Update (December 1, 2002):
As 2002 comes to an end, the Pacranch 2002 Project is nearly finished. There are less than 50 pages to finish out of an estimated 2000. The purpose of the Pacranch 2002 Project was to bring all code forward to HTML 4.01 Transitional (CSS2) and to regraphic all areas of the site if needed to make them fresh. Some sections hadn't been redone since 1997, and while popular, fresh current code and fresh current graphics ensure there continuing utility.
Update (November 1, 2002):
Regraphicking of the poetry section continues, with an expected upload of about November 15, 2002. The poetry section has not been redone since 1996, so creating new graphics was felt to be as important as rewriting the section in proper HTML 4.01 (CSS2) Transitional code. The originally proposed release of a new Menu In VR has been postponed as a new type of JS has been emplemented that allows JS popup windows inside VRML that works in ALL browsers. This caused the project to be rethought more in terms with the original vision for the recode to VRML. By using a combination of VRML and JS, the code weight will be significantly lighter causing the Menu In VR to load faster with lightning fast navigation.
Update (October 18, 2002):
All scripts and such are now back online. With a single exception, PHP scripts were replaced with Perl scripts. Perl offers better builtin security, and is much easier to lock down. There is a minor issue of speed, Perl can be marginally slower than PHP, but in the interest of better security, the switch was felt necessary.
For other webdevelopers facing similar problems, the initial fix (which will break your scripts) is to turn off the register_globals functions in the server php_mod (also known as throttle_mod on some systems). This will cause most scripts to stop working. Making sure to NOT do this on any script that uses textarea inputs or browserupload inputs, add this line:
ini_set("register_globals", 1);
This should go a full break under (return plus blank line) the PHP shebang start (line 3 position) with another full break under it. It selectively turns register_globals back on for just the script to which it's been added. Another workaround is to rewrite the script and more carefully define globals and how they are used and turned on. Users of canned scripts may not always know how to do this, so the "use at own risk" patch above is offered. If applied improperly, it will recreate the security problem that turning off register_globals in php_mod fixes.
Update (October 6, 2002):
We got hacked, but no sensitive data was revealed.
As the ongoing insanity of the "nonsense character exploit" makes PHP (Personal Home Page language, also known as Pre Processing Hyper Text) less and less secure, even here at Pacoima Ranch, our scripts were recently hacked. No surfer information or files were opened or downloaded, but we took emergency action and turned off all parts of php_mod (PHP4 for Apache and Linux) except for the php_include tags. Essentially, any PHP script anywhere at Pacoima Ranch is just sitting there doing nothing, nor capable of doing anything. The pages affected render as normal, just no "oomph" when you hit the SUBMIT buttons. The PHP "nonsense character exploit" allows malicious hackers to enter carefully constructed strings of nonsense characters into the text-area input boxes of a PHP script or the upload-image browser boxes of a similar PHP script and potentially gain "root" (admin level priveleges).
The first areas to go back online with new tamper-proof Perl scripts are the subscription pages, thank-you pages, and delete pages to join or leave the News Letters subscription-only mailing list. It's possible there are a few glitches in the new mailing list software, but the basic parts are all online and working. New subscribe and unsubscribe tokens will go out with this month's mailings. Older tokens will likely not be good anymore. Surfers were unable to subscribe or unsubscribe online beginning about 6pm October 1, 2002 through about 6pm October 7, 2002.
Other scripts will be carefully patched or replaced with Perl scripts as fast as possible. There are currently another seventeen scripts needing work, but many of them are serial scripts, so a single good fix (or Perl trade) will provide an easy template. We were made aware of the "nonsense character exploit" initially when one of the Vision Award sites, MsGeek.ORG was hacked via its PHP scripts last month. The hackers were able to install a fully functioning IRC chatroom. The site's owner only became aware of the problem when her bandwidth took a sudden surge, yet her pageviews remained normal. Similarly, we found a 92M file of unknown origin last month, so the incident of October 1, 2002 on our own servers that caused us to turn off virtually all PHP was probably a hacker incursion by a previously successful hacker.
Pacoima Ranch, Pacoima Ranch Offices and all our subsites apologize for any inconvenience caused as we patch and trade scripts, but we know all our loyal Rangers and Rangerettes understand how important security is. All recoding projects have been placed temporarily on hold as this script change takes place. It is estimated that this may impact the PacRanch 2002 project by about three weeks. Perl coding is significantly harder to write and debug than PHP.
Update (October 3, 2002):
As part of Pacoima Ranch Offices ongoing duties at GoonieTown result in the creation of fullcolor, 3D chat environment, a local mirror of these has been created here at Pacoima Ranch so that surfers-at-large can use these worlds.
Update (July 26, 2002):
With the recoding of VRML Resources nearly complete, and a completely recoded Menu In VR to debut soon, August and September projects will involve lots of "one-for" and "two-for" pages. The recent resurge in interest in VRML across the 'Net has proved a tremendous impetus in our internal VRML projects. Current subsites using JutVision will all be recoded to glorious, vibrant full-color 3D VRML. VRML (.wrl) is a more standard mimetype than the largely depracated JutVison (.JUT). Pacoima Ranch is the final major site actively developing in JutVision, so the switch to VRML involving the Menu In VR, and Inner Worlds will realign our 3D graphics with the rest of the specialty-graphics sites throughout the 'Net. Inner Worlds will be recoded to carefully maintain its current gamelike qualities, with the superior scripting abilities of VRML fully exploited.
Update (June 26, 2002):
With the reassignment (effective June 25, 2002) of all Mall staff to the ongoing PacRanch 2002 project, the recoding of all VRML pages within Pacoima Ranch has surged ahead at a breakneck pace. All small VRML subsites have been finished, with Virtual Immersion nearing completion weeks ahead of schedule and VRML Resources scheduled to start by the end of this week - two weeks ahead of schedule. Finishing work on the VRML subsites is a priority and dovetails nicely with the GoonieTown.COM World Builder's recent decision to extend membership to the Pacoima Ranch design team.
As the ongoing financial problems at Blaxxun portend an end to Blaxxun server usage, the GoonieTown experts will be unveiling new server technologies. These new technologies will also be applied to the dozens of VRML chatrooms throughout Pacoima Ranch. Pacoima Ranch has accepted this membership for multiple reasons. GoonieTown is the only current mass developer of VRML chat and VRML worlds on the 'Net. They are fully aware that an easy to install and easy to use alternative to Blaxxun must be found and developed. By associating intimately with such a VRML cybercity, Pacoima Ranch gains access to this knowledge as it develops and can apply it to the Pacoima Ranch 3D chatrooms. It will also enhance the Pacoima Ranch standing in the VRML community and expresses the basic altruism (free help, freely given, no strings attached) that is at the core of all of Pacoima Ranch. GoonieTown is one of only three cybercities featuring VR MU (Virtual Reality Multi User environments - 3D chat). The other two are iCity and CyberTown.
Update (June 1, 2002):
With the recent discovery that the Blaxxun Avatar Libraries are now offline (the page would load, but there were no avatars behind the links), Pacoima Ranch has now begun to host its own avatar libraries. This became essential to allow Newbie surfers to have personal avatars, a hot-button issue in VRML chat. Avatar usage is an integral part of VRML chat.
Future plans call for extensive custom avatars made via the Avatar Studio software. Avatar Studio is the recognized expert-level software for Blaxxun-quality VRML chatroom avatars. An avatar is a VRML robot (h-anim 'bot) that represents and is directly controlled by a surfer in a VRML chatroom. They walk, stand, even dance (if scripted to do so) and wave hello or make other appropriate gestures based on the movement directed by the surfer, proximity of other surfers and objects, and react to specific keywords typed (then spoken via synthetic voice) in a chatroom. They further the immersive quality of VRML.
Update (May 25, 2002):
With all of the first phase work on Dead Bozo finished, the webdeveloper team has now begun to focus on the dozens of VRML subsites within Pacoima Ranch. Though done out of order (several other subsites, including The News Letter should have been next), this was felt necessary as the continuing deteriation of services by Blaxxun directly impacts the dozens of VRML chatrooms scattered throughout various subsites. In certain ways, this recoding and reworking will make the next parts of PacRanch 2002 easier. Since the current work involves recoding and reestablishing many VRML services formerly carried out via Blaxxun, when the Inner Worlds and the Menu In VR subsites are redone (in VRML this time), the coding needed will be fresh in the webdevelopers' memories. Limited recoding has already begun on the smaller VRML subsites and services. It is anticipated that this recoding will be finished in less than 60 days. Multiple and cascading loss of service from Blaxxun has slowed the work, and made multiple recodes of subsites-in-progress necessary.
Update (May 1, 2002):
What with all the extra work needed to explore options in case Blaxxun's insolvency (see related story, "Blaxxun Goes Bust" archived), the recoding of Dead Bozo is now extended to June 15, 2002. An additional problem was also noticed while recoding - a new flaw in the Flash 6 plugin (see related story, "Flash 6 Flaw" archived). Most parts are partially recoded and thematically integrated.
Rather than proceeding on to the various havened parts of The Portal when the Dead Bozo recode is finished, Virtual Immersion and VRML Resources will be recoded next. These subsites are extremely high volume AND the most likely to need emergency recoding should Blaxxun disappear this August 2002. Freshly recoded HTML 4.01 Transitional pages will be much easier to recode to a new VR MU (Virtual Reality Multi User server). In addition, the recoding will have all VR MU's hosted right here at Pacoima Ranch, just one less thing to worry about. Auditions for new VR MU software continue unabated, with no outstanding candidate to date. All tried have been rejected, usually over Java conflicts. PHP candidates are being considered, but the lack of avatars (VRML humanoid robots) in the PHP versions is a major drawback.
Update (March 28, 2002):
Current recoding involves Graphic Frenzy. It's anticipated that this subsite will be finished by mid month. Due to a complete site review of all Flash movies (see Flash 6 story archived), this schedule may change. All known Flash anomalies have been corrected, but it was felt that visiting all movies sitewide was in order since the flaw in Flash 6 freezes many browsers (NS4, NS6, and Opera 6 - about 12% of most site's surfers) and computers.
Because of the recent delisting of DeadBozo.COM, work on the newly havened Dead Bozo subsite will commence this month. This integration of DeadBozo into Pacoima Ranch should be finished before May 15, 2002.
Update (March 1, 2002):
Moving through a quartet of singleton pages, the PacRanch 2002 project now concentrates on the extremely popular Family Room site. All pages and games will now be 100% Opera compliant. With three minor exceptions, all games are being recoded, recompiled and embedded in the freshest of HTML 4.01 Transitional pages. As with The Boardwalk, Family Room will also feature nearly one-half dozen new Flash games.
This will bring the number of games (when the public upload occurs) to nearly two dozen, rivalling many of the "for profit" commercial sites. Unless a serious snag happens, public upload should occur before March 10, 2002. Pacoima Ranch now features nearly 50 online games in all, making it one of the largest single-player game sites on the 'Net. Expansion plans in the newly havened DeadBozo will also feature a gaming area for older teens and adults, codenamed the Game Dungeon.
Original story (February 2, 2002):
As part of Pacoima Ranch's ongoing support of 'Net standards, all of Pacoima Ranch is being carefully rewritten in HTML 4.01 Transitional, CSS2 with an assumption of XML processing. Current work involves a complete rewrite of the Design Center, with final upload anticipated before February 15, 2002. The project is codenamed PacRanch 2002 as the work is scheduled for completion in 2002. All facets and all scripts are being reviewed and brought forward.
The long term goal is to not only bring all of Pacoima Ranch into the 21st Century, but to make using an XML envelope (most likely X-HTML 1.2 or 2.0) possible in the event that SGML browsers become available. Though technically the "parent language" of HTML and XML, SGML currently has no efficient browsers in distribution. Due to the size and complexities involved, it is unlikely that one will appear anytime soon. Pages are subjected to TidyHTML (set for HTML 4.01 with XML processing assumed) validation, then carefully reviewed and tweaked for Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6, Netscape 4.7 and 6, Opera 6, WebTV 1.1, Konquerer (Linux KDE) and Lynx. A common goal is to always make a page look identical in IE 5.5/6, Opera 6 and NS 6.
Where appropriate, new graphics are being implemented. The most exciting of these is the reintroduction of the Trio (Rhonda, Sean and Tiffany), the official mascots introduced during the now defunct freehost (The Portal) period. They now appear in dozens of places throughout Pacoima Ranch.
An additional expansion subsite will be opened near the end of the year. This involves a significant amount of the content currently at DeadBozo. While some of this is already here, it will be more formally integrated into the Pacoima Ranch navigation, advertising and promotion systems. This new subsite will be ***CONTENT ALERT*** as it will allow some slightly adult humor. Nothing awful, prurient nor similar, just not something the kiddies necessarily need to see.
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