[HPFGU-OTChatter] Main List Problems and Solutions

[Heidi Tandy]

On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 6:32PM -0500, Melody wrote a lot of astute things, 
but I'm going to focus on only one of them:

> 4) The site is filling fast.
>
> I say this because it is a good point.  The site is at 52% right now.
>  Back in June it was 42%.  Now I know the site will slow some, after
> looking at the month numbers on the main lists the numbers during the
> months *are* larger, the site is growing at alarming speeds.  At this
> pace, or even a little bit lesser one, the site will fill up fast.
> Not that this is a pressing issue, it is one I think that should be
> considered when thinking of solutions.  We do not have a cap on the
> membership.  We *do* have a cap on the amount of space our posts are
> allowed to take in the group.

No, actually. Yahoomort has a cap.

We have Paul Kippes.

None of you probably know him, but without him, hpfgu would not exist as 
we know it. Back about 3 years ago this week, Paul created a wonderful 
program that harvests messages from a yahoogroup and reuploads them 
elsewhere. As I understand it, Paul has a full archive of this list, at 
least through the spring. When the need arists, Paul can upload the 
first X thousand messages to a different Yahoogroup where they'll serve 
as an archive. For a look at what this looks like, visit the 
hpfgu-archives yahoogroup.

This is actually one area where "power to the people" can't work, 
although it may for other projects, as the archives, in zip format, and 
the fantastic posts pages are stored on hpfgu's website, which is hosted 
by fictionalley.org on the dedicated server we have. Someone - or 
multiple someones - need to keep those passwords, keep up the domain 
namw registration and be listed as 'owner' for the Yahoogroups such that 
they're not deleted by a disgruntled ninny who hacks into the owner's 
account, as happened on st patrick's day, 2002. And there are some who 
may feel that there's an inherent hierarchy in whoever keeps that info, 
although imho, for technical things like that, there isn't. Not really.

Heidi
Former meg member
Current faq team member
Protector of the server
Speaking solely as an individual