I started this blog in the summer of 2003 using iBlog for Mac and hosting using .mac. Eventually iBlog used Haloscan for comments and eventually iBlog died (technically it’s still available but it’s been at version 2.0 release candidate 3 for years). I have since moved this blog to Blosxom, RapidWeaver and finally WordPress and changed the name three times.
I was able to transfer all of the posts generated from the other blogging systems into WordPress through (mostly) automated methods. Using Applescript I was able to parse the contents of the rendered HTML files and exported to a text file that WordPress could import.
I evaluated the various formats that WordPress supports, including the wordpress WXR format but found the Movable Type Import Format the easiest to work with.
Getting the 1,100 plus comments from Haloscan proved to be more difficult. Haloscan does offer a XML export of comments, which required an inexpensive paid membership to access. WordPress does not offer a Haloscan XML importer so I converted the XML file to the Movable Type Import Format using applescript.
Applescript has a XML parser built in but I found the XML parser to have difficulties working with the Haloscan XML file. Adding to the problem is that I started working on this about three operating systems ago in which Applescript has seen several changes. I stuck with a sort of brute force method of looping and parsing through each line of the content.
The script loops through each entry and outputs a dummy thread with no contents expect the title and includes the comment thread at the end. The Movable Type Import Format includes a NO ENTRY: 1 switch to signifiy this, but I’m not sure if WordPress really needs it.
TITLE: AMREP Has Record Quarter NO ENTRY: 1 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Johnny EMAIL: XXXXXXX URL: xxxxxxx IP: xxxxxx DATE: 09/14/2006 6:56:06 PM It will slow eventually. Everything in CA and AZ is plummeting and the west side is already over built and under occupied. ----- --------
When WordPress imports the Movable Type Import Format it looks for a matching post title that already exists. If WordPress finds a matching post it adds the comments to the entry. If it doesn’t exist then WordPress creates a new entry as a draft with the comments attached.
To make matters worse iBlog identified comment threads using a serial number like E554707186, Blossom identified comments using the title of the post with underscores and punctuation removed and rapid weaver used identified comment threads using a unique identifier like rw_unique_entry_id_403_page0. Most of my comments had post titles like these, except for a few that were generated by Bloxsom. I also had the added difficulty of my Haloscan XML file containing comments for two blogs.
I had considered writing a Applescript that could deterimne the real post title by reading through my website archives. That was going to take even more time so I decided to just import into WordPress the way it was and manually move comments around from the newly created “dummy posts”.
WordPress doesn’t have a built in capability to move comments to another post. For that I used the Restore Post Id plug in so I could identify post ids, WP Move Comments plugin to move individual comments and Simple Move Comments plugin to move all comments under a single post at once. I disabled the Subscribe To Comments plugin to avoid spamming the comments every time I moved a comment, but I’m not sure if that would have happened.
It was a good process for me as I got to delete comments that didn’t have any relevance and it allowed me to clean up and delete some posts. For one or two comments it was easier to move them one at a time, for posts with more comments I used the Simple Move Comments plugin which moved them all at once.
It’s a good time for users of Haloscan to consider doing something with their comments. Haloscan is discontinuing their free service and replacing it with a paid Echo service. For those that don’t upgrade, their comments will be deleted. The good news is Haloscan comments can be exported for free. On 14 December I received the following email from Haloscan
Exciting news, as we’ve mentioned on our blog, Haloscan, the legacy comment system that JS-Kit acquired last year, is getting upgraded to the new Echo platform.
You are receiving this email because, according to our records, you are (or have been) a Haloscan user.
This transition will happen in batches of users over the course of a couple of months. You are in the current batch!
We encourage you to log into your Haloscan admin dashboard right away. You will be presented with 2 options.
Upgrade to Echo for $9.95/year – all your comment data will be transitioned over automatically.
Export your Haloscan comment data for free and turn off their service
Please make sure you make a selection within the next two weeks to ensure uninterrupted service.
when I eventually switched from iBlog to wordpress, I just ended up junking the comments because it was too much work to import them. Then again, I didn’t have nearly as many as you!
I’m glad the Restore Post Id plugin came in handy. Have fun with WordPress.
@sam If you want to try to import them into WordPress, there’s still time to get them from Haloscan. I can help you out if you want.
Thanks, but it’s been, like, two years. I think I’ll live without the comments