I have to say, First. I love this program. I have owned groups for many years and have wished for a program like this for awhile. I will be putting money down for this program within the next month.
Now, To my question. Is there anyway to save messeges from pg to any other file format? I have many members, and I have wanted a way to recreate the messege archives on my own website so that older messeges are not lost to time, and archived. I have lost about four thousend messeges over time in one group, and surly and am losing messeges in others as well. So, this information would be extremely helpful.
I wanted to add that I do already realize that they can be exported to a .mdb file, I have looked at the help section of the program. But, have not found an answer that solves my need in this matter.
Maverick:
G'day Maverick
I have a website setup for one of my motorcycle lists >170,000 messages. I export the data out of PGO and into MySQL and then run a search on my site, have a look at this thread:-
http://pgoffline.com/forum/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=198
Gavin
I wanted to say thank you, This is going to get interesting, As I have little (In other words no) technical knowledge of such things. But, haveing as many groups as I do. (Around fifty) and my oldest one has lost aroudn four thousend messeges. It is definatly worth the learning experince.
So, once again thank you.
Maverick:
Maverick,
I have been considering releasing a free read only version of PGO.
The functionality would be the same as PGO except you wouldn?t get the download facility.
I would host the main archive of your group on the Downloads page but you would have to keep your members up to date by releasing incremental archive files which they could then import into PG Offline.
Thoughts? Questions ?
Cheers,
Wilson.
Wilson,
I think this to a point is a good idea, I think having a free reader for the members to download so they can read off-line is good. Buuuut...
There is one fatal flaw.
Through my years of experince dealing with yahoo groups, getting people to talk is like trying to get make certin types of food, if you know how to do it. It may come easyly but even if you know what you are doing. It may turn out very badly. Trying to get members to download and install a program just so they can read posts when we give them the updated file will be like trying to pull the teeth of a dobermen... For some it may come easy, others may lose members becuase of trying to get them to do such. I think that it is a very good option to have avalable to those whom would want such. As I do know groups/members who would use the free read-only option if it was avalabe.
My thought is this, I know nothing of programing, so if this thought is just plan insane. Let me know, But I would think that those of us who would want to be able to put the database to website had a easyer way to do such, a "group owner" version of the program persay. That had the ability to upload the database to a website that owuld make it searchable in the same way that it is in the program. Through this, you are not dealing with makeing a "read-only" version. Which will suck up bandwidth and other such from you. You are making a version that will be very helpful to those of us who want to make it a readable searchable, Statisticable (I know I made that word up*Laughs*) version on our own websites for our members to read.
Or you could do both, that way group owners and others interested in the preservation of thier group messeges would have all of these options.
Maverick:
Wilson,
>>>> Mav,
Trying to get members to download and install a program just so they can read posts when we give them the updated file will be like trying to pull the teeth of a dobermen... For some it may come easy, others may lose members becuase of trying to get them to do such.
>>>> I can understand that some people won?t want to install software to read a group but I don?t see why people would leave. PGO is an *option*. They?re not forced to use it. They can keep reading the group in Yahoo if they don?t fancy installing PGO.
But I would think that those of us who would want to be able to put the database to website had a easyer way to do such, a "group owner" version of the program persay.
>>>> Its been done. Its called PGO Plus.
Http://www.pgoffline.com/pgo-plus.htm
Its not mentioned but it can be used to load a Yahoo group onto phpBB or vBulletin. This is however, a disaster recovery procedure only. I.e. it?s a one time switch over to another forum if, for example, your Yahoo group is deleted or Yahoo themselves go bust. Its not currently possible to use PGO to maintain the content of an alternative forum format.
Cheers,
Wilson.
I guess more of what I am personally looking for is the functionality to be able to upload the arcvies of my groups to my website and update it regulerly. This way, I could have a searchable database members could go to and look over all of the posts from all of my groups. PGO Plus would not be helpful to the action I speak of. I know I am a complicated bugger... But, atleast I knwo what I am looking for. *laughs*
Maverick:
Well, this can & has been done (search posts by 'L.D.').
I'm not going to offer it as a option because turkeys do not vote for Christmas if you get my drift.
Cheers,
Wilson.