First of all, don’t worry. This site is not going anywhere. At least, not immediately.
That said, there will need to be changes.
As you noticed we were recently unable to “like” posts. I was able to work around that problem by using an old version of the commenting software, but the longer we do that, the more of a security problem that old version becomes. At some point, we may be forced to either “abandon likes” or “abandon the commenting software” – and go back to vanilla WordPress commenting.
While I don’t want to abandon our commenting system, that software may actually be the source of another security problem – and if so, then we may be forced to abandon it anyway – and soon.
You see, something has introduced a security problem, which I tolerated for a long time, but ultimately complained about to our hosting site (because it could be something else at their end, up to and including government or agency access to and control of our site). The complaint is generating a certain amount of discomfort, vague and apparently nonsensical answers – and (perhaps connected) a mention of the fact that we are very close to our storage limits. You can see how that works. “Leverage.”
And it gets worse. Way worse. The hosting company may have figuratively handed the keys to the site to certain black hats. I kid you not. I’m basically SMDH.
Add in the fact that I will be very busy in April and May. I have a lot of work to do, other than dealing with the site.
SO – a lot of things are coming to a head at once. Excitement! Here are some possibilities….
- I may need to pay more for more space (have to look at the numbers)
- I may need to move the site, where move could be many, many things, including a completely new site
- I may need to abandon or move some of the data and images
- I may need to remove “likes”
- I may need to move back to vanilla WordPress
I will probably have a good idea how to proceed by June or July. Until then, I am asking the following, particularly of authors….
- Please refrain from uploading new images for posts, or at least keep it minimal. In particular, don’t upload duplicate images. We need to conserve space to buy time.
- Please refrain from uploading large amounts of text data in spoilers. Links are better.
- Tweet URLs and YouTube URLs are great, because most of the data is loaded from elsewhere, and not stored on our site.
- I have a few non-placeholder posts for the next 2 weeks, but after that, I’m just leaving them as placeholders until July, at which time there should be a solution.
- Please think about what is important for you on this site. Is discussion of current events more important than retaining old posts? Think about how you want to use this site going forward for the next few years (as we approach our 10th anniversary in late 2028).
As Wheatie used to say, we WILL get through this, but the times will be interesting.
I will try to keep people informed about what is going on. However, you will be seeing less of me commenting on the site, as I begin working on the site, and trying to solve the security and space issues, as well as doing all the work I need to at home.
If you need me, especially after next week, please use PMTW to get my attention, and please let me know if a simple public comment in response is OK (because that is easier) – otherwise I will respond on Gab by private message.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
W
Would it help if one of us set up a read-only site with no current posts, comments, or likes called something like “qtreearchive.com”? We could stash everything over 36 months old over there.
That sounds like a good idea
I will keep an archive site in the mix as a possible solution, or at least part of a solution. We lose quite a bit in terms of searchability, but there are some ways it could be made to work. Thanks for the thought!
To keep entanglements simple, could someone just purchase prepaid 3 years of 500G of cloud space and securely give you administration control?
There’s complications. I’ll get into the details when I can.
Wolf, I know that larger hosting space costs more money. I would be very willing to contribute to that, as I’m sure would many others.
👍😁
At a certain level of increase, that may be necessary, but I’m hoping to avoid the issues of taxation, reporting, and legal entanglements. Nevertheless, thanks for the offer!
“I may need to remove “likes” ”
____________
Hopefully there is a way around losing the functionality of the like button. As I think pgroup said during the recent problem with the ‘likes’, it seems like we’re less connected without them. I think pgroup said lonely, that’s when I posted the tumbleweed gif.
“Please think about what is important for you on this site. Is discussion of current events more important than retaining old posts?”
___________
Definitely, it would be a shame to lose the site history though.
.
“Think about how you want to use this site going forward for the next few years (as we approach our 10th anniversary in late 2028).
___________
Same as now! 😁
The current iteration seems like the smoothest, easiest to use and easiest to read that it has ever been 👍
Thanks for your comments! Very useful!
Thank you! 👍
Retaining old posts is more important to me than being able to do likes.
ditto
Good to know! Thanks!
Things could be worse. WordPress could be a Microsoft product —
I would first try shutting one off, having both open at the same time could be causing some kind of conflict.
If that doesn’t work, then I would probably roll the window down, and chuck that Outlook right into the void 😁
.
i have a question. When i write an open at my site, I never “upload” photos… I do the copy/paste sequence. are there benefits to uploading photos? is there a difference in space usage?
If copy-paste ends up putting the images into your media folder, then you are still uploading them. If, however, pasting is only pasting a URL into your open, then the files are (most likely) not being uploaded.
The advantage of uploading per se, is that you control all aspects of the upload and the availability of what you just uploaded. When you paste into an open, you may not get exactly what you hoped.
hmmmm…I write my opens a month in advance and they start out as word documents i created that i then copy and paste into WP. I copy and paste everything from text to pictures and videos occasionally and I never use “header” pictures. and so far everything appears as it did when i first wrote it, pictures and all.
mine are super simple though, not the current and complicated opens at your place.
I just checked the recent posts at your site. All your pictures are loading from their original source – so whatever you are doing, just keep doing it. You will lose the pictures in your posts over time (meaning years), but you are NOT filling up your media library.
great news…THANK YOU!
I like the “like” button!
Also, if purchasing space becomes a thing, of course I will donate to that cause.
Archiving very old posts seems like a “thing,” if it can be done.
You do whatever you need to do. And thank you for doing it!
I also wonder if a “purge” of site images might be a thing? How much is in there that we just can’t live without? (Just be sure to keep Wheatie’s Tree, no matter what, lol).
Wolf Moon
Yours Truly is just reading this post now. Thank you for it.
Will keep images use in Health Friday posts to a minimum. Will use more URL hyperlinks, tweet URL links.
Please take care of yourself, with all the things you’re doing.
Thank you! Your efforts, as always, are greatly appreciated!
Noted. Will get to work on cleaning mine.
Thanks! IMO you don’t need to remove any images – they’re already uploaded and we’re under the limit. I’m really just hoping to buy some time so that I don’t have to deal with any site tech right now.
I’ve got place holders through 11 July.
Should pics I routinely use, be in the media library? Edit. Guessing, hoping no.
Cutting back on spoiler stuff. Prolly going extinct in my case. Paragraph or two, then link.
Not converting X posts to Twitter. Link and words. (Coothie 🙁Truth’s link. Not pasting pics of Truth.
Thinking YT videos are not huge data, as they start as a link.As Scott or someone suggested. Archive everything over ~two years.
If there is ever an opportunity to Zelle, or otherwise send bucks, I am always game.
Whatever i am missing or out to lunch on, please calibrate me.
The only thing I am firm on, I want QTree AND value you Wolf AND everything you provide.
Well, and hugely appreciate Every QTreeper.
DW, your health and home front first.
Thanks! I’ll think about all that. And of course, anything already in the media library is great – feel free to use those images all you want!
Wolf, It seems to be Most Important to retain the years that Q was postinf, that is from the start of theqtree until the end of 2020
I agree that stuff is historically important!
Whatever you need to do, please do it. Make sure to leave a trail of breadcrumbs to follow if you end up using drastic measures.
fwiw I hope that we don’t end up losing the archives for there is important info there, including for posterity, unfolding history documented by a team of savvy patriots & all.
Though I’d miss likes if they have to go they are a lesser loss, imo, than our archives.
Thanks for the ongoing perimeter prowl–you Rock!