A brief history of PlanetCalypsoForum

Status

711

Site Admin
Admin
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Posts
5,346
Since there seems to be some misconceptions and confusion relating to the past and current status of PCF, I thought it would be a good idea to post this informational sticky thread.
*And also save myself the effort of having to explain things over and over when someone posts inaccurate information*

  • Jan. 2005 - EntropiaForum founded by MindBuster
  • Aug. 2006 - 711 acquires the EntropiaForum.com domain, website and database from MindBuster. EntropiaForum is moved to a dedicated server to guarantee uptime during Version Updates, and forum software is modernized.
  • Sep. 2010 - FirstPlanetCompany (FPC) signs an agreement to acquire the EntropiaForum database and transfer it to PlanetCalypsoForum.com as the official Planet Calypso forum. 711 hosts and administrates PCF as a contractor of FPC.
  • Nov. 2010 - EntropiaForum is relaunched with a completely new database and a new focus on all Entropia Universe planets.
  • Jan. 2011 - See Digital Studios (SDS) takes over FPC. The existing agreement governing the forum sale is inherited by SDS (including all outstanding payments due). A new website management contract (hosting/administration of PCF) is signed with SDS.
  • May 2011 - SDS ceases making payments as agreed in the PCF sales agreement, and ceases making payments as agreed in the website management contract. Nevertheless, 711 continues to operate PCF in the interest of keeping the community resource available (along with free hosting continuing to be provided for EntropiaTracker and Entropedia on the EntropiaRadio server).
  • Jun. 2011 - Cooperation between MindArk and SDS is terminated due to non-payment by SDS. Responsibility and control of Planet Calypso reverts to MindArk.
  • Jun. 2016 - MindArk acquires the PlanetCalypsoForum.com domain, website and database.
  • Jul. 2020 - PlanetCalypsoForum is migrated to a new forum platform (XenForo).

Below is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions and answers. I will update this section as necessary.

FAQ
Q. Is PCF owned by MindArk?
A. Yes, as of mid-2016.

Q. Is PlanetCalypsoForum still the official forum for Planet Calypso?
A. Yes.

Q. If someone objects to the policies of this forum, can they file a support case?
A. No. Entropia Universe / Planet Calypso support staff have no responsibility for PlanetCalypsoForum and no forum admin/moderator privileges, so participants should not file support cases for forum-related issues. Even when FPC first took over and made PCF the official forum, it was made very clear that forum user accounts were completely separate from Entropia Universe accounts and that all forum-related issues should be addressed directly to the community manager (at the time, Hanne|FPC).

Q. Is this forum an official representation of MindArk?
A. No. The only 'official representations' are statements made by MindArk representatives (e.g. Dennis|MindArk, Henrik|MindArk, etc.), or statements shared in syndicated news feeds from the official Entropia Universe or Planet Calypso websites (usually automatically posted by BerthaBot). Statements made by PCF forum staff or volunteer community moderators should not be interpreted as offical in any capacity.
 
Last edited:
Something i dont understand .. How can PCF be "official" if there is no contract or agreement with MA/AR ?
I dont really mind, but can you enlight that point?
Thks
 
When are you going to update the whois info about pcf so that it doesn't show that MA still owns it?.
{removed}
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Something i dont understand .. How can PCF be "official" if there is no contract or agreement with MA/AR ?
I dont really mind, but can you enlight that point?
Thks

Cuz they say it it
 
When are you going to update the whois info about pcf so that it doesn't show that MA still owns it?...

I do not own the domain PlanetCalypsoForum.com. I believe the domain reverted back to MindArk's ownership when the deal with SDS was terminated.
 
That is what i understand :

- Domain PCF belongs most probably to MA
- Database belongs most probably to MA or AR
- You host and manage PCF for free as you have no agreement

Shitty situation according to me.
Well, man, i hope you have an contract soon. Think you deserve it.
 
Q. Is PlanetCalypsoForum still the official forum for Planet Calypso?
A. Yes.

...

Q. Is this forum an official representation of MindArk?
A. No. The only 'official representations' of either MindArk or AR Universe are statements made by representatives of those companies (e.g. Kim|Calypso, David|MindArk, etc.), or statements shared in syndicated news feeds from the official Entropia Universe or Planet Calypso websites (usually automatically posted by BerthaBot). Statements made by PCF forum staff or volunteer community moderators should not be interpreted as offical in any capacity.

If PCF is still and have always been under your control 711,

why re-open EF then ?


(i would even say, why create PCF when EF was great enough,
and again since EF & PCF are owned and controlled by you...)
 
- Database belongs most probably to MA or AR
.

Incorrect.

The forum database belongs to me, and has never been in the possession of anyone other than myself or MindBuster (founder and original owner of EntropiaForum.com).

I have updated the opening post to make this more clear.
 
If PCF is still and have always been under your control 711,

why re-open EF then ?


(i would even say, why create PCF when EF was great enough,
and again since EF & PCF are owned and controlled by you...)

This site, PlanetCalypsoForum.com, is dedicated to Planet Calypso.

EntropiaForum.com is dedicated to Entropia Universe, not just one planet within the universe.
 
ignore, 711 beat me to it.
 
Thank for this overview.
Something I still do not understand is the relation between you and MA.

If you own the DB, how can copyright be with MA?

How official can a forum be, if there is no legal tie between the two of you? If I understand it correctly, you can start saying stuff on this "official" forum, which MA/FPC doesn't agree with. Seems like a risky situation to me.
 
Thank for this overview.
Something I still do not understand is the relation between you and MA.

If you own the DB, how can copyright be with MA?

The copyright in the footer is a leftover from when FPC/SDS were in the process of acquiring the forum (after the termination of the SDS deal, I had changed it over to MindArk). I have now changed the copyright notice to PlanetCalypsoForum.com in order to avoid any confusion.

How official can a forum be, if there is no legal tie between the two of you? If I understand it correctly, you can start saying stuff on this "official" forum, which MA/FPC doesn't agree with. Seems like a risky situation to me.

As I explained in the FAQ section of the opening post, statements made by the forum admins or volunteer moderators should never be construed as official statements from MindArk or AR Universe.

We (the forum staff and moderators) are not employees of either of those companies.
 
No further questions, your honour :)
 
Maybe you should state this in the legal notice as well. To avoid any confusion...
 
I am sure i am being a complete internet noob with this question. But if MA or subsidary owns the domain planetcalypsoforum.com, do they have rights to what/how etc is posted on it?

I understand they do not own the database.

Rgds

Ace
 
And what about Entropia Forum ? Who owns that ? MA ?
 
And what about Entropia Forum ? Who owns that ? MA ?

MA does not own any forum. As it always has been, EF.com is hosted and administrated by 711
 
I am sure i am being a complete internet noob with this question. But if MA or subsidary owns the domain planetcalypsoforum.com, do they have rights to what/how etc is posted on it?

I understand they do not own the database.

Rgds

Ace

From a technical perspective, owning a domain name has nothing to do with the actual access/content on the website. Anyone who administrates a zone, say "example.com", can add an A record to "pcf.example.com" that points to the IP address of PCF. Then, it would be possible to access PCF by "pcf.example.com", assuming that PCF does not utilize name-based virtual hosting techniques.
 
Decided to make my post as a new thread instead. I appreciate you posting this because I was one of those people very confused by the change.
 
Last edited:
I don't understand this -

Jun. 2011 - Cooperation between MindArk and SDS is terminated due to non-payment by SDS. Responsibility and control of Planet Calypso reverts to MindArk

Was Planet Calypso not owned by MindArk for brief period of time but was owned by SDS or this is a mistake?
 
Was Planet Calypso not owned by MindArk for brief period of time but was owned by SDS or this is a mistake?

Planet Calypso was sold to SDS for $6M in the beginning of 2011, but half a year later MA got it back, apparently without any reimbursement. Details were never revealed.
 
Q. Is PCF owned by MindArk?
A. No, see above.

Q. Who owns the forum database? Who has or has had access to the forum database?
A. The forum database is owned by 711, and has never been in the possession of anyone other than 711 or MindBuster (original forum founder).

I do not own the domain PlanetCalypsoForum.com. I believe the domain reverted back to MindArk's ownership when the deal with SDS was terminated.

So... the domain "planetcalypsoforum.com" (not the forum content) is owned by Mindark and fully under their control. However, MA has kindly pointed the domain to the forum content hosted by 711 in the US. MA could redirect the domain to another forum or website at any time if they wished to do so. Therefore it is hypothetically possible that 711 could be subject to some amount of pressure from MA, since without any kind of legal agreement, it is only at MA's pleasure that the domain continues to point here. However, given the amount of MA bashing that freely goes on here it's reasonable to assume that any pressure is minimal.
 
Sorry Oztwo, but this forum does not allow posting personal info, including domain name registration, regardless of how easy it is to get that info.
 
Sorry Oztwo, but this forum does not allow posting personal info, including domain name registration, regardless of how easy it is to get that info.

That's right! Only posts stating that EU is the BEST game on the PLANET are free from moderation around here! All other posts will MOST LIKELY be deleted... edited... and heck.. could likely come with a forum ban.
 
Edit..oops, sorry, forgot to remove the phone numbers

{removed}
Mod's note: Just don't post any of the domain name info please.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The current slightly schizophrenic situation with the EU central forum being a forum of one specific planet is a perfect replica of the situation in the virtual realm itself. Calypso as a metropolis and central trading hub (althou it's supposedly just another planet now, equal among equals); the "generic loots" and "generic ores" on the new planets (that are actually the same old planet Calypso ores and loots), etc.

I would like to have one central forum for the whole EU, but i can see why PCF can't simply "turn international" - it would rob the forum from the biggest planet with longest history and thus create even bigger mess. I think 711 has actually made the best choices in this difficult situation that has no ideal solutions.

Or maybe... ?

Suppose u turn it around. For experiment's sake, try to look at the central forum from the perspective of the new player on some bigger or smaller backwater planet out there.
What would you need besides your own planet forum? Only the part that deals with universal stuff: skills, theories, trading, anything NOT Calypso-specific.

What if there's one major "central forum" that has a mirroring capability, allowing access to it's universal content from the "outside"? Then all the Planet forums might have 2 sections: "Local" & "Universal" (ability to see both and also post on both). It would be provided only as an option to all PP's ofc - if they wish they can embed this universal section to their forums. If not, well, up to them.

Yeah, i can think of a myriad of reasons, technical, political and whatnot, why it's damn hard to implement. Can i play Peezle now - draw up the Vision and then quietly sneak away, leaving u to battle with all the practical details? U don't mind, right? Thankyou! :girl:
 
Status
Back
Top