[mir-coders] Re: [Imc-uk-process] moving to MIR

[andi]

hi all,

just a quick note on mir: it's great. everything works via web forms
and is user-friendly i.e. non-techie, it's stable, there is both
regional and thematic categorisation built-in, it's scaleable (that
means if you need to set up a new thematic or regional classification
you do that as well via a web form), all entries (be it middle column
features, comments or articles) can simply be moved from one category
to another, it's gpl'ed since september: simply *good*. (still don't
forget that dadaIMC will be gpl'ed soon with version 2 and it's
nearly as good - thus still an option)

the problem we have (and IMC Belgium and IMC Brazil as well) is
simply that an existing massive database needs to be moved over from
active. no one has an answer to this (yet). zapatista, teknopaul and
jeff have looked into options there. but it comes down to a very
clear problem: indymedia (not just the uk) needs a (several)
techie(s) who understand(s) both mir (or dada), and on the other side 
active *pretty* well to write scripts to move any databases over.

on a sceptical note on the ever-so-possible options with techie
things which in the end can turn out to be very daunting, and
silently eat away a techie life: moving the database over would be
the 'proper' option - but what happens when that poor super-techie(s)
knowing both mir/dada and active *extremely* well, offering his or
her time for weeks and months, getting flak from all possible sides
cos that project takes time, and no one understands what the hell
that nerd is actually doing...  what happens when that poor
super-techie(s) in the end do(es)n't succeed 'in time'? or need(s)
yet again more time? (and that's definitely fair enough cos techies
have lives as well!) all these nightly hours, oi, oi...

so i'd like to remind people that it would as well be possible to
very rudely agree on a cutoff date and just say sth like: from 1st of
march we use mir, or dada (depending what's more feasible), and use
the 'old' site in a reference link. if the super-techies haven't
succeeded by then we just move over. if things don't work out then
we'll append things afterwards. important links like middle columns,
archive links etc could just be posted into the database before it
goes life.

we have made a clear cut in codebase before: remember that we used to
manually upload every single posting on mayday 2000? for old times
sake (sentiment, sentiment) check again
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/newsite/index2.php3
god, we really did everything by hand then, can't believe it :D

anyhow. cheers, andi

zcat wrote on 24/10/02 11:59 PM:

>its a big step but well worth it from all accounts can it be done
>toni and jeff andi whoever is able??
>can we just leave the files on stallman and loudeye and point to
>them as articles??
>i was thinking the same tie in the redesign as thats kinda looking
>ok wot mauro done
>A
>
>
>
>On Thursday 24 Oct 2002 5:31 pm, Tony wrote:
>> I do like the look of MIR - as it seems so much more flexible -
>> does anyone know how long it would take for us to change over?
>> (if we wanted to) as i was thinking if we are then we could tie
>> in the redesign rather than do it all twice...
>>
>> cheers tony
>>
>> >Is this the right list to be posting such things, I don't know,
>> >but following some discussion on IMC UK about moving from the
>> >Active to the Mir system, I've just noticed that IMC Belgium
>> >and IMC Brazil are already pursuing
>> > that path. Maybe we should ask them for their advice? See
>> > http://mir.indymedia.org/
>> >
>> >F