Trainzkuidindex.com to be closed soon

[matruck]

I think the early failure of the T:ANE CM to allow cut-and-paste of kuids was the turning point for me. I grew weary of hand-typing the information in and decided, "I don't have time for this!"

Real pain this one but more then likely just sum ulterior motive from N3V. Them boys couldn't lie straight in bed.

Instead of moaning about losing this facility

Certainly not moaning from my end like i said the sooner up-loaders of route's/content learn how to do it properly then Pierre can rest easy and concentrate on life instead of constantly helping whingers.
Cheers Mick.

 

[ministerfarrigut]

You all seem to think that the demise of the web site is inevitable, it is not. If enough people contribute to help Pierre pay for his web site and the expenses related to running it, then it can continue to provide the service that you have all used in the past and seem to regret losing. He doesn't need an alternative site, as he has said, transferring to another host would be difficult.

Instead of moaning about losing this facility, front up with some financial support on a regular basis. If enough people do this, the cost to the individual contributor could be less than a cup of coffee per year, less that the Download Tickets you are happy to pay for.

If Pierre does have to close the site, it does not say much for the comradeship between Trainz users. Disappointing!

PeterPM

Believe me sir, I would contribute if I had the money. I used the site once. I'm 16 and a lot of the others who used it were as well and under 16. I literally cannot pay because I don't have a job yet. I would if I could. I don't think it's fair to kick everyone in the balls, just the people who think all things in life are free, who have a job and can pay and just refuse to, and such.

 

[Gameoholic1994]

Where will I find my kissing kuids now?

 

[Jay1990]

@Saieditor - you can copy and paste if you haven't worked already. Copy the KUID from the website or where ever, then go to the CM, and press CTRL and V into the text box.

I have read all the way though this message, and still can't work out what exact support is needed as a lot have offered but no responses unless I am missing something. I'm a former web and software developer, I have a few contacts within the web industry still who might be able to offer hosting, or even offer a web design change to be less demanding. I have no idea how the system works as I am slightly new to all this. Though I'd offer to help as seems a lot of people like to use your website.

 

[Saieditor]

@Jay1990 - understood.

Seems we are all waiting to see if Pierre can sort / work with any of the many offerings in this thread.

 

[RocketeerDon]

I've used this site many times and would not like to see it go.

If it would help keep the site running, count me in for $15 / year.

Don

 

[pierreparis]

So, I suppose it is time to answer to every body...

The hosting is not the problem. Hosting is not expansive.

One more time the problem is the time consuming work to keep up-to-date the data base.

You must have in mind that, most of the time, trainzkuidindex provide links to web sites page, not direct download. Why ? Because provide direct download will violate the license of most of the assets found on freeware fan sites. In addition this help Trainz fan sites to be better known and have more visitors. Trainzkuidindex provide direct download link only if the trainz asset cannot be found somewhere else.
The downside is that the links provided by trainzkuidindex must be checked very often, because web sites change very often. Every day something change somewhere in one or several trainz fan site, even if the human user of those web site don't see any visible change. The only way to have good quality links on trainzkuidindex is to crawl the full list of trainz fan site the most often as possible (i.e every month).

You must have in mind too the size of the data collected by trainkuidindex : the current size of the collect data base is 1,7 gigabytes with more than 7 millions of lines in 22 tables. And that is only for 691 trainz fan sites! That is only for the data base, not for the files collected, witch size is about 600 gigabytes.
Some details for the data base :

• 701,539 unique kuid are referenced (found in fan sites, on DLS, as Built-in or as dependencies).
• 1,241,531 copies of those kuid that are been found in fan sites, on DLS or as Built-in.
• 3,010,108 dependencies (links between an asset copy and his dependencies).
• 199,485 links between web page and files were those assets copies can be found.
• 149,177 trainz files containers (cdp, cdpa, cmpa...).
• 703,077 links between kuid and web page where those kuid are quoted in the text (was for future use in trainzkuidindex web site)
• etc.

Checking this amount of data only by hand is definitively impossible. That is why I have developed a robot to do the main part of the job.
"So you use a robot ! Why it is so much time consuming for you ?"
Because unfortunately the robot cannot do 100% of the job, for some technical reasons too much complicate to explain here. Actually Internet is like a jungle (the rules/languages are complex and very, very permissive) and the robot is like a blind person whose job is to explore that jungle (Try to explore the jungle with a blindfold !). The robot needs an operator to help him from time to time and to check the results after it has finished his job. Crawling all the trainz fan sites currently takes between 2 or 3 weeks, mainly because of the time consuming manual part of the job (but maybe several years without robot !).

Share this work between several volunteers around the world would be very very complicate. Running the robot requires solid skills in information technology to be able to detect any problem while running and fix them. And modify the robot to be used in this way would be a disproportionate work for our small community.

The only way, if you really want that trainzkuidindex stay alive, is to accept to pay a fee to compensate the working time to keep everything working and up to date. I have suggested 15US$ per year and some people here think is reasonable. If only 75% of all people that use trainzkuidindex last year will accept to pay that fee, it will be enough to keep the site running.

This will work if every body accept the rule and don't try to cheat. In other words, if you know somebody who cannot pay 15US$ per year, don't share your user name and password, pay for him.

Pierre

 

[bolivar]

I put my hand up to contribute $15. How much do u need in dollars, US Dollars? And how many people will be required to fill the amount needed?

 

[blueodessey]

Ditto.....This is more than fair for such a valuable service!

 

[narrowgauge]

Now we are getting somewhere.

Pierre, you have my onetime offer towards half the immediate cost of the renewal of the site and I'll pledge $US15 for the foreseeable future in addition. At my 88 years age, that future is a variable thing, but I will hang on as long as possible.

It just needs you to fix up a way to allow us to pay the you the money and an annual reminder for future years.

PeterPM

 

[fourteen]

It just needs you to fix up a way to allow us to pay the you the money and an annual reminder for future years.

PeterPM

Would pay pal be a good way to donate, not real savy on ways to pay for something on the internet.

 

[normhart]

I hate to be the doom and gloom person in the room but, look how few people have responded to this thread. I can't see Pierre getting enough money from so few people to keep the site going. I am more than willing to subscribe to TrainzKuidIndex and at more than $15 annually if necessary but I question just how many will.

Edit: Pierre had a PayPal Donation button on his website for 2 years and only garnered 69 donations. In two years! That's not going to cut it.

 

[narrowgauge]

Norm.

All we can do is try! Response to this thread does not really represent the number of users of the web site, especially when you remove the unwanted negative posts

Pierre.

May I suggest that you re-establish the Donate button which will keep the web site going, while you allow the content to remain as it is at the moment. No research, use the bot to continue its work, but ignore the results. If this means that your data looses its 'freshness', in the short term this does not matter, none of it would be available anyway if the site closes. I also suggest that you set up a subscribed registration system- 'no pay-no data', set the lower limit at perhaps $5 per anum.

If you have to go down, go down fighting! You are providing a service that people have found useful, give them all a chance to "put their money where their mouth is" before you give up.

PeterPM

 

[mikeaust]

Pierre,
Could you make it a pay site? Something like the DLS but not with free access. I would be willing to pay a yearly subscription because of the amount I use the service. Or would this just load you with more workload?
I have a lot of old routes installed so it is very useful to me.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Jay1990]

@Pierre, I have just read your main post explaining everything and sounds to me like the database you're using can be majorly cut down on file size. 22 tables is a hell of a lot for what sounds to be you're providing.
I'm willing to take my spare time, help you with your database if you wish to accept. You're only providing links to other websites by the sounds of it (i have no personally registered yet) as i am new to simulator, so still learning. Though it sounds like your website will come in handy.

As for searching websites to make sure links are upto date, you're right that is time consuming. So with having a user database, why not create a report system that flags up in an admin panel to inform you relying on your visitors to help you with management/make it easier at the same time.

As for adding data, i presume you use an 'admin panel' to add and control data for the database?

 

[Saieditor]

I really like the Kickstarter idea proposed by BlueOdessey.

Set a funding goal to cover the time it would take you to support the website.
If not enough people commit their pledges, then they do not value the service enough to see it continue.
If enough people see that they will lose this valuable resource, then you may get sufficient contributions to continue the service.

If the pitch is not successful, I am sure once the website no longer exists, there will be alot of people who wished they had contributed.

I am also sure that N3V Games will be a willing pledger to any Kickstarter project. Pierre, you have my email address, so please message me if you would like to discuss further.

p.s. If anyone is wondering why N3V would want to support a third party site, the answer is simple. For various reasons a number of content creators prefer to host their content on their own site rather than the DLS. This means that while their site is live, people can get it for free and share it for free and include it as a dependency in content that is hosted by us. But ultimately it's their call and 1 in 3 items are hosted this way. (Unfortunately a huge number of these sites also fade off into the sunset).

A site like TKI makes it much easier for customers to find this content (but far from easy) and it takes continuous effort to keep things up to date with all the sites that shutdown. It's better than having no solution, hence our support

Tony, I have a question.

Considering the significance you illustrate with regard to the utility of TKI website, is there any way an FCT could be utilised to give access to TKI and also give a specified amount per FCT to TKI as access fee?

 

[Jay1990]

Tony, I have a question.

Considering the significance you illustrate with regard to the utility of TKI website, is there any way an FCT could be utilised to give access to TKI and also give a specified amount per FCT to TKI as access fee?

Simple answer yes and wouldn't take much to do either.

 

[nicolaas1]

Why not put the site on a free hoster ? Like hostinger.nl no fees to be payed ok you will have to pay for the domain, or you could take a free link from them.

 

[cressjl]

Why not put the site on a free hoster ? Like hostinger.nl no fees to be payed ok you will have to pay for the domain, or you could take a free link from them.

I think this was addressed earlier in that all free hosting sites have rather strict limits on either bandwidth or data storage capacity, or both. Then, it becomes quite expensive.

I do like Saieditor's idea. Quite outstanding!

 

[wholbr]

Hi everybody.

Tony, I have a question.
Considering the significance you illustrate with regard to the utility of TKI website, is there any way an FCT could be utilised to give access to TKI and also give a specified amount per FCT to TKI as access fee?

Saiedtor, I would agree that your above suggestion has much credibility. However, in carrying out the proposal, N3V would have to make the owner of this site either a direct employee of N3V or a registered contractor to the company. With either of the foregoing options the N3V management would undertake legal obligations by way of an employer's responsibilities to an employee or legal obligations for the maintenance of the site. The foregoing would be further complicated by those obligations having to be carried out across international borders.

In many ways it would seem that to transfer the database to the direct control of N3V may well be the best way forward as they seem to feel it is an important aspect in the Trainz franchise operation. In an earlier posting the owner of the site has been requested to make contact with the N3V management but we do not know if contact has been made, or what the outcome of that contact was at this point.

However from his posting at #67 of this thread, the owner of the site seems to imply that he wishes the service he provides to become a "full-blown subscription service" which will be only open to those who pay on a yearly basis his suggested amount with no other Trainz users being allowed access to the site regardless of their ability to pay or not.

I am surprised how some in this thread appear to have accepted the subscription basis for the site, as when N3V suggested a subscription-based service for the Trainz Next version of the simulator sometime back it was very much "shouted down" wholeheartedly by a great number of members on this forum.

Bill