Pet Talk offline Friday night and Saturday.

   I am going to upgrade the software that runs these forums to the current version of vBulletin. This is a major upgrade. I will have to close Pet Talk on Friday night, September 30, at 8:00 pm Eastern. I estimate it will take twelve hours to complete the upgrade. During this time you will not be able to reach Pet Talk.

   The new software will have new features, however, the main reason why we are doing this is to be able to offer attachments to messages again. Additionally, because the database that is Pet Talk is over five gigabytes in size every maintenance task takes a very long time. It takes our webserver an hour just to save a copy of the database. Once the upgrade is complete we will be able to store attachments in the file system instead of the database so we will have room to grow.

   Over the past few weeks, I have tested this upgrade several times using several different strategies. The developer of the vBulletin software suggested to me, as they have done to others, that the best way to speed up this process would be to delete our attachments. I would rather take twelve hours than loose the attachments.

      Paul

Thanks for the forewarning, Paul! I know there are hundreds of people who would be in a panic if you didn't post this! LOL!!!! :D

TWELVE HOURS???????? :eek: :eek: What am I gonna do??? PT Withdrawal is NOT fun!!!! ;) It's like asking me to hold my breath for 12 hours!! *stamps feet, throws self on floor*

Thanks for the heads up Paul!! I'm sure I can manage *sniff* somehow.

Thanks for the warning, Paul. What will I do for 12 hours?

Willie:)

Thanks for telling us, Paul. I hope everything goes smoothly. :)

Folks, just think about all the cleaning we can do in 12 hours!! ;) All the PT homes will be shining. :D

Eastern time, it that Boston time? That will be GMT minus 5 hours, right?

Here's a link to world time zones: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Thanks, Paul.

One thing that's been on my wish list for awhile is the ability to search only for threads a person started - not for all posts. Here's hoping.:)

And just noticed there's a new forum!

Quote:

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Originally posted by Freckles
Thanks, Paul.

One thing that's been on my wish list for awhile is the ability to search only for threads a person started - not for all posts. Here's hoping.:)

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Oh yes, that'd be nice! :)

What will i do for the weekend?!?!!? i guess i could spoil the furries a little more :D

Thanks for the warning! Although I promised myself right from the start that I wouldn't become totally "hooked" on PT - I guess I would have become nervous, if suddenly I couldn't make it work! :eek:

Regards,
Sus

Thank you for letting us know.
Now what am I supposed to do! ;)
I guess I'll be taking lots of pics.

Seeing as on average, I don't have computer access from Friday 5 p.m. to Monday 9 a.m., I think I'll be okay. ;)

Did anyone notice that this will take 12 hours OF PAUL'S TIME????

And Randi - you suggest that we all clean house while Pet Talk is down? You have got to be kidding!:D :D

Thank you Paul for your time and expense for this I for one use attachments becouse I just can't seem to figure out the other way. So I appresate this feature. Thank you.
Also thanks for the heads up.( Ummm may be I'll get some sewing done friday.)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Logan
Thanks for the forewarning, Paul! I know there are hundreds of people who would be in a panic if you didn't post this! LOL!!!! :D

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Yep, and I would be one of them. I still may be. I have a poor memory! I'll make myself a note .... now if I just don't lose it!!! :D

Moff, you can always make it your pause screen - you know the text rolling across the screen. :D

Gini, of course we could also go and bake a pile of cookies. :D

Quote:

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Originally posted by Randi
Moff, you can always make it your pause screen - you know the text rolling across the screen. :D

Gini, of course we could also go and bake a pile of cookies. :D

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Thanks Randi! I never would have thought of that.

OOOHHH! Cookies???? What kind? Do you need a taste tester???
I volunteer if you do!!!:D

I volunteer, too!!!!!! :D

Thanks for warnin g us, Paul! I appreciate it so much what you will be doing for us!! [color=orange-red]THANKS !!![/color].
Cookies? :D :p . Oh Randi, do you need a cookie-tester :p :p

That will be from 1 AM till 1 PM then for me. OMG, my saturday morning will be sooooo dull.... ; maybe the perfect moment for preparing a special lunch :p :D

Thanks for the warning! I'm glad I picked this weekend to move :D

What else would I do without PT?!?

Thanks Paul for taking the time to make PT even better!

   Randi right now Boston is only four hours behind GMT.

   The new software will be able to search for threads started by a user.

      Paul

Quote:

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Originally posted by Paul
   The new software will be able to search for threads started by a user.

      Paul

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WOOOHOO!! :D

Quote:

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Originally posted by Paul
   Randi right now Boston is only four hours behind GMT.

   The new software will be able to search for threads started by a user.

      Paul

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EXCELLENT! I too had hoped for this ability.

Now, what to do during that 12 hour time period??? :confused:

OK 1) go to bed extra early Friday night.

and 2) go to work extra early Saturday morning.

Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this place. :D

Gee...does this mean I will have to do housecleaning??? :rolleyes: :p

Paul, thanks for all you do on this site. I'm sure we can cope for a mere 12 hours.

Quote:

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Originally posted by gini
And Randi - you suggest that we all clean house while Pet Talk is down? You have got to be kidding!:D :D

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What are you worried about.....all you have to do is push a button..... :D :p

Thanks for forewarning us Paul!:)

Thanks Paul!!!!

Awww...I'm going to miss PT while its offline. I guess I should just go to bed early on Friday, and wake up late! :D Thanks for letting us know ahead of time!

I was wondering......................................... ..

Any chance we'll be getting new smilies too? :D

oh god, my computer time has been so restricted and my site has taken so much time that I didn't see this thread or town hall the whole time! Better hold my tounge towards the nasty lad aid from now on.:o

Quote:

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Originally posted by Paul

I am going to upgrade the software that runs these forums
to the current version of vBulletin.
This is a major upgrade...

The new software will have new features ...

Paul

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:eek:

"NEW" Software ...

I Hope the vBulletin Folks did their *de-bugging* better than
the Microsoft Gang does theirs!

Please tell us the overall "Fit & Finish" of Pet Talk won't
be changing ...
THIS has got to be one of the BEST Designed Forum platforms
on the WWW!!

And yes ... THANKS to Paul & Karen
for ALL the Hard Work they put into "our" site ...
It must be a Labor of Love ~
And *IS* APPRECIATED!! :)

/s/ Phred & the FurKids

Thanks for the warning! At least I'll be sleeping part of the 12 hours! ;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Freckles
Thanks, Paul.

One thing that's been on my wish list for awhile is the ability to search only for threads a person started - not for all posts. Here's hoping.:)

And just noticed there's a new forum!

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oh i know i wanted to find a post i posted in cat helth and had a problem finding it :(

Whew. Thanks for the head's up and also for all the work you're doing for us to 'play' with, Paul.

{{{hugs}}} and >^._.^< headbumpies from our house to yours.

(Miss Hoppy is exempt from the headbumpies, if she so wishes...)

Miss Hoppy will accept noserubs in place of head bumpies, thank you. (one finger, two at the most, start at nose, stroke up toward ears, repeat!)

Thanks for letting us know. We'll be in withdrawal for a while but at least we know what's going on.

Thank you, Paul for the warning and for the improvements coming our way. (SIGH) I HOPE I can get through 12 hours without PT!!

Thanks for letting us know in advance.:) I guess I'll be watching a movie or something else on t.v. on Friday night and I usually don't get on until late morning or afternoon on Saturday any way.:) Thanks for all of your hard work and for improving PT for us.:D

:) I am so glad to hear that it was not me & my comp. due to been trying to get on all weekend.. Yah we back on now - thought I was to have withdrawals..

It hasn't happened yet - it is THIS Friday, September 30th into October 1st, that it will be happening. (Just to clarify.)

Thanks for the heads up, Paul! :)

Thank you for the warning and for all the trouble you will be going through for all of us!

:) Thank you Karen I just read over Paul's noted & to say it was this weekend.. Well all of the Internet has been acting funny this past weekend.. I guess with Rita & Katrina having so many lines down.. So I will try not to go thru two weekends of withdrawles now..