Webmaster

[ohlidalp]

Hello everyone.

This project needs a new webmaster. I volunteer to do it.

I have already created a new webpage. The old one has a qite poor design and is mostly static. My webpage is a skinned wiki, so it's easy to edit and suitable for anything this project may need.
If you give me the access to the server and database, I'll install and maintain it. Otherwise i'll just hand it over for someone else to install it.

What do you say?

[Lilman424]

I do like that design better than the current, i must admit. A wiki would, of course, be much easier to maintain, as any developer (because we have so many right now >_>) could have access (whether it's completely open to editing or not). I can't speak for the project as a whole, but as far as i know, there isn't a "webmaster" per se and the current website is just up as a necessity. At the same time, i'm not sure how necessary a constant webmaster is, considering the website hasn't been touched since 07, apparently, and no one has complained, as far as i know.

[Arathorn]

Well there hasn't been a lot to touch on for quite some time. Uzu is steadily but slowly working on the engine, and Nukebuster is leading the Linux effort. A like your new design, but I wonder whether you'll have a lot of work as a webmaster.

[ohlidalp]

... the website hasn't been touched since 07, apparently, and no one has complained, as far as i know.

Well, I did complain, but just in PM.
My main concern is the out-of-date information on the current web ( old IRC, old SVN link, Hyronymus as a project leader ).
Also, I'd like to create a new design document for TE. I'm sure the old one is not relevant anymore, as Uzurpator mentions a lot of features not present there. IMO an up-to-date design document is important to attract contributors, as nobody would go coding an unspecified program. If I'm the webmaster, I'll go questioning Uzu about his intentions and keep the doc up-to-date. Also, we can recieve suggestions and ideas this way.

[Lilman424]

I would personally love to have some more interaction between the forum and uzurpator. it's not his fault for not keeping us updated, as if i were in his position, i don't think i would either, with how unfortunately little attention and interest TE gets on the forums. A new design document would not be a bad idea, i think.

[Arathorn]

A new design document is of little use. Uzurpator's just making what he likes to make, as he's the only one making anything. You won't believe how much time we've wasted on design documents in the past.

[Lilman424]

That's true. Let me amend the last statement: A new design document would not be a bad idea, assuming there were more programmers, either attracted by it, or (preferably) before it was begun.

[ohlidalp]

A new design document is of little use. Uzurpator's just making what he likes to make, as he's the only one making anything.

...A new design document would not be a bad idea, assuming there were more programmers, either attracted by it, or (preferably) before it was begun.

I think new programmers will only join the project if there is a design document available for them to get the idea of the project. At this moment, Uzu is coding something, but only him and God know what.
The DD i'm planning is not supposed to drive the development, it is supposed to reflect the development. It should only be a place where one can learn about the plans of the coder(s). In the past, there were attempts to create a DD as a static development plan, and they failed, i know that. But the problem was that Hyronymus wanted to decide everything prior to development. Now, Uzurpator would never work this way and neither would I. So I'm gonna take a different approach - I'll just sum up the coder's plans. If Uzu changes his mind three times a day, I'll just update the doc three times a day. The important thing is for it to be informative and up-to-date.

[Hyronymus]

But the problem was that Hyronymus wanted to decide everything prior to development. Now, Uzurpator would never work this way and neither would I.

[moderator off]
What kind of utter s*** summary of all the efforts I put in this project is this?! And how on earth do you even have the &%(#@_$ guts to effectively blame me for the way the DD turned out. Perhaps you should (re)read some meeting logs to get your fact straight. This really makes my blood boil, especially since you were NOT in the dev team when I was.

I freaking tried everything to revive this project multiple times and this is what I get for my effort?
[/moderator off]

[Purno]

Anoobis, you really are, as your name says, a noob. Damn, Hyronymus spend A LOT of his valuable free time to try to get everything for TE organized, and coordinating people to do useful things. Problem is that people had a lot of ideas, but apparantly didn't have much time do actually do the things necessary. Unzurpator now makes TE pretty much on his own, so there's no need for him to coordinate and organize as much as Hyronymus did back then. Besides, back in the Hyronymus-age TE had a lot of members with each a different opinion on certain issues. Unzurpator now has the chance to do just his own thing whatever he wants. Hyronymus is not a coder, neither an artist, but at least he's trying to help as much as possible, and coordinating and organizing some hobbyists with usually short-during interests in TE is not the easiest job. It sometimes can be quite painful, but it's a job than needs to be done.

All professional game teams work with a design document. It's just the way it should go in a team. Back in the Hyronymus-age, the problem was not the Design Document, but the people just coming with ideas without doing much of a thing, and retreating from the project whenever they found a new hobby.

I recommend you to rethink about what you just said, and an apology to Hyronymus would certainly fit!

[ohlidalp]

But the problem was that Hyronymus wanted to decide everything prior to development. Now, Uzurpator would never work this way and neither would I.

What kind of utter s*** ...

Sorry. It is really a poorly chosen statement, I see it now. I only meant to say that your efforts in writing the DD came to no use in the end. Unfortunately, I wasn't considering my words too much, so I also mentioned my opinion. I shouldn't have done that. Please try to ignore it - it's only a rough observation of a random newbie, who came here after you resigned and never bothered to learn about the history of the project.

Again, I only meant to say that all your attempts didn't work out. I didn't try to deny your efforts or to criticise you. I wanted to emphasize the fact that I'm not going to try to organize things - just describe them. I regret now that I said it the way I did.

My apologies to everyone who feel offended.

An00biS

[athanasios]

Ah, that's better.

[backseat mod on]
Gentlemen calm down! I don't want to imagine what would happen if you had more activity here. You are simply to few to have the luxury to argue between yourselves.
[/backseat mod on]

[Hyronymus]

Apologies accepted. You actually earned a bonus point by replying in public and not by PM.

[uzurpator]

Webpage = good.
Fingerpointing = bad.
Want to help? => Pick the source and code SOMETHING. Pick an editor and design SOMETHING. Start PSP and draw SOMETHING.

Worry about doing it right _later_ when you have something to correct.

Doing nothing achieves nothing. Doing something achieves something.

As for the Hyro situation. As AFAIR Winston Churchill once said "No matter how brilliant was the strategy, one might sometimes look at the results". He, I believe, did what he thought he should, the problem is - it wasn't working.

So - learn from this sour 5 year experience, correct the mistakes and start it again.

EDIT: I believe, source is in the SVN updated at least once per week. I am here to discuss the specifics. I just don't think that explaining every nook of the code right here is worthy of time.

[Hyronymus]

WE did what we thought was best at that time. Speaking for myself I don't think I ever got a full grasp of what was good, there were simply too many opinions to take into account, most of them opposed to each other but equally convincing.

[charlieg]

I am here to discuss the specifics. I just don't think that explaining every nook of the code right here is worthy of time.

Isn't that what source code comments are for?

[NukeBuster]

Steve is the one in charge of the website at the moment. Contact him on email via Orudge.

[Lilman424]

While Steve is technically in charge of the website, yes, he hasn't been here since April (oh, who am i to talk?) and hasn't posted since March. While I TOTALLY support getting him back and having him involved again, it's possible he may have just vanished (like me!). So, yes, try to contact Steve, but do not wait around until he returns. Because that may be never.

[Steve]

Life takes its toll and I'll tell you guys right now I can supply absolutely none of my time to this project.

You guys did the right thing to contact me though orudge and I'll try and tidy things up with this over the next few days.

An00bis, I hereby put you in charge of the website. And this is how you do it:

- Contact orudge about storage space on Zernebok for hosting the website. He has stated before he's happy to help us out.
- Create a website to a standard that is greater than the existing website.
- Tell me and I'll redirect transportempire.com to the new location.

[ohlidalp]

- Contact orudge about storage space on Zernebok for hosting the website. He has stated before he's happy to help us out.
- Create a website to a standard that is greater than the existing website.
- Tell me and I'll redirect transportempire.com to the new location.

I'm on it.