PMs/VMs scheduled for global wipe

[Greg Bernhardt]

To reclaim some database space and for general good housekeeping, we are scheduling a global wipe of Private and Visitor Messages. This will occur two weeks from now on Oct 6th. This thread will be bumped several times for reminders.

If you'd like to backup your Private Messages follow this:

To download all of your private messages, first go to your private messages page. At the bottom right of the page, look for Download all Private Messages and click on one of the options (XML | CSV | Text). This will download all PM's, not just those in the active folder -- but you should confirm for yourself that all PM folders were included in the download.

 

[tiny-tim]

… click on one of the options (XML | CSV | Text).

what are XML and CSV ?

 

[Borek]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values

Basically these are just text files, but with added information that helps to read the content into some other programs.

 

[D H]

XML (Extensible Markup Language): A rather verbose but highly portable scheme for representing all kinds of data. Lots of tools can read XML data. Microsoft Office is now XML-based, so you might (no guarantee) be able to download as XML and load the documents in Word or Excel.

CSV (Comma-Separated Values): Like the name says. Keyword,value,keyword,value, ... You might be able to pull a CSV download of your PMs and VMs into Excel -- put commas in the message text will make this somewhat problematic.

 

[Redbelly98]

The CSV files do open properly in Excel. I just did a little test, the message text of a PM occupies a single cell in Excel, even if it contains commas. You'll have to expand the row height, or select Autofit Row Height, to see the entire message text. Expanding the column width containing the message texts is also helpful.

 

[micromass]

My sweet little visitor messages

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

My sweet little visitor messages

I'm sure they will fill back up with praise :)

 

[Evo]

My sweet little visitor messages

You can save them by copying and pasting. Just drag your cursor down the row and highlight, control +C, and paste in word or notepad, if you paste in word, you get the avatars, it looks a bit screwy, but they're saved.

Perhaps someone has a better idea.

 

[rhody]

I say Evo'c constantly full inbox caused this whole mess in the first place, I say we start with hers only and see if the problem improves, lol

Rhody...

 

[NeoDevin]

I'm kind of curious how much space these are taking up? Especially since most users are limited to 150 messages (I assume mentors and admins have higher limits, maybe contributors too).

 

[Evo]

I say Evo'c constantly full inbox caused this whole mess in the first place, I say we start with hers only and see if the problem improves, lol

Rhody...

I don't think the fact that my PM inbox holds 50,000 pm's is relevant.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'm kind of curious how much space these are taking up? Especially since most users are limited to 150 messages (I assume mentors and admins have higher limits, maybe contributors too).

Yes other usergroups have different limits. PMs take up about 150MB at the moment.

 

[rhody]

I don't think the fact that my PM inbox holds 50,000 pm's is relevant.

Evo,

Relax, you know I was kidding right ? , The only reason I get mildly annoyed is there are times when your in box blows up. Then I have to resort to other means to get in touch with you.

Rhody...

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Evo,

Relax, you know I was kidding right ? ,

So was she, she doesn't have a 50k PM allowance

 

[NeoDevin]

Will this affect unread messages as well? If someone sends me a message on the 5th, and I don't make it on for a couple days, will it get wiped, never to be read?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Will this affect unread messages as well? If someone sends me a message on the 5th, and I don't make it on for a couple days, will it get wiped, never to be read?

That's a good question and the unfortunate answer is yes.

 

[Borek]

If you have instant notifications about PMs on, you are send not only information about a PM, but also its content. So while it will be wiped from the server, you will be able to read it.

No idea about VMs.

 

[lugita15]

PMs take up about 150MB at the moment.

Is that per user, or for all the users put together? If 150 MB is the total for all the users, that seems to be a fairly trivial amount, which can easily be backed up somewhere.

 

[rhody]

So was she, she doesn't have a 50k PM allowance

She said 50,000 messages, not 50K of disk space, there is a difference is there not ?

Rhody...

 

[Fredrik]

So was she, she doesn't have a 50k PM allowance

Then what is she paying you for?

 

[mishrashubham]

Will this affect performance as well i.e will this make PF a tad bit faster? Because I don't think disk space is an issue here.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Reminder bump

 

[Evo]

Then what is she paying you for?

The privilege to, uhm, hmmmmm, well it made sense at the time, but that pendulum Greg kept waving in my face kind of made things go all hazy.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I've downloaded my PMs and VMs and deleted the messages myself. I have turned on the e-mail PMs feature, but I didn't see any e-mail VM option. Now I am in the process of downloading and deleting all of my posts. This may take a while and I fear I may not make the Oct. 6 deadline.

 

[Fredrik]

I've downloaded my PMs and VMs and deleted the messages myself. I have turned on the e-mail PMs feature, but I didn't see any e-mail VM option. Now I am in the process of downloading and deleting all of my posts. This may take a while and I fear I may not make the Oct. 6 deadline.

Your posts? How would you delete them? Do you mean blog posts or something like that? Anyway, if you have already downloaded your private messages and your visitor messages, then there's no need to do anything else.

Maybe you meant visitor messages that you've left for other people? I suppose those could be a problem, if they aren't downloaded along with the ones you've received, and you've made a lot of them.

 

[mishrashubham]

Will this affect performance as well i.e will this make PF a tad bit faster? Because I don't think disk space is an issue here.

In case no one noticed...

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

In case no one noticed...

No it won't PF faster.

 

[Redbelly98]

I've downloaded my PMs and VMs and deleted the messages myself. I have turned on the e-mail PMs feature, but I didn't see any e-mail VM option. Now I am in the process of downloading and deleting all of my posts. This may take a while and I fear I may not make the Oct. 6 deadline.

Thanks for your full cooperation, Jimmy. When you're done, don't forget to delete your PF account too.

Your posts? How would you delete them?

Fredrik, meet Jimmy, the unofficial funniest member of our forum.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

reminder bump

 

[FlexGunship]

No it won't PF faster.

Good thing! If I could PF faster, you'd all be in trouble.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

reminder bump

 

[lisab]

reminder bump

Ouch!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Last reminder. Wipe will be in several hours.

 

[Evo]

Last reminder. Wipe will be in several hours.

 

[tiny-tim]

PM all your tears to yourself, and Greg will wipe them away.

 

[FlexGunship]

PM all your tears to yourself, and Greg will wipe them away.

Oh... my... [STRIKE]god[/STRIKE] science...

That was like poetry.

EDIT: Now, if will you all excuse me, I'm going to spend the next few hours alone with my visitor messages. I already wiped my inbox and outbox clean just to retain some semblance of control over my life.

DOUBLE EDIT: Incidentally, after the wipe, how many threads do you think will be started with a title like: "all of my PMs are gone."

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

visitor messages are now history. PMs in 30min

 

[Evo]

visitor messages are now history. PMs in 30min

Oh, the humanity!

DOUBLE EDIT: Incidentally, after the wipe, how many threads do you think will be started with a title like: "all of my PMs are gone."

 

[Saitama]

DOUBLE EDIT: Incidentally, after the wipe, how many threads do you think will be started with a title like: "all of my PMs are gone."

LOL

 

[I like Serena]

I like Serena has not received any visitor messages.

 

[FlexGunship]

I, like I like Serena, have no received any visitor messages.

 

[Borek]

You are exaggerating.

 

[micromass]

My visitor messages will be avenged!

 

[FlexGunship]

I'm going on a campaign of prolific visitor messaging. I will "first post" every forum member!

 

[I like Serena]

Showing Visitor Messages 1 to 1 of 1.

 

[drizzle]

Just URGHHH! That's not fair.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Nearly 200,000 PMs cleared out! There were also some 50,000 VMs before.

Thanks for all! Carry on! :)

 

[drizzle]

... Let me be the last, Greg... PleaseEDIT: Too late! THANKS GREG!

 

[FlexGunship]

Thanks for all! Carry on! :)

Oh, we will... I've already posted no less than seven (yes, seven) VMs.

EDIT: Wonderful, my first PM is an infraction.

 

[Borek]

As unlikely as it was, I got a PM from a user (hi! ) just a moment before Greg wiped the database clean. I have an email on my computer, but I can't answer in a normal way. Sigh.