Recent Webmaster Problems

Member

Hello, Vortex. Its nice to see that you're all still here, well and spriting and being a happy community as usual. So to disavow any rumors: no I am not dead, and still am currently active at my personal site.

So if you've been active since Sunday, you'll have noticed a progression of faeces hitting the proverbial pan. That started because the webhost that Vortex has had for the last 3 years, 000webhost, suddenly decided to say that a term of service had been breached, and locked/deleted the account. All of the Vortex related sprites and articles* we've had there for the last 3 years are pretty much gone, save for what I've managed to back up. In the process, because a lot of the coding used for the images on the forum was related to the site, the layout was broken, so things looked even worse here than they could have.

Thankfully, at this stage I've reset the layout to something acceptable, so things can run normally whilst the layout becomes something resembling a more retro Vortex (ie Aceboard/Excoboard days).

Now the biggest problem that needs to be resolved is what should become of the site. Obviously it was hideously inactive. In fact, 000webhost threatened to cancel the domain because it had received less than 10 hits within the month (this is not related to the term breach noted above), and that is pretty damned bleak. I've managed to find a webhost to accomodate my personal site pretty well, and things are running smoothly there. They have even said that they are happy hosting a new Vortex. But I want to know what it is that you, the community, want Vortex to be. Most of the inactivity is my fault for picking a bad management system (which was the cause of the constant down-time and inaccessibility of the vaults), but that won't be a problem with the new CMS that I have found (note: this is not about moving the forum at all - the forum shall stay exactly with the provider that it currently has).

But is that what you want, Vortex? Do you actually want a site to accomodate the forum? Or do you want everything to be on the forum, finding ways to integrate all content into forum content? Do you want a separate gallery host for our vaults? I don't want to labour over bringing back the site, only for it to not be used again.

Use this topic to voice what you think should become (or not become) of the DBZ Vortex site.

Thank you.

*Just thought I'd give a public thank you to the members of the Vortex Editorial Staff for the work they produced for the site in late 2010, in particular Ravage_Gokan. His in-depth articles should be commended, cherished and remembered. If you're reading this, Ravage: if you have a sprite that you'd like me to produce, just PM me and I shall make it as an expression of my gratitude to you.

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Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:25 pm by **Afrolicious**

I think that with the vault being broken most of the time and the lack of updating was the downfall of the site. If we actually updated the site with recent sheets made by Vortexians it'll receive greater activity. That is because there is nothing like seeing something you've worked weeks, even months, on for the world to see. Also, with a new site will come a new organization system right?

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:10 pm by Luka

Wait so we're talking about the actual Vortex site, not the forum right? Just asking because I'm at work and I have to use a proxy to access the forum, and every time I do the layout is a different bloody color...

But as for the site, I find it unnecessary seeing as how every time I try to access the vault it doesn't come up, so why not just mesh the site with the forum? That shouldn't be too hard, should it? Just giving the fault it's own separate page right here...

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:16 pm by Axxon456

I don't know, It may just be me but We've tried everything to save the forum. Activity may rise again but in a couple weeks it'll be dead again.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:33 pm by **Blues Light**

I say, honestly, kill the website and just use the forums. All the regular users come to the forums and leechers go to the sites, destroying our bandwidth. If the leechers want sprites, they need to register here and get em from the boards. We can't stop them from stealing, but we can stop just putting everything out on the porch for them to take.

/2 cents.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:46 pm by **Angryboy**

Afrolicious wrote:: I think that with the vault being broken most of the time and the lack of updating was the downfall of the site. If we actually updated the site with recent sheets made by Vortexians it'll receive greater activity. That is because there is nothing like seeing something you've worked weeks, even months, on for the world to see. Also, with a new site will come a new organization system right?

Yes. New organisation system for sure, and one that won't go down in the same way that the previous one did.

Luka wrote:: Wait so we're talking about the actual Vortex site, not the forum right? Just asking because I'm at work and I have to use a proxy to access the forum, and every time I do the layout is a different bloody color...

But as for the site, I find it unnecessary seeing as how every time I try to access the vault it doesn't come up, so why not just mesh the site with the forum? That shouldn't be too hard, should it? Just giving the fault it's own separate page right here...

Yes, the site.

Blues Light wrote:: I say, honestly, kill the website and just use the forums. All the regular users come to the forums and leechers go to the sites, destroying our bandwidth. If the leechers want sprites, they need to register here and get em from the boards. We can't stop them from stealing, but we can stop just putting everything out on the porch for them to take.

/2 cents.

I don't think bandwidth was ever a problem for us. The lack of activity meant that we had a plethora of bandwidth on hand.

The fact is, we either have people who leech from the site and leave, or no visitors at all because accessing content is too arduous. Or we have a third option of making content that is enough to sastisfy the lay person, but the goodies are left to registered members?

Besides which, having an organised section for all of our content makes the content more easily accessible for all, not just those who leech/steal. If worst comes to worst, we can just disable hotlinking (which would effectively end the majority of the leech-problem).

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:47 pm by skyX

wow amm ok I agree with blues on that one the forum is what we use and want

about the separate gallery host for our vaults sounds good but how about we let only members with 15 posts or more enter

I remember there was an idea about custom characters sheet valut? is that still goin to happan?

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:50 pm by **Afrolicious**

Isn't there also a way that we can make them have a certain number of posts to view them if it's on the forum?

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:10 pm by **Angryboy**

skyX wrote:: wow amm ok I agree with blues on that one the forum is what we use and want

about the separate gallery host for our vaults sounds good but how about we let only members with 15 posts or more enter

I remember there was an idea about custom characters sheet valut? is that still goin to happan?

Don't see why it shouldn't happen if we get this thing rolling.

Not sure about the possibility of post restrictions, though.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:53 pm by MrChaos

skyX wrote:: I remember there was an idea about custom characters sheet valut? is that still goin to happan?

This actually would seem not so possible if you think about it that it would eventually turn out to either a giant vault with over a hundred sheets of different persons different styles, different quality etc. , or a lot of people would feel left out if only certain sheets could enter there and people would start complaining about their sheet or sprite not being in the vault.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:54 pm by rip

i think we should have like a week of retro spriting so that people become accustomed back to the old ways... lol

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:06 pm by Luka

rip wrote:: i think we should have like a week of retro spriting so that people become accustomed back to the old ways... lol

What does that have to do with this topic? But yeah, like Blues and I said. Let's just conjoin the vaults into the forum... Make everything easier, there's no reason why we need two domains.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:00 pm by **Jay**

I'm with Blues Light and have always pushed for a more forum central approach. I feel 99% of the true community resides at the forum anyway, and the only members we truly interact with, and appreciate are the ones that stop off here and get involved.

Any new site needs to have a good level of interaction with those members (you guys). The best way to achieve this in my view would be a truly one stop shop and house DBZ Vortex in it's entirety at this forum. The site is a small distraction and no one uses it unless their looking to get a bulk catalog of old sheets (and I mean old because all the new shit gets made here anyway!) its poorly maintained because it lacks the passion of the spriter community and isn't embedded well enough with our centre piece forum.

Its quite sad because there was a lot of the articles and various content hosted on the site that probably didn't get the attention it deserved. I think forum powered articles would have allowed more interaction and comments and criticisms could directly feed into new articles that get published here.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:03 pm by **Angryboy**

If we were to do so, what ways would you suggest of making this organised and user-friendly?

A topic that merely lists the sheets and links them would become very cluttered on the coding side, and even posts have their limits. Eventually it would be cumbersome to manage. Any suggestions?

*edit* If creating an html page works, then it may be possible that we embed an external gallery script code onto the page on the forum (suggestion).

Also, I didn't think Jay would be posting a) at the same time as me or b) at goddamn midnight as well xD Small world.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:12 pm by Luka

Angryboy wrote:: If we were to do so, what ways would you suggest of making this organised and user-friendly?

A topic that merely lists the sheets and links them would become very cluttered on the coding side, and even posts have their limits. Eventually it would be cumbersome to manage. Any suggestions?

*edit* If creating an html page works, then it may be possible that we embed an external gallery script code onto the page on the forum (suggestion).

Also, I didn't think Jay would be posting a) at the same time as me or b) at goddamn midnight as well xD Small world.

However you decide to do it, please stray away from the current format that it's in. The saiyan/human/henchmen etc. thing works, but the way it's listed, with just a thumbnail of the sheet, it makes it very difficult to navigate and find the one you're looking for.

If anything, I suggest we just make an alphabetical list of characters, where you click on the name and a collapsible list comes down depending on how many different sheets that character has.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:15 pm by **Jay**

Yeah AB, what the hell are you doing up this late? and secondly, get with the plan; we're suppose to be the same person!

As for the layout; No ideas mate, I just spout out ideas - and their never overly thought out ones remember!

HTML layout does indeed work, it depends what we need really. At a basic concept: The portal offers a nice main hub to tie in forum posts with news concerning new articles and sprite sheets etc. A html based Vault page which pulls together links to sheets etc. Essentially you'd get the best parts of the site whilst (hopefully) maintaining consistency and fluid access with the forum.

Posts also have limits but nothing that can't be solved. Unless someone is posting the screenplay for the Goku vs Frieza '5minute' fight I don't think we'll have too many issues. But yeah... lets draw some plans together and get some active discussions and tests going :)

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:17 pm by **Jay**

Luka wrote:

Angryboy wrote:: If we were to do so, what ways would you suggest of making this organised and user-friendly?

A topic that merely lists the sheets and links them would become very cluttered on the coding side, and even posts have their limits. Eventually it would be cumbersome to manage. Any suggestions?

*edit* If creating an html page works, then it may be possible that we embed an external gallery script code onto the page on the forum (suggestion).

Also, I didn't think Jay would be posting a) at the same time as me or b) at goddamn midnight as well xD Small world.

However you decide to do it, please stray away from the current format that it's in. The saiyan/human/henchmen etc. thing works, but the way it's listed, with just a thumbnail of the sheet, it makes it very difficult to navigate and find the one you're looking for.

If anything, I suggest we just make an alphabetical list of characters, where you click on the name and a collapsible list comes down depending on how many different sheets that character has.

I did it like that originally - mainly because it was 10x faster to get the tables put together and manage etc. I think AB's way was the professional way to do it but not to everyone's tastes, I think with a lot of community thoughts and feelings we can really hit the sweet spot.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:19 pm by Synth

I think everyone agrees we should merge the site with the forum, or just do away with the site all together.
As for the vault, why don't we just put all the sheets on an image hosting site like this?

Luka wrote:: If anything, I suggest we just make an alphabetical list of characters, where you click on the name and a collapsible list comes down depending on how many different sheets that character has.

Didn't we have this on Excoboard? It was much simpler.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:27 pm by **Jay**

Yeah or the 'vaults' could be hosted as forum topics/sections kinda like how file sharing forums do it (or so I've heard...) where they sorta dedicate a topic to say a TV show and actively update it each week. We could have a Sprite Vault forum with a list of topics (only editable by a Vault Team) each topic could be for a race (e.g. Saiyan) inside there would be say a Goku topic containing all the versions of Goku, then this topic can be updated when new Goku's get added (it'll automatically be flagged as an updated topic and get relevant attention). It would also be really easy to notify the team of broken links etc. You could literally just post. I also think the vault would be more active because really good sprites that get made in the sprite boards could get nominated to be moved into the official vaults - where as at the moment there's some amazing sprite work in our forums that never see's the light of day or gets the attention it deserves because its flooded out by custom Brolys and you'd need to troll 10+ pages to get to something that could be really good and worthy of use and credit.

Just an idea, but great suggestion to get the ball rolling Synth :)

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:07 pm by Bob

I'm with Luka and Jay about the alphabetic list and the update thing. But I don't think that post limit to get access to the vault would work, because like that, lots of people would spam more.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:14 pm by L. Cole

Why, don't you make the interface like SoaW, but the inside forum like a forum.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:51 am by **Angryboy**

Synth wrote:

I think everyone agrees we should merge the site with the forum, or just do away with the site all together.
As for the vault, why don't we just put all the sheets on an image hosting site like this?

Luka wrote:: If anything, I suggest we just make an alphabetical list of characters, where you click on the name and a collapsible list comes down depending on how many different sheets that character has.

Didn't we have this on Excoboard? It was much simpler.

List was not collapsible on Excoboard. It may have been simple to start up, but it was incredibly messy on the back end to see what was going on once you edited the post.

Jay wrote:: Yeah or the 'vaults' could be hosted as forum topics/sections kinda like how file sharing forums do it (or so I've heard...) where they sorta dedicate a topic to say a TV show and actively update it each week. We could have a Sprite Vault forum with a list of topics (only editable by a Vault Team) each topic could be for a race (e.g. Saiyan) inside there would be say a Goku topic containing all the versions of Goku, then this topic can be updated when new Goku's get added (it'll automatically be flagged as an updated topic and get relevant attention). It would also be really easy to notify the team of broken links etc. You could literally just post. I also think the vault would be more active because really good sprites that get made in the sprite boards could get nominated to be moved into the official vaults - where as at the moment there's some amazing sprite work in our forums that never see's the light of day or gets the attention it deserves because its flooded out by custom Brolys and you'd need to troll 10+ pages to get to something that could be really good and worthy of use and credit.

Just an idea, but great suggestion to get the ball rolling Synth :)

So each sub-category of the vault gets its own page that has the content on it? I don't mind this at all (since it breaks up the content into more manageable chunks).

Bob wrote:: I'm with Luka and Jay about the alphabetic list and the update thing. But I don't think that post limit to get access to the vault would work, because like that, lots of people would spam more.

Are you sure that they would necessarily spam more to get the content? Technically, all of the content is accessible if they search the boards, so the only reason to raise the post count is to find them more easily. It doesn't mean they have to be a spammer - it could be a post limit that is just enough for us to realise that they are spamming before they can hit the reward (allowing us to suspend them).

Tunechi wrote:: Why, don't you make the interface like SoaW, but the inside forum like a forum.

What do you mean by this? SoaW went down too, so I don't know which SoaW you are referring to. Currently the vault setup closer resembles the gallery system on the old Vortex, which is fine for a small site like mine, but becomes nightmarish for huge stuff like Vortex.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:47 am by Terton

Well... I guess I was right about there being a problem then... that sucks.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:58 am by L. Cole

Angryboy wrote:

Synth wrote:

I think everyone agrees we should merge the site with the forum, or just do away with the site all together.
As for the vault, why don't we just put all the sheets on an image hosting site like this?

Luka wrote:: If anything, I suggest we just make an alphabetical list of characters, where you click on the name and a collapsible list comes down depending on how many different sheets that character has.

Didn't we have this on Excoboard? It was much simpler.

List was not collapsible on Excoboard. It may have been simple to start up, but it was incredibly messy on the back end to see what was going on once you edited the post.

Jay wrote:: Yeah or the 'vaults' could be hosted as forum topics/sections kinda like how file sharing forums do it (or so I've heard...) where they sorta dedicate a topic to say a TV show and actively update it each week. We could have a Sprite Vault forum with a list of topics (only editable by a Vault Team) each topic could be for a race (e.g. Saiyan) inside there would be say a Goku topic containing all the versions of Goku, then this topic can be updated when new Goku's get added (it'll automatically be flagged as an updated topic and get relevant attention). It would also be really easy to notify the team of broken links etc. You could literally just post. I also think the vault would be more active because really good sprites that get made in the sprite boards could get nominated to be moved into the official vaults - where as at the moment there's some amazing sprite work in our forums that never see's the light of day or gets the attention it deserves because its flooded out by custom Brolys and you'd need to troll 10+ pages to get to something that could be really good and worthy of use and credit.

Just an idea, but great suggestion to get the ball rolling Synth :)

So each sub-category of the vault gets its own page that has the content on it? I don't mind this at all (since it breaks up the content into more manageable chunks).

Bob wrote:: I'm with Luka and Jay about the alphabetic list and the update thing. But I don't think that post limit to get access to the vault would work, because like that, lots of people would spam more.

Are you sure that they would necessarily spam more to get the content? Technically, all of the content is accessible if they search the boards, so the only reason to raise the post count is to find them more easily. It doesn't mean they have to be a spammer - it could be a post limit that is just enough for us to realise that they are spamming before they can hit the reward (allowing us to suspend them).

Tunechi wrote:: Why, don't you make the interface like SoaW, but the inside forum like a forum.

What do you mean by this? SoaW went down too, so I don't know which SoaW you are referring to. Currently the vault setup closer resembles the gallery system on the old Vortex, which is fine for a small site like mine, but becomes nightmarish for huge stuff like Vortex.

Like the Vaults, and the Homepage not the forum.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:52 am by Terton

I say scrap the site. It was very slow at times, and when it wasn't running slow, it wasn't working at all. Put all the stuff on the forum.

How about having a pinned topic in a seperate part of the forum made specifically for all the stuff the vaults had, that way its easier to access and you could make it so that only members can access it so that no one just goes in to steal anything, cuz we all know how other people love to steal our stuff.

It would make it easier to IP ban the theives that way. Anyone agree?

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:16 am by Fresh4k4Feli

I NEED CELL, JR. CELL SPRITES Sad

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:20 pm by Bob

I completely agree with you (Terton). It could be a topic like the 'Bases and Database topic', where people could show their sheets for the mods/adims choose and upload to the topic.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:30 pm by Luka

Fresh4k4Feli wrote:: I NEED CELL, JR. CELL SPRITES

NOBODY CARES, TAKE THIS TO REQUESTS

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Fri Jun 03, 2011 4:24 am by Terton

Bob wrote:: I completely agree with you (Terton). It could be a topic like the 'Bases and Database topic', where people could show their sheets for the mods/adims choose and upload to the topic.

I think they could expand this section a bit to allow you to post your own completed sheets and bases, so if you are to lose them you can find them easily.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:42 pm by Fresh4k4Feli

Luka wrote:

Fresh4k4Feli wrote:: I NEED CELL, JR. CELL SPRITES

NOBODY CARES, TAKE THIS TO REQUESTS

you're just stiff

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sat Jun 04, 2011 5:04 pm by **Angryboy**

Do not make irrelevant posts here, Fresh4k4Feli. And Luka, there isn't a need to be so hostile.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sat Jun 04, 2011 6:11 pm by Luka

Angryboy wrote:: Do not make irrelevant posts here, Fresh4k4Feli. And Luka, there isn't a need to be so hostile.

Haha sorry, I was just combating his ALLCAPS with more ALLCAPS

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:15 am by **Blues Light**

We're getting some functionality back. Things are still wonky but I've managed to make it look like Vortex of yester-year, which I think is better than the horrid white look.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sun Jun 05, 2011 2:22 am by Synth

It looks like a cross between Excoboard and .tk, but at least it's not white anymore.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sun Jun 05, 2011 3:26 am by Terton

Blues Light wrote:: which I think is better than the horrid white look.

Agreed. White is too bog-standard and boring.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Mon Jun 06, 2011 9:32 am by MrChaos

I thought this was just a quick in between forum.
But just to let you all know.. I cant go back to my profile or so and you can't see if you have PM"S and stuff.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Mon Jun 06, 2011 1:52 pm by PhantomAForce

Right right, same as chaos. What is the deal with the interface buttons? Is it something wrong with the host or w/e? Or do we not have pictures to use as buttons?

If its the second one, I would be more than happy to pry open old photoshop and make some.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:17 pm by **Blues Light**

All the old buttons were lost.

Gone.

Eaten by the webhost.

All that are up now are just placeholders until we either get our set back or make new ones. If you want to help contribute making new ones, AB is who you need to get in touch with.

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:05 am by Ravage_Gokan

Thanks for the mention, AB. As for now, I don't have a specific order, I'm actually more excited about finally getting time to get back in business with y'all.

I agree with what Luka and Jay have been saying.
A format I think could work well.

Main Site
(buttons) [Vaults] <----- Links to a page within the forum, not a new website

[DragonBall/Z/GT] [Other Anime] [Vortex Custom]

Now. Each one of those clickers would be a sort of montage of the sheets/characters within, sort of like the Vortex banner here. Perhaps arranged in the page as an upside down triangle, like this

[DragonBall/Z/GT]______[Other Anime]
___________[Vortex Custom]________

Each one of those montages will link to another web page on the forum

Now, under the DB/Z/GT section, it should be organized like so;

Saiyans
->Goku
-->Kid Goku(Kid)
-->Goku
--->Base
--->Super Saiyan
->Vegeta
->Gohan (The Halfbreeds should be listed under the race of their father, at the bottom due to only having half the DNA)

Now this is of course, using Luka's idea of collapsing menu's. The forms of each individual should be chronological. Such as, Kid Gohan, Cell arc, Buu arc, GT, which each form of said timeframe being listed under it's respective menu.

Forms or power-ups should be listed in order of lowest to highest power, i.e Base-Unlock Potential-Kaioken-giji-ssj-Kaioken ssj-ssj2 etc...

Now, under the other anime menu, it should be organized by anime(in alphabetical order) and then by character name. Such as;

Bleach
->Ichigo
--> Shikai
-->Bankai

Death Note
-> L
->Ryuk

Naruto
->Naruto
-->7 Tails thing
->Sasuke
-->Ochisomthin curse

etc...

Now as for the Vortex Customs page, it should be organized by spriter name(alphebetically) and then by their character's name(alphabetically) and form, i.e

Afroluffy
->Ran'Dum

Angryboy
->Kain

Onis
->Blizzard
-->Hyperdrive

Z-Fighter
->Tempest
-->Overpowered bullshit Very Happy

As for the Editor stuff that I'd liek to get back into....

I forget everthing you said. And I assume there's new news, so...fill me in?

Oh, and I fucking love the retro layout. Keep it. <3

Re: Recent Webmaster Problems Sat Jun 11, 2011 5:34 am by Synth

My face when I saw the new massive font:
Recent Webmaster Problems 17

This is perfect, let's keep it.
Edit: ^Apparently images still aren't showing. Oh well.

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