Message from webmaster re: Problems with the message board

[Cathy Monaghan]

If you hadn’t already noticed, we are experiencing technical difficulties with this message board which includes getting a “500” error and/or a blank white screen after clicking on the Submit button to post a new topic or reply to an old one. Your message is posted but you are not returned to the message board. For now, from that white screen, delete everything beyond “http://www.capedory.org/board/“ in the URL field at the top of the page and click on Return/Enter to get back to the board’s index page.

The registration process for new users is not working at all. So no new users.

The Search function is iffy.

I apologize for this inconvenience but we’ve done all we can to resolve these issues without success. We will most likely remove the current message board altogether if the problems can't be resolved, and start anew.

We will not be able to address the technical issues again until we return from our summer cruise.

I also highly recommend posting your question/comments on the “Cape Dory Fans” facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/85817053889/


- Cathy Monaghan
Webmaster- CDSOA, Inc

[mgphl52]

We will most likely remove the message board altogether.
- Cathy Monaghan
Webmaster- CDSOA, Inc

That would be horrible! There's such a wealth of information here, surely something can be done.

Have you reached out to phpBB and/or InMotionHosting support and community groups?
What version of phpBB are we using?
Do you diagnostic log files turned on?

Yeah, in past life I did a lot web development, but only in Perl and Korn shell, never got into php.

Sure hope a solutions can be found!

[John Stone]

It would be a travesty to lose the forum. I don’t have Facebook. I suspect lots of other folks don’t have it either. I hope a solution presents itself before it’s gone.

[Sea Hunt Video]

As do most (if not ALL) on this board I share the views of Mike and John. It would be heartbreaking to lose this website (or forum).

I am hopeful someone can find a solution. It would mean a lot to so many.

[Tod Mills]

So much history lost!

I think I've visited this board for probably over 20 years. I was on the board before it switched to this software.

[John Stevenson]

May not be able to help but have worked with these open source products over the years.

Questions:
Where/how is the forum hosted?
500 errors usually are server related. Log files on the server should be available.
The hosting company should be able to help.
What version are we on?
Have we visited the phpbb forum for assistance?

I realize these questions may not apply but wanted to mention them anyway.

[mgphl52]

May not be able to help but have worked with these open source products over the years.

Questions:
Where/how is the forum hosted?
500 errors usually are server related. Log files on the server should be available.
The hosting company should be able to help.
What version are we on?
Have we visited the phpbb forum for assistance?

I realize these questions may not apply but wanted to mention them anyway.

I asked most of the same questions a few posts up but did not get any reply.
To the best of my knowledge, the site is hosted by InMotionHosting.

[Carl Thunberg]

I trust Kathy and Bob's assessment on this. They have excellent credentials. I'll leave it at that. Remember, this is an all volunteer effort. We should not expect instantaneous answers. Remember, Bob is fitting his boat for a year-long voyage across the pond, in addition to maintaining this Board.

[tjr818]

Certainly I trust their assessment and I really appreciate their work. Today the board seems to be working (thanks for what ever was done to get that back). It would be a shame to lose this resource and I suppose that it could be replaced, HOWEVER the historical data that this site holds is invaluable. Please do not throw this information away.
What can I do to help?
How about a special assessment, if everyone would give $20 could that buy some professional help?

[John Stevenson]

This forum IS invaluable and we need to keep it up and running.
It is a resource that binds us together - through our common interests - even though we don't necessarily know each other.
It works because we can find information about subjects others have been willing to share.
It works because we can ask questions if we are "stuck". For example : my seacock is frozen - or my deck fill is frozen - etc, etc.

We all volunteer what we can - when we can.

The current situation with the forum is similar:
1. Are we "stuck" - or not? Posts subsequent to Cathy's of 6/10/21 do not mention problems.
2. Whoever has access to the log files both for the board itself and the hosting provider can determine the current situation.
3. If we are "stuck", please let us know because I believe there at least a few of us who would like to try to help (on the software side).
I certainly would (with the understanding that I AM NOT an expert - I don't have q quick answer - but I have worked with the open source programs over the years).
4. The forum software (phpbb) is widely used with a large and active user community. They have their own forum (https://www.phpbb.com/community/) which like ours is designed to help each other solve common problems.
5. Our "phpbb" problem is probably not unique - others have had to deal with it too.

I look forward to seeing more information on this situation and hope we can move forward together to solve it.

[John Stone]

When I made my second to last post on my engine installation thread a couple days ago something really weird happened. I typed out the narrative. Then, went into my photo section to upload photos from my phone. I selected a photo—same as always. I could see the small thumbnail in the photo section below the text box. It was the correct picture. But when I previewed it the picture that loaded was one of keith’s pictures of his battery project! Whoa!! I had to back out and reattempt several times before the correct pictures uploaded.

I am sure our webmaster are doing all they know how to do. I have nothing to offer. As Inspector Callahan so wisely said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I can provide feedback if it’s helpful.

Regarding the importance of the forum I will echo what John Stevenson and others have said. The boats give us something in common with each other but the forum bonds us together. I have made many friendships via the forum. I know of no other sailboat class that has a forum so supportive, tolerant, helpful, or useful as the Cape Dory Forum.

I don’t have any other interactive social media. Have my two websites and a rarely used YouTube channel. The CD forum is the closest thing I have to a sailing fraternity.

Losing the interactive forum as well as the data base would be a catastrophe for the CD community.

Let us know how to help. I can contribute some money if helpful. I can’t suggest any technical advice that would mean anything to people with computer science skills.

[Keith]

First of all thank you to Bob, Cathy and all others that keep this site going.

I echo all the comments about how valuable, useful and emotionally supportive this site is and would also be in favor of a one time assessment to hire someone to update the site if that is what is needed.

Keith

PS John my pictures are not copy righted so feel free to use them.

[John Stone]

Yeah well what’s really weird is those pictures are not on my phone. They somehow migrated from your post or some dark digital storage box on our forum to my post caused my my taping on the preview icon. A digital poltergeist, as it were.

Very interesting what you are doing. Bet GOB or some other magazine would be receptive to an article….

[John Stevenson]

This may be premature thinking:
I asked here if anyone knew what company is hosting the forum - mention was made it may be InMotion Hosting.

I went to the phpbb community forum (mentioned in my previous post), registered as a new user, and searched on "InMotion"

The following post is of interest in that it seems to combine software configuration issues at InMotion with the "white screen" situation Cathy speaks of:
https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2567501

Note the solution was finally to move to a new hosting company. I assume this involves installing a fresh copy of phpbb at the new host (same version as now being used) and then transferring the data tables.

I also saw that some hosting companies will handle the data transfer themselves.

[mgphl52]

After reading the post re phpBB & InMotionHosting, maybe we should give them some time before throwing in the towel...
Other than John Stone's issue with a random photo getting connected to his post, the bug with posting is primarily just causing a lot of duplicate posts. If the authors see that they have actually posted more than once, they can, as the original author, delete any of the duplicates that have not yet been replied to.