Almost there, we're almost there...

Yes... Dmitry has managed to overcome my gross misuse of his software and has got the whole slang section of the Dictionary back online - well done Dmitry! Lord knows how you did it but I am *so* grateful.

We still don't yet have the playground games, playground songs and chants or the rugby song collections but at least the worst is over. And yes, there are 'errors' on some of the entries... but over the next few weeks I'll be going thru the entire dictionary updating the entries and making sure all is looking as good as it should.

I also have a ton of *new* entries to load in so keep watching this space and... as usual... if you have corrections, complaints or more especially new words, phrases, anecdotes or whatever to send in... we'll be more than happy to get them.

By the way - if you hadn't noticed, Xmas is coming round again... so now is the time to get into the bookshops and order your copy of the print version of the site... if you're like me I'm sure there are wowser relatives you'd like to annoy the hell out of?? You *could* always buy it from Amazon if you wanted?

Was I frightened? Wouldn't you be?

As you can see, the site is on it's way to recovery. Dmitry has upgraded the software to the latest version (1.6.4) and as far as I can see all he needs to do is import all the terms. From now on I think we need to make sure the site is upgraded version for version so avoid major jumps... and also to do regular backups!

At the very least we owe Dmitry a large vote of thanks.... I will be so relieved to see the place back to its previous 'glory' with all 4 dictionaries and all 3500+ terms in situ.

Panic over guys - bear with us... just a little while longer :)

OK... something ain't right here!

Well ok Dmitry is working on the site... but currently we seem to have lost all the dictionaries.... in fact the entire site other than this page!

Come to that the logos have changed to display the Glossword native ones. Err... I hope he can fix this!!

I'll be on pins now 'til its sorted :(

Bear with us.... I'm sure it'll all be alright soon.... won't it??

Well... I'm back!

Unfortunately it looks like the site isn't - all I can say is aaarrggghhh...!

Anyway. My abject apologies to all who visited and found they were greeted by a blank page when they tried to access the dictionary. Apparently during a server upgrade the index file was corrupted and so the site won't load. Of course the data is still there hidden in the depths of the database so I've got on to Dmitry who developed the Glossword Software and he is going to do a full software upgrade and rebuild the site for me.

I don't know how long this will take but no more than a day or two I hope - but since it appears the site has been down for a month... perhaps a few more hours won't matter too much?

From now on I'll be checking the 'public' access a lot more often as well as simply loading new words into the dictionary via the admin access.

Sorry it's taken so long - and I hope this doesn't happen again!

Strange but True
 
Since the ODPS forums opened, new submissions have dropped to an all time low! Maybe visitors think the forum is the place to leave new words, but when they get there - find it's weird and forget :)
 
If you want to leave new words, games etc, either fill in the submission/feedback form at the top of the page - or just mail me direct!
 
All mail is read and all submissions are received gratefully - especially reminiscences of schooldays.

ODPS News:

Got bored with the look of the front page so did a few changes - like add a few books we liked the look of. We may well change the entire front page eventually... but this'll do for now.

Forum News:

No real changes there - and of course it's still early days. There is a load of configuration work to be done but it's still very useable. If there are changes you'd like done faster then let us know.

Other than that... it's the same old, same old... and still a laugh :)

target="blank"

Forum News:

Things are moving along slowly but surely. We had a minor hitch the other day when I cleverly blanked out the entire site for a few hours... but thanks to major support from the guys at Xoops.org the site soon reappeared.

Visitors are dropping by, but seem a little reluctant as yet to join in. This could be because the site doesn't seem to be fully developed - but if that is the case, then maybe it isn't clear that we need input from even a casual visitor to make the place develop more to their needs!

Still, it's very early days yet and we're having fun.

Other News:

I've been looking at upgrading the version of Glossword we use from the current 1.4.2 to the latest 1.6.1 but the upgrade path looks daunting to someone who isn't a programmer. So - maybe I'll get a bit more experience first... I'd hate the whole thing to disappear - again! :)

Online Dictionary of Playground Slang - Forums:

Still here and the news site is looking better than ever. The forums are actually working now (apologies to people who couldn't access them) and the theme is a bit brighter. As far as I can see we're ready to rock so I'll be amending the links on this page to show forum access as part of the menu.

All we need now..... is for you to come along in and help give the site some direction and turn it into what you would want it to be!

Cya there :)

Online Dictionary of Playground Slang - Forums:

Well, the forum site is now at least active (click above)!

We are now sitting and waiting for your input to decide which direction the the site will move. One of the topic sections to be added will include submissions we need definitions for, another will be for discussing whether some entries deserve to be there or not. For example we recently added a bucketload of Geordie words which could be seen to be not slang at all, but rather words from a distinct dialect or even language.

Other sections, topics, categories, modules, resources etc. Can be suggested by yourself and we'll add them in if it's possible.

So let's go!!

Err.... apologies.. .... changed my mind...

Having spent a couple of days fiddling around both with Mambo which is currently on odps.net, and PostNuke which I have on another site, I think PostNuke is probably the more 'powerful' of the two.

It seems to me that since we haven't yet had too many visitors from ODPS 'proper' that I ought to just drop Mambo and move to PostNuke now rather than later.

If you have an opinion on either - let me know or I'll simply move it now and hope all works out ok :)

The reasoning for this is quite straightforward. PostNuke for all it's weirdness does have a huge number of modules you can install which allow greater flexilbility of design.

True I have no idea how to use them yet, but knowing they are there will mean any suggestion put forward for site development will be better able to be accomodated and that being the case, sooner would be better than later.

I've been a member of sites which chopped and changed before and having to resubmit your details to re-join became annoying to the extent I dropped out of the forums - so - better now than later. We'll work with postnukes peculiarities and see what develops, literally. :)

Forums:

OK.... I gave up and went back to Mambo on the basis that if I don't do something then nothing will be done.

It's installed as a 'bare' site at http://odps.net/CMS/index.php but only available to those of you who read this! So if you want to be "in on the ground floor" and help design the place, here's your chance!

What you decide now will direct the way the forums develop so if there is something you want to see... now is the time to make your opinions heard,

Cya there!!

Gawd....

Blogger is driving me crazy! I worked out what the problem is eventually despite having had them look at the site a few times. It seems that despite my changing the settings, when I republished it refused to save them and continued to use the old settings. Ah well.... the wonders of modern technology.

On the other hand, I understand that invitations to gMail are only being given out to the favoured few and some of those are coming from Blogger.com so if you want to try out gMail it looks like you have to part of Blogger.

Having said that I didn't get an invitation via Blogger, but from someone I know on a different 'forum' so I will shortly be changing the 'send to' address for ODPS to the gMail one which should make sure I never lose another submission - all heave a sigh of relief :)

I enabled comments on the blog by the way so if anyone wants to insult me - feel free.

Other than that, odps.net is in the process of being registered and I'm going to install eXoops on that. I tried postnuke and didn't like it much - sorry.

Forum Update..


So I tried out Mambo, and PostNuke, and I can't say either of them were particularly appealing to me. Either Mambo or I were too 'simple' and I wasn't fussed on PostNukes ability to change themes depending on the users fancy - tho bearing in mind how powerful it is this really shouldn't matter. I suppose I want to keep some consistency of style between the dictionaries and the forums. If anyone has any suggestion feel free to make them.

Am now back to experimenting with eXoops. I'll install it on a different site for now and see where it takes me. If all else fails I can install phpForum here which, whilst not in the least attractive, is at least functional as far as it goes.

I'll get back to you on it asap.

Aha!

Just discovered that the past few missives didn't get here.... why I didn't notice when I visited the site don't ask.

Anyway... moving along from the embarrassment... I have had a few queries about when the forums will be in place. Well up until a few weeks ago they were all ready to fly, just needing some adjustment to the entry page. Then our hosting service moved all to a new server and somehow we lost the entire set up. We're in the process of trying to set Mambo up on site to see how it looks so please be patient. If it doesn't suit, we'll revert to exoops, xoops, postnuke or similar tho' the learning curve is horrendous :)

Of course my constant fear in all this is that somehow we'll overwrite some major file required to access the dictionary proper.... just the thought gives me nightmares!

Lastly we're considering opening the forums with a competition for contributors to create a new logo for the ODPS!! The prize will be small I'm afraid, probably a copy of the published version, but our appreciation will be immense. Watch this space.

Geez...

... doesn't time fly when you're having fun? It doesn't seem so long since I last added to the the blog, but it's been months (sorry). All sorts of things have been going on, none of which I'll bore you with but it's kept me away from the site for long periods. However we're back now and will be adding in all the words you've sent in. Also I'll be taking a close look at the forums Kyte added a while back and geting them up and running.

I might even get round to updating the advert for the book... though as we're now past Easter as well maybe I should change to suggest it light summer reading or something??

Yaaaawwwnnnn.....

OK - Christmas and New Year are over and gone so it's back to the same old same old. Kyte has installed the forums on the server but they're not yet running properly due to a slight disagreement over the final look af the portal. No doubt once she has again rearranged my facial features, she'll get her own way and the forums will be active.

Other than that I'd like to thank each and everyone who has supported the site by buying a copy of the book. It's not sold enough to make Jeffery Archer jealous but has produced sufficient income to assure the continuity of the site for the forseeable future.

All we need now is a huge influx of words, songs, reminiscences etc to keep the old place alive and fresh, and this I leave to you :)

On so.... with the motley!!