Database

The database, more aptly known as the forum database, is a MySQL-based relational database used by the esoBB software to manage accounts, conversations, posts and shouts, among other important functions, such as fingerprinting login/join requests.

The current database used by Esoteric Chat was originally created for the forum while it was still named "geteso.org." However, the forum's original database contained separate accounts and conversations, until the so-called Great Reset which began using a new database. As it stands, the current database has existed for 3 years and has undergone at least 5 changes to its schema.

Old forum databases are archived using a read-only "archive" forum that is located at archive.geteso.org. However, these archive forums do not contain every conversation and/or post, due to periodic resets having destroyed some of them. As such, at least a dozen conversations have been permanently lost, with some others having being perserved on various archive sites by users.

Because the database stores account passwords in hashed form, they have never been compromised in plain-text form (the actual password). Instead, previous software changes demanded that each account reset their password.

The currently unreleased esoBB delta 3 is claimed by admin to contain the greatest number of changes made to the database yet, with the new ability for forum administrators to import/export their databases.