Military forum archive open for business
 

In the next month or so I'm going to be deleting any posts which haven't been added to in the last 3 months from this forum.

If there are any posts that you think should be archived, please say so in this thread asap. I need to know the post URL and a reason for it being archived.

We have very tight space limits on PPRuNe so only posts really worth preserving will be archived.

So far I've saved "I wish I hadn't said that" as in my opinion it's the funniest thing on the internet.

---Mik

The 'back threads' on mil pilots are a useful resource, and if at all possible should all be retained, ideally in place. I note with interest that no similar archive is planned for much larger and space intensive threads like R & N and Wannabes.

If it is impossible to leave it be, then archive everything, or just filter out the completely inconsequential stuff. If that's impossible, perhaps the various advice to wannabes threads should obviously be saved (on Wannabes own archive!)

Can you give us six weeks or so to go back and find and archive bits and pieces ourselves which may not be of general interest, but which may be useful if things happen in future - eg the various Eurofighter threads - which will lie dormant until something new occurs in that programme, but which would then be useful to look back at?

Would it be so hard to save 'em all onto CDs, so at least they weren't entirely lost? For an individual to save anything I guess you have to copy it as a text file and paste it into word, or whatever?

[ 25 August 2001: Message edited by: Jackonicko ]

I'd suggest the two (or more?) Chinook Fightback threads would be worthy of preserving.

Old threads in both R&N and Wannabes have been regularly culled for a while now, with the most interesting threads preserved in an archive forum. The other busy forums also get regularly culled. We made a conscious decision to leave the Military forum alone but the time is coming when posts have to be culled. It won't happen for at least a month, but anything older than 3 months by the end of September will be at risk.

We can't archive everything. It would take up too much space, much more than just the raw text due to the way the bulletin board software works :( So much data would also be very difficult to search or scan.

I don't have the time to filter out inconsequential stuff. I already spend 2 or 3 hours a day working on PPRuNe, which on top of a full time job, trying to get a licence etc. leaves little time for anything else.

The UBB software will only let administrators move threads from one forum to another. Notify me in this thread which threads need saving and I'll look at them.

Saving all the stuff onto a CD could be done but there are a few problems. Firstly, who is going to download all the threads? Secondly who is going to redistribute the CDs to interested parties? There could be legal and copyright issues here as well.

---Mik

"Chinook - Hit Back Here", "Chinook - Hit Back II" and "MOD rejects Chinook crash evidence" are now safely archived.

---Mik

Suggest "Good Air Novels?" Useful around Christmas and birthdays (mine!)
pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=46&t=001858&p=1
God I hope I got all that right! :rolleyes:

Yes, you got the URL for the "Good Air Novels" thread right. That thread won't be archived yet as it's still very active, in fact I've just added an entry to it.

---Mik

Well I've just spend half an hour seaching for I Wish I hadn't Said That so that I could ask for it to be archived.

I glad to say you got there before me :)

I must get around to printing it off some day

How about Character Assasination Gems?

Am I doing something wrong or is the archive not accessable yet, as there's nothing in it when I tried going in???????

At the top left is a dropdown menu which probably says something like "Show topics from last 5 days". Set it to "Show all topics".

---Mik

PPD, This thread should stay near the top.

In my IT head I know that what you are doing is necessary and sensible but in my Military Pilot's heart I think that your time frame should be extended and we must avoid throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Many of those who populate this Forum and who are its lifeblood can only visit it spasmodically; their detached duties prevent a leisurely browse through the old threads so see which they would suggest keeping. At best they can only check in briefly; at worst they can't come here at all for months. So, how about a deadline of 30 Nov 2001?

I'm a terrible hoarder as you would know if you could see my garage but periodic clear-outs are essential and its amazing how rewarding they can be.

Maybe an objective and Draconian rule would help. How about deleting right now any thread with less than 5 replies that is more than three months old? Moreover, how about making that a general rule to help keep the threads alive and relevant? If you delete the really ephemeral stuff, it will make it easier to sift through the remainder to recommend archiving - particularly if you give us longer to suggest which to archive.

My fingers positively itch with the urge to "moderate" when I see more than two or three threads all on the same topic (usually retention or pay rumours). Duplicates should be nipped in the bud as soon as they start.

I think you caught us unawares when you locked the "Cheesemaker" thread (although I admit it had lost its edge). Will you always lock threads over 200 posts?

Kind Regards, fob

Unforunately the only way I can delete threads with less than 5 replies over three months old is to delete each one individually. That would take a very long time.

The only reasonable way we have to shrink a forum is to delete all threads older than a certain date.

If six weeks isn't long enough then I'm sorry. I understand that some people can only visit this forum occasionally, but if a thread is good enough to be archived then statistically there will be other military PPRuNers who will have access who will notify me.

Yes, for performance reasons very long threads have to be locked. Usually the limit is around 100 posts, but I try and be flexible.

"Annual Assessments - Character Assassination Gems" has been archived.

---Mik

[ 01 September 2001: Message edited by: PPRuNe Dispatcher ]

Could you save the topics with "Military Bridging" "CAA Accreditation" in the titles?

I expect these will always be a source of interest until either the gates are closed or the CAA/MOD turn out the lights!

Two old threads entitled "CAA Accreditation" have been saved, the third "CAA Accreditation" thread is active and so I'll leave it alone.

I couldn't find a thread with "Military Bridging" in the title..?

---Mik

Mik

Try this one. Its still quite new and active though

Up to the Top

How about saving 'Traditional Squadron Songs' (last entry 7 Jul), 'Nicknames' (28 Jun), 'Best Prank' (24 May) and one which I think was called 'Rest Home for Tired Name Badges' which I cannot find at the moment.

'Traditional Squadron Songs', 'Nicknames', 'Best Prank' and 'Rest Home for Tired Name Badges' are all now safely archived.

---Mik

Life; Reality; Progress; I'm behind the US all the way...