Disappearing Magic Cafe!

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Jonathan Townsend
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Dan's Equivocation example from the cafe

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 12th, 2022, 8:38 am

Brian Ekins wrote:Here's a link to Dan Harlan's equivoque discussion.

https://web.archive.org/web/20050322170 ... 18571feccd


Thanks Brian, and Dan. :)
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Jack Shalom
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Jack Shalom » July 12th, 2022, 9:07 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:
Jack Shalom wrote:Anyone remember Wally Wood's cartoon in Paul Krassner's The Realist circa 1967 or so?


You mean this?


Bill, you are a wonder!

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Jack Shalom » July 12th, 2022, 9:14 pm

Brian Ekins wrote:Here's a link to Dan Harlan's equivoque discussion.

https://web.archive.org/web/20050322170 ... 18571feccd


Great that you found it, Brian. It may be just me, but I couldn't access the second page of the discussion, where Harlan goes over step by step all the convincers and strategies he used to pull it off. But now people will know where to go to find it, if the cafe ever comes back.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Roger M. » July 13th, 2022, 8:59 am

Brooks is no longer blaming their "data center" (which is likely Gene's basement) ... but is now apparently "doing everything humanly possible behind the scenes" to get the Cafe back up:

    Steve Brooks
    I want to thank you for your continued patience and understanding. Please know that we are doing everything we can behind the scenes and will have The Magic Café® up and running as soon as humanly possible. Thanks again everyone.

It would be so much simpler to just state that there's a funding shortfall, or that the database is irreparably corrupted ... than to continue this ridiculous masquerade.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Chris Aguilar » July 13th, 2022, 11:33 am

With the Cafe's ancient code-base, likely rife with unpatched security vulnerabilities (fixed years ago with other PHPBB based forums like the Genii forums) I'm kind of shocked that they haven't had some sort of debilitating breach or have been hacked.

Or maybe they have been (maybe even this time!) and we never knew about it...

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Brian Douglas
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Brian Douglas » July 13th, 2022, 11:51 am

Meanwhile, the loyal with Kool-Aid in hand are patiently waiting...

Image

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Chris Aguilar » July 13th, 2022, 4:32 pm

Wow, this (from an interview with Brooks) is a big stinky lie.

Steve Brooks Wrote:

The Cafe is almost 20 years old. And Gene and I coded this thing ourselves. I didn’t download any software, but we built this website from scratch.

The cafe is directly based of an ancient version of phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com). While Gene certainly did make some customizations, it was certainly not "built from scratch".

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Jack Shalom » July 13th, 2022, 9:21 pm

It's baaaaack!

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Chris Aguilar » July 13th, 2022, 9:42 pm

Yeah, previously called it.
Chris Aguilar wrote:I always assumed that the cafe was a steady source of ad income for Brooks, hence, not going anywhere.

Tarotist
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 13th, 2022, 11:51 pm

Jack Shalom wrote:It's baaaaack!

That means that my prediction is correct. On Friday it will be up and running. Just wait and you will see.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 14th, 2022, 12:12 am

Uh oh! It is down again! This is hilarious!

"ERROR: Unable to connect to the database.

This may be due to an automatic backup process,
which is run in the early morning hours (New York time).

Please stand by"

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Brian Douglas
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Brian Douglas » July 14th, 2022, 12:27 am

"This page was created in 1657772783.83 seconds requiring database queries."

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 14th, 2022, 1:53 am

Oh, there is a different message now! A bit more pessimistic than the last one!

"ERROR: Unable to connect to the database.

We are currently experiencing a database server problem.

We will be back up as soon as possible."

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 14th, 2022, 10:24 am

Because today is Friday I eagerly went just now to the Magic Cafe to see if my psychic prediction was correct. After all since it went down again yesterday after a brief recovery I wanted to bask in glory if it had gone up today. Well, it seems that I can only bask in partial glory since although the site is still down you can at least access the "meet the staff" page which I am sure you are all eager to do. Here it is:
https://www.themagiccafe.com/
Oh well, partial glory is still glory and there is still a chance that it will fully recover later in the day. When it does I will brag with great enthusiasm that my psychic prediction has indeed come true!

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Roger M. » July 14th, 2022, 11:19 am

Brooks dishonesty continues with the server obviously functioning such that it can produce a landing page, albeit an "error" landing page, but a landing page nonetheless.

Brooks claimed this offline status was all due to a physical server move, and once the server reached its new home, all would be returned to normal.
That's a fabrication, as the landing page demonstrates that the server is obviously in its new home (if in fact it ever moved an inch from Gene's basement), but the database remains corrupt and unreachable.

If one examines the fundamentally dishonest management, Brooks and Scribners incredibly bullying moderation ... it's time to let the Magic Cafe rot in its grave, and depart permanently ... ignoring it even if it does manage to eventually crawl back online.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 14th, 2022, 12:15 pm

I have just realised that today is Thursday rather than Friday. It seems that the psychic vibrations have confused my memory. However, that means that it may be online tomorrow and my prediction will be correct.

As for the moderation over there I think the place just got too big to moderate properly.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Rennie » July 14th, 2022, 12:24 pm

Actually got on it today, however message states, "ERROR: Unable to connect to the database." But it is there.
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve is not !!

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 14th, 2022, 1:42 pm

That isn't exactly there!

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 14th, 2022, 4:13 pm

Curioser and curioser! Here is their latest notice: (I do hope they get it up tomorrow so I can claim my Friday prediction was correct)


NOTICE:

The server's main drive is faulty and needs to be replaced.
This means a new drive and reinstallation of the OS and
all software along with restoration from backups.

The Cafe will be back up as soon as possible.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby magicaz » July 14th, 2022, 8:32 pm

Glad to see the landing page has returned. Now if they can get the full database hooked up, we'll be back in business.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Jack Shalom » July 14th, 2022, 8:40 pm

Tarotist wrote:Curioser and curioser! Here is their latest notice: (I do hope they get it up tomorrow so I can claim my Friday prediction was correct)


NOTICE:

The server's main drive is faulty and needs to be replaced.
This means a new drive and reinstallation of the OS and
all software along with restoration from backups.

The Cafe will be back up as soon as possible.


To a layperson like me, that sounds like a big job. Is it?

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Brian Douglas
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Brian Douglas » July 14th, 2022, 10:39 pm

Jack Shalom wrote:
To a layperson like me, that sounds like a big job. Is it?


Very. I doubt they have a spare HD on hand seeing they just moved to a new location. Back-up restoral can take a long time as well and susceptible to failing; which normally means restarting from the beginning.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 15th, 2022, 4:53 am

Steve Brooks has just posted a message on Facebook which I strongly suspect is directed at this thread.

"LET THEM BE UNKIND. LET THEM GOSSIP. LET THEM CRITIZE YOU. JUST DON'T LISTEN. THEY ARE PICKING ON YOU BECAUSE THEY FEEL BADLY ABOUT THEMSELVES. NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR WORTH UNLESS YOU LET THEM."

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby mehtas » July 15th, 2022, 6:47 am

If someone had blamed Russian hackers, all the rumours could have been avoided.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Roger M. » July 15th, 2022, 9:31 am

Tarotist wrote:Steve Brooks has just posted a message on Facebook which I strongly suspect is directed at this thread.
"LET THEM BE UNKIND. LET THEM GOSSIP. LET THEM CRITIZE YOU. JUST DON'T LISTEN. THEY ARE PICKING ON YOU BECAUSE THEY FEEL BADLY ABOUT THEMSELVES. NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR WORTH UNLESS YOU LET THEM."


One has to seriously question the sincerity of a man who generates the above statement, when he also generates this absolute garbage:
https://www.instagram.com/artistsjbrook ... 660f1058e4

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Tarotist » July 15th, 2022, 9:59 am

His political views are anathema to me too. However, that is nothing to do with the magic cafe. Maybe it is just me but for some odd reason and quirk in my make up I have never liked a whole gang of people ganging up on one person. There is something unedifying about it. Especially when he and his wife have been seriously ill. Still, I recognise that I am obviously in the minority and it is what it is.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Dave Le Fevre » July 15th, 2022, 10:40 am

Tarotist wrote:Maybe it is just me but for some odd reason and quirk in my make up I have never liked a whole gang of people ganging up on one person. There is something unedifying about it.
It's not just you, Mark. There are at least two of us.

It seems to be a pattern of behaviour that's exhibited on most conjuring forums.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Leo Garet » July 15th, 2022, 10:50 am

Tarotist wrote:Maybe it is just me but for some odd reason and quirk in my make up I have never liked a whole gang of people ganging up on one person. There is something unedifying about it. Especially when he and his wife have been seriously ill. Still, I recognise that I am obviously in the minority and it is what it is.

No, it's not just you. But is that what's happening here? A whole gang ganging up?

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 15th, 2022, 12:02 pm

It seems to me that between four and six people are complaining here (not going to actually count).
And cut the political stuff. Not allowed here. His political beliefs are not open for discussion.
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Brad Henderson » July 15th, 2022, 12:13 pm

Among magicians I respect, far more are rooting for the dissolution of the cafe than its return.

Brooks is a two faced liar and hypocrite, and I’m happy to tell the stories to back up that claim. He is also talentless as a magician as anyone attending the Buffalo gathering he attended can attest.

His latest post echoes another well known self Serving liar - which given the state of what qualifies as ‘original thought’ on the cafe - doesn’t surprise me. Brooks adds nothing to the world and has exploited magic for his own interests.

The cafe is bad for magic and magicians.

May it die a painful death and be long forgotten.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Leo Garet » July 15th, 2022, 12:34 pm

I do wish you'd stop beating about the bush Mister Henderson.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Brad Henderson » July 15th, 2022, 12:35 pm

Leo Garet wrote:I do wish you'd stop beating about the bush Mister Henderson.


That’s what she said.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Bill Mullins » July 15th, 2022, 1:22 pm

Brad Henderson wrote:
Leo Garet wrote:I do wish you'd stop beating about the bush Mister Henderson.


That’s what she said.


Image

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Leo Garet » July 15th, 2022, 1:26 pm

Old Gold.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Chris Aguilar » July 15th, 2022, 3:22 pm

I wonder if they tried to restore their Database and it was either corrupt or became corrupted.

If that's the case, they might be hosed in terms of bringing the Cafe back quickly or completely.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Andrewzuber » July 15th, 2022, 4:30 pm

While I do have complaints about the way the Cafe is run, I don't wish for it to vanish into the ether as it's been an incredibly valuable resource for me over the years. Many knowledgable performers and historians have shared advice and resources on the site, and I appreciate being able to search for books, routines, sleights, video references, and information.

I met Pete Biro on the Cafe, who would later become my sponsor to the Magic Castle. It's because of Pete that I met Dean Dill and we became close friends. I had dinner with Lawrence O and another Cafe member named Bill in Paris, and we discussed magic into the wee hours of the morning. I met up with Brett Barry in Phoenix, who fried my dad with his Quantum Bender routine. I had lunch with Kent Gunn in San Francisco after learning a routine of his so we could discuss it. I spent time with Michael Ammar and Jeff Kaylor in England on their lecture tour because of it. I learned of the work of David Regal, and John Carney, and Jeff McBride, and countless others, and have been lucky enough to spend time with them all. Users pointed me toward Rings 'N Things and Brett Sherwood, to Penguin lectures, to David Roth DVDs. I appreciate the reviews of products, and discussions of what works and what doesn't.

Yes, there are trolls on the site, obnoxious users who claim to know everything or are simply out to trash whatever someone else says. Comments and sometimes entire threads vanish for no reason whatsoever, and anyone who questions the decisions is generally swiftly dismissed in curt fashion. It's not perfect.

That said, hope is that it will be back, even if it's just frozen in time as a searchable database. It's certainly not as active as it used to be, which is sadly the way things go I suppose, but it would be a shame to lose all the value it's added to the magic community.

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Brian Douglas
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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Brian Douglas » July 16th, 2022, 1:41 am

Image


I'm sure everything will be fine.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Jack Shalom » July 16th, 2022, 5:02 pm

We know you must have the flatline image in reserve, Brian....;)

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Roger M. » July 20th, 2022, 9:43 am

The last hard drive change I performed also included a reinstallation of the OS and the database the old drive contained (all HD video in my case, megabytes larger than the Cafes minuscule text based content).

I began the installation at around 9:30am, and the new drive was in place, and the computer was back up and running by around 9:55am, so about 25 minutes later.
Installing the OS and rebuilding the database took about 4.5 hours, and we were back up and running just after lunch ... just over 5 hours later.

Stay tuned to my blog for more "real-life" (and painfully honest) stories about home-repairs for your computer.

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Re: Disappearing Magic Cafe!

Postby Sebastien L. » July 20th, 2022, 12:40 pm

As an IT guy, days/weeks to reinstall an OS and recover a backup is very much out of the norm. There's either something else going on (people frantically indexing tapes to find when the last successful backup was actually done) or the cafe's IT people are very much under-qualified. A full OS rebuild with patching, application setup and backup restore shouldn't even take a full day outside of large enterprise setups, which the cafe definitely isn't.

I don't have much love for the cafe and how it's run but it would be a shame to lose years of posts, some of which were even helpful. I hope it comes back but seeing how long this is taking, it's an ever-diminishing hope.


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