like
No Content: For Trolling, complaining, or threads like 'hey, where do I find....' or 'Can someone send me a copy of...'
Upload Results send the files to the FTP server I've set up.
The idea up uploading results is, say Rob does 300 threads this week, and Bob does 200. They send their results to the server. I download them, and combine them into a single file.
You then use the Download Results button to pull those results in, and your copy of the database is update. Now, Bob will never be assigned the 200 he did, or the 300 Rob did, and vice versa.
This will minimize people doing the same work, and will hopefully let this be a coordinated effort.
At 630,520 threads, it would take me years to go through it all. (I figure 23 years at 100 threads per night). But, if 200 people help, and manage 100 threads per night each, this could be done in a little over a month.
Oh, and if you want proof of intent, here is what I squirreled out of just the Magic and Spells Section, and partially from the Monsters Lair Section, from the 2008 download
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/Re ... esults.htm.
So, please, download and help out?
Any questions or comments, PM me or post them here.
Remember how Wizards of the Coast shut down thier Forums in November? Well, they did. Fortunately, they gave some lead-time warning. So, at the beginning of October, just after they announced that, since there wasn't time to sort through all the threads, I started the process that ended up downloaded every D&D/D20 System thread.
This is actually the third time I've done this. (I did this previously in 2005 and then in 2008 just before 4E was out).
I want to put it all online as a lifeboat/archieve, but it needs to be sorted out first.
So, I made a program to do it, and I've made it so people can help.
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/Threads/SOAM.zip
It's a Microsoft Access Database, so unless you have Microsoft Office Professional, you'll need the viewer.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downloa ... px?id=4438
The program is simple. After unzipping it, (and installing the viewer if required), you launch the file like you would any other file.
Your first time running the program, you'll be asked for a User Name. This is required for sending results to the FTP server. The filename format is the handle you enter, and the date.
Working in the program is simple. By default, you'll have no work. Select one of the two 'assignment buttons', to give yourself 100 threads to review.
The buttons can either assign work from the entire thread list randomly, or select them from whichever Year/Forum you choose. (i.e Wizards of the Coast, 2008, Magic and Spells)
The choice buttons are along the bottom. The current beta also shows the link/file path you're looking at. Depending on traffic, you might have to wait a few seconds for a thread to load.
The Choices are:
Has Content: There is something mechanical in this thread. i.e Something you could find in a sourcebook.
Questions or Rules Discussion: Meant for threads were people were asking for and explaination on how something worked, discussing custom house rules, or the like.
Ideas: Catch all for anything not mechanically related, but has in game use. This includes people discussing or posting character creation/optimization and the like.
Humor: For things like '1001 funny character' deaths and the like
No Content: For Trolling, complaining, or threads like 'hey, where do I find....' or 'Can someone send me a copy of...'
Upload Results send the files to the FTP server I've set up.
The idea up uploading results is, say Rob does 300 threads this week, and Bob does 200. They send their results to the server. I download them, and combine them into a single file.
You then use the Download Results button to pull those results in, and your copy of the database is update. Now, Bob will never be assigned the 200 he did, or the 300 Rob did, and vice versa.
This will minimize people doing the same work, and will hopefully let this be a coordinated effort.
At 630,520 threads, it would take me years to go through it all. (I figure 23 years at 100 threads per night). But, if 200 people help, and manage 100 threads per night each, this could be done in a little over a month.
Oh, and if you want proof of intent, here is what I squirreled out of just the Magic and Spells Section, and partially from the Monsters Lair Section, from the 2008 download
http://www.secretsofthearchmages.net/Re ... esults.htm.
So, please, download and help out?
Any questions or comments, PM me or post them here.
The project has been online for all of 2 days.