[PAID] Import old threads into Discourse from email list

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What would you like done?

PART 1: Import Email List Archive Into Discourse

  1. We have long-running email discussion list which we’d like to import into a Discourse forum and then our users will be able to use Discourse moving forward rather than an email list. This should be possible using this open source script (another developer has successfully done this as a proof of concept). We want to be sure to: Create threads/messages for each unique email; create users for each unique email address; attribute correct messages to those users. Basically make it as if the conversations happened in Discourse to begin with.

  2. For some users, we have additional “profile” information which we’d like imported into their Discourse profile. We can point out exactly where this information is for ease of importing.

  3. Do some simple search/replace-type massaging to the data to make it look better here and there. We will specify this in more detail.

  4. We have an html archive of all the email discussions and we’ll need a 301-redirect system to go from those old urls to new discourse urls. Preferably via a few regex rules and not individual redirects.

PART 2: Import Gallery Images Into Discourse

  1. We also have a mysql database full of “gallery images” that users have posted over the years which we’d like to import into a couple of special Discourse categories as threads. This will involve just marching through a database and creating threads in Discourse with an image and description.

  2. Do some simple search/replace-type massaging to the data to make it look better here and there. We will specify this in more detail.

When do you need it done?

Within the next 2 weeks.

What is your budget, in $ USD that you can offer for this task?

We’re openminded and flexible about the budget.

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I’m an experienced sysadmin and I’ve been running Discourse for a year, but am new to interacting with Discourse through Ruby. That said, I’ve just imported a mailing list that I run into Discourse & should be able to do the mailing list import. The script seems to work with a couple of modifications that I’ll submit as PRs Real Soon Now.

I’m not quite sure how to accomplish sucking in more profile data, but that should be no problem.

Search/replace cleanup is no problem.

The 301 redirects can be handled by Discourse’s Permalink system. It might make sense to add that code to the mbox script.

Feel send a PM to work out the particulars.

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Thanks for the reply, Jay. I’ll PM you with some more details.

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