is anyone else not able to see the readers' rides section? it was one of my favorite parts of thirdgen.org, but since the server switch, the link isn't active...help?
~Erik~

 

It doesn't work for the rest as well. When the server hard drive crashed is when the Readers Rides section went down. From what I understand no data was lost, but the program that they used to run the section was.

Since Dirk is a busy person and runs most of the hard core server functions, he is about the only person who can fix and who can answer. No time frame has been given, and i recall one of the Admins questioned the future of the section anyway.

 

I think if the readers rides section was reinstated, it might cut down on the "Let's see pics of red Camaros" type-threads on the Appearance and Detailing board.

Even if it didn't reduce the number of these threads, at least the mods could point them to the readers rides section when they invariably close the thread.

 

I dunno if board admins would be interested but id be willing to give something back to this site, I havnt been a member long but I have however learned quite a few things from it already. I am a PHP programmer I have been programming in PHP for about 3 years and have ran a few very succesfull sites, my web-based game consists of over 100,000 lines of code. I could easily make a readers rides section if the admin or the members for that matter would be interested.

 

Depending on what that code is, that could be good or bad. Who is to say that 100,000 lines of code is inefficient and could be trimmed down and still perform the same thing in less lines?

No offense meant, just never heard of that being a judge of one's work.

 

lol I already said what kind of code it is its PHP. and no it couldnt really be reduced very much well not and keep it very readable. Its pretty much a ongoing project ive been running since I started programming. But none the less a readers rides section would be pretty easy to implement depending on what ppl wanted. Just figured id offer since right now im completely broke so I cant donate any money but computers are my speciality and PHP is my language of choice for web languages. Oh and lines of code isnt a judge of work but used as a scale factor for size. most small applications themselves are under 1,000 lines of code. If you want judge of work how about sustaining 33,000 members on a single dedicated server with only a XP1600 processor and 512mb ram and keeping page load times under 1 second?

 

Yes, you did say it was for gaming, but that still leaves a lot of question as to what functions were used to accomplish whatever needed. Since PHP isn't that hard to pickup on, it is known that people can easily start off with PHP, but because of that, you see a lot of bad (inefficient) coding.

Again, was just stating I never seen one state the number lines of their code as a possible indication of their abilities

 

As to what functions? most are all custom functions that I made except for the normal php ones. I can do image editing, mysql databasing, any kind of formatting, any kinda form processing, file processing. I can basically make whatever I need

 

This is getting off topic, but yes, you're script is customized, but in PHP there is often more than 1 syntax to accomplish what you want in PHP. Some coding, and how you use it, can be inefficient, especially depending on how large of tasks you're doing. That's the point I was making in response to your amount of lines information you had provided. More lines of code really does not give any indication of one's abilities or quality of work. For all I know you can do good work, I was simply replying to your number of lines comment, which is the first time I've ever heard someone state such in an effort to back their knowledge or abilities.

Doing what TGO could use would be fairly simple, especially if you integrate it into the vB software. Not sure if that is TGO's path, but since they're working with an old vB version, until they upgrade, such work would have to be redone when they do upgrade (if they do integrate) into the vB software.

good luck

 

well I wouldnt integrate it into Vbulletin boards at all rather I would have it just pull the information about the users from the user database in which wouldnt change when/if they upgrade versions. Everything else would be stand alone. If they wanted it to show somewhere on the forums I would just make a function that only pertained to the readers rides section that they could toss up wherever they needed in, in which could be done the same for after they upgrade. But if I knew what all they wanted for the readers rides section I could start work on it.

 

Of course I would have it in a separate table, but since the forums itself are a large part of this website, I would make the forums and Readers Rides interact with each other, since I'd guess the forums get more traffic than the Readers Rides (when they were in use). But that decision is up to the Admins in TGO. Yes, you would have to change some things when vB is upgraded. I've worked with vB for several years and have a fairly good understanding of the function in vB, not just the simple cosmetic stuff found in the Admin control panel or templates. Even if the changes aren't as large as the core function of the script itself, TGO has shown and stated several times they do not want to do the work twice. This is why improvements to this vB 2.x that could be done, aren't being done until they upgrade to vB 3.x

 

no you dont seem to understand, there would be no actual work ever done to VB it would all be stand alone it wouldnt even need VB to operate other then for the user database. and the user database would not change when they upgrade otherwise they would whipe out all the users. But anyways no one seems to really be interested in this so ill leave it for someone else to do

 

i do understand and I've done both ways before on another site. I'm not a newbie to PHP or vB and their use of PHP. Not suggesting you are. Perhaps your way wouldn't involve vB at all, but I think (merely an opinion) with as much time as people spend on this forum rather than the rest of the website, that such wouldn't be as useful or exciting.

You're right, I would not alter the user table, which is why I suggested use of another table. However, any integration with vB (such as the core PHP files) would result in that work being written over when upgraded as there are quite a bit of file changes between this vB 2.x and 3.x. Regardless of the level of integration, there is going to several spots and files that would need to be altered in vB (not the tables), and hence, when upgrading, all changes would be lost to that part. That was what I was saying.

 

well my point on the user table is that would be the only integration into VB not that id edit the user table. I would setup a whole other set up tables for the readers rides section and just have the tables all with a prefix of rides_ or somethin similar to that. And as for no integration into VB for visual that would hardly be ever noticed all it would mean is that there was a link to it from the VB board thats all that would need to be changed, it would be a very simple addition of under 2 minutes to make them work together and the rest of it would be self supporting. all of the files would be completely seperate from VB so none of them would ever be effected what so ever by a upgrade to VB. You said that you are no newbie to PHP then youd understand that everything is made up of lots and lots of different files. in which the readers rides would not be part of VB at all

 

I do know that vB has quite a bit of PHP files. Depending on how far you integrate the RR with the forum, all those files stand the chance of being overwritten when upgraded from this current vB 2.x to vB 3.x.

I initially thought to have the basic stuff like links in people's profiles and posts to point towards their RR entry, as well as other things like editing your RR from the vB profile. My initial thought was a one-stop-place was best, especially since this forum likely gets the bulk of the views/activity.

But really, when it comes down to it, I'd think I'd prefer it be self-standing since the vB software changes with upgrades, plus, you don't know what plans vB has and what it's future is, even if it is as popular as it currently is. If you move to a non-vB forum, for instance, having to rebuild other scripts would not be fun and would likely be left broken for a period of time.

If it stands alone, you'd simply have to edit 1-2 files/templates to display a link in people's posts and profiles to show a link to their RR entry.

TGO's past RR was linked to vB, but only basically for authentication purposes, if I recall. It didn't pull any profile data from vB such as Year/Model/Engine/Transmission stuff. Currently, the way it is being stored in vB's database, it isn't easy to integrate with the RR to prevent people from having to enter redundant information.