OK, So it started with "I need to update the server that I put FAOL on because it’s software was well over a decade overdue. But the old vBulletin board didn’t work with anything newer than older than dirt dependencies.
That left me with the choice of spending a grand on updating vbulletin, or isolating FAOL to an old server and hope for the best… or turn it off.
After a few days of searching I decided to back up stuff, reformat the server and start over. I chose discourse as the forum software due to its security and ability to let the community largely self govern itself.
Migration from vBulletin to discourse was … lets say not fun.
I did it a few times and the amount of emails that got queued up caused me to get shut down by the free smtp I was using. OK so I have to buy services from mailjet to handle growth and topic or digest emails… add that to the list.
I had set up a paid version of a FAOL google office up when Dee was alive, and somehow the chronicler got it so they charged him. I since deleted the google emails etc that we just weren’t using and set up my rtidd email to handle issues with my personal web site. That involved moving the registrar and getting it so it wont cost Neil anymore. Not sure how he talked me into that. <sigh>
So…
- DNS - fixed after 2 days of effort. (this crap USED to be easy in the 90s)
- Email for faol inbound - done
- Email outbound somewhere that can handle the volume if people want emails. - done
- Forum migrated - done
- 2 weeks of vacation - consumed
- Google adsense (sorry) to help foot the bill for emails and hosting - done
- Old website temp avail - done
- Migrate the webpages (over 11,000 pages) into discourse - ya… this is going to be “fun”
- Identify about 30 people that were active over the last decade even with the crap that was FAOL and make them trust level 4 - done
- Identify a few (hopefully more) moderators - done and in progress
- Cleanup and fixing issues - ya… like that’s ever finished… in progress
- Establish an advisory board - done
- tie in Google and Facebook to use as login for same registered emails - done
- create a few fishing emojis and bring in a BIG set of standard ones - done
I have a lot of todos left obviously. but its a start to reclaiming FAOL to its former glory
We aren’t worried about earning a living off it anymore - so now we should be able to focus on needs and community
Merry Xmas all. 
Here’s part of your gift for 2024. Be good (or don’t get caught)
