Demonland

What are your qualifications? Send your resume & references through to @Nasher. We could need any help we can get.

Trust me if what happened last night happened on my watch I would have actually done what Nasher posted in the 2nd post of this thread.

The timing of that will be up to @Nasher. He is generously volunteering his time and effort to this. Unfortunately, server and database management are beyond my expertise. I have a basic understanding, but if I tried handling it alone, I'd probably do more harm than good.

No, it's not a new software package. It's the same company, but they've released a significantly upgraded version of their existing software. This latest update represents a major advancement in functionality and usability, particularly in terms of the capabilities it offers businesses. However, many of the new features included in this version either aren't directly relevant to our specific requirements, haven't been implemented yet, or may be integrated gradually over time. From the perspective of Demonland users, the overall experience won't differ dramatically from the current setup. Interaction with the site, including posting and general navigation, will remain largely familiar. The most noticeable improvement will be a cleaner and smoother user interface, enhancing readability and ease of use, but without fundamentally changing how users engage with Demonland. Any confusion around whether this was an entirely new software package likely arose due to my mention of the updated login method. This change is strictly for enhanced security purposes and aligns with modern best practices. Additionally, due to the upgrade, several third-party applications, plugins, and extensions previously compatible with our older version will no longer function properly. To prevent potential conflicts and ensure a stable environment, it was necessary to remove these components during the upgrade process. Hopefully we learn from this unsuccessful attempt and the next attempt will be a lot smoother and ultimately successful.

I removed almost all plugins and extensions prior to the upgrade. The test installation worked which makes it all the more frustrating and confusing.

That's because in preparation for the upgrade I got rid of a lot of the superfluous 3rd part stuff that had been added on over a quarter of a century.

Usually when a server crashes you need to restart it so ...

That's now a corrupted version. Too soon?

The new software update failed and crashed the server, so we've reverted to the version just before the update. Once we identify the cause of the failure, we'll give it another shot. Interestingly, our test version, which is essentially a clone of the main site, updated smoothly without any issues. Right now, I'm experimenting by communicating with you all on a week-old version of Demonland, but nobody's responding to anything I say. It's definitely less stressful, but also pretty lonely.

Despite our Test Installation working perfectly our attempt to upgrade to the latest version of the the software failed. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come in 2025. We will attempt to do it again soon. In the meantime we can ask whether @Nasher is the right guy? Too soon? In all seriousness, huge shout out to @Nasher for taking time away from his family to help us out. Thanks mate.

Just a reminder that the site will be unavailable from 8pm tonight. Perhaps earlier. Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow. If the upgrade breaks Demonland well it's been nice knowing you all. I don't have the energy to fix it. Go Dees.

Twitter is having issues with their embeds at the moment so here is a screenshot.

On the plus side he isn't following Port. 🤣

Oh boy. It’s gonna be a long year.

I knew he had unfollowed the Dees a while ago. Did he re-follow them again only to unfollow them a second time? Interestingly he follows these two clubs.

Who are you tipping this week in the real Round 1?

I'm starting to remove some widgets, blocks, and soon-to-be-defunct third-party add-ons from the website in preparation for the transition. You don’t need to worry about the technical details—just trust me on this. When we upgraded the test site, some of these elements caused minor issues, so I want the installation and upgrade process to be as clean as possible. I could wait until tomorrow night, but tackling it now while I have the time will save me time later and help get Demonland back up and running sooner. I’ll also be temporarily removing ads since some of the custom placements aren’t supported in the new software, and they might cause unexpected issues. So, enjoy the ad-free experience while it lasts! 😛 See you on the other side—hopefully.

I got banned.

Famous last words but we’ve been testing it the past few days on a cloned version of a week old Demonland. I’ve been having conversations with myself.

Hi everyone, On Tuesday evening, Nasher and I will be undertaking a major update to the Demonland website, which involves installing new site software. As part of this process, we will need to take the site offline for an indeterminate period to ensure a smooth transition. The first step will be creating a full backup of the database as a precautionary measure, in case anything unexpected occurs. Once the new software has been successfully installed, the site will remain offline for additional time while I restore and reapply the look and feel of Demonland. This update will reset all customizations to a default, “out-of-the-box” state, so some manual adjustments will be required before the site is ready to go live again. Over the past few days, I’ve had the opportunity to familiarize myself with the new customization settings, so I have a clear plan to restore the site’s appearance as closely as possible to what you’re used to. That said, there will be some differences—the software itself is largely the same, but certain features and layouts may be in slightly different locations. If you have any questions or need help navigating the changes, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will be creating a dedicated support thread on the main board where we can work together as a community to iron out any issues. The core posting functionality will remain unchanged, so you’ll still be able to interact with the site just as you always have. However, the most significant change—highlighted by the orange [NOW RED] banner at the top of the page—is that logging in to Demonland will now require your email address instead of your username. This is a security enhancement, as usernames are publicly visible and easier for malicious actors to exploit, whereas email addresses are more secure. To ensure a seamless transition, please verify that the email address associated with your Demonland account is up to date. You can check and update your email settings here: 🔗 Demonland Email Settings We appreciate your patience while the site is offline. If all goes according to plan, Demonland should be back up and running by Wednesday morning. Looking forward to seeing you all on the other side, ready to fire up for the 2025 season! Go Dees!