Looking for a Secondary Tech Admin

[NeoArkadia]

Okay, the basic gist is that the primary System Admin we have, ShadowFang, is extremely busy, and we could use help from a secondary System Admin so we aren't months in between updates and in case the forum suffers from any serious errors. So, we need someone to step up on the matter. And we would like those who wish to apply for the position to fill out the following application:

1. Prior experience as a System/Site Administrator?
2. Reliability and Availability?
3. Methods of Contact?
4. Do you get along with people?
5. Do you work well as a team player?
6. Do you like and respect other people's privacy?
7. Are you good and familiar with Unix?
8. Are you good and familiar with Mysql?
9. Are you good and familiar with Php?
10. Are you good and familiar with PhpBB?
11. What Forum software are you familiar with?
12. Do you have any familiarity with publishing systems such as Word Press or general Wiki software?
13. Would you mind being tested?
14. Anything else?

Please send the following application via PM to NeoArkadia. Applications posted in thread will be deleted and ignored. Please feel free to reply if you have any questions.

[Arynis]

122 thread views, and yet we are sorely lacking in any input or feedback of the sort, as well as applications. C'mon guys, there's no need to be shy or discouraged! Or are we really lacking tech folks in here?

[Utano Kokoro]

I'm interested in applying but I don't think I have enough tech experience (and zero with forum software) to qualify. ^^;; Any way we can try out the position, to see more first hand what is required of a system admin?

[Arynis]

Don't worry, Shadowfang is a pretty friendly person and I'm sure he'd be happy to train candidates even if you aren't an actual IT person.

As for training, I suggest downloading XAMPP and set things up, then download phpBB from the official site and install it on your test server. That way, you get access to the forum to toy with, PHPMyAdmin to also toy with (which is why knowing MySQL is important, since PHPMyAdmin is a frontend for that). It might be a hassle to install at first, it's certainly not easy, but once you get it working it's fairly simple to get around, bar the actual usage of PHPMyAdmin or tinkering with phpBB's Admin Control Panel.

You could try tasks like installing mods and smileys on phpBB, since they both require FTP access which us normal Administrators don't have. Also check whether they are compatible with the current version of phpBB. Check if they are compatible with all our forum skins. We use prosilver, subsilver2 (these are the default ones), Black Pearl, Rainbow Pearl and Cerulean.

With PHPMyAdmin you could try database optimizing, but I haven't done much in PHPMyAdmin myself. There's also the matter that I gave myself root's powers in PHPMyAdmin, which is technically unlimited power. In the live environment, it's too risky to hand over all the controls to a secondary tech admin, especially if we're less experienced. So chances we'll just have enough privileges to do things Shadow would want us to be able to do. However, for purely testing purposes, root powers might be handy because it allows you to do anything on your test database.

Furthermore, keep in mind that the System Admin position wouldn't be solely just for the forum, as we have plans to launch a main site and a Wiki (hence the questions about Wordpress and Wiki software). It could be possible that System Admins could be divided accordingly (i.e., Shadowfang has complete control, and we'd have a Forum SysAdmin, a site SysAdmin, etc.) but this is just my guess and it's up to Shadowfang entirely how he'd want things to run or how he'd find it the most operational/optimal.

Also, you might want to read these documentations, or at least dabble in them.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.phpbb.com/support/documentation/3.0/">http://www.phpbb.com/support/documentation/3.0/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://dev.mysql.com/doc/">http://dev.mysql.com/doc/</a><!-- m --> (Note that our live forum uses MySQL 5.0.91mm-log, XAMPP uses MySQL(i) 5.5.16)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.php.net/docs.php">http://www.php.net/docs.php</a><!-- m -->

[strike]Don't worry, I haven't really read these myself either. 8D[/strike]

[Utano Kokoro]

Oh nice, this look helpful. xD I'll look into the links and resources. ^^ I've learned PHP before but only the basics, and I'm not sure how much I remember, lol.

[YYugi]

Woah, those are some interesting links Ary!
I'll get the time to read them, these might get useful :3

I also want to apply, but as Utano Kokoro, Im don't have the experience.
The interest I do have, but if I'd apply I will be playing with it at first to get used to it, since I've never managed a forum, and php is new to me. [strike]not to say that I also don't know how to use Unix, MySql :/[/strike]

As for the Word press or wiki thing, I think I could make it since I worked on the Janime Wiki back then.
(nevermind I won't qualify for this <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/NAC_Smiley_Pack_Default/sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s --> )

*runs to read all of that info* <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/NAC_Smiley_Pack_Default/X3.gif" alt="" title="Squee!" /><!-- s -->