 
     # DO NOT CHANGE THESE TWO FUNCTIONS, ever!  It'll break everything in the db
     patch_to_string: (patch) => JSON.stringify(diffsync.compress_patch(patch))
-    string_to_patch: (patch) => diffsync.decompress_patch(JSON.parse(patch))
+
+    string_to_patch: (patch) => diffsync.decompress_patch_compat(JSON.parse(patch))
 
     dbg: (f, m) =>
         winston.debug("StringsDB.#{f}: #{m}")

                try
                    string.last_sync = diffsync.dmp.patch_apply(p.patch, string.last_sync)[0]
                catch e
                    winston.debug("syncstring database error applying a patch -- failed due to corruption (?) -- #{misc.to_json(p.patch)}")
                string.applied_patches[p.timestamp] = p
                if squash and p.timestamp <= squash_time and (i == patches.length-1 or patches[i+1].timestamp > squash_time)
                    @_squash_patches

        cb?()


exports.get_syncstring_db = () ->
    return syncstring_db


# oldest first -- unlike in page/activity.coffee
