HELLO - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SDC MESSAGE BOARDS?

[fossils]

Well it is clear that something serious went wrong with the systems management at Space.com (SDC) or InfoPop. <br /><br />When a piece of hardware breaks down, it is usually a simple matter to replace the hardware (disk drive, memory, or the whole system) and then restore the volumes from backup. When a web-server goes down at a well managed operation, a few configuration changes and a push of the site(s) can bring another box online in minutes. <br /><br />The backend databases that store active content are usually redundant (replicated, clustered, etc) and NEVER go down. Non redundant databases should be back online in hours – basically repair the hardware (or new box) and do a restore from last backup. <br /><br />So what is happing with the SDC message boards? We don’t know. All SDC is willing to post is “Sorry, the message board is temporarily out of service. -- SPACE.com”. I’m sorry, that’s ok for a few hours, or a day, but not for 9 days so far. What kind of communication is that? <br /><br />You would think that SDC at least cares about the traffic that the board community brings to their site. It seems just rude that someone at SDC would not post a better message than “sorry – out of service”. I’m sure there are hundreds interested people that want to know what happened to the boards, what they are doing to correct the problem, what exactly is the problem, when if ever they will be back, etc. <br /><br />As far as I know I am posting in some kind of limbo board world. Maybe we are not supposed to be using the boards. I don’t know. I usually just say it like I see it. The normal clique of things sometimes gets out of whack for a while. <br /><br />Here are some conjectures about the SDC boards. <br /><br />1) SDC is going under and at the end of the fiscal year (6/30/04) they stopped paying the bill to InfoPop to supply the message boards… InfoPop pulled the plug in a bad way… <br /><br />2) SDC does not see enough increased traffic to their site from the boards to justify

 

[rlb2]

There is life out there after all. <br /><br />It motivated me to start posting my own "Images of Mars" and "Images of Saturn" at my web site at arrow-space-innovations.com<br /><br />I just added it to my web site. I have yet to render any new raw images of Mars and Saturn. May be posting images before Space.com gets back up and running again. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[fossils]

Rlb2,<br /><br />Your images of Mars are excellent! I can’t wait to see them back online.<br /><br />I went to your site ( http://arrow-space-innovations.com ) and poked around. Then I saw the “Movie of WindSurfer climbing a steep rocky hill”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the whole “wind surfer” concept – but something about seeing a “rover” being dragged up over the rocks – sound and all - made me howl in laugher !!!<br /><br />Thanks, Mike<br />

 

[fossils]

Rlb2,<br /><br />Have you seen the balancing “berries"? There are about 10 double or triple fused “berries” in this photo that are standing on end! Some appear to be balancing on the SMALLer “berry” of the set! Incredible!<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2004-07-08/1P142569424EFF3221P2387L7M1.JPG<br /><br />Look for the long shadows. The upper right quadrant has one of the larger on top of smaller “berries”. I guess there must be a “stem” or another “berry” in the fused set buried in the ground. It’s very cool to see and try to imagine how they got this way.<br />

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">I went to your site ( http://arrow-space-innovations.com ) and poked around. Then I saw the “Movie of WindSurfer climbing a steep rocky hill”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the whole “wind surfer” concept – but something about seeing a “rover” being dragged up over the rocks – sound and all - made me howl in laugher !!!<font color="white"><br /><br />That test was done to show the durability of the system. Any surface rover on mars pulled around like that would have to be impact resistance. When they get to the place they need to explore it deactivates the dragchute and does there exploring or releasing a rover or probe tethered above. They are several benefits to having a rover that can theoretically travel over 500 kilometers on Mars. <br /><br />One is the balloon will be a good scout and be at a fixed distance from the surface. They can cover a lot of distances in a short time. Keep in mind that it will be wind-driven only 10 percent of the time, that’s is based on the wind speeds recorded at the Viking and Pathfinders site. <br /><br />I was laughing myself when one of our tests got away from us and started climbing a bridge. That laughter turn to anguish when I saw it barely miss a car and went over the other side and parachuted down to the ground and continued on its way. I wonder what the driver of that automobile thought. <br /><br /><br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[fossils]

Rlb2,<br /><br />I understand all about development – I do this for a living. Performing one real test like “WindSurfer rover climbing rocks” is way way more than most are willing to do to see how something works. And it can be a lot of fun. Doing a test is really the only way to understand reality – we – or at least I – can not think in real time. I have a type of tunnel vision that lets me focus on one thing ignoring most everything else; eventually I study each item to understand what happened in those few seconds of real time.<br /><br />I know that the northern plains of Mars looks like we will need a screaming way to get around, and a “WindSurfer” might be the ticket. Can you imagine a robot rover casting into the wind and then racing along at 100km/h (or so). It will be wild ride if it hits the rim of a small crater… Very cool and fun stuff!<br /><br /><br /><br />What do you think about the weird shutdown of the SDC boards? There is not one tiny bit information about what happened. – just cyber silence. The antithesis of what we normally would expect from a “science” advocate organization in the net-age. Oh well, time will tell.<br />

 

[silylene old]

Hello again rlb2 and Fossils.<br /><br />Please continue to post your pictures at this forum!<br /><br />Most people won't take the time to check out all the private forums everyday. And most people won't be able to discuss the pictures. Much more impact and fun here.<br /><br />I know the forums collaps and wipe is frustrating. I just ask that you rejoin here as before. It will take a couple of months to get back to where it was, and for people to regaim confidence.<br /><br />Anyways, time for me to vist your personal sites and see. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[silylene old]

Fossils, those balancing berries are cool. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[silylene old]

rlb2: I never saw your site before. Wild !<br /><br />I like the windsurfer. I saw someone once set up a ice-sled windsurfer on Lake Mendota. But I never thought of doing one on Mars. Very creative. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Hey there Fossils, rlb2, silylene.<br /><br />Here we go again. More theories from silylene, more visuals from rlb2, and more discoveries from Fossils. Speaking of which, Fossils said: <i>"I would rather talk about the most important discovery in the history of humankind – the discovery of fossils on Mars…"</i><br />Is this a prediction or has the blessed event already taken place? Feel free to start a new thread to answer.<br />Let the games begin!<br /><br />P.S. rlb2, looks like your web site is off to a good, interesting start, but check the spelling of "Opportunity." <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">What do you think about the weird shutdown of the SDC boards? There is not one tiny bit information about what happened. – just cyber silence. <font color="white"><br /><br />I'm a little perplexed, there were some good documented discussions going on when it shut down. There were also years of peoples thoughts that suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth.<br /><br />Hopefully they had a good backup system and they will recover everything that was lost.<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">But I never thought of doing one on Mars. Very creative. <font color="white"><br /><br />Thanks. <br /><br />I gave a Windsurfer presentation twice at the Mars Society Conference last Year. I got very good responses from some influential people that were at the conference. We are going to present it to NASA for funding in one of their new programs that funds small business.<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">P.S. rlb2, looks like your web site is off to a good, interesting start, but check the spelling of "Opportunity." <font color="white"><br /><br />Oooops. <br /><br />Thanks, I fixed it. <br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<em>"I'm a little perplexed, there were some good documented discussions going on when</em> [the SDC message boards]<em> shut down. There were also years of peoples thoughts that suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth."</em> <br /> <br />Although much more densly packed with information, it's questionable how permanent our current electronic and optical methods of information storage are. Only a few decades from now it may take the work of "information archaeologists" to uncover information we now think of as permanent and easily accessible. And some stored information may be so degraded as to be beyond even their reach. <br /> <br />P.S. You're welcome<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[robotical]

I remember a news report a few years ago that reported that the means for accessing many records no longer exist. Let's hope that doesn't happen again with this board. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Let's hope it doesn't happen with my bank account!<img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p>Weird.&nbsp; I accidentally clicked "last" thinking it was for a thread, when it was for the whole forum.&nbsp; And this thread from when members were starting to come back after the Great Crash&nbsp; of '04 came up.&nbsp;&nbsp; <font color="#000000">silylene's and my new avatars went back in time as well as silylene'<font color="#000080">s </font></font><font color="#0000ff"><em><font color="#000000"><font color="#000080">I really, really, really&nbsp;miss the "first unread post" function.</font> sig line.&nbsp; Talk about forshadowing!</font></em></font></p><p>Some of the posts are in white print which of course showed well on the old forums but is now invisable.&nbsp; </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

<p>This forum is for space cience and technology.&nbsp; Please direct complaints to the appropriate treads in the appropriate flora, and not clog up the board.</p><p>Thanks!</p><p>&nbsp;Jon (welcome back folks!)</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>This forum is for space cience and technology.&nbsp; Please direct complaints to the appropriate treads in the appropriate flora, and not clog up the board.Thanks!&nbsp;Jon (welcome back folks!) <br /> Posted by jonclarke</DIV></p><p>A leftover, ghost post resurrected from "The Great Crash" perhaps? </p><p><em>" HELLO - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SDC MESSAGE BOARDS? posted at 7/9/2004 8:32 PM EDT"</em></p><p>As a matter of fact, this may be the oldest resurrected thread I've seen on SDC.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

I was a bit bewildered reading this thread until I noticed the dates.&nbsp; Kinda funny. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>