Apple2Guide.net wiki: A small problem...
Gabriel
deleted the entire wiki MySQL database.
Let me explain:
I've had a lot of school work lately, and haven't had a chance to make
the changes I wanted to the wiki. Well, today I had some time on my
hands, so I decided to finally move up the wiki to it's proper address,
as Warren has been asking me to do for a while.
The thing is, I already had a test database and wiki copy set up. But,
the wiki version installed is not the latest anymore, so I wanted to
install the newest version. So, what I proceeded to do was delete the
empty test copy database to be replaced by the newest version and drop
the tables of that database. Then, after it was installed, I would
point it to the "old" real database, accessible from the old address,
and once I was convinced it was working fine, delete the old software
(not database).
The thing is, I already had a copy of the wiki software in place in the
new address. However, it was not the newest version and it was working
off another database (with no real data), so as not to affect the
working wiki just in case something went wrong.
So, I deleted that copy, along with the empty database (since it had no
real data, and I wanted a completely "fresh" install) and installed the
newest version. After that, I was going to backup the working database
and connect it to the new software.
What went wrong:
I opened up PHPMyAdmin, by clicking on a button next to the database
with no real data, but I was automatically logged in by my browser
(trying to help out...) to the *OTHER*, working database, in which I
proceeded to drop all tables, since I was under the impression that
this was just the test database. To top it off, I don't have a backup,
because I cleared up files on my drive recently and accidentally
deleted the backups. Google doesn't have enough pages of the wiki
cached, either, so getting it from there is a no-go.
The good news:
I called up and talked to my host. They can restore the database.
*But*, they charge a $150 fee to do so. $150 is a lot of money for me
right now. It was my doing, though, and I will pay it if you guys think
it's worth it. I have about 30 days to decide, although the rep told me
I should probably call before 20 days or so just to make sure it wasn't
erased.
So, that's the story. Tell me what you think I should do. I was
thinking, though that $150 is not a lot of money when divided by a
bunch of people. So... If you think I should have the database restored
and you guys want to help me out, I've set up a donation page at
http://gamoe.net/donate.html . I'd appreciate any help with this,
although I also understand if you don't feel like helping me pay for my
own mistake. It's all good either way.
Conclusion:
I'm going to back this thing up once a week, and put up the latest
backup for download at least once a month, as suggested.
Feedback:
Let me know if you think I/we should (pay to) restore the database or
otherwise.
b...@bob.us
pages. they may have them archived there.
Andy McFadden
> go to: web.archive.org (wayback machine) and search for the site and the
> pages. they may have them archived there.
Or use google's cache: feature.
--
Send mail to fad...@fadden.com (Andy McFadden) - http://www.fadden.com/
CD-Recordable FAQ - http://www.cdrfaq.org/
CiderPress Apple II archive utility for Windows - http://www.faddensoft.com/
Fight Internet Spam - http://spam.abuse.net/spam/ & http://spamcop.net/
Gabriel
no use. Google's cached only two pages and the wayback machine has
nothing. I am surprised that there was anything cached, really, since
the URL was not highly publicized.
Warren Ernst
OK, well I guess it is fair to say that all my bitching and moaning
about public backups wasn't without good reason.
And that's all I'll say on the subject.
And Gabriel, don't feel too bad about it. It happens. Like the time I
formatted the D partition of a client's computer instead of the E
partition by accident. Whoa-boy, was that a million laughs.
As for where to go from here: I'm in for $20 to help restore the
backup. If there's no communuity interest in restoring it, then I'm OK
with retyping what I did (it couldn't take more than a couple of
hours...)
Fortunately, the project was still young...
-Warr
Martin Doherty
Yes, it's a relatively cheap lesson in the fragility of data. I had
been planning to contribute to the wiki but hadn't actually started to
do so yet, so I'll cough up $5 towards its restoration. I still think
it's a great idea, and maybe its custodian will be a tad more
safety-conscious as a result of this conflagration?
For example: Gabriel did have local backup files, but they were sitting
on his hard drive in a place where they could be accidentally deleted
during a standard cleanup (and does that local disk get backed up?). A
CD-R would have been a better resting place. The public backups are a
great idea too, as interested contributors are likely to salt them away
and provide a lot more redundancy than one person's private efforts.
I'm a fine one to talk - my work laptop has wads of vital data on it,
never backed up, all utterly vulnerable to a hard disk crash. D'OH
Martin
Gabriel
rather nice about it all.
Still I need to hear from the rest of the community, whether we should
restore the database or not. If I hear from enough people, regardless
of donations, I will pay to restore it. I do feel like having it
restored, if only so I can finish putting the final version out and
continue working on it, instead of being paused, like we are currently.
PZ
especially in the long run. I've been contributing to the A2 articles
there, and Mitchell Spector has done some wonderful work creating new
articles and expanding existing ones. If you're worried about
vandalism, there is an extensive history log of changes that can be
reverted to.
- Paul
Gabriel
same software and its own database. If you want to contribute to the
Wikipedia that's great, but I don't see why we can't have our own Apple
II-specific wiki. Not everything has to be thrown together into the
wikipedia. When a user comes to Apple2Guide.net he is looking for Apple
II info, and that's all that he will find-- in detail. He doesn't need
to be encumbered by the non-related material he would find on the
Wikipedia.
But if you can't even think of Apple2Guide.net as a "real" wiki, then
of course, you wouldn't see the point at all.
PZ
it seems that you're trying to reinvent the wheel. Why try to
duplicate entries from Wikipedia on the Apple II, Apple IIGS, Applle
IIc, 65816, GS/OS, Prodos, peripherals, etc when these are already
extensively developed in Wikipedia. It just doesn't make sense to me.
Besides, many tens of thousands of people already use Wikipedia as a
resource, however your wiki will only be used by people who stumble on
it. I'm not knocking the info you already had on the site, I think
your Apple II Guide was a nice resource. I'm just not sold on why I
should contribute to your wiki rather than to Wikipedia if I have to
choose between the two.
- Paul
Smohn Jith
what the ROM location does, how it works, and example code. I would like to
see Prodos MLI calls, GS/OS calls, Toolbox calls, and all the techniques
that aiiaddict is trying to resurrect in some kind of searchable database.
Wikipedia is not conducive because it's to generalized....Do I care whether
the //gs came with xxx and yyy, no because I already know that....
"PZ" <skie...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1139122205.6...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
sicklittlemonkey
"Apple II" and an encyclopedia _about_ the Apple II.
I look forward to seeing Apple2Guide up & running again.
Cheers,
Nick.
PZ
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page
You can write everything you want about an Apple II, but reference
Wikipedia pages for common knowlege A2 stuff, so you can focus on the
project.
- Paul