Well if this doesn't royally suck. Hunter seems to possibly have totally screwed the pooch with this latest walkabout. Guess I am a latecomer to the news as I have been busy working the past couple weeks and only check what shows up in the classic section via rss. Now this.
I would really hate to see CotI bite the big one. I have grown rather fond of this place but I admit I have not put any money towards product or Moot memberships lately. I planned on it a while back but when Hunter went walkabout then and a lot of orders were going unfilled (some by people in my group) I decided to take a wait and see approach. Unfortunately it looks like I may have made a real good call.
I suppose I won't be the only one archiving as much as possible between now and Saturday. The real bad news is that after March 24 of 2007, the settings of the website were set to NOT allow archiving by the Wayback Machine. So 16 months of unique material has a chance of forever going bye bye.
Dangit I know this is a "company" website and with that the vast majority of the responsibility rests squarely on Hunters shoulders - but dangit anyway, if there is a money issue and he can't pony up to the writers and artists I sure wish he would have had the stones to say the forums are in danger if that is the case.
And I am not denigrating MJD's or any of the others positions. I admit I am being Selfish about it all but I still hope it works out for those that are owed money or have dropped a chunk of change at the store and have not seen squat.
Yeah I know, the forum is likely the last thing on someones mind if they have other bills to pay. But even though there are a number of other Traveller forums out there with a lot of great material - there is so much more here that even if we could get all the posters (old and new) to go elsewhere the majority of what is here will forever be lost.
And all for what?
What good reason?
I like many others on here have Gigs of space and it only takes about 30 mins or so to tarball a site and move it - even quicker if it is just for a back up.
Damn.
Hunter, don't know where ya are or what you are doing or if you are in some sort of funk - but you need to get your head back in the game and quick, if nothing else then to get access to whoever needs it so this site can be backed up before the plug is pulled.
And if by chance there has been a payment that didn't show up in the records then you really need to get someone THAT IS A REGULAR here, a MOD, that can be trusted to have complete access to website control panels so at least the site can be backed up on more than one computer.
I won't offer to help bail out royalties and fees that are past due, I don't feel that is any way my responsibility. But I don't want to see this forum go and even though I don't know if I will be able to afford to even re-up my website fees coming up shortly I would sure as hell put some money up to keep CotI Forums around.
Yeah I am sure some of you think I am as dumb as a brick for offering but love or hate CotI, one would be a fool to say that the posts on this site are not worth saving. When it comes to CT, MT, T20 and to some extent the new TNE material, this site has become the Travellers Aid, Travellers Digest, and Traveller Times all rolled into one.
Oh and if I have said anything that upsets anyone, well I really don't GARA or if someone thinks Hunter or someone should sue me over anything, feel free. Can't get blood out of a turnip.
I personally think all the veiled threats and counter-threats and pissing contests are complete idiocy, and I should know. Obviously I am a Idiot myself at least about most things - according to my friends anyway.
Jerry