OGF SIte Staff Blog

This log only covers changes beyond the to-do list and notes not covered in the site plan. Sorry its not a day by day account as before. I think its complete enough that when combined with the site plan another admin could get up to speed with the site very rapidly.

Follow up:

-- Webmin: Removed several unusable modules (anything which required physical access or special hardware, ex: CD burner).

-- Joomla: Changed back-end session timeout to 60min (default 15min).

-- phpBB: Changed forum structure, summit and forum archive links are now in an "Other Forums" category at the bottom of the forum list, not under OGF Management.

-- phpBB: Changed attachment rules to allow more file types in both forum and PM attachments.

-- phpBB: Increased attachment size cap, per file to 64MB (default 256KB ), global cap to unlimited, note VPS has insufficient memory for 100MB per file cap from OGF2.0, per file cap may need to be lowered to ~50MB to prevent errors (PHP memory limit is 64MB, file uploads via PHP are included in that limit).

-- phpBB: Increased cap on number of PM messages to unlimited (default 50).

-- phpBB: Increased cap on avatar size to 100x100px and 12288B (default 6144B ).

-- VPS1: Installed Lynx, a command line web browser, wget has issues with some download links.

-- Site Plan Change: Removed phpBB3 Mods - Board3 - Forumlist In Menu (not needed), Board3 - NV Recent Topics Mod In Center Block (not needed), Board3 - LastRSS Agregator Block for LastRSS Agregator RC3 (broken, will revisit RSS when needed), RSS Feed 2.0 (will revisit RSS when needed), Board3 - RSS Feed Block (will revisit RSS when needed), Topic Cement (bugged), Soft Delete (bugged), Avatars in Who is Online -and- Avatar in Member List (maybe not), FAQ Manager (post FAQ's in Joomla instead), Mod Database (not needed anymore), Update Attachment (broken).

-- Site Plan Change: Updated description for phpBB3 Mods - ACP Announcement Center and Bots Install Script.

-- phpBB: Note deleted Bots Install Script files after running, its a run once data injector, not really a mod.

-- phpBB: Update Attachment mod is broken, no errors, just doesn't seem to work, removed it.

-- VPS1: Installed php-devel, httpd-devel, PHP APC, Advanced PHP Cache (APC) is a op-code optimization and caching framework, it should increase PHP execution time 3x to 10x and reduce memory load by more than half. In OGF2.0 we used eAccelerator but it apparently has problems with segmentation faults after a few days, this was seen with the VPS at the time but not narrowed down to eAccelerator as the cause.

-- MediaWiki: Script path is /mediawiki, this is aliased to /wiki in httpd.conf for short URL's.

-- VPS1: Installed Fileinfo, needed for MediaWiki file mime data on file uploads.

-- Site Plan Change: Removed MediaWiki RSS Feed extension, no longer needed, functionality build in since MediaWiki 1.13.0, this doesn't appear to use the URL rewriting, it exposes the /mediawiki/ directory.

-- b2evo: Accidentally loaded sample data during install, recycled Blog A into OGF Community Blogroll (ID#1), recycled Blog B into OGF Staff Blog (ID#2), deleted all sample posts, deleted all sample categories, and left Linkblog and Photoblog as-is. Note, as with OGF2.0, personal blogs can be added to the OGF Community Blog via the Advanced -> Aggregation -> Blogs to aggregate field, as a comma delimited list of blog ID# (requires webmaster access).

-- Site Plan Change: Added details about the LDAP and UserBlog plugins.

-- b2evo: LDAP and UserBlog Plugin config notes: New users are added to the OGF Members group when they login via LDAP for the first time and have their account auto created, users in this group have the option to create new blogs via a link in their dashboard. To remove this privilege move the user to a different group, users manually created from the back-end need to be manually added to this group if they are to create their own blogs.

-- b2evo: User Blogs TOS set to: "The OpenGameForge.org (OGF) personal blogs are a free service provided to OGF members to encourage community participation. Please use your blog to share your personal insights and experience on the topics of: (1) games in general; (2) game or FOSS design and development; (3) game or FOSS communities; (4) game or FOSS public policy issues; and/or (5) the OGF community in general including topics covered by the OGF Think Tanks and hosted projects. Blogs which are considered abusive, compromise security, violate any laws, or place any legal liability on OGF will be deleted at OGF Staff discretion, with or without warning - if warning is given you may appeal this on the forums to reach a community consensus resolution. Blogs may be subjected to an open community review to reach a consensus resolution for any reason, including but not limited to: appeal of any OGF Staff action, being considered damaging to the community, false or misleading information, undue waste of community resources, invalid license, or inactive for over a year. All content you post must be licensed under either: (A) the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY aka CC-A); (B ) formally placed in public domain (or equivalent like CC-PD); -or- (C) by default, you grant OGF Staff unlimited license to freely use any content you post for any purpose which serves the OGF community's interests as determined by either OGF Staff or community consensus. You may opt out of these terms at any time by requesting your blog be deleted, however any posted content considered to be of use to the OGF community may be copied to the OGF wiki under CC-BY prior to deleting your blog. Note, any proposed changes to these terms will be discussed on the forums until a community consensus is reached, final changes will be posted as news on the main OGF homepage. Feedback and suggestions on both these terms and this blog sub-site are welcome." This should be reviewed on the forums.

-- VPS1: Installed phpLDAPadmin and created another webmaster account, it might be better to rename the OGF rootdn to forge, especially if any other directories are added.

-- b2evo: Found and installed FCKeditor plugin, updated Site Plan accordingly...

-- Site Plan Change: Updated SOBI2 plug-ins to reflect a few changes: The Gallery plug-in still requires legacy mode, despite saying its J1.5 native on JED. Removed the commercial plug-ins, Featured Listing plug-in (70eur) and SOBI2 Import and Backup Plugin (35eur), both are too expensive given the small niche usage. Removed SOBI2 PopularList Module, couldn't find download link. Removed Sobi2 Selected Categories, couldn't find download link.

-- SOBI2: To-Do Later: The templates need some tweaking. SEF plug-in is disabled, needs config, do last. SOBI2 Cloning Tool uploaded to ~/public_html/files/clone_sobi.sh.zip.

-- Site Plan Change: Updated JoomlaPack description. Removed AJAX Toggler, the Core Design version is much better but requires full membership ($50/6mo). Added Core Design subsection to Future Reference Extensions. Updated descriptions for extensions redundant with the Core Design extensions.

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: The Acajoom CB integration sub-extensions failed to install, need to verify directory ownership and permissions, check Acajoom docs, then reinstall Acajoom.

-- Site Plan Change: To-Do Later: Removed "The Ultimate Social Bookmarking Plugin", couldn't find download link, this functionality is still required, find alternative.

-- Site Plan Change: Extension "Modules In Content" is missing from JED, removed from site plan. Added extension "Modules Anywhere".

-- Random Comment: The JED search system is near useless, all of the extensions in the site plan are the exact name of the JED listing, down to capitalization, but excluding the "dash-description" used in some. Use Google site search with the name as an exact phrase (in quotes).

-- Joomla: Installed Content Templater, updated description to remove note of "Pages and Items Content Manager".

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Investigate and install either Google AJAX Search or googleSearch Component + Module, this was skipped to expedite site development, a search system is low priority when there is no content to search. Also investigate and install "Content Search SEO Plugin for Joomla".

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Download for extension "phpBB Forum Finder Search Module" requires user registration, account creation failed, twice, try again later...

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Download for extension "PixSearch Ajax Search module" requires user registration, account creation failed, try again later...

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Download and install CD extensions after full membership is granted.

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Investigate and install gallery component, create main menu item.

-- Site Plan Change: Split OGF Info Menu into About OGF and Site Help. Changed all article blogrolls to use FrontpagePlus, this enables correct usage of the display on frontpage flag, among other things. Added Other News menu item to News Menu. Removed blog and list view menu items, its not necessary. Might want to go back and add menu items for each project, proposed projects, and each game. Added missing OGF Recruitment, OGF Projects, Site Help Gallery articles, was listed in OGF Info menu but not under static articles. Removed Show Menus, not needed. Added missing menu items for Site Help Security, Site Help Editing Content, Site Help Searching OGF. Added missing link to glossary component in Other Menu. Removed Polls menu item from Other Menu, links to a single poll, not the component in general.

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Investigate and install Calendar component, create other menu item.

-- Site Plan Change: Added Joomla! Authentication Tools extension, its needed to register new users in the LDAP directory.

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Review entire site for useful RSS feeds, then add them to the feed manager. Post a request for suggestions on the forums, including useful feeds from other sites, maybe member blog feeds too. Also check for better extensions, note this isn't to generate or read, only catalog. Might consider adding an RSS field to SOBI2 entries too, maybe with a reader module in/below the description to give people a preview of the content.

-- Joomla: Restored OGF2.0 user accounts and removed CB hack to resolve several bugs. All registered status users were updated with author status, so they can submit articles. All unverified and blocked accounts were deleted.

-- Joomla: Changed registration process to auto generate a password in the new user welcome email, this covers a minor security issue where the LDAP account is created immediately, allowing someone full sub-site access (except Joomla) without confirming their email account. Note, either the random password is stored in LDAP as a double hash (Joomla standard hash plus LDAP base64 MD5) or LDAP auth is failing so it reverts to DB auth (haven't tested this, could just disable Joomla auth and see if a random password still works).

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Find the text for the new password emails generated by the forgotten password feature, change it to note users must change their password in Joomla before they can login into other sub-sites.

-- Note To-Do Later: Discovered OGF has a taint. OL is too prominent, could try starting complimenting projects to give appearance of counterbalance. Site failures and set-backs have seriously tarnished the site's reputation, need to implement full mirror for redundancy plus load balancing (slate for OGF2.6 due to funding limitations), define then rigidly enforce redundant backup procedures including archive distribution to admins, recruit more site staff, and don't fuck up. There is a misconception over leadership, need to reinforce democratic-technocratic management, restart leadership committee. There is a misconception regarding LDAP accounts, or that anyone who has ever registered needs to register again due to the site rebuilds (solution?). There is a misconception about OGF's security track record, that the site was hacked recently - the OL site was hacked twice in 06 (when Boyd was hosting it) and once in early 07 (wiki only), OGF1.0 was hacked in late 07 (resolved within minutes) - all things considered its a remarkable security track record, and the only spam is on the summit forums, consider posting a staff blog entry noting this history with analysis. Add FAQ items covering some of these issues.

-- Joomla: To-Do Later: Talked to Lazalong about OGF, implement content suggestions for covering the commercial side of open source game development. Add Think Tank discussion on adapting indie business models to work better with GPL, including membership models similar to what is becoming more common with Joomla extensions, closed source game data packs for a standardized OGF engine platform (GPL), and MMOG services using cloud hosting services for minimal infrastructure start-up costs (e.g. vps.net). Consider adding paid links directory entries for commercial games as featured listings (requires a rather expensive commercial SOBI2 extension). Consider adding paid Tree (or SOBI2) downloads entries (slated for OGF2.6, front-end to FusionForge FRS plus manually submitted entries).

-- Note To-Do Later: Ask for general feedback on OGF from other respected FOSS developers, both on the site and overall project. Post Think Tank discussion asking for more feedback to improve OGF and analyze results. Unfortunately people seem to have an aversion towards responding to general requests for feedback, need to ask personally via email or IRC. Asking members who are not widely known to be involved with OGF to discretely seed questions into IRC and forum discussion might also work. Compile feedback, analysis, and solutions then post as a news article.

-- Joomla: Created a half dozen general opinion polls. The polls module sucks, added link to other menu instead, need to find another one which randomly displays a published poll the user hasn't voted on -or- switch to a different poll component. Note ultimately this will be replaced with a phpBB poll module of some sort.

-- Joomla: Removed optional fields from registration form to make it appear simpler to register.

-- Joomla: Installed phpBB3 Latest Posts module. Created feed display modules for wiki and blogs.

-- Joomla: Published menus, modules, articles, etc... Disabled construction notice module. Posted OGF2.5 Site Testing news article. Messed with overall config to get the homepage looking half decent. This marks beginning of pre-launch site testing phase and end of core site development phase.

-- Joomla: Posted newsflash site usage ad. Posted site plan and added missing menu item for it (did not update site plan).

-- phpBB: Added Article Comments forum, this was supposed to be in the site plan but isn't, at some point it will be tied to a remote posting form inserted at the bottom of articles. Changed forum name, Think Tank Forums -> Think Tanks.

-- Forum Archive: Moved everything in IMPORTANT-Must Read to OGF Management, posted new forum archive welcome message with notes. Locked down sub-site as much as possible without disrupting its function as an archive. Switched auth to DB, most users will not be able to login, use webmaster account for access. Random comment, OGF2.0 had an insane number of forums...

-- Joomla: Restored and updated several articles from the OGF2.0 backup, including: About OGF, OGF Staff, OGF Financial, OGF Credits, and OGF Services - all of which are incomplete but better than nothing. The About OGF article needs to expand on the strategy (not gamble) to build a critical mass to develop OL, note it could create a platform for dozens of games build as total conversion mods. Updated Site Help Registration with some temporary notes, the OGF2.0 article is fairly long and needs a lot of rewriting.

-- Note: XHTML 1.0 validation failed. Main issues are the entire Latest Forum Posts module (probably needs replacing) and some bad tags further down, probably by another extension, Joomla is supposed to be valid. The CSS only has two minor errors, both deal with an opacity property which is in CSS3.0 but not CSS2.1, not sure whats causing it (haven't investigated).

-- Random Comment: Be warned, deluge of forum threads coming...

 

Development log moved to blogs.