TPF Haven: a place to go if the site goes down
The site has been down for a while today and I dont know if were safe and sound yet. It got me thinking we should have somewhere online to gather if that happens again.
So I urge you to join the new TPF Discord server now. Just follow this link and sign up to Discord if youre not already on it.*
https://discord.gg/aA7uPN4UnR
Currently there is only one channel to post messages in, called shoutbox. If the place becomes popular, I can add more channels. Id be happy if it became the social space of TPF.
* For those unaware, Discord is a platform for groups of people to chat, using instant messaging (or voice). Each group has its own Discord server, basically a private collection of channels, which are persistent message threads. To use Discord you can just use your browser as you do for any other site, or you can use an app theres an app for most operating systems.
So I urge you to join the new TPF Discord server now. Just follow this link and sign up to Discord if youre not already on it.*
https://discord.gg/aA7uPN4UnR
Currently there is only one channel to post messages in, called shoutbox. If the place becomes popular, I can add more channels. Id be happy if it became the social space of TPF.
* For those unaware, Discord is a platform for groups of people to chat, using instant messaging (or voice). Each group has its own Discord server, basically a private collection of channels, which are persistent message threads. To use Discord you can just use your browser as you do for any other site, or you can use an app theres an app for most operating systems.
Comments (80)
'Safe and sound' issues? What happens when the site is down, other than inaccessibility?
Personally, I can cope with a temporary inconvenience without having another online place to gather.
I am not on Discord and I don't think I want to go there. Is it 'safe and sound'?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discord
Perhaps others can give feedback as to its benefits for TPF.
I joined the Discord server. I used to use Discord four years ago with a different user name when I was very addicted to anime. It is a cool place but more dynamic than a forum.
In the event that this website closes, it's crucial to find another place.I would be devastated if this ever happens. However, a solution needs to be found. If this goes away, we cannot allow ourselves to be separated and lose contact with one another. :broken:
Benefits: It won't go down regularly. It won't disappear. There's a built-in voice chat option (I don't know if this needs to be turned on by Jamal though). I am there. What else? Easy dark mode.
If the website is in danger of closing down permanently, then perhaps the owner and Admin might consider creating a 'New TPF'? But I know they've been there before and done that...so very well :up: Perhaps it is indeed time for change and something different.
I'm not a fan of voice chat. So, if more TPF participants start to use Discord, then so be it.
Although I enjoy the company and discussions here, I would not be 'devastated' to leave. I've done so many times and survived. I don't think my absence would make all that much of a difference. I've exchanged email addresses with a few.
Quoting javi2541997
I prefer to take time to read, think and write calmly and carefully. So, 'more dynamic' holds no attraction.
Life goes on. Refreshing. Best wishes to all :sparkle:
You don't need to join any other servers other than the TPF one. And it's just a backup right now. There's nothing to fear except perhaps Banno.
It's not a replacement for TPF or the place that TPF is moving to. It's to make sure nobody gets lost if the worst happens, or just somewhere to hang out whether or not the site happens to be down.
Also note that voice chat is merely an option.
Still concerned about this. What are we at risk from?
There's a risk that Plush, our current platform, will cease operating before we manage to set up a new forum and move all the data across, so I've tried to ensure the community doesn't fall apart. The downtime this morning made me worry enough to set up the Discord server.
(In case anyone's wondering, I don't think there's a significant risk of our losing all our data, i.e., the posts.)
This is something of a relief, as it means there is nothing more worrying happening than what happened last time.
We shouldn't have added much at all (without uploads) since the last clear out. It's just text, right? So, I don't get why it's filling up so quickly. And if it keeps doing that, it won't be long until there's nothing left to clear out.
Adrian thinks it's partly because the posts on this forum are especially large. But it's mostly uploads. When I deleted the big ones I freed up some space but not enough.
I daren't look at my probably-by-now decimated post history. Oh, Michael Bay, where art thou?
Ah, OK. That makes sense. I had thought that our personal data might be accessed/compromised.
I don't know much about the safe and sound concerns you mentioned when it comes to forums.
Good Luck with sorting things out :sparkle:
Quoting Jamal
I wanted to say I didnt know if we were out of the woods yet but I was worried that was just a Britishism that nobody else would understand. I was just referring to what seemed to be ongoing problems when I wrote the post.
It's pretty much the same as this forum, just with a different interface.
You're right. I didn't realise that some widnae ken whit it ment!
Quoting Understanding 'out of the woods' idiom
Can a screenshot be taken so I can see what you're all talking about?
Nothing like:
Quoting Amity
Still, worth having as a temporary measure :up:
I doubt I will use it.
OK, must get on with...other stuff. It's been interesting :cool:
Obviously, size is measured by the importance of the content, and my posts are larger than anyone else. (Give me a Trump role.)
Unable to accept invite"
You know, I can't say I appreciate my emotions being toyed with to such a degree.
(though that's probably per reason of the industry standard of getting users to "have to" physically download an app that can access your full operating system for reasons buried in the T&C they'd hesitate and prefer not to be open about)
More seriously however,
Quoting Jamal
Is this insider knowledge or perhaps independent research or mere pessimistic speculation?
Invision Power Board is largely tolerable. Lots of extra bells and whistles, as well as "mods" or "add-ons" you can install. Mainly gimmicky things like a "Forum Battle" system, Arcade, etc., but also neat features like a Gallery and Member Blogs. I actually ran a somewhat-active (albeit embarrassingly short-lived) community using IPB in the late 2000s. It was fun.
But yeah I really like Plush now thanks to your site. Incredibly simple yet incredibly functional. And quite purdy if I do say so myself.
Edit: Apparently it works fine if I right click > New Private Window for some reason.
Brain worms, mostly. Robotic devils, viruses up the ying yang, subversives of every variety -- nothing too unusual. Dark mode is very dark, indeed -- an outcropping of the dark web.
Personally, I resent having to deal with yet another sign-in rigamarole. It wanted a password. Safari produced a non-memorable password, but doesn't seem to have put it anywhere. Now I'm stuck. Fuck.
Worried where this might lead...a nasty bout of Zeuxis-Chrysippusitis? Fuck :mask:
Have fun whenever you get there :pray:
https://discord.com/safety/understanding-and-avoiding-common-scams
and a blog updating you on crashes, bugs and fixes:
https://discord.com/blog/discord-patch-notes-august-30-2024
How to Discord
9 Tips for Hanging Out
https://discord.com/blog/9-tips-for-hanging-out-on-discord
Tell them a "yo momma so fat" joke.
That's more like the Internet in general. Jamal has a nice crown icon in the Discord I saw, so anyone who is foolish enough yet on a philosophy site to be tricked into such likely doesn't have much to give anyhow and as such is what you call a "non-target". Bigger fish to fry, as they say.
What I don't like about Discord, or even its predecessor IRC and before that MSN messenger, all messaging apps in general is you got weirdos from countries that frankly shouldn't even exist using avatars of young attractive females who prey on adolescents (male and female) who are in fact themselves older men. Due to the fact it's for some reason made "normal" to be on either a Discord or what-have-you for gaming related purposes. They'll send pictures of random cam (careless women, we'll call them) persons in sexual positions and acts and masquerade as them with the intent of receiving similar pictures in return. But that's beyond the point.
Long story short, I think just about everyone here knows and is aware of the point you're trying to get across.
Well that's just like... your opinion, man.
They don't contact you within the group. They look for people who just signed up to Discord and present themselves as say, thephilosophyforum, complete with logos and whatnot. Then they assure you that money is needed.
:up:
I'm not fond of Discord, but am willing to join your server there in case of need.
However, this happened to me too:
"Whoops...
Unable to accept invite"
It tells me there are 3 online and 17 members, so this must be working for some folks.
Gotta right click > Open in New Private Window.
Actually, it gives you the rigamarole for reasons I posted earlier. So already have the private window open and be signed in. Then open a new tab in that private window and copy and paste the link. You're welcome. :up:
Oh! What a minute. I am basically the only one who uses emojis. :snicker:
I was reminded of other options. So, I re-visited 'Philosophy Now' and have subscribed to the magazine.
https://philosophynow.org/shop
I left the PN forum some time ago. Unfortunately, there are only 2 mods there - and it was pretty much an 'anything goes' bar scene. Not sure how it is now. Rick Lewis has more avenues to explore and invest his time in. We will see...
To clarify: if you don't join the Discord server you won't be left behind; the forum will always be at thephilosophyforum.com, and even if it did go down for an extended period, we'd bring it back as soon as possible.
So the Discord server will not replace this forum. It's somewhere to go in TPF emergencies, but also an optional social space for different kinds of interactions we'll see if and how that develops.
I'll leave this discussion pinned for a few days so all frequently participating members can see it.
:up:
But I guess only a few or even nobody is in that forum. The main point is to not leave behind our relationship and keep our data to the extent we could. I don't see the point of joining a random philosophy forum with moderators who are unknown to us, and we will not know how they would welcome us.
Your guess would be wrong. PN has an interesting history - it came with recommendations when I was a student. A long time ago...
NB - I'm not trying to persuade others to move. I understand the reasons for using Discord as a temporary solution for TPF's current problem. Thanks @Jamal and others for clarification.
This is not a 'me' against a 'we'. I happen to know PN, the magazine, the forum, participants and the mods from way back when, under a different name. Like TPF, it provided what I needed 'at that time' (2015 -18). It's not a 'random' forum. It is separate but related to PN proper. I'm looking forward to reading the mags and perhaps participate in any of the article discussions.
As @Baden wrote recently in Feedback: 'we all need to recognize where we are and act accordingly.'
I love TPF and all who sail in her. It still means a lot to me. Best wishes :heart: :sparkle: :flower:
Got it! :up: But still not persuaded to join, thanks. Have fun seeing how things go...best wishes!
I just find Discord an ugly user interface with annoying operating features. I generally avoid social media sites like FaceBook et al, because I don't like having content pushed at me. I prefer to "pull" content by actively seeking content -- as one does with TPF or on-line newspapers. The drivel quotient at most social media sites is high, too.
All that said, sites can go down, and it can be a rude shock, especially if it lasts for more than a short (minutes, a couple of hours) time. The old PF site went down for several days once and it was quite distressing. It IS a good idea to have a location where news about the outage or outrage can be shared and digital antidepressants can be dispensed. .
If I had to choose a fruit representing philosophy, I would go for a coconut. Why? Because although it is tough and rough in the bark, it has a juicy and delicious liquid when you get deep into it.
Quoting BC
No, mate. I don't participate in guiri things.
Google said 'guiri' means "uncouth foreign tourists, usually those with Northern European looks".
Well, of course thrifty Northern Europeans would have to go south to find tomatoes cheap enough to throw at each other. On the other hand, the Northern European Lutherans around here (the upper midwest of North America) aren't accustomed to engaging in public disorder, especially a public food fight. Are you sure it isn't Russians and Bulgarians who are the guiri?
Quoting BC
I make Mancunians responsible for the tomatina party, especially @Sir2u.
Are there Russians in the ceremony as well? Probably. You know they are all over the world spying folks!
Maybe you are right, coconuts either ripen on the tree or not at all. Not like other fruits that will still ripen as long as they are cut after maturity. Coconuts just rot away if not used.
While on the topic, I have about 300 - 500 coconuts for sale every couple of weeks. $1 each.
You can blame them all you want, I have not seen another one for at least 40 years. :lol: :rofl:
Quoting javi2541997
I once was aggressively called "Guiri" by a drunken Spanishman. Ironically, he was the one who was being uncouth; I was a perfect gentleman.
I obviously trust that you were behaving genuinely, Jamal.
When we are drunk, we tend to be dangerous and disruptive... the consequences of having such a big percentage of 'enthusiasm' in our DNA. Like Italians and Balkans folks.
Nothing unusual....?
smile
A TPF one would probably suite me. Good plan B.
@Jamal It seems that the Philosophy Now forum is having similar problems. There is a suggestion that Rick Lewis might end the forum >>> Panic amongst the members! A thread's been started to find a new home. TPF has been briefly considered:
Quoting Philosophy Now Forum
That made me wonder about the criteria for being accepted? I didn't have to go through that process and can't find information on 'how to join'...
You should make 'em pay! :wink:
Just like to add thanks for being a considerate and communicative owner. Thinking ahead...
The following message, visible if you're not logged in, is pinned to the top under the title Joining The Philosophy Forum:
Those emails go to me, and if they exhibit a genuine interest in philosophy and an ability to write reasonably well in English, I usually send an invitation.
:up:
If you're anything like me you never log out, in which case you'll never see it.
Good of you to direct unaware newcomers to the Discord site.
Yes. I noticed TPF was AWOL this morning. I assumed it was the same problem as discussed previously. Being one of those who didn't join Discord, I am unaware of progress or other plans for TPF.
I would hope if and when there is anything substantial to report, then @Jamal will notify TPF members. :sparkle:
Yes, absolutely. Youand the rest of TPF memberswill be notified when there is a substantial report. But I thought it was a good idea to provide the link to Discord to all of them who could be interested in the discussion on the other platform.
Quoting Jamal
Great! Thanks! :up:
Another thing I noticed, and I sent a message to you about it but didn't get a reply, is that when I sent for changing my password I don't get an email properly for it. Not in the trash or spam folder either. So if there's ever some strike of hackers registering our passwords, it might be impossible to change for some.
Is this something to maybe look into so that people won't be locked out or unable to secure their account if the site gets hacked in the future?
Sorry I didn't reply, Christoffer. I haven't had any similar reports; I think lots of people get notifications by email, and nobody has told me that's not working. I'll look into it though. Could be your email address is blocked or something.
I tried it myself from a different email address and it worked for me, and I can't find any blocks relating to your email address, so I don't know what's up.
Try sending yourself an email or check your storage space/settings. Add info@thephilosophyforum.com as a contact/preferred sender or to your email client's whitelist. One of those should do the trick.
Thanks, this did do the trick. :up: Glad it wasn't a wide spread thing.