Is there a plan to preserve this forum's data when it shuts down?

[jp]

Site shutting down seems unlikely in the short term, but like a will or living will, everyone should deal with it and have that stuff thought over and a plan executed somehow.

archive.org is pretty cool. I've had a behind the scenes tour there from an industry acquaintance who works/volunteers there. It did real well in the dot com boom for support, but has been sort of a really big shoestring operation since compared to the rest of silicon valley area. It needs some more financial support if we really want to depend on it as a site backup. Meanwhile, I'm grateful for it. It is possible the information could be removed from archive.org or other caches by a future owner of the data, due to existing process or future "remove my data from the Internet" laws under consideration in European countries.

Having a blog of your own lets you own/keep more data. Some of the camera/lens history researchers here do that. Not suggesting putting instruction on your own site at the expense of the forum, but enhancing the forum by participating in the forum and extending it's knowledge to very niche blogs relating to that participation.

[Tin Can]

Seems this question has been asked by our Founder. Patron and Benefactor.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ll=1#post35672

[Sal Santamaura]

Seems this question has been asked by our Founder. Patron and Benefactor.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ll=1#post35672

Nah, not really. I participated in that thread way back when. It was concerned primarily with where the forum would move, not with what would happen if it were to stop operating completely.

Also, the patron/benefactor is Brian Reid:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/credits.html

[Tin Can]

Site shutting down seems unlikely in the short term, but like a will or living will, everyone should deal with it and have that stuff thought over and a plan executed somehow.

archive.org is pretty cool. I've had a behind the scenes tour there from an industry acquaintance who works/volunteers there. It did real well in the dot com boom for support, but has been sort of a really big shoestring operation since compared to the rest of silicon valley area. It needs some more financial support if we really want to depend on it as a site backup. Meanwhile, I'm grateful for it. It is possible the information could be removed from archive.org or other caches by a future owner of the data, due to existing process or future "remove my data from the Internet" laws under consideration in European countries.

Having a blog of your own lets you own/keep more data. Some of the camera/lens history researchers here do that. Not suggesting putting instruction on your own site at the expense of the forum, but enhancing the forum by participating in the forum and extending it's knowledge to very niche blogs relating to that participation.

Yes, but so many of those helpful blogs and websites are long gone. We see broken links here and there all the time.

Heck, B&H has better historical info than some sites.

How many generations will they last...

[Tin Can]

Nah, not really. I participated in that thread way back when. It was concerned primarily with where the forum would move, not with what would happen if it were to stop operating completely.

Also, the patron/benefactor is Brian Reid:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/credits.html

Pardon my ignorance. Nobody ever mentions him. Why?

[rdenney]

Pardon my ignorance. Nobody ever mentions him. Why?

I suspect he rather prefers it that way.

Rick "glad Tuan didn't follow the majority view in that ancient thread" Denney

[Tin Can]

Sal, you named him.

[Sal Santamaura]

Sal, you named him.

I simply quoted from the "Credits" section of this site's "About..." page, which names him.

Since the last time I clicked on Brian's name in that "Credits" section, he's deleted all content from the linked reid.org page. Anyone wanting to know more about him can read his Wikipedia entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_...r_scientist%29

[paulr]

There was a culinary forum full of incredibly useful information which I often used as an archive. It was owned by a guy named Fred (that's the extent of my knowledge of him). The forum vanished without warning one day, and not long after, the chef whose contributions I valued most died in a motorcycle wreck. Tons of knowledge, up in smoke.

I've checked archive.org, but as far as I can tell, they've just preserved random samples of the site's content.

[jp]

Yes, but so many of those helpful blogs and websites are long gone. We see broken links here and there all the time.

Heck, B&H has better historical info than some sites.

How many generations will they last...

If it's compromising and undesirable information, it will be around forever. If it's useful and good info, it may quietly disappear.