I still say the best and easiest thing to do is for SCS to give Magix the code and the database for this forum as part of the sale. Magix installs the software and data on one of their own servers, gives it a new URL, and everything goes on exactly the same as it is now.

What could be simpler than that?

I haven't tried it but have heard interesting things about Forum Downloader

Here is a program that isn't focused on forums but entire sites archived for local browsing with tons of options to focus on what you want to download. It basically creates a mirror of a site or part you choose and then when you run it at a later time it does a smart update.

HTTRACK Website copier

According to our new friend 'browj2' at Magix.info forum, Magix has separate the forum for XARA, Samplitude products. They split consumer and pro forums.

It's possible that Magix.info forum we are looking at, is more to consumer's side.

BTW, CreativeCow also update their forum look:
https://forums.creativecow.net/magixvegas

Have you guys forgotten? There's already an online "backup" of this forum:
http://www.designstudioschool.com/vegas-pro-forum.html

...though it looks like it hasn't updated for the past year.

(This is that "clone" forum that would robotically copy all the posts made to the Vegas Pro forum here, but post the content there using fake names and photos...)

+ >1 for Chienworks.

The updated CCow forum is nice, but lacks the SCS databases...:)

Thanks for all the information. I guess I hope that Magix does do that and just brings over this great forum to the Magix community as is....

But just in case, I put in the forum info for the Wayback Machine so I'm hoping they start archiving this valuable information.

@FixitMad0, the Wayback Machine already does, sort of. link

While it shows the first page of the forum, none of the threads show up and the Older Topics link doesn't work.

However, if you click the Search all archive pages link at the bottom, you get some old topics.

So while the forum is partly there, it's not of much use.

Browj2 at our Vegas section in Magix.info:

"One important thing for Vegas users to keep in mind, and I know that this is a concern, is losing all of the threads from the existing forum and all of the expertise as to how to do things. The present Magix forum was revamped by Magix several years ago, before my time, and everything was lost. One should always copy or download the good stuff and keep it for a rainy day."

Hopefully this doesn't happened anymore...

One could easily use wget to slurp the entire forum content in one swell foop! However, any method of doing so should be kind and considerate enough to do so at a moderate pace rather than full speed so that it doesn't seriously pinch SCS' bandwidth or overload the server's resources. wget has a very nice feature that can limit bandwidth to any set value, or even pause between accesses by any arbitrary or random amount of time. Just type in one command and come back later to a full copy of everything on the local hard drive.

Of course, it's a static copy, without the hosting forum software to make anything actually work.

I know essentially nothing about forum software or related issues, so please forgive me if this Hail Mary is way off.

But I'm gonna guess that sony owns a computer or two on which reside(s) the forum software, data base, content and everything related to the forum.

Would it be possible that we, as a group, buy those machines, or their disks, RAIDs and whatever else it would take to put the forum in the hands of the people who stand to gain the most from it--us?

Could we not hire someone to maintain the forum and give us what we need?

How many people are on this forum? Maybe a thousand? I really don't know, but it seems altogether probable that we could all pony up a small amount each year to pay someone to get the job done?

I may be technically all wet, but I thought it would be worth suggesting. And I sure don't want to have to use that Play Skool Magix software.

Forgive me, Widetrack, but there are several real world issues re your recent posting.

Number ONE - the information of the forum site is considered in USA to be intellectual property...that is actually most of its value run thru the forum app.

As some have suggested it is possible to use a web trawling software to capture a static image of the information - but it is static and impractical to do so.

On the other hand if you live in North Korea or other parts of the world on the dark web you can STEAL a copy of the site and push it thru facsimile of the forum app. THIS has already been done by foreign entities - JUST wish to point out to you this is considered illegal.

Widetrack: it's very possible from a technical sense. If i got a copy of it i'm sure i could have it installed and running online in half an hour, well, plus load time for the database itself.

As videoITguy points out though, it would probably be very bad from a legal standpoint. We've all entrusted Sonic Foundry and Sony Creative Software with a binding agreement that they will appropriately administer all the information we users have placed in this forum. When another company takes over the intellectual property of another there is usually a clause that the new company will honor that same agreement. Expecting some random user to handle all the security necessary to keep it all safe is unlikely to fly.

And as i've mentioned a few times already, there is an extremely simple, fast, easy, and eminently logical solution to the problem, which is to have Magix do exactly what you suggest. Let's see if they'll do so.

videoTguy:

How in the world did you get from my suggestion that we BUY Sony's forum hardware, software and intellectual property to: pointing out the obvious fact that such intellectual property is considered property (!) and is illegal to steal; bringing up trawling software; and suggesting that we give Kim Jong Il a call and see if he'll boost the whole thing for us?

This is an intellectual leap that Superman would envy.

wha?

Widetrack @ I know essentially nothing about forum software or related issues, so please forgive me if this Hail Mary is way off.

This is a bit moot, as Magix now owns the SCS Forums pertaining to the products they purchased. They will not sell.


Best Regards.......George

Who is "they" in the "they will not sell" - I believe Widetrack was asking about Magix getting in some LEGAL way the forums from Sony so these could continue basically "as is" - if "they" is Sony and they won't sell, that is an issue, but if Magix is "they" then Magix does have the option of continuing the forums as they are. It would definitely be a real loss for all of this knowledge and information to simply vanish into the "bit bucket" (or /dev/nul for you Unix folks ... ) and it would certainly be to Magix advantage to keep this information available for their new/adopted user base.

mikey

Your suppositions are moot. Magix has stated that they have acquired the forum content as part of the IP transfer. So, it's already in there hands.

I'm just saddened that they are trying to fit the content into their own forum format rather than using SonicFoundry's forum code. But, perhaps that code wasn't part of the IP transfer.