Support WW2Talk - Become a Site Patron

Discussion in 'Network Information, Suggestions and Feedback' started by Otto, Jun 16, 2016.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    RCG

    With all due respect Sir, who ever promised us immortality ?

    I, and I'm pretty sure most of us on this forum, are sufficiently grateful for the fact that Otto has kept the two forums afloat for a number of years to our general interest and satisfaction.

    As the bible so aptly puts it "Sufficient unto the day thereof"

    Enjoy the experience while you can....... I

    Ron
     
    PeterG and Peter Clare like this.
  2. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Very strange post :(
     
  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I am impressed with the bungs so far.
    Massive thanks again.

    He really means it about leaving us to it.
    Nearly ten years into Otto being the owner and I cannot think of a single instance of direct intervention regarding the 'direction' of the place.


    I think the 'what happens after we're all gone' question's rather interesting.
    This sort of forum's an archive of good stuff as well as a place to chatter, which is part of why they get so large. A decent or interesting bit of history doesn't necessarily go out of date, and anything from the blokes who were actually there is automatically historically interesting. Things really can reach a point where it'd be a genuine loss of 'data' if things fall off the web.
    Personally, with the gradual increase in cheap storage I'm hoping we'll all have enough cloud space one day that at least a static version will survive somewhere.
    People are devoting research to preservation of digital archives and what's already been lost of non-paper stuff in the last c.40 years. All I can do is hope they nail the solution one day.

    Anyway.
    Rambling.
    Thanks again, chaps.
     
  4. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Adam, it is all credit to the ever-so-slightly eccentric mod and admin team that the punters are actually willing to cough-up.

    The place has changed out of all recognition over the last few years. The only downside is that whenever I 'Google' a really interesting question, nine times out of ten it leads me back here !

    I just hope that using Arrse-type software will not result in the automatic insertion of expletives into every sentence - I so very much wish to choose my own ! - and please no 'Forum Administrator whose etchings I'd most like to see' threads...
     
    CL1 likes this.
  5. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    I knew my previous posting would be misinterpreted.
    I know I am not the best person to put forward a clear and concise post but I do my best.


    As Otto stated in the first post.

    At the time, WW2 Talk was in danger of being dumped into the ether. This site was founded on 24 January 2004, and when I rescued the site I was the seventh change of ownership since the founding. This site had been flogged regularly by website dealers, and I made a commitment on that day that I would change that.

    Now, Otto and all the admin have changed it and made it the BEST WW2 site on the net.

    Otto is the owner of the site and it is his alone.
    So What I am really asking is what is going to happen to this site when we are all gone? who will own it? will all the data be lost?
    I am just thinking of the researchers who will be here after we are gone.
    They are still many people who served during ww2 who have been forgotten, all I'm trying to do in my Feeble way is to make sure that as many of those as possible can be remembered.
    Do we want this website go the same way as a lot of paper records have gone in the past. Taken to the bottom of the garden and put on a bonfire gone for ever.
     
  6. Otto

    Otto GröFaZ Admin

    I think RCG's question is valid. Maybe a tad morbid, but valid. I suppose that kind of question is unique to forums where history is the subject.

    First off, I'm 41 years old, so hopefully I have a few years left on this orb. I was 23 when I founded the first version of the WW2 Forums on a free discussion board. I hated that I didn't have control of the data, so quickly established my own website.

    As far as immediate continuity, in case of my untimely passing, my wife has instructions to hand WW2Talk over to von Poop, and WW2F over to Slipdigit. She has the password for both. I've never actually mentioned this to either of them, but now they both know.

    The issue of preservation and continuity is incredibly important to me. Most sites archive and/or delete posts after a period, I've never done so. Back in the early 2000's I deleted a few users who never made posts, but I stopped doing that also. I want to preserve the posts and threads as is. There are a lot of threads where inquiries were posted a decade ago, and every few years someone's obscure google search for that exact same Company in that exact Brigade come up and they post some info. Every time that happens I am incredibly gratified.

    To date I've supported all my WW2 website endeavors out of pocket. Adverts have definitely helped, but the glory days of web ads are gone and their revenues are below what one might expect. This Patron effort is directed at the exact issue we are discussing here. Your financial support will enable me to creating a structural foundation for this site that will allow it to have the very best software, a powerful and stable server, all stored in a safe manner with backups and disaster recovery. It will ensure continuity.

    You see, we've been around so long this site is itself part of the historical record. We aren't only studying and discussing history we are now part of history, especially where the WWII Veterans posts are concerned. As far as long term continuity goes, I've got a young son who hopefully will take my place, and if not he, then someone else with a similar obsession as I.
     
    Smudger Jnr likes this.
  7. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Thank you Otto, Yes I agree it is morbid, but having recently having to deal with relatives affairs who died without leaving wills and seeing how it causes rifts in families was just looking to far in the future. Thanks again.
     
  8. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Thank you Otto and to vP and the team

    I have seen a number of new members join off the back of my headstone photos some of which were posted a few years back as have other forum members seen new interest in their aged threads.

    And yes we are part of the history which we keep current and hopefully future proof.


    Regards
    Clive
     
  9. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Well, I am in after 6 attempts at using PayPal. - No, not stupid, the screen would not change from US to Australia.

    Finally did however would not accept my details as I already had an account from when PayPal started many moons ago.

    "Please use another email address" - Lucky I had one.

    Well as Clive said: Onwards and Upwards!
     
    dbf likes this.
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I've tried the link but I don't know my password for Paypal and it wants me to jump through hoops to change it so can someone (Admin) send me an invoice to my Paypal account?

    Drop me a PM and I'll give you my address and how much to invoice ;)
     
  11. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    As a very low tech person who has never used paypal and is not even sure what it is I had no problem at all.

    Mike.
     
    4jonboy, von Poop and dbf like this.
  12. Otto

    Otto GröFaZ Admin

    Drew, you do not need a PayPal account to make a payment through PayPal. When you click either of the PayPal button in the first post of this thread, you'll get the following page. If you look at the bottom of the window there is a "Pay with debit or credit card" option (highlighted by the arrow), no pay-pal account is required.

    [​IMG]


    To address the continuity issue head on. We are all temporary beings here, and with your collective help I am creating a resource that will be available to those who come after us.
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I have a Paypal account that I'm always logged into when I visit the page. To do it through the link I needed to log in but I can't remember my password and I don't want to change it, I don't like change, I'm too old for change, I still want to live in the 80's!

    Now I have the account details I'll send you a donation before the end of play today :)
     
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    OK so when photographing the war diaries at Kew you can use my old 35mm SLR camera with rolls of film with 36 exposures. Then you can get the photos developed. See how many photos you take that way.

    I reckon you ought to donate 10% of each war diary order to WW2Talk anyway. It's where you get most of your customers from. ;)
     
  15. Staffsyeoman

    Staffsyeoman Member

    The GWF has just had a system upgrade imposed on it - and it is proving quite difficult for people to get it back to the simple way of finding new posts and updates compared with the previous iteration is causing users and administrators grief; the former for using it the latter for trying to explain how it works. If you are saving us from this aggravation (which has caused the usual divisions between those happy with the old, or those seeking reasonable explanations for changes and being told they are stuck in the mud and the types who will wave flags for anything just because it is "new") then fair enough
     
  16. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Not such a bad idea to take photos at Kew on 35 mm. That way the true "photo" is more likely to survive for more than 50 years.

    The Friends of the National Archive had their AGM last week. I was invited in April with the agenda but failed to register an interest to allow the TNA to vet me for security.

    It occurs to me that the WW2 admin people could be invited to an "AGM" ( punch-up ? ) at Kew ( you can bring your own picnic ) by the regular users, not that I've been there much lately.
     
  17. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    I don't use paypal, but used my card no problem at all.
     
    dbf likes this.
  18. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    PayPal was OK for me, no problem.
     
    dbf likes this.
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Donated :)
     
    dbf likes this.
  20. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I'm now patronising you.
     
    Za Rodinu likes this.

Share This Page