I still support the idea of sticking the archived threads off the main site.

What about an ashes board? Same basic structure and user table, but all the threads closed (of course).

I'm still on coffee cup one. This might not make much sense.

But, so long as we hosted it elsewhere, you could still search it like DX wants to be able to do, and it wouldn't drag the main site down.

I still support the idea of sticking the archived threads off the main site.

As html or as a database?

What about an ashes board? Same basic structure and user table, but all the threads closed (of course).

How would the user table stay updated? Every time a new closed thread was ported, an update to the archives user table would be required.

What about putting the old threads somewhere else as static HTML files, and index them using htDig or similar kinds of search engines? This way they would still be searchable, though it would be cumbersome to have one search for live threads and another one for old ones.

though it would be cumbersome to have one search for live threads and another one for old ones.

I don't think anyone was proposing a single search engine for everything. The point is to lessen server load.

Atomz used to have a free site search service. I've seen sites with Google on just them -- maybe we could find something like that. However, without a dynamic link to the user table, these will be searchable by all and sundry.

What about putting the old threads somewhere else as static HTML files, and index them using htDig or similar kinds of search engines?

That would fall under my option 2, above (Jon B "Buffistas Building a Better Board" Feb 24, 2003 11:05:24 am EST)

In that case, so much the better. I have the impression (correct me if I'm wrong) that server disk space is an abundant commodity, and that many of the people here have it at their disposal. The question would be then how many of them can install htDig in their server accounts and have it support X number of searches per day. I'm talking basically about moving both the old theads and the search funcionality for them to other machines.

However, without a dynamic link to the user table, these will be searchable by all and sundry.

I suspect there'll be a lot of support for a dynamic link. We're going to some lengths to keep posting pages off Google and the like already (aren't we?), and archives should really stay private. (She says, thinking back on some of the stuff she-- and others-- say here.)

I suspect there'll be a lot of support for a dynamic link.

Which means they'll have to be stored here.

Now, we can keep the pages off Google et al., but as things stand (or will stand), one needs to be a registered user here to search. Not so if we move the pages to another server.

However, without a dynamic link to the user table, these will be searchable by all and sundry.

Oh, they are not supposed to be searched by non-subscribers. I had forgotten about that.

Hrm. In that case, export the user table daily from MySQL to an .htaccess file or something like that, and copy it to wherever the old threads will be.

Sorry if all of this seems far-fetched or too Unix-specific. I'm at work and procastinating (thinking about anything work-related except work itself).