April Fools: The forum

[Serilliant]

Very late yesterday, the forum suffered a database crash. It required that we restore from a backup. However, our hosting company does not do backups as regularly as I had believed. As a result, we needed to restore from the most recent backup they had, which was from about 2 weeks ago.

Those of you around during the previous crash will recall that we had difficulty restoring the backup because the file was corrupted due to a partial download. I'm afraid to say that this was the case once again. The good news is that the method our host uses to record backups was a lot more conducive to a recovery effort. As a result, I was able to restore most of the user data (unless you registered within the past two weeks), private messages, forum settings, and the most important backend information. Unfortunately, threads and posts have been almost entirely lost.

As with the last crash, I have a few posts available that can be recovered through looking at the raw text file. If you have something you are interested in having recovered, please contact me and I will see if it has been saved. This only applies to about the first 2,800 posts or so. In other words, most threads and posts made within the past 9 months are not part of the backup. Character registrations for a lot of our older members are recoverable, though, but recent registrations as well as battles and quests are not.

I am trying to remain optimistic about the situation as I look for alternate methods of recovery. It is possible that the host has something available that I am not aware of, but as it is late and they have already closed, I will have to wait until tomorrow to contact them.

I am greatly, greatly sorry for the inconvenience this causes everyone. I am especially sorry that the repeated promises I have made over the past year that everyone's stories would be safe were false. I feel personally responsible for this situation and will work as hard as I can to recover as much as I can.

I will keep everyone informed. You may notice some weird behavior due to the partial backup (for example, post totals may fluctuate weirdly due to the way the database stores itself). Again, I am very sorry that this had to happen and I ask for your patience in this process.

[Kially Gaith]

See...Now this is why I shouldn't get bored.

[Canen Darkflight]

Wasn't there an old method whereby users could Google their old threads pre-crash using a cached version of the page? I remember doing this before the last crash to get Canen's old stats back, and various other workings.

Just a thought.

EDIT:

*looks at a certain time of the year associated with certain problems randomly happening because certain administrators on the site are censoring words that give a hint to the cause of this problem (because typing a certain word replaces it instead with "Salad"*

........

........

FAIL!

[Woshington]

Wasn't there an old method whereby users could Google their old threads pre-crash using a cached version of the page?

Yeah, just like stick in...

your username site:www.althanas.com

and that will bring up a lot of your posts

[Kially Gaith]

All in all, epic fail.
Precisely why people should save every goddamned post.
Really, this sucks.
I demand some sort of refund, free experience kthx?
LOL

For gods sake, can't you guys just maintain a simple forum?
One that DOESN'T CRASH.
One that lets you post stuff.
Like..Now?

[Canen Darkflight]

Happy A P R I L F O O L S D A Y, N 0 0 b s, I think is what Serilliant is trying to say.

[Lakin_of_DpN]

I knew that...

[Woshington]

oh shit son pwned!!
GET OUT OF MY FACE AUTHORITY FIGURES

[Jasmine]

again? all this has happened again? *cries*

[Caden Law]

Were the FQs preserved? And will they be restored?

Thankfully, I still have my character update on file. Even if I lost reference to...pretty much all the threads I was in. I think. Damn. D:

And what's with the word filter?

[AdventWings]

Hey, Kially. Can you contact me on Messenger...?

*nudgenudge*

[Kially Gaith]

Aprils Fools Date - Epic win

[Melancor]

Jesus, never have I been so glad for saving every single damn post I've made. ^_^. It's a web of folders now but everything is in there.

[Petra]

What happened here?! A crash? Again?

...Well, I guess it's back to the document files...

*digs around for some old works posted*

[Raelyse]

April Fools!

I hope.

oh serilliant, this tuesday of april 1st really sucks and this joke is not funny

[Squ]

Bad things can happen. All people can do is try to fix as much of it as possible. I hope a lot of recovery work can be done, if not, all we can do is move on. Everything happens for a reason, and this occurrence is a lesson for people (save often, hehe).......

Wait a minute... um... hold on here...

I think I know what the "problem" is and I also think that
you have a very good "solution" for us sometime soon ^_^

I mean VERY soon! :P

[Petra]

Tuesday sucks salad... it just... sucks.

...

...

...

...

Oh, so that's how it is, is it?

*goes ballistic on Raven's ass*

[Squ]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Tuesday is a day that has "bad luck" spelled all over it, doesn't it? Not that I'm a big fan of Monday's... but oh well... In case you're wondering why I am rambling: there isn't much else I can use on the forum right now (beside control panel stuff) ^^;

[Raelyse]

What I want to know is why Canen randomly came back?

[Kially Gaith]

Canen coming back? The ultimate 'Tuesday Sucks' prank.

[Canen Darkflight]

Raeylse, mainly due to some external badgering, partially due to my want to start a successful continuation of the Canen story via a third party, mostly the want to have hot sex with you.

[Canen Darkflight]

What I want to know is why Canen randomly came back?

Thought it was about time for another "come back for three months, do f*** all, and then disappear without a trace" routine.

Actually, I just now have time for this again, and motivation.

I clearly just picked a bad day.

[hamnat]

As they say in France, "MERDE!!!!"

All that work...for nada!! And I was so close to finishing that quest...And now, Yggie and Arty will have to re-register...and I'll probably have to re-write my new character profile (the revised one)...CRASHES SUCK!!!

EDIT: HAHA!! Thank the Lord for Google caching! I can recover Shen's new profile, the big quest that I almost finished, and...oh yeah!! *does a dorky little dance*

[Devonus]

:(:(well i have the opening of my first post saved thankfully and can post that, i may have the second of my posts saved somewhere....

Man this sucks, ohwell, at least my topic wasn't completly involved yet and didn't have a many posts... luckily. Still i'm gonna cry over all that wonderful lost reading material...:(

[Canen Darkflight]

OMFG...Can't believe you still all haven't got it yet.

Nevermind. All will become clear.

[A Nony Mouse]

April Fool's Prank? Please?

Ah, you clever word-filtering dog you.

[Canen Darkflight]

I love it. My beloved Khaian has become a vampire and/or dragon.

Like Canen would ever...

[Squ]

Tuesday morning Prank? Please?

Ah, you clever word-filtering dog you.

Indeed, I was wondering why the fourth month of the year suddenly became a day of the week and the number one a :-( smiley

Well, it all proves effective nonetheless ^_^

[A Nony Mouse]

I live this day in fear.

[Kially Gaith]

Read my second post of this thread down the left hand side.

[Zook Murnig]

http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=13655&page=5

Apparently it didn't quite destroy all the recent posts.

EDIT: Found another one. http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=13928

[Kially Gaith]

Won't let me view it - Must be a mod thing only.

When are we getting the normal website back? I want to get down to posting again. <3

[A Nony Mouse]

Won't let me view it - Must be a mod thing only.

When are we getting the normal website back? I want to get down to posting again. <3

I can't see it either.

And I'd like to know when we can post again too.

[Squ]

Read my second post of this thread down the left hand side.

I see it now, pure genius. What also struck me as odd was the fact that the "last edited" date stamp looked really strange.

[Logan]

Consider this a forced break from the crack addiction known as Althanas. Enjoy at least a good portion of the day to do something different -- like IM other Althanians and bug them until they respond!!! Woohoo!

[hamnat]

it's all an aprl(add an i) foul's(change the u to an o) prank. The crash, the changes to the forum, everything. Well thought out, Serriliant. Well done.

I also wish to announce that I am leaving Althanas for good. This was the perfect opportunity to announce my resignation as everybody's favorite little elfy-girl. I wish you all the best of luck, and happy hunting!

[Kially Gaith]

it's all an aprl(add an i) foul's(change the u to an o) prank. The crash, the changes to the forum, everything. Well thought out, Serriliant. Well done.

I also wish to announce that I am leaving Althanas for good. This was the perfect opportunity to announce my resignation as everybody's favorite little elfy-girl. I wish you all the best of luck, and happy hunting!

Wait...What...Why? o_o

[A Nony Mouse]

have fun elsewhere... maybe i shall venture outside today... *gasp*

Good point Logan.

[Zook Murnig]

You've said that before, Hamnat. And it's April Fools.

[Killing Smile]

It's a good day for a walk. Take one while you reflect on the coincidence of the forum crash in related to what "holiday" it is today.

[hamnat]

You've said that before, Hamnat. And it's April Fools.

I realize that. I changed the letters so the message would come through. But anyways, back to leaving. I've got to delete the numerous post revisions on my computer. See ya round! (^_^)

[Kially Gaith]

I realize that. I changed the letters so the message would come through. But anyways, back to leaving. I've got to delete the numerous post revisions on my computer. See ya round! (^_^)


If you're really going, take care.

If it's an 4th month prank...

GTFO.

[Raelyse]

I think what Z-ster meant was that you leave and come back every 3 days.

[Letho]

It would be goddamn hilarious if Serilliant screws something up for real while reverting the forum to the usual after this, actually losing the database. Yeah, that would be funny as hell.

[Squ]

It would be goddamn hilarious if Serilliant screws something up for real while reverting the forum to the usual after this, actually losing the database. Yeah, that would be funny as hell.

Although I wouldn't appreciate the irony, it would be good for an uncomfortable laugh.

Maybe it actually did happen, and now they're using the prank 'excuse' to get everyone to calm down while they're deperately trying to fix the problem ^^;

Edit:

By the way, I was wondering, what will happen to this forum we're posting in right now once they restore everything back to normal? Hehe...

[Zook Murnig]

It would be goddamn hilarious if Serilliant screws something up for real while reverting the forum to the usual after this, actually losing the database. Yeah, that would be funny as hell.

Yeah, about as funny as FIST in FACE.

[Tsukiko]

sadly that's like putting salt on the wound.

[Raelyse]

More like salt in my anus

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

It would be goddamn hilarious if Serilliant screws something up for real while reverting the forum to the usual after this, actually losing the database. Yeah, that would be funny as hell.

I'd lol.

[Yggdrasil]

how annoying, i'd appreciate this a lot more if i had not just signed back up just yesterday

btw

You may post new threads
You may post replies
You may molest a badger
You may edit your posts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
You are turning me Off

(Why would i want to molest a bdager?!?!?! they are not even remotly attractive!

[A Nony Mouse]

I'd lol.

me too. That'd be funny in a really sick, morbid way.

Edit: Also:
vB code is On
S-m-i-l-i-e-s are On
[IMG] code is On
You are turning me Off

So "s-m-i-l-i-e-s are" is filtered too: Smilies are

[Raelyse]

smilies

edit: is not filtered

[A Nony Mouse]

Smilies are, you gotta add that "are"

[Yggdrasil]

I hate filters, the ones in college are bad enough

but today is actually amusing, inconvenient but amusing all the same

I was actually beginning to think everyone had forgotten, i guess not

[Kially Gaith]

how annoying, i'd appreciate this a lot more if i had not just signed back up just yesterday



Owned, laddy.

[A Nony Mouse]

I hate filters, the ones in college are bad enough

your college has filters? that sucks!

[Kumari]

Wow, Serilliant. Major props, dude. This is amazingly intricate. You fucking rock.

[Raelyse]

What makes me most angry is for the little boys and girls and men and women that are deprived of my orgasmic solo.

[Kially Gaith]

What makes me most angry is for the little boys and girls and men and women that are deprived of my orgasmic solo.

Kially is unhappy, he cannot orgasm at this poor hobos solo.

Not to mention I can't get posting with Cyrus. X_X

[Breaker]

EDIT: Serilliant, you sick, sick bastard.

Good one.

[Serilliant]

I have not had time to read through this thread as I have been too busy working on our problem, but I do want to report one major breakthrough: it turns out that the Althanas database did not crash after all.

We were hacked.

Even worse, we were hacked by a member of this forum.

I have been on and off the phone all morning with our host, and we have narrowed down the illegal access attempts to [salad]. I have already notified the appropriate authorities, but also wanted to release their name so that the forum was aware. I'm not encouraging vigilante justice... but let's just say I'm also not discouraging it either.

[Logan]

Muahahaha! I'm uber-1337!!! Cower before me 3V1L d0-g00d3r5!

MUAHAHAHAHA!

[Petra]

You had me at the DefaultThanas skin. @_@

Anyway... *Yawns* I'm going to bed. The site better be back to normal by the time I wake up.

Or else... Raven gets it. *Shakes her fist*

EDIT: That goes for the h4cker, too. Kekeke...

[Zook Murnig]

And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for meddling Serilliant. And his duck, too.

[Kially Gaith]

>_>

<_<

...Shit.

[Zook Murnig]

He used some sort of script to make it list the reader as the suspected culprit.

[Breaker]

Oh noes! I've been discovered!

*escapes in a hot air balloon*

...

Look, I admit this was a well executed prank. It had me going until I remembered what today is. How about we bring althanas back now?


HAHAHA! "O-h n-o-e-s" has been censored. Nice touch.

[Kially Gaith]

Yes, yes, yes. A script...That's right...

It wasn't really me and my Cyberpunk 2020 skill of Netrunning +999 >_>

[Raelyse]

Hacking is illegal? I just wanted to change race to Type of Catboy and molest a badger. Honest.

[Logan]

Wow...seriously. He spent WAY too much time setting this thing up. (Ok, so he probably spent all of 20 minutes either writing the code or re-writing it...but still...that's 20 minutes of Serilliant we will never get back!)

Lol. Kudos. Good show old boy, good show.

[Breaker]

I'm still trying to figure out if there's some special method to accessing the regular forum.

[Hashi]

wtf mate

[Breaker]

I like my new screen name.

[Logan]

016573 right? :-p

EDIT: Bah! How dare he filter it! 0-1-6-5-7-3 (that the numbers? cuz i really don't remember if it isn't ;-) )

[Raelyse]

at least he put space bars so it doesn't stretch the whole screen

[Sorahn]

AAAHAHAHAHAHA

zomg total epic win is happening.

Serilliant, I bow to your awesomeness. It is of magnificent proportions.

I'll probably spend the rest of my day trying to find all the easter eggs instead of doing homework like I should.

Anyone noticed: "Powered by vBulletin® Sexified by Serilliant" yet? or the "Need Cowbell?" link?

And for you who are desperate to have the real forum back, chill out. You can go without posting for one day. Just enjoy one of the best holidays ever created.

[Cyrus the virus]

Link to submitted quests: "The cake is a lie: 1"
"Re Mi Do Do So: March 3:-(, 2008 at 11:36 PM"
"I see dead forums"
"Are you an attractive redhead?"

Open your eyes, nerds :p

[Cyrus the virus]

"Don't click" instead of Lawg ewt is my favorite.

[Zook Murnig]

- 4 8 15 16 23 42 (http://www.althanas.com/world/report.php?p=111696) -

I like that instead of the Submit For Judging thing.

[Breaker]

Numbers no one remembers right? :-p

EDIT: Bah! How dare he filter it! 0-1-6-5-7-3 (that the numbers? cuz i really don't remember if it isn't ;-) )


HA! Someone remembered.

*sniffles*... I love you Logan.

[Logan]

Lol...S-e-a-r-c-h = Discover Bitter Heartache now...ROFL!

[Devonus]

AHHH man i'm such an idiot, and i pulled the biggest april fools joke this morning but didn't even think that this could be a prank!

[Breaker]

"Your total forum posts: 761 (0.86% of forums total posts)
You're an annoying troll in: The Flying Stone Tavern with 111 Posts
Your approximate genitalia length: 1.03"

see also "devour delicious pie" just after edit profile

[Yggdrasil]

oh come on, this has been long enough hasn't it, some people have a life to return to!

[Devonus]

Ahhh screew life this is much more fun!!!

[Yggdrasil]

by life i actually meant althanas for some

[Devonus]

Oh well in that case yes bring it back, unfortanatly i have an offline life i must return to soon.

[Hashi]

I have not had time to read through this thread as I have been too busy working on our problem, but I do want to report one major breakthrough: it turns out that the Althanas database did not crash after all.

We were hacked.

Even worse, we were hacked by a member of this forum.

I have been on and off the phone all morning with our host, and we have narrowed down the illegal access attempts to Hashi. I have already notified the appropriate authorities, but also wanted to release their name so that the forum was aware. I'm not encouraging vigilante justice... but let's just say I'm also not discouraging it either.

LIES!

(I just saw that, heh)

Edit:

The "Whose butt to kiss" link wins imo

[hamnat]

so did I, only when I read it it said hamnat...now that's impressive coding

I wonder how it looks to guests...

[Slayer of the Rot]

I have been on and off the phone all morning with our host, and we have narrowed down the illegal access attempts to Slayer of the Rot. I have already notified the appropriate authorities, but also wanted to release their name so that the forum was aware. I'm not encouraging vigilante justice... but let's just say I'm also not discouraging it either.

I'm sick to death of you queers calling me a drunk...so I took your nerdy bullshit away from you.

Now you'll have time to practice your real life magic and write your Harry Potter, Final Fantasy 7 slash fan fictions.

[Kially Gaith]

I'm sick to death of you queers calling me a drunk...so I took your nerdy bullshit away from you.

Now you'll have time to practice your real life magic and write your Harry Potter, Final Fantasy 7 slash fan fictions.

Stop stealing my thunder. Damnit, you're like some sort of X Factor drop out bathing in the success of the real talent.

[A Nony Mouse]

Love the script that calls each one of us the hacker. nice touch.

[Vampiric Angel]

it's all an aprl(add an i) foul's(change the u to an o) prank. The crash, the changes to the forum, everything. Well thought out, Serriliant. Well done.

I also wish to announce that I am leaving Althanas for good. This was the perfect opportunity to announce my resignation as everybody's favorite little elfy-girl. I wish you all the best of luck, and happy hunting!

Honestly? I don't think you were anybody's favorite anything...

And seeing as to how I didn't save my posts...this looks like the perfect oppurtunity to make another character!!

[Kially Gaith]

Honestly? I don't think you were anybody's favorite anything...

And seeing as to how I didn't save my posts...this looks like the perfect oppurtunity to make another character!!

Needs less drama.

[Karuka]

"All your base are belong to us. The time now is 12:40 PM."

[Taskmienster]

Umm... this really isn't that funny of a trick. Today's one of my only days to post this week, really post. So since this funny little prank has closed the forums, I'm sorry to everyone I'm in threads with and haven't been able to catch up on post.

This will set me back about a week for the next posts now.

[Empyrean]

Serilliant, you rank amongst the internet gods.

[Vampiric Angel]

If this crash was a serious attempt at a practical joke...then I would have lost severe respect for the mods...

[Good Witch]

Now don't fret, little ones, for you have had the power to return home all along! Simply click your shoes together three times and say, "there's no place like althanascom. There's no place like althanascom."*





*Your results may vary. Offer not valid for those without small dogs, creepy older men following you around, and ruby slippers. Void where prohibited.

[Kially Gaith]

Now don't fret, little ones, for you have had the power to return home all along! Simply click your shoes together three times and say, "there's no place like althanascom. There's no place like althanascom."*





*Your results may vary. Offer not valid for those without small dogs, creepy older men following you around, and ruby slippers. Void where prohibited.

I ate my small dog in a satanic ritual in attempt to get Althanas back. I'm sure if I sacrificed a virgin (Read:Raelyse) then I could maybe get some ruby slippers...Then, if I click them really hard (upside Serilliants head for being a sneaky ass of awesome proportions.) then Althanas might return!

...That creepy guy still hasn't stopped stalking me yet though. Think that might be Cyrus...He's being eyeing up my tasty buns for some time now.

[Saxon]

This gonna be an all day thing or can we reside on reverting back to normal considering most of the people here got the joke?

[Breaker]

Serilliant codes
the forum turns white and lame
let's all kill children

[Ataraxis]

Non sequitur: you can still post in your quests, even if you don't see the subforums they're in. Just look around.

Well, not any more. The magnificent bastard works quickly.

Edit: Try 'View posts in last 24 hours', click on 'Other Regions' then 'Althanas Regions' and browse.

[Saxon]

Meh.

[Ezekiel Stronghammer]

Yeah... seriously, this was funny at first but now I'm just bored with it and waiting for it to revert back

[A Nony Mouse]

Yeah... seriously, this was funny at first but now I'm just bored with it and waiting for it to revert back

amen.

[Kumari]

24 hours of nothanas isn't going to kill anyone. If you're THAT bored, play Yatzy with me on king.com

Username Songs4Drowning

[Rayse Valentino]

The real prank is that you've all been pranked into thinking this was a fake crash when it actually was a real one.

[A Nony Mouse]

The real bundle of joy is that you've all been bundle of joyed into thinking this was a fake crash when it actually was a real one.

i thought that at several points today and one of my non-Althanas friends pointed out the great irony of such a situation.

[Logan]

If it really was a crash...we wouldn't be seeing those random Wizard of Oz char posts, and the joyful changes that have littered our "Sexified" Thanas...

I for one am fairly certain Serilliant is just having some fun, and in a day or so we'll all be back to our RP-lovin selves. For now though...I'm enjoying some hard-earned rest and baseball-watching. Go Stros!

[Tsukiko]

yeah and we would all have to reregister.

[A Nony Mouse]

all good points... i just like being paranoid.

[Logan]

That and I've had mods mention they can still access threads...though I refuse to say which cuz I'm not sure I was supposed to have that knowledge! And no...it wasn't who you all think it was!!!

[A Nony Mouse]

So what timezone is Serillant in?

[Melancor]

If its of any satisfaction for most bored people. I believed it until Tera pointed it out. Considering this was my "first Althanas crash", as for the stories I have been expecting one for a while.

And yes, if it suffices your appetite for Althanian Noobieness, I rushed over to Serilliant very early in the morning and I was all freaked out. Yes I told him " Hope you can fix it!" and yes I gave him a pet in the back and told him how awesome he was for trying to fix it...

Jesus...

:D

[Logan]

A pet in the back? Knowing Serilliant he LOVED that!!! Hahaha!!!

[A Nony Mouse]

If its of any satisfaction for most bored people. I believed it until Tera pointed it out. Considering this was my "first Althanas crash", as for the stories I have been expecting one for a while.

And yes, if it suffices your appetite for Althanian Noobieness, I rushed over to Serilliant very early in the morning and I was all freaked out. Yes I told him " Hope you can fix it!" and yes I gave him a pet in the back and told him how awesome he was for trying to fix it...

Jesus...

I think he got a lot of us.

[Melancor]

A pet in the back? Knowing Serilliant he LOVED that!!! Hahaha!!!

I hope you dont know by personal experience. :P

[Logan]

I hope you dont know by personal experience. :P

Son...I DO know by personal experience. And Serilliant will attest to that, no less. It was a pretty magical experience....oh boy was it EVER. Phew. I'm getting all flustered just thinking about it.

[A Nony Mouse]

*walking away*

[Melancor]

*stares for a while, minds not to ask any more questions, then turns to mouse*

Wait for me dammet!

[Logan]

*In His Best Deliverence Voice*

Yeah, you BETTER run, boy! Whooo, look at that boy run....Phewee....

[Melancor]

Oh baby.

lol

[hamnat]

I'm sorry, Serill, but this j-oke is officially starting to piss me off...though I'm still wondering if it's not...in which case I'll be even more pissed off. It would be nice to know whether I should get rid of all those google caches from my computer or not...

[Logan]

Keep them. I repeat...the mods can see threads. Meaning...they exist in the DB. I promise you...unless my 3-4 years working with databases proves to be entirely worthless, if the mods can access it right now...it's ok.

Breathe...it'll all be over soon.

[Melancor]

*Vegetates on his chair*

Boooooooooooooored!

[Logan]

You know, time would move faster if someone *coughs* Serilliant-like *coughs* would've made sure the althanas irc chat was functional. Then we could've been uber lame and rp-ed in there! OOOHHH what FUN! Lol.

[hamnat]

I know, right!? :mad:

[Melancor]

He wants to make it all seem real, as real as possible. I'll be all worthit when He wont be able to chant "April Fools!" because this was obvious enough to get everyone pissed.
>: 3

[Camella]

*Sends a team of Gengar, Metagross, Starmie, Kangaskahn, Charizard, and Deoxys after Serriliant for the practical J o k e*


Warning: the ex-ghost pokemon gym leader, and mod of pokemonparadise, GENGARRULES, is PISSED!

[hamnat]

Btw, love the greek in your siggy. What's it say? My grandma never taught me.

[Melancor]

I dont remember exactly, something in the lines of being smart, abdout wisdom and all that stuff, I wrote it when I used to remember the damn alphabet.