m0d's Profile

Creator of modarchive.org (code, graphics, database) - A complete rebuild of various iterations of modarchive.com, beginning development in 2003. TMA4 (what you see now) was released as a surprise on 1st April 2009.

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Fun stuff

A Test/Development Site Theme
The Original 4.x Theme
The Original 4.x Theme with The Seasonal Logo

Support Me

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com*

*New 2024

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Site Support

Please do NOT contact for site support outside of the forums!

DO NOT go looking for contact info on my personal websites to circumvent this above, that is just gross.

I am back maintaining the site since November 2023, that is, keeping it functioning. The site is in feature-freeze until someone else develops a completely new build from the ground up, the code base needs to be modernised into a new language. When I took it up to build this I was not given any code except for the original mod-info parser by Robert Watson, one of the original founders of Modarchive.COM, and the then-flat-file backend of modarchive containing the modules and the NFO files for the instrument texts. These were all processed into an SQL database using primitive bash scripts during my development of the first step into the world of databases.

Regarding mod-info source, that code is written in C and will be passed on to whoever takes up the challenge of a new build, which must be built from the ground up, as I already mentioned, none of the codebase of TMA4 will be provided*, which is exactly how the site that you see before you today came about as well. I had no free handouts, no silver platter servings, this is a real do it yourself project challenge. It took me 5 years.

So I expect any new builds to be original, modern, using the latest technologies, the design and look/feel can be derivative of course but the codebase of Modarchive.org v2,3 and finally 4 is not intended to be passed on*.

*At least not unless there are absolutely no other preferred solutions that materialise first, this is essentially the only dying make-a-wish that I could hope to come true before I succumb to the cancer.

I’m not a complete arsehole so this is negotiable. But I warn anyone serious about it, the code is not at all pretty-it is ancient, museum worthy, perhaps. ;-)

TMA v2/v3 & v4 was precisely “my first (and last) PHP and SQL project”, optimised for running on extremely slow hardware delivering to a tremendous user base initially on a 486. Nowadays the site has more features and handles way more load thanks to upgrades provided by donations in the past that let me rent a powerful multicore dedicated server for many years.

As of today (Dec 2023), the site runs on a VM along with SceneSat provided by Ziphoid and Fnord.

A new build of ModArchive can be accomplished using new methods and the challenge itself is all part of the deal. This was and still is a work of love and joy for me (until some of the users made me feel otherwise, shame on them).

But what we are not looking for is someone mass-downloading the site and trying to build from that. We have and can provide much more elegant solutions to those serious about taking on the new build challenge.

A few years ago due to some very disturbing personal issues involving the continual bullying and trolling from various douchebags in the tracker scene, Saga Musix unwittingly had to be forced into stepping into my shoes, taking on the upkeep for a few years. I lost a lot of will to continue because of so many ugly factors surrounding the constant background pecking, especially via the IRC community and the network we used to help host (Espernet).

Saga Musix has expressed that the site is now too much additional pressure and the result of this situation has now lead to him stepping down. Permanently or temporarily. Both options remain possible.

As the clock turns towards 2024, I am now somewhat recharged and ready to pick up the maintenance to keep the site breathing, but again, feature-locked. Why? I have been finally delivered to the terminal stages of liver cancer which means I already am on borrowed time. So what next?

So long as nobody jerks around with the domain name hosting (which is out of my control) the site will always be available so long as donation support is given towards hosting costs, the infrastructure is already kindly provided mostly out-of-pocket by SceneSat. I hope to see the community come together to assist with this as they have done so in the past.

Please chip in occasionally.

Finally, SceneSat is involved in helping ensure a future for Modarchive exists beyond my expiry, so please- no fear mongering about the demise of the site.