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We at Outdoor Sports are extremely sorry for the prolonged 6x6world website issues, it is simply unacceptable. For nearly a month, 6x6world was either partially or completely inoperable.
What happened?
The initial website crash was caused by 6x6world overloading its server. Simply put, the website grew too big for the computer that runs it. We setup a new server system and transferred the website over. After thorough testing on our private computers, all functions appeared to be operational and the site was ready to go live. This process took approximately 1 week. Once we attempted to point the website domain to the new server, we continued to receive endless errors from our domain provider. This was an issue that was simply out of our control. As web developers understand, DNS changes require up to 48 hours to take effect. Every 48 hours we continued to meet failure. We could only move as fast as the 3rd party team would allow. This process took nearly 1.5 weeks. Our hands were tied.
Once the DNS issues were solved, the website experienced more errors than before. As you may have experienced, the main pages of the website worked, but users could not log in nor view the gallery or picture content. This is due to the PHP type of the website and its control of 6x6world databases. A PHP is the programming language for the website. PHP is continuously developed, and websites upgrade their PHP types to keep up with the world. Unfortunately, 6x6world is operating on an old version of vBulletin forum software which makes it fragile. Why not just upgrade vBulletin? If we do, the 6x6world gallery will no longer operate. Therefore we continue to use older software to maintain the rich history and information of the website online. To bring back all the functions of 6x6world including user functions and gallery, we had to dig into the website coding to allow this mixture of new and old software to be compatible.
Can I log in now?
Yes, all user functions should be working flawlessly. You may have to reset your password. If the password reset email doesn't show in your inbox, please check the spam folder.
If 6x6world works on some devices but not others, clear the non-working device's cache and cookies.
Why didn't you respond to my email?
Many of you emailed us during this event, and we attempted to respond to all inquiries. However, when the website goes down, we receive emails with error messages until it is solved. During this past month we received over 40,000 emails and of course many of yours were lost in the chaos. Please understand we did not purposely ignore anyone. We received many inquiries about password resets, offers for help on the site, and general questions which we greatly appreciated.
How will this situation be improved for the future?
An official Facebook page for 6x6world was created in 2010 but was never used. We have access to the page, and from here on out we will use Facebook to communicate with everyone during website crashes. Whether the site is down for a few hours or a week, we will let you know the current situation. Of course we hope there won't be any downtimes, but technology is unforgiving and it is bound to happen someday. Please like and follow the page to see our posts in the future.
We have absolutely zero intentions to ever shut down 6x6world for a multitude of reasons. If the website is not working, please do not jump to conclusions. It will always be a technical error. Our goal is to preserve the website and its contents. Every forum post, photo, and member is important for the community. 6x6world has been an active site for a very long time, and it has accumulated likely the largest database for vintage ATV information in the world. In a new age where social media has taken over the internet, we strive to preserve the old fashioned media as it continues to hold valuable information. It's worth noting 6x6world is only a valuable asset if all its contents exist. Shutting down the site would be devastating for the community, and like throwing away an asset for us.
Can I buy 6x6world?
As a business, we regularly receive offers to purchase our websites. Although 6x6world threw us for a stressful loop this past month, we do not have any current plans to sell the website. If the time comes that we must change our business model, there are a few select members of the community that have continuously expressed their interests in the site. It is our most unique website and an exciting one to work with.
Does 6x6world support itself?
Yes, 6x6world collects revenue through multiple avenues. The most obvious way is by selling advertisement space through Google. Other ways we receive revenue is through user donations (those who have a blue username are donors) as well as selling forum space to manufacturers or dealers. When the automatic listings for eBay section works (as it is a fragile setup), we receive revenue through clicks on the links. A single website forum does not generate an enormous amount, however it is adequate to at the minimum self-sustain and then some, while retailing value as an asset.
Will the 6x6world gallery disappear?
In the past, we have expressed interests in updating the forum software to modernize the site and make it overall easier for us to maintain. If the site was updated, the month-long hiatus we just experienced likely would have only lasted a week. However, the 6x6world gallery is a 3rd party plugin that is unsupported. If we updated the site, the gallery would not work and photos would be lost. There may be potential solutions to fix it. In the meantime, we hope it is obvious losing the gallery is unacceptable for us and it is the reason why we worked tirelessly to bring the site back online this month with old, outdated software. We will not let 6x6world lose is gallery. Ever.
Final words
Whether it's an old ATV, car, or website, there will be unforeseen issues. We want to thank everyone for their extreme patience. 6x6world is truly a unique place with a community unlike any other, not just because of the ATV's but the willingness to go out of your way to help others and share information is second to none. Here's to bringing 6x6world onto a bigger server for preserving the online community for many years to come!
Southwestern Ont Can about 5 miles from Lake Huron just north of the town of Goderich.
Posts
201
I have been very busy doing other stuff I guess. Didn't even know the site was down until I read it on facebook. Had to check it out and am glad to see the site is up and running. A lot of very smart and wise people contribute to this site.
Finally able to login. This is awesome. Thanks definitely for the help getting back. This site makes long nights at work when there's downtime go smoothly.
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