04-27-2025, 06:49 AM
Hey there!!
I have been a humble member of HG for a long time. I remember when it was hacked in 2012 & all recovery efforts failed. I saw the forum shutdown for good. I have been trying ever since to get hold of hallagulla.com domain to help revive the forum/data for old times' sake.
Now that I was able to purchase hallagulla.com, next steps are to actually make it work with old data - so people like me can visit the past - again, for old times' sake.
Here’s what needs to be done to make it happen:
Get an older version of vBulletin so we can get the forums up and running. (✅ Done)
Install and configure the forums — especially tricky because we need to “reverse the clocks” and make everything work as it did. (✅ Done)
Get the old data — I managed to get a copy of the data after the forum was hacked. (✅ Done)
Restore the data - Hackers inserted some special characters that prevent the database from being restored. Need custom programming to detect & delete those characters & then restore each table. There are 550 tables. (✅ Done)
Cleanse the data — The data is pretty messy with a lot of unwanted content. It needs to be fixed up and cleaned so it can be reconnected to the forums. This will be a huge task, but I plan to use AI to help identify and clean the issues. (✅ Done)
Downgrade and transform the data to fit into the vBulletin 3.6.8 version. This will involve some data mapping and adjustments. (Not happening.. change of plans)
Restore the data into MyBB forum. Different from Vbulletin but still maintained. It is also free. (In Progress)
Once everything is cleaned, transformed, and ready to go, we’ll invite old members back to revisit their memories. A chance for everyone to relive the good times and reconnect with the past. (Fingers crossed)
Updates as of April 17th, 2025
Done with data. Will now move on to installing new forum software and importing the data. Will take a couple of weeks.
What will be restored: : All users, threads, posts, forums and private messages
What will not be restored: Images, attachments, documents, photo gallery. Unless someone comes forward with a backup. The forum will also look different as we don't have the design/logos/theme from before it was shutdown.
I want to clarify that there is no intention to bringing back the forum exactly the way it was. That time has passed and life has moved on. Having said that, no matter how far you have moved, it is always great to be able to visit your old home.
Thanks -
I have been a humble member of HG for a long time. I remember when it was hacked in 2012 & all recovery efforts failed. I saw the forum shutdown for good. I have been trying ever since to get hold of hallagulla.com domain to help revive the forum/data for old times' sake.
Now that I was able to purchase hallagulla.com, next steps are to actually make it work with old data - so people like me can visit the past - again, for old times' sake.
Here’s what needs to be done to make it happen:
Get an older version of vBulletin so we can get the forums up and running. (✅ Done)
Install and configure the forums — especially tricky because we need to “reverse the clocks” and make everything work as it did. (✅ Done)
Get the old data — I managed to get a copy of the data after the forum was hacked. (✅ Done)
Restore the data - Hackers inserted some special characters that prevent the database from being restored. Need custom programming to detect & delete those characters & then restore each table. There are 550 tables. (✅ Done)
Cleanse the data — The data is pretty messy with a lot of unwanted content. It needs to be fixed up and cleaned so it can be reconnected to the forums. This will be a huge task, but I plan to use AI to help identify and clean the issues. (✅ Done)
Downgrade and transform the data to fit into the vBulletin 3.6.8 version. This will involve some data mapping and adjustments. (Not happening.. change of plans)
Restore the data into MyBB forum. Different from Vbulletin but still maintained. It is also free. (In Progress)
Once everything is cleaned, transformed, and ready to go, we’ll invite old members back to revisit their memories. A chance for everyone to relive the good times and reconnect with the past. (Fingers crossed)
Updates as of April 17th, 2025
Done with data. Will now move on to installing new forum software and importing the data. Will take a couple of weeks.
What will be restored: : All users, threads, posts, forums and private messages
What will not be restored: Images, attachments, documents, photo gallery. Unless someone comes forward with a backup. The forum will also look different as we don't have the design/logos/theme from before it was shutdown.
I want to clarify that there is no intention to bringing back the forum exactly the way it was. That time has passed and life has moved on. Having said that, no matter how far you have moved, it is always great to be able to visit your old home.
Thanks -