Updates 2005

Dec 31st

• Tails Plushie Page
  • Wonder Swan's Tails Plushie Page
    • Fixed a template bug that caused CSS conflicts. The gallery table was being displayed as a footer.
    • Added another pic that I found from an old e-mail. At the time, Yahoo reported the attachment had errors.
  • Created a Tails plushie page for ChibiTails Prower with 1 pic (1 Tails plushie).
  • Created a Tails plushie page for DracoTK with 1 pic (3 Tails plushies).

Dec 25th

• Updated the Shadow save file on the Downloads Page (25 endings seen, 35 A-ranks).
• Reverse Engineering Page
  • Page has adapted the PHP includes
  • Tails Aventures Password Generator
    • The generator is now the index page of the new gen directory rather than the tagen.htm name. The Password Specs page also moved.
    • The page was adapted with the PHP includes
    • All invalid javascript has been fixed and updated with the DOM approach.
    • The output div now has a better predetermined width with relative units. The page body height should no longer grow or shrink with the output is shown or cleared.

Dec 18th

• Updated the Shadow save file on the Downloads Page.
• Created a PHP randomization script for the Beta Tails Sliding Puzzle. The algorithms to determine solvability have failed though. I've been working on this for hours each day, and with the time of the season, updates have been slow lately.

Dec 10th

• Updated the Gotcha Force save file on the Downloads Page.
• Created a Tails plushie page for Lostgame on the Plush Page. I'll try another algorithm.

Dec 4th

• Updated the Shadow save on the Downloads Page (35 A-ranks, Last Story beat, various endings).
• Beta Tails Sliding Puzzle (XHTML 1.1 DOM version).
  • Created this new project on the Games Page. The changes from the original Tails Sliding Puzzle are below:
  • Page is served as application/xhtml+xml, the true mimetype for XHTML.
  • A main script file was created and loaded at start. It contains the functions used. Internal scripts were kept at minimum for the page, sending only page-specific variables to the main script (the script will be shared for all the sliding puzzles in the future).
  • All scripts use mimetype application/x-javascript
  • document.write() is no longer used as it no longer works in XHTML. The same goes for the proprietary innreHTML property. They are replaced with document.createElement() and document.createTextNode()
  • The document.images collection array was replaced with the childNodes[] array of the parent link.
  • The window[] command was used less. Instead of using it to create 16 different objects to build upon for preloading images, an array was created instead (this should be cleaner and more efficient).
  • The empty square was renamed to the piece it was replacing. The unused piece is no longer preloaded either. With no exceptions in file names, this makes it less complex to preload and check for a win.
  • The preview button no longer exists. Ever since XHTML 1.0 Strict, the target attribute was depricated. The window.write() method would be gone just like document.write(). The config options for removng status bar, address bar, etc are also questionable as to whether they are in the DOM. It would be too simple to create a regular link to the picture, but too easy for someone to ruin their game as it won't be restored when they hit the back button in the same window.

Nov 27th

• Added a Shadow The Hedgehog save file to the Downloads Page
• Tails Adventures Password Generator
  • Added block labels to make clicking easier.
  • The labels use the :hover pseudo-element CSS to make the selections bold (works in most browsers except IE).

Nov 20th

• Fan Stuff
  • Deleted an unused CSS file that was used prior to the PHP changes.
  • Created a Tails plushie page for Shane Prower with 6 pics (1 Tails plushie).
• Battle Cards
  • Removed the enabled by default override.
  • The script now checks for the cookie specifying if you have cards enabled.

Nov 12th

• Added a save file for Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance to the Downloads Page.
• Updated the website field in Manic Mcloud's Fanart Page on the Fanart Page.
• Redid the look of the RSS Page. It still looks too plain.
• Battle Cards have been enabled by default for this week as sneak preview and for testing.

Nov 6th

• Created a Tails plushie page for Covskin with 2 pics (2 Tails plushies).
• Added a link to Tailman Team on the Links Page
• Battle Cards
  • The cloneNode() optimizations in the profile preference insertions are now complete.
  • Removed the "Delete Account" button from the preferences page.
  • Added a Debug button to the preferences page (this was too close to the delete button for comfort) for debugging booleans, variables, and errors. It will be removed once the project is complete.
  • Added support for the "Show Posts As Card" preference. The preference saves properly, but isn't used yet.

Oct 30th

• Fan Stuff
  • Meta info has been updated on all pages.
  • Plush Page
    • Added 2 Tails plushie pics to Quad Tails' Tails Plushie Page
    • Removed AvalonWorks from the Plush Page.
• Battle Cards
  • Added a new preference option that allows you to exlcude your posts from being formatted as another person with the Cards enabled views a topic with your posts in it
  • As there are 2 nearly identical node trees created one element at a time to do the 2 insertions, some DOM optimization is currently being worked on to use cloneNode() more and createElement() less.

Oct 23rd

• Fan Pages
  • Red Eyed Kitsune's Fanart Page was removed upon his request from here and all other communities.
  • Plush Page
    • Created a Tails plushie page for Phr0zen with 1 pic (1 Tails plushie).
    • Created a Tails plushie page for QuadTails with 1 pic (1 Tails plushie).
• Battle Cards
  • Fixed an IE-only issue that caused posts following a poster who didn't have an avater to lose the card formatting. Because IE doesn't handle null or missing nodes properly, it crashes a script on the spot. The script now checks to see if an avatar exists first.
  • The Battle Cards that appear in the profile area now work. A new cookie will be created and expired depending on the option.

Oct 16th

• Created a Tails plushie page for Flyboy Fox with 1 pic (6 Tails plushies) on the Tails Plushie Page.
• Battle Cards on Tails Archive Message Board
  • The hidden template tables have been moved out of the global headers and into the headers of the Test Board. This way this board will be the only area with the tables inserted, rather than every area including non-board areas such as PM and profile pages. Each board's headers will have the tables manually pasted in order to keep the non-board areas clean from unused script.
  • Headers (Board-specific) have been configured to be loaded before the title bar (welcome / PM box). This allows the script to load the external stylesheets and additional scripts earlier on, resulting in a cleaner page transformation after being cached.
  • The scripts have been updated in order to understand the new relationship between the divided headers (the board puts a <br /> between headers, offsetting the global reference node by one).
  • All images have been moved to a new directory.
  • A new "Show Battle Cards" option now appears in user profile pages. The next phase is for me to learn javascript cookies to store this preference.

Oct 9th

• Fanart Page
  • All pages have been redone with PHP and are in synchronization.
  • A few inconsistent title and meta tags were corrected (wrong user on page).
  • Pages with footers listing sites or contact info now have a padded orange heading cells. Apparently Mozilla has a little bit of support for the <colgroup> tag.
• Fixed a username problem in the Battle Cards. They weren't linking to member profiles.

Oct 2nd

• Added the site to the Fox Power Top 20..
• All pages that have been redone with the PHP scripts have also had a change with their meta keywords to remain consistent between pages, varying slightly depending on content.
• Fan Stuff Page
  • directories "Ashura" through "Jonfox" have been converted to PHP in the Fanart Page.
  • Tails Plush Page
    • Added 1 new pic to Alex Rian's Tails Plushie Page (1 new Tails plushie!).
    • Added 2 new pics to Tails997's Tails Plushie Page (1 new Tails plushie!).
    • Added 1 new pic to Jon Lupus' Tails Plushie Page (1 new Tails plushie!).
• Battle Cards on Tails Archive Message Board
  • Fixed the background colors for the cells the cards appear in. They were black rather than matching the post body.
  • Removed the "offline" text display. The difference from the "online" text was the lack of being bold, but hard to tell which is which at a quick glance. Online status is displayed for those who are online, and no text is displayed for offline.
  • Because some images used as avatars are bigger than the board's 100x100 limit, capturing the image's source alone wasn't enough. The board forces the width and height accordingly if the image exceeds the allowed space. To fix a size overflow problem, these forced values had to be copied as well.
  • Due to the main forum table being a percentage of width, the table had to be set to a fixed width to prevent the cards from distorting on a resize. The width will be 90% of your screen's width in pixels as it was originally, but the table won't shrink proportionally if you resize your window to become smaller.
  • Fixed a problem where the script would abort with null values if a guest post was found (no uesrname, post count, online status, or avatar). They're now skipped.
  • Fixed a severe error with the replacement of the old content and the content that was built. The new content wasn't inside a table cell. Afterwards, IE compatibility was possible again.
  • Removed all setAttribute() calls and manually set each CSS property through the DOM where needed. IE doesn't allow you change the class attribute using setAttribute().
  • Created an external script to test if you're in a thread or not in order to load the cards. If those conditions are met, the CSS and additional script will be loaded. Otherwise, no additional resources will be needed, keeping page loading at their fastest and bandwidth usage at a minimum. The seperation of the initialization and card scripts will be better for caching.
  • With the current updates, the cards work in Mozilla, FireFox, Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7 beta 1 (with some issues due to a cache bug in this browser), Opera, and Safari. Netscape remains untested until I can find someone who still uses that (Everyone switched to FireFox).

Sep 25th

• An updated SA2B save file was going to be uploaded to the Downloads Page but Windows XP Media Center (HP's bootlegged version of it) is too unstable. The memory card driver works fine in 98 / ME / 2K / XP Home / XP Pro and a driver is also available for XP x64. I may put one of my old hard drives into this awful system and put XP x64 on it, hoping that the OEM-only 64-bit version of Windows will move to this system without problems. These updates may be delayed for some time.
• Gamedata
  • A broken link was fixed in the Tails Sprite Page.
  • This entire section including the walkthroughs have been bought up to date with the PHP changes. The CSS used between them however vary greatly will remain separate for now.
• Some testing has begun for the Battle Card addon for Tails Archive Message Board. Everything will be controlled and limited to the Test Board. Bear with the alert boxes, they're for debugging.

Sep 18th

• Tails Archive RSS Feed
  • The RSS Feed has moved to its own directory.
  • The page has now been redone in PHP for sake of using proper mimetypes, but Feed readers don't seem to regard the mimetype.
  • XSL Transformation has been added (Feed readers also seem to ignore this). So you can view the Feed through a reader the way it formats it, or view it through your browser (regardless of RSS support). IE7 views it their way regardless of mimetype and transformation (IE7 renders a page as RSS if it encounters a text/html file with an <rss> tag instead of <html>), which looks better in some ways than what I could throw together.

Sep 11th

• Re-added a Sonic Advance 2 animation to the Tails Pics Page. It must have been lost during while sorting images into new directories.
• Other site updates this week were cut short due to a PC problem, see the RSS Feed for a blog on that.

Sep 5th

• Downloads Page
  • Removed the &nbsp; entities from the page. They weren't needed because of the CSS alignment properties.
  • Adjusted the height of rows in the Gamecube Saves table for rows that don't have an 88x31 image to better fit the padding.
  • Moved all internal CSS into an external CSS file.
  • The PHP includes have been improved. They now include the CSS links by the proper <?xml-stylesheet?> instruction if the client's browser supports XHTML. For the other browser, <link /> tags will be used instead. Like the other script updates, this page was the first to see it and others will adapt to it in the future. See the RSS Feed for progress on the rest of the pages.
• Created a plush page for Alex Rian on the Plush Page

Aug 28th

• Created a plush page for Kogen on the Plush Page.

Aug 21st

• Added a new Tails plushie pic for my 2 new Tails plushies on XFox's Plush Page.
• Added various Sonic Gems Collection save files to the Downloads Page

Aug 14th

• Downloads Page
  • Used Pngout to compress the Gamecube Save icons. They were previously compressed with Pngcrush. Most didn't become smaller, but a few became 94% to 98% of their original size (lossless compression of course). These optimizations will also take place on PNG images throughout the site.
  • Created a new PHP script that will change the content-type and DTD from XHTML 1.1 to XHTML 1.0 Strict depending if the browser that doesn't support XHTML is viewing (XHTML 1.1 must only be served as application/xhtml+xml, unlike Strict, which can also be served as text/html). The icons in the footer also change acordingly. This is the first page to test this new script. Other pages throughout the site will adapt later on.
• Updates Pages also have the new feature above, but it will negotiate between XHTML 1.0 Basic or Strict instead. The include paths have been moved and the old one hs been deleted.

Aug 7th

• Web Development
  • XML Tutorial
    • Created a File Creation section to explain how to prepare the text editor, refresh browser, etc.
    • Created an Error Handling section to explain how to fix and recognize pages that aren't well-formed.
    • Created a Root Tag section to cover the container structure rules
    • Created a Comments Section
  • Cleaned up the XHTML Tutorial by removing all the things that the XML Tutorial

Jul 31st

• Updates Pages
  • Created an updates directory. The current and old updates, along with the CSS file have been moved into there.
  • I recently discovered that XHTML 1.0 Basic "must not" be served as text/html. So rather than throw away all the time and effort it took to convert them into XHTML 1.0 Basic, I made the pages into PHP. With a PHP include file shared between them I made, it will serve them as the proper application/xhtml+xml if the browser requesting it supports it (and every browser still around except Internet Explorer 7 and below do support XHTML as far as I've been able to test). For Internet Explorer, the page falls back to text/html tagsoup and IE will treat it like an ordinary HTML file.
  • 2004 Updates page has been converted to XHTML Basic and all missing and moved links are corrected. But if the rest of the site adopts PHP for valid XHTML and server-side features, the links will have to be fixed once again.
  • For each of the Old Updates pages, they now include a link to the current year's updates page (which is static since the current updates page is now an index page).
  • Modified the background-color and margins of the CSS file to adjust for the new rendering rules XHTML pages use for the <html> and <body> tags.

Jul 24th

• Downloads page
  • Added a save file for Custom Robo
  • Updated the save file for Metroid Prime 2 (game beaten on hard)
• Reverse Engineering
  • Megaman X3 Password Generator
    • Re-added this project. It was forgotten due to coding problems when changing the site's coding.
    • Fixed the page's coding. It's now XHTML 1.1 valid.
    • Created labels for easier checkbox clicking with text
  • Simplified some of the coding in the Megaman X2 Password Generator by using some of the existing functions more.
  • Fixed a length problem in the PSO: Blue Burst Section ID Generator. It would limit names to 10 characters long, but older PSO games allow up to 13.

Jul 17th

• Downloads Page
  • Added a save file for Dragonball Z Sagas.
  • Added a save file for F-Zero GX (Game Data).
  • Added a save file for F-Zero GX (Emblem Data, Tails pic).
  • Updated the Metroid Prime 1 save. Game beaten on Hard with 100%, Metroid 1 and Fusion Suit also unlocked.
• Plush Pages
  • Created a page for Zingela with 4 Tails plushie pics
  • Corrected the metadata on each page. Some were inconsistent and had incorrect names for the different pages.

Jul 10th

• Plush Page
  • Added 2 new Tails plushie pics to Shady Tails' Plush Page
  • Created a page for Wonder Swan with 1 Tails plushie pic.
• Megaman X2 Password Generator
  • Created labels for each checkbox. This makes the text clickable in each box.
  • Fixed a centering problem with the buttons.
• Links Page (Page will be exclusive to affiliates and Tails sites).
  • Removed Blue Sphere (never updated, non-affiliate).
  • Removed Hero Fox (never updated, non-affiliate).
  • Removed Kitsune's Den (non-affiliate, non-Tails site).
  • Removed Ice Fox (non-affiliate, non-Tails site).
  • Removed Sonic Elite (non-affiliate?).
  • Removed Sonic Strike (non-affiliate).
  • Removed Sonic Yoda (non-affiliate).
  • Removed Spectorial Prisms (never updated, non-affiliate?).
  • Removed SSnTails (non-affiliate).
  • Removed ZuperTails.be. TailsTheFox.com is the same site.

Jul 3rd

• The 2003 Updates Page has been converted o XHTML Basic 1.0 as well as all links fixed with their current paths.
• Fixed a timezone problem in the Tails Archive RSS Feed regarding EST and EDT.
• Removed Tails Zoom from the Links Page (site closed).

Jun 26th

• Tails Archive Message Board
  • Made DigiTails an admin since she's been helpful in a recent attack on the board from Tails haters.
  • Fixed a problem with the board since the ugprade. It's been requiring guests to login before they could view the board.
  • The board turns 2 years today, the 26th

Jun 19th

• Downloads Page
  • Updated the OEM Windows 2K / XP OEM Logo Screenshot for the latest PC updates.
  • Added instructions and support for the Windows 2K / XP OEM Logo's zip file.
• Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst Section ID Calculator
  • Added a feature that allows you to generate Section IDs for NPC Partners. This also makes the generator backwards-compatible with the older Phantasy Star Online games (such as the console versions).
  • Added a Help File
• 2002 Updates Page
  • Page has been converted to XHTML Basic 1.0
  • Links to sections or pages that no longer exist are no longer links now.
  • Updated the paths for pages that moved

Jun 12th

• Added an RSS Feed to the Main Page. It's fairly new and not quite ready, but take a look.
• Converted this page from XHTML 1.1 to XHTML 1.0 Basic. You shouldn't notice much of a difference. All '<hr />' tags were substituted with CSS borders. Everyone seems to like the new look more. The purpose of this change is intended for small media users such as those using cell phones (Stay up to date with The Tails Archive on the go!).
• Reverse Engineering
  • Optimized the Tails Adventure Password Generator even more with bitwise operators.
  • Added a Starting Password upon request for the Tails Adventure Password Spec page to clear up confusion.

Jun 5th

• Added a new logo to the Main Page. Thanks again to GuessWhoSWS2B
• Fixed a problem in the PSO: Blue Burst Section ID Calculator. Due to a cache bug in most browsers, a pre-selected form value cannot be assumed as default. The starting value is obtained prior to calculation now.
• Downloads Page
  • Took a new screenshot for the Windows 2K / XP OEM Logo. It has the updated specs of my PC.
  • Updated the save file for Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex (game beaten).

May 29th

• Downloads Page
  • Added a save file for Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex.
  • Updated the save file for Virtua Quest, saved before the final bosses.
• Removed an unused function in the Tails Sliding Puzzles, making each page 0.04 kb smaller. A more efficient scrambling funcion is in the works.
• Created a Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst Section ID Calculator on the Reverse Engineering Page
• The Proboards v4 upgrade on Tails Archive Message Board have taken place.

May 22nd

• Added a Gamecube save file for Virtua Quest to the Downloads Page.
• Fan Stuff
  • Added a new pic to Tails' Fanart.
  • Plush Page
    • Created a plush page for Miles Attacca with 1 Tails plushie and 2 pics.
    • Added 2 new pics to Tails 997's Plush Page.
• Updated the URL and name to Tails' Club (formerly known as "Mr Prower's Website") on the Links Page

May 15th

• Fan Stuff
  • Added 2 new pics to Tails' Fanart.
  • Created a plush page for Jac Mac and Tac with 1 Tails plushie pic.
• Removed the headers and footers from Tails Archive Message Board to prepare for the Proboards v4 upgrade. However, it's been announced recently that upgrades on that server will be delayed until next week.

May 8th

• Removed the Prower Power Topsites from the Main Page. The owner took them down due to abusive content and will be closed until further notice.
• Fan Stuff
  • Fan submission pages (fanart, Tails plushies, etc) will now display the date submitted as title text for each thumbnail. Older images may be updated with the info if it can be recovered from the Old Updates pages.
  • Added a new pic to Tails' Fanart on the Fanart Page
  • Plush Page
    • Added a new Tails plushie pic to Tails 997's Page
    • Created a page for Avalonworks with 1 Tails plushie pic.

May 1st

• XML Tutorial
  • Explained how to use Entities with character codes on Page 1
  • Started Page 2 which explains a bit more about doctypes.

Apr 24th

• Added a save file for Tales of Symphonia to the Downloads Page
• Fixed some typos in the Sonic Advance 3 Walkthrough. Some time ranks listed gold twice instead of gold and silver.
• Added a new pic to Tails' Fanart Page
• XML Tutorial
  • Added a section for Empty Tags
  • Added a section for Entity Names

Apr 17th

• Added a link to the new Tails Archive IRC on the Home Page (Thanks to MrG)
• Downloads Page
  • Added a save file for Beyblade: Super Tournament Battle
  • Metroid Prime 1 save file updated. Game Beaten with 100% scans and items.
  • Metroid Prime 2 save file updated. Game Beaten with 100% scans and items.
• Plush Page
  • Created a page for Shady Tails with 1 pic.
  • Added a missing link in the navigation for the Fan Stuff page.
• XML Tutorial
  • Added a section explaining whitespace
  • Added a section that teaches what attributes are.
  • Added some more detailed examples for some of the sections (mostly to clarify the well-formed term)
• Links Page
  • Added an icon to Tails' Place
  • Removed Sonic HQ (non-affiliate). Some cleanup of the non-Tails sites and non-affiliates are needed.

Apr 10th

• Buck1 is now known as Falcon Hedgehog on the Tails plushie Page
• Links Page
  • Removed CMCT (owner chose to silently break the affiliation and then refused to cooperate).
  • Added Tails' Place

Apr 3rd

• Downloads page
  • Updated the Windows 2K / XP OEM Logo screenshot.
  • Added a save file for Spyro: A Hero's Tail.

Mar 27th

• Plush Page
  • New plush page added for Haruka with 2 Tails plushies, 3 images.
  • New plush page added for Zack Prower with 1 Tails plushie, 3 iamges.
• Created a XML Tutorial.

Mar 20th

• Plush Page
  • Added a new pic to Tails997's Plush Page (new plushie!)
  • Added a new pic to XFox's Plush Page (new plushie!)
  • Added profile info to Tails' Plush Page

Mar 12th

• Updates weren't possible last week due to server down time
• Downloads Page
  • Updated the Megaman Network Transmision save. The game is beaten.
  • Added a save file for Mario Sunshine
  • Added a save file for Star Fox Assault (game beaten on eaiest difficulty)
• Links Page -- Some necessary cleanup for future page organization
  • Removed TreeTopFlyer from the links page. It has closed down.
  • Removed Sonic Land, hasn't been updated in 2002. Non-affiliate

Feb 27th

• Added a new logo in the center of the Home Page
• Downloads Page
  • Added a save file for Megaman Network Transmission
  • Added a save file for Soul Calibur II

Feb 20th

• Updated the Baten Kaitos save file on the Downloads Page (game beaten).
• Fan Stuff
  • Fanart
    • Made some of the table heading colors brighter and easier to read
    • Used padding for the links in the table
    • Added a Gift Art section
  • Plush Page
    • Added a plush page for Kaiser Prower with 2 Tails plushie pics
    • Added a new plushie pic to Tails' Plushie Page

Feb 13th

• Added a new Tails plushie pic to Tails' Plushie Page.

Feb 6th

• Downloads Page
  • Updated Gamecube Saves will now have the date they were added / updated in the title of their links. Hover the mouse over the game icon to see them.
  • Baten Kaitos save updated
  • Sonic Heroes save updated
  • Spyro: Enter The Dragonfly save Added
  • Star Fox Adventures save added
• Links Page
  • Updated the link to Mystic Fox
  • Removed Sonic Squared due to the main page spawning an endless loop of 2 popups per second (non-affiliate).

Jan 30th

• The counter on the Home Page isn't working. Bravenet has announced having technical difficulties today. Hopefully the counter can be recovered.
• Downloads Page
  • Updated the Baten Kaitos Save
  • Updated the Sonic Heroes Save
• New fanartist Tailsart added to the Fanart Page

Jan 21st

• Downloads Page
  • Added a save file for Gotcha Force
  • Added a save file for Mega Man X Command Mission
  • Fixed the list. Some saves were out of abc order
• Added a plush page for Tails 997 with 2 Tails plushies and 8 pics

Jan 15th

• 2 new Tails plushie pics added to Tails' Plushies
• Cleaned up the Links Page
  • Removed Furry Town because it no longer exists.
  • Removed Quesadilla because it no longer exists.
  • Removed RinaCat's Realm (non-affiliate, no longer updated)

Jan 9th

• Downloads Page
  • Sonic Adventure DX save file updated. It now has all 130 emblems, 60 missions beaten, and all Game Gear games unlocked including Tails Adventures.
  • Added a save file for Super Smash Bros Melee.
  • Completed Zelda Four Swords Adventures. Game is beaten.
• Links Page
  • Updated the link for Bottled Talent which moved
  • Fixed the linking on the page. If a page had an 88x31 icon, the icon would be clickable rather than the text. A few links didn't follow this.

Jan 2nd

• Downloads Page
  • Baten Kaitos save added.
  • Sonic Adventure DX save updated (100 emblems).
  • Zelda Four Swords save updated (It's now saved in the last world).
• New fanartist Tails2ya added to the Fanart Page with 6 pics
• Links Page
  • Replaced the icon for The Tails Domain with their new icon.
  • Affiliated with The Middle Ground.

Old Updates
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