u/NekoPrankster218

Figured someone should share the news outside of the server. We just got word that BSide has rescinded their blessing of the playable Offline Archive Project due to their own reboot plans and asked the offline project to cease their operations and delete all the assets. Now the only archives remaining are the video and photo based ones.

RIP CounterSide

To make a long story short:

• I got Calibre two years ago to export annotations from my Kobo and side-load stuff like the TF2 comics into it. But annotations especially, because I mainly borrow ebooks through Overdrive and once I return them I can no longer access the annotations. I was using the "Annotations" plugin that recently has been breaking in newer Calibre versions.
• A while back (May 20th) Calibre was acting up and made me back-up metadata as a precaution. I did this by copying the entire "Calibre Library" file and pasting the files into a new folder specifically for backing that up.
• Today I realized that when I updated to 9.5, the Annotations plugin disappeared, so I tried to fix that. I broke Calibre altogether. I uninstalled and reinstalled, and I at least would get it to open, but it clearly wasn't performing right (details in next paragraph). Eventually I cleared the "Calibre Library" file altogether to start fresh, then tried pasting the May 20th files into it. It was still buggy until I deleted the "metadata" data base file and the "metadata_db_prefs_backup.json" file, allowing it to create new versions of those files that seems to lack whatever it is that is making Calibre buggy.
• For reference on what this buggy behavior is: When I attempt to open it, it first shows a white screen and takes a few minutes to fully "load", then every input takes several minutes to process; Task Manager shows that it comes in and out of "Not Responding" status, and the reason I know that is because the only way to close it in this state is to use Task Manager.
• HOWEVER, it showed my intact library EXCEPT the annotations now, which used to display on the comments field + its own second column. The second column straight up doesn't show up anymore. These only appear to show up when I re-paste the May 20th copies of those two metadata files, but as I also already explained, Calibre becomes a buggy mess when I do that. Note that the Annotations plugin is not active on my Calibre at this point because I'm doing this all on the latest version of Calibre, which that plugin seems to straight up not exist anymore on.

I've decided to move on from Calibre due to dissatisfaction over recent program performance (it's like every other week it finds a new reason to be a pain) and found a new method of exporting my Kobo annotations from here on, but these metadata files (the individual book ones that are "OPF documents" and possibly the overall database file) are the only access I have to the annotations of 40+ books I read previously. How can I access them, within Calibre or another program, to copy-paste the annotations?

(I also apologize if my post is still unclear; I've had a rough night as you can see and my brain is shot. Only reason I'm posting it rn and not waiting until I've rested off the stress is because I wanted to jot it down while it was fresh in my head. Responses from me might be late as a result.)

IMPORTANT EDIT: A semi-miracle has occurred!

On a whim I decided instead of getting ready for bed, I'd tinker at Calibre again. I opened it, looked at some options, and decided to make Calibre read the May 20th back-up folder as the new "Calibre Library" instead of doing any copy-paste. Same behavior, but the Annotations are all there.

Then I decided to be passionate. I could see that despite the length of time, Calibre WAS trying to initiate the buttons I tried to press. Eventually I managed to get to the "Custom metadata" tab of one of my annotated books and then... It was running smoothly. I could scroll at normal speed. My cursor wasn't frozen. I couldn't believe it. I highlighted everything and pasted it into a Notepad file.

Then I pressed the "Next" button and Calibre slowed again. Took a minute but then it was fine again. Did the same copy-paste, then "Next", and the cycle happened anew. I guess whatever's going on, it means Calibre takes forever to do an action and makes my fan flare up, but it eventually does the action. And then something about the "Custom metadata" page means that once it's on there, it will work smoothly until I press a button. Thankfully none of those buttons are "Select all" and "Copy".

So with some patience, I should hopefully be able to archive all these annotations in Notepad files, and then it won't matter if I have to start my Calibre from scratch. I know above I said I'd move on, but that was heat of the moment. The reality is that I might not utilize it the same way since I figured out a non-Calibre alternative to saving my Kobo annotations, but I might still need Calibre when it comes to side-loading.

MORE EDIT: Finished backing up the annotations, we are so back

Closed everything but Calibre and Notepad and listened to an audiobook on my phone while I got it done. In the middle of it I got curious and looked at Task Manager. Apparently every time Calibre was prompted to do something, the CPU would spike to 3.X%, until it would settle back to its usual 0.X%. After I copy-pasted everything, I did the slow process of switching the main library folder back to the non-buggy one and it was like a switch flipped - I could scroll and press things at normal speed again. I still have no idea what happened to that previous database file, but I guess the only closure that was necessary was saving my annotations. Time to properly sort them into sub-folders ig.

I have been looking EVERYWHERE for answers, but I am not seeing anyone discuss this, and the answer WILL change my autograph-buying, so I need to know really soon what's going on because the con is next weekend.

In the past, buying VIP meant access to a special autograph line. But now there's a "Platinum" VIP tier that claims you'll be escorted to the front of "the line" (for autographs) while standard VIP does not mention anything autograph-related. What I want to know is:

1. Did they change how they do the VIP autograph line, and does it mean us standard VIPs no longer have the perk?
2. *When* did they make this change, if they did, because Platinum VIP - according to my dad, who handles this and gets all the emails, so I'm taking this at his word - did not exist when we bought our early bird VIP towards the beginning of the year.

And if anyone could point me to places where people talk about Phoenix Fan Fusion and discuss these kinds of questions, that would also be useful.

The Johnny Rockets next to the arena swapped their usual music for Miku as part of the event. It was a shock when we walked in and I immediately heard The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku lol. Idk if they’re doing requests like usual or just playing a pre-set playlist, someone braver than me can ask

Everything I get says “outside venue” but not WHERE outside the venue the merch booth is going to be. Anyone already there see the merch booth? Is it normal for them to be vague or put off to the last minute the announcement?