This evening we’ll be upgrading TheOneRing.net’s IRC server software. Most of the changes will be invisible to chatters, but will result in a better, more reliable chatting experience for everyone. We strongly encourage you to take the time to acquaint yourself with these new features by reading through our brand new chat FAQ.
One change in particular will impact on everyone who has a registered nickname. This is a significant change to the registration process that regular chatters must be aware of.
New e-mail requirement for nickserv registration
Registering a nickname allows you to reserve a nickname for your own exclusive use. As regulars know, this is invaluable for maintaining a personal identity on the TORn IRC server.
In the past, registering a nickname has not required an e-mail field. However, with the server upgrade this will change and everyone – including those with currently registered nicknames – will need to add an e-mail address to their registration.
You will be prompted by Nickserv once the upgrade has been completed. You do not need to do anything until then, and you don’t need to be there for the upgrade. You will be prompted the next time you log on.
Also, please note that your nickname is not being deregistered, and that no-one will be able to steal it during the changeover. This upgrade merely adds a requirement for an e-mail field. Even people who already have set an e-mail address (which until now has been optional) will need to go through this process and re-set it.
Why an e-mail address is very useful!
This is because the software that we use to power our IRC Services (IRCServices v5) – which includes nickserv – requires that all registered users submit a valid e-mail address in order that very useful and exciting functionality such as memo-forwarding and password-retrieval can be used.
If you really do not want to submit an e-mail address, there is no obligation for you to register your nickname at all. Needless to say, TORn treats all the private data of its users (e-mail addresses, memos, etc.) with the utmost privacy and respect – the only e-mail you will ever receive from us via your registered e-mail address will be that which you request yourself by interacting with services (with the proviso of a serious emergency where we (TORn Senior Staff/IRC Operators) might need to personally contact you specifically, in the absence of any other contact details).
Steps to re-registering under the new sytem
So how do currently registered users adapt to this new system and re-confirm their nickname registration? This step-by-step guide shows you how. After the changeover, when you login, you’ll be prompted by nickserv as normal for your password, like this:
NickServ- This nickname is registered and protected. If it is your nickname, type /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password. Otherwise, please choose a different nickname.
If you have a kill set on your nick, you will also receive a warning like this:
NickServ- If you do not change within 20 seconds, I will change your nickname.
Enter your password as per normal:
/msg nickserv register password
Once you’ve done that, you’ll receive this new message from Nickserv:
NickServ- You must set an E-mail address for your nickname before you continue using it. Please set one now with the command: /msg NickServ SET EMAIL address
If you’re familiar with nickserv operations, this shouldn’t be too difficult. However, if you have a kill on your nick, you’ll again receive a warning that your nick will be changed if you don’t perform the operation quickly. If you’re too slow, Nickserv will forcibly alter your nick to something like Guest2097645. If it happens to you, simply change your nick back to your registered nick and start over.
So, now you must swap your chosen e-mail – and it’s very important that you use a valid one – for address. For example, I would type:
/msg NickServ SET EMAIL demosthenes@theonering.net
Please do not use my address! You must, must, MUST use one of your own! Did I say must enough?
Once you’ve done that, Nickserv will spit a message somewhat like this back at you:
NickServ- An authorization code for your nickname has been sent to demosthenes@theonering.net.
NickServ- When you receive this message, type /msg NickServ AUTH code (replace code with the authorization code in the message) to complete your E-mail address change.
NickServ- Please note that you will not be able to continue using your nickname unless you complete the change.
Now, to ensure that your e-mail address is valid, you’ll receive a message containing a nine-digit authorization code at the e-mail address you gave. You’ll have to retreive this from your e-mail before you can finish the registration process.
When you’ve retrieved your code from your e-mail inbox, simply follow the instructions and type:
/msg nickserv auth code
Simply replace code in the above command with the nine-digit authorization code given in the E-mail message. For example, if I was to receive an auth code of 923560279, I would type:
/msg nickserv auth 923560279
The only complication will be if you have your nick changed because you have a kill set. In this case, once you’ve received your code via e-mail, change your nick back to your registered nickname, then type in the authorisation code. Note that in this case you do not need to identify before typing in the auth code, you can type the code in straight away as directed in the e-mail from Barliman’s IRC Services and as shown above.
If you follow these steps, your chosen nickname should now be registered under the new system!
And be sure to check out all the new goodies in our brand new chat FAQ.
I just want you guys to know that TTT has reigned supreme ever since it was released in Bulgaria on January the 10th. Up to January the 26th (17 days) it has grossed exactly 501,144 Bulgarian Levs, which equals around $280,000, which ranks it the second highest grossing film in its first two weeks, beaten only by Titanic. TTT launched with a pretty good $110,000 in its first three days – just for comparison, FOTR finished with $325,000 in Bulgaria after almost 4 months of screening, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone ended up with close to $300,000 and The Chamber of Secrets, which is currently in its 8th week of screening has close to $170,000. All of this adds up for an expectation that TTT will pass the $500,000 in the next 5 or six weeks, as it is yet to be launched in several of the country’s big cities in the middle of February…
In Box Office news, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has finally passed the US mark set by its predecessor Fellowship of the Ring.
In the US all-time moneylists, Towers just leapfrogged Fellowship to nab 10th spot and push toward Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 9th position. Towers now has amassed a US$315 million box office in just 44 days compared to the US$313 million that Fellowship took last year.
10 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers NL $315,800,000 2002
11 Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring NL $313,364,114 2001
Outside the US, Towers is yet to overhaul Fellowship. But it only US$120 million in arrears. Box Office mojo reports that as at 31/1, Towers had grossed an enormous US$423.1 million, with the Japanese release still due to occur. Towers will release in Japan on February 22.
The horrible news this morning of the Columbia Shuttle disaster brings this nation, and many across the world, to grieve. To see this happen again is devastating. Too much so.
My grief today is deep. My family is very close to the NASA Space Program. I was born on the Florida coast, only a few miles north of Cape Canaveral. For over 30 years, my Mother and Grandmother worked for NASA at the Cape — today my Brother is an electrician working on the Shuttle missions. He and I grew up in a community where everyone was somehow connected to the Lunar Missions, the Space Shuttles; and we all knew the astronauts as heroes.
We shared more than a common history and civic pride; it was more like sharing a great dream and passion about the future of Mankind.
On January 28, 1986, I was in fourth period History class at my high school. None of us were working on our lessons, instead we watched the Space Shuttle Challenger flying high above, right outside our window. I saw the craft explode with my own eyes, right in the sky above me. We heard screams and crying out in the halls. Teachers and kids were running to the Library, to see the news broadcast on the television. We were all shattered.
I never, ever wanted to see that again. But now the worst has happened.
Today, all seven astronauts are gone. Their spouses and children were waiting for them to come home, waiting on the runway, for they were only 15 minutes away from landing.
I believe bravery is measured by a person taking great risk for some thing or cause that is greater than himself. Tolkien teaches us that, surely, in the struggle of Frodo and his companions.
But it is truly brave to seek out and reach for an ideal — a dream that goes beyond all of us — and to give your life for it. The President said they pursued a “high and noble calling.” To me, those pilots and astronauts in the Space Program are the greatest adventurers. Only their passion takes them up so high. How else can we learn about Mankind’s future out there, without them?
I ask all of you to remember them and the families who are now bereft. As an American, I never forget how proud I am of our soldiers, firefighters and law enforcement, who are so brave in the face of death. But when you speak of the astronauts…. their bravery is unique. They bring us the hope and promise of the future; and it cannot truly be measured.
The Staff and contributors of TheOneRing.net extend their sympathies to all who suffered loss today, especially to the families of Rick Husband, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, William McCool, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon.
In March last year, Peter Jackson attached a four-minute Two Towers preview to the end of Fellowship of the Ring. It’s starting to seem quite likely that he’ll be doing a similar thing for Two Towers. This of course gives us something to look forward to in just over a month’s time. Check out this spoilericious report from the boards of Comingsoon.net.
This report was posted on the Comingsoon.net forums on January 30 by Jedi5150. Now, keep in mind that at this stage it’s still pretty rumoursome, but this is what Jedi5150 had to say:
“SOURCES” are reporting that PJ in the coming weeks will be viewing fine cut and complete footage of RoTK for the extended preview to added to TTT in March. “THEY” say that PJ has a short list of certain scenes he wants to put in and then he will view any other footage to add and make it complete. According to “SOME” this is what PJ’s list is said to include:
Aragorn handing the brooch back to it’s rightful owner, Pippin. This sounds cool, because if you remember TTT preview the opening scene was of Aragorn picking up Pippin’s brooch, and to have the preview of RoTK to start with this scene, it makes for a great continuation. That would (also) be our first glimpse of the reunion aka the road to Isengard.
Ride of the Rohirrim
Merry pledging his sword
Pippin approaching the palantir
Shots establishing Gondor, perhaps moments before the SIEGE OF GONDOR
The meeting between Faramir and Eowyn
Establishing shots of Pellenor fields
Mouth of Sauron
Aragorn walking up to the palantir
Pippin riding with Gandalf on Shadowfax
Shots establishing moments before the battle at the black gate
Aragorn in his Gondorian armor, riding into battle
Paths of the dead
“Minor” shots of Shelob
(And although) they do not want to show too much… Denethor
FINALLY (for) THE BIG FINALE, I have possible dialouge to go with this one … Frodo and Sam by the crack of Doom, SAM: DESTROY it Mr. Frodo! FRODO: no … I will not destroy it! THE RING IS MINE!!!
You can read the entire thread here on Comingsoon.net.
Christopher writes: The January issue of Post has a 2 page interview with Richard Taylor. Not much new here but there is one interesting quote regarding the Uruk-Hai-
“They’re just built to kill and they never retreat; hence they had no armor on their backs since Saruman never imagined they’d turn and flee. But, like so many genetic frailties of our own time, as we follow the Uruk-Hai through film three, we’ll appreciate that, as Ridley Scott called it so beautifully, they have “accelerated decrepitude.” They begin to break down quickly and Saruman hasn’t actually quite got his alchemy right. We wanted to build an analogy to the frailties of playing with sciencde in our own world.”
I don’t recall this from the books but it is an interesting addition. That may also explain the peculiar look of the Uruk shot in the ROTK calender. I just assumed the Uruks were finished and we wouldn’t see them much in ROTK. I was puzzled by the shot from the calender. Looks like there is more story for Saruman and the Uruks to come…
