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Link Ninja
Original Poster
#1 Old 5th Aug 2020 at 4:42 PM
Default SFS moving hosts and what it means for files on there from dead sims 2 sites
Hey there! I saw today that SimsFile Share is moving hosts and they had a notice saying:

Quote:
"SimFileShare is moving! We will be moving to new hosts in the next week or two. In order to make the move go smoothly, we will be deleting files older than 6 months which have never been shared. This may also impact some files which have been shared with only one or two people. If you have any such files, please download them ASAP to avoid losing them."


I know a few members around her use SFS to host dead site files, according to the list here, so wanted to give them a heads up. This only pertains to old files that have never been shared or shared 1-2 times. I am sure a dead sites' most popular files will be safe but check your accounts just in case to review if any need salvaged so they are not deleted from SFS.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

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Forum Resident
#2 Old 5th Aug 2020 at 6:13 PM
It would have been nice if they had made some sort of announcement about this in their tumblr few days earlier or somehow otherwise contacted the registered users (via email for example, I think most have given that when registering?) I found out about this when I went to download something and saw the banner, then spend next couple hours going through my files to make sure they had been downloaded at least couple of times and now I can just hope it's enough so they won't get deleted. The banner doesn't even show up if you aren't logged in so some registered users might completely miss it if they don't happen to log in during this couple weeks.

Also the site TOU still states:
"We won't delete files unless it is necessary to do so, for example because their contents are illegal or against these terms of use, or because they are causing or involved in a technical problem which can only be solved by deleting the files in question. The exception to this is if you ask us to delete your files."
whatever happened to that promise? o_รด
Link Ninja
Original Poster
#3 Old 5th Aug 2020 at 6:30 PM
Quote: Originally posted by foxmanic
It would have been nice if they had made some sort of announcement about this in their tumblr few days earlier or somehow otherwise contacted the registered users (via email for example, I think most have given that when registering?)


I agree, more notice would have been ideal and the email could even get the attention of creators that have fallen off the radar in the community to know. I think the move will mostly affect privately shared cc, limited release type ones like exchange gifts on GOS that weren't widely shared. By doing a target deletion of old files hardly shared/never downloaded it will remove any non sims 2 files people may have been uploading for personal use which was against the terms of use anyway. Links for the files moving should be the same and not broken if the move is going the proper way.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Top Secret Researcher
#4 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 11:00 AM
I guess you can download and reupload but what a pain and think of all those dead links. Pretty poor.
Forum Resident
#5 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 2:57 PM
^ They shouldn't delete any files that have been downloaded couple of times so just grab any file you think might be in danger and hit the download button couple of times to up the counter more and they should be safe. Problem is that they haven't exactly stated how many times minimum should the files be downloaded to be safe from deletion.

Overall I think the whole thing is being handled very poorly, there was no announcement of any kind about these plans, the message only shows up if you're logged in so many people who don't keep themselves logged in all the time are going to completely miss it, whole thing going against their own TOU by deleting files when they claimed they'd never do it unless there's legit reason for it... Things like this don't make me feel like the site is trustworthy anymore, quite the opposite.
Link Ninja
Original Poster
#6 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 5:11 PM
Quote: Originally posted by candyboot
I don't get it. Why would the CC disappear if you already have downloaded it into your game?


This topic has nothing to do with CC in your own game.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Mad Poster
#7 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 5:34 PM
It's if you have uploaded files to Sim File Share to share with others. If no-one has downloaded them, or if only one or two people have downloaded them, it seems they might be deleted. (or at least not copied to the new server -- which amounts to the same thing).

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 7:12 PM
Another silly/stupid question from me: What does this mean for Chris Hatch family friendly files archived on SFS?

https://modthesims.info/showthread....5#startcomments
Alchemist
#9 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 7:32 PM
It means that everything that hasn't been downloaded more than a couple of times will be deleted from SFS. Chris Hatch's stuff is popular, so it's probably all been downloaded at least 50+ times. But someone should go through the archives that have been set up for dead sites and make sure to download any file that's in danger of deletion.
Alchemist
#10 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 7:53 PM Last edited by Sunrader : 7th Aug 2020 at 9:35 PM.
The thing is being popular wasn't a requirement for using the site and even the limits now are vague, like "older than 6 months..." From when? What is the exact date they have to be uploaded from to be safe? Then it says files that haven't been shared... does that mean they can tell if something has been linked or only if it's been downloaded? Those aren't the same thing. It just doesn't seem well-thought out or, at least, not well-communicated.
Screenshots
Alchemist
#11 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 8:05 PM
It seems to me that the safest thing to do is go make sure everything you want to save has at least five downloads, and to stop using SFS exclusively. People gravitated to that site because it promised files wouldn't ever be deleted, and now we know it's not true, so it's time to be diligent about providing alternate sources for our uploads.
Mad Poster
#12 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 8:26 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 7th Aug 2020 at 12:56 PM.
Could be an idea to also have a non-web storage option of files you really want to keep. Just in case all the web-storage options for whatever reason stop working simultaneously (as they for whatever reason have a tendency to do these days ).

So far I've had issues with Mediafire (deleted all my files), Dropbox (no more storage, can't be bothered to pay for more, mostly due to the broken links all over the place - most of them not mine, but broken links = not so good...right?), Box (limited storage, broken but fixable links), Tinypic (exists no more, had to download and fix my pictures), Photo-bucket (halfway broken links, had to download and fix pictures). Probably forgetting a site or two more

I also realized I have some empty folders on SFS for whatever reason. I could swear I had files in there, but now I'm not so sure (they've been moving around a lot lately, could have lost a file or two for all I know, but if that'st he case I do have a backup of the files on a harddrive, I hope)

So now I have copies of the files pretty much everywhere on my laptop(s) and harddrives. Just in case of the next site doing a crash-and-burn...
Forum Resident
#13 Old 6th Aug 2020 at 9:41 PM
UGH! this reaaaaally frustrates me. Why? because I created my archives with links to meshes and with appropriate notes so that when you downloaded old stuff you weren't frustrated with missing pieces. This not only will disturb my archives but it would take me days to recreate what I did. I have everything backed up, but not with the extensive notes and folders I created on SFS to direct peeps. I am going to take screenshots but I am just not happy right now. I know it is a free service, but I do this as a volunteer as well. vent over, thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Mad Poster
#14 Old 7th Aug 2020 at 12:13 AM
One of the most positive developments during my time as a Simmer was the opening of Sim File Share. Here at last was an opportunity to share and download Sims creations in a safe and dedicated place. For me it meant that I could stop using MediaFire, which always felt a very unsafe place, full of dubious ads, trying to dupe me into downloading malware. I remember when we first heard of Sim File Share, it sounded too good to be true. But when we realised Delphy (now Tashiketh) was running it, it did indeed become the ideal place for us Simmers to share things, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who just stopped using other file sharing sites. I might share the link on LiveJournal or tumblr ot some other site, or in a PM, but the actual file to download I always place on Sim File Share.

I hope our present panic may be overdone. When I checked my own uploads there, all the old ones had been downloaded at least 4 times, even some very obscure ones, like basegame compatible versions of the foundations for the Community Spirit contest Jo ran a few years ago. I also am a bit surprised to see that everything I've ever shared there has been downloaded at least once in the last month. So, as I understand the rules, all my stuff should be safe.

I can't help feeling that this move is not as well thought out as it might be. It's probably intended to make the site more reliable, and we know it has had some issues recently. But deleting files in a way that seems to contradict what the site promises to do doesn't seem the right way to go. Just because nobody has downloaded a shared file yet, doesn't mean that it's of no value. Some real undiscovered gems could be permanently lost to the Simming community this way. I think the least we can do is to tag @Tashiketh to let him know that a lot of Simmers here are very concerned.

More than anything else, I'd love to hear that we have nothing to worry about.

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Mad Poster
#15 Old 7th Aug 2020 at 5:04 AM
My guess is that it's a space/time/technical issue with the swap of some sort. If they have only so much time/bandwidth to copy everything, then maybe copying things in order of most used makes sense? And they might run out of time before it's all transferred. (You know, if they have only so many hours that they're paying for both hosting services or something.) We don't know what the service looks like from the admin side: are there perhaps a bunch of files uploaded but never downloaded, that were maybe never published anywhere? Like not actually shared, just the uploaders using the service as a personal backup storage space?

Frustrating, yes, but let's try and assume good intentions. I don't think anyone's getting rich off of Sims File Share, do you? I've downloaded a ton from there and never paid a dime, so I'm choosing to be grateful that it will still exist, even if it might not be perfectly ideal.

Pics from my game: Sunbee's Simblr Sunbee's Livejournal
"English is a marvelous edged weapon if you know how to wield it." C.J. Cherryh
Lab Assistant
#16 Old 7th Aug 2020 at 5:53 PM
I think the most problematic thing is the lack of information - SFS was about to change server around March or April. It looks that they postponed moving, but there's no information about it - I've checked their tumblr, twitter and FAQ page and there's nothing about the current situation. I find it quite disappointing.
Alchemist
#17 Old 12th Aug 2020 at 4:25 PM
The notice on SFS has changed. Does anyone know what that means?
Mad Poster
#18 Old 12th Aug 2020 at 6:35 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Sunrader
The notice on SFS has changed. Does anyone know what that means?
I don't think it has changed. When I read it a few minutes ago, it still said exactly the same thing as in Charmful's original post (post #1 in this thread).

[EDIT] I checked again and it has changed. (Maybe my computer had the old version cached.) The bit about deleting files has gone. I think it may mean that Tashiketh has read this thread (and possibly other posts like it) and isn't going to delete anything. I think this is thoroughly good news.

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Alchemist
#19 Old 12th Aug 2020 at 7:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by AndrewGloria
I don't think it has changed. When I read it a few minutes ago, it still said exactly the same thing as in Charmful's original post (post #1 in this thread).

[EDIT] I checked again and it has changed. (Maybe my computer had the old version cached.) The bit about deleting files has gone. I think it may mean that Tashiketh has read this thread (and possibly other posts like it) and isn't going to delete anything. I think this is thoroughly good news.


I hope so. It so badly contradicted what the banner on the front page (if you weren't logged on) said that I found it disturbing. I hope this is a positive development.
Test Subject
#20 Old 12th Aug 2020 at 11:25 PM
I already lost some old files that had only been shared a couple of times
Lab Assistant
#21 Old 13th Aug 2020 at 2:17 AM
So I just checked, looks like they changed the message, no more talk about files being deleted.
I have a very new account on SFS (this year I think) and some files I just uploaded in January are already gone and some other Stuff. I do have backups so that's not a problem but those files where meant as an archive for creators that aren't active anymore and it seems SFS is not a viable option for that anymore. Those files won't be downloaded immediately even if you share the link so next time SFS decides to move most of the stuff would get deleted again...
Screenshots
Alchemist
#22 Old 13th Aug 2020 at 2:20 AM
I'm sorry to hear that @Dwynwen and @Lucydique, both, for you and because that means that they deleted the files but have even stopped warning people. Since you said this, I checked, too, and I also have broken links now in my simblr. Files that were part of a 4-file set are missing. One of them is still there, the others that are part of the set are not. I know that people want to think the best, but the front page still says very clearly "no purges" and I have broken links on my simblr, now, from a purge. It's very disappointing.
Screenshots
Forum Resident
#23 Old 19th Aug 2020 at 7:27 PM
I can't believe this has been going for 2 weeks and there still hasn't been any kind of announcement about it on their tumblr or anywhere else past the banner which still is only visible if you're logged in. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some communication on the topic at least... :/
Mad Poster
#24 Old 19th Aug 2020 at 8:16 PM
I'll just put out there that I've definitely had SFS delete my files before now. When I first created the initial version of Autonomous Gift-Giving At Parties for Sunrader, I put it on SFS because I wasn't ready to release it here. I never bothered to delete the file from SFS, because I'd only ever shared the link with Sunrader, and I figured they might need to redownload it at some point if they lost the file somehow. When I fixed things up with the mod for posting to MTS I wanted to get Sunrader to test it, so I went back to SFS to upload the new version, and found that the old version had been deleted. I was never informed that this had happened.
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retired moderator
#25 Old 19th Aug 2020 at 9:19 PM
Is SFS still run by @Nysha? Has anyone tried tweeting them or sending a Tumblr message?
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