Future of the TAS-site

[petrusbroder]

With sorrow and grief I have almost decided to end TAS's site http://www.teamanandtech.net/ . I have to decide once and for all before November 19, 2010.

The cost is now USD 100 per year and the activity at the site is too low. I have funded and maintained the site for the past years but some functions (e.g. the PM-function) are broken and beyond my knowledge to repair.
We also would need to update the structure and contents and I have not the time to do that all alone. As I see it, the main function just now is as a spare site to post to if this forum does not work - and in my opinion that is not reason enough to keep it. We could just create a Google group/site and do that for free.

If there is a compelling reason to keep the site online please let me know because then I will reconsider my decision. I may reconsider if I get help financially and help with maintaining the site.
The reasons/reasons must be much more than the one I mentioned above.

I will make a total backup of the site and keep it in my files; I will also send a copy of the backup on a CD-rom or DVD-rom to some others ... so that there is no risk of loss of information.

Please feel free to discuss this matter in this thread.

TAS-members as well as other members of the TeAm AnandTech are welcome to vote and to post.

 

[Ken g6]

The cost is now USD 200 per year

Ouch! That's as much as we donated to the Free-DC stats!

It seems like the site's been primarily used to post TAS polls. I imagine you could just post the monthly polls here. If voting by non-TeAm/non-TAS members is a concern, you could check the box to record usernames.

 

[petrusbroder]

Ouch! That's as much as we donated to the Free-DC stats!

It seems like the site's been primarily used to post TAS polls. I imagine you could just post the monthly polls here. If voting by non-TeAm/non-TAS members is a concern, you could check the box to record usernames.

Sorry. I first posted a cost for two years ... the correct cost is USD 100 per year - which is less but still not free ... and we could do a free site somewhere else.

 

[Rudy Toody]

One thing we need to address before dropping the site:

The TeAm banner which is displayed on each project and on Free-DC during October is retrieved from that site. We would need to find a new home for it and update the links in all the projects. It might even be a good time to create a new, larger one that displays across the page.

The TeAm AnandTech Committee can use email for communicating, so I see no reason to keep the site any longer.


I voted "NO"

 

[petrusbroder]

Hmmm, how many links need to be changed for the banner?
I will too think about a solution for the banner location.

 

[biodoc]

I also voted "no".

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I vote "other".

I have a server that could host. The only added cost would be the domain registration. And it's unlimited space, so there is no concern about that. The bandwidth shouldn't be an issue as it is a low traffic site, and I don't really use my site for anything either. I would gladly host if it would help decrease the cost of maintaining it.

 

[petrusbroder]

A very generous offer, FMC! And a realistic one. That would of course mean some discussion between you and me how to make the transfer ... and what would be needed to get everything done.
Anyhow: November 15, I'll do a backup of the site as well as I can do (it will be a .tar archive, and I'll copy everything I have obto some CD-roms. Then I can mail (snailmail and e-mail) to you (or whoever) would take over the hosting.
I see this as a viable option.
Any comments?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

A very generous offer, FMC! And a realistic one. That would of course mean some discussion between you and me how to make the transfer ... and what would be needed to get everything done.
Anyhow: November 15, I'll do a backup of the site as well as I can do (it will be a .tar archive, and I'll copy everything I have obto some CD-roms. Then I can mail (snailmail and e-mail) to you (or whoever) would take over the hosting.
I see this as a viable option.
Any comments?

If you can tarball it, I can untar it to the server. I would just need whoever has the current registration of the domain name to park it on my server. I can setup accounts for whoever needs admin rights to it, as well as upload / etc configs. I'm getting rather decent with PHP and mysql, as well as linux (LAMP) server setups, so it shouldn't be a problem at all. I'll setup an account for you to upload any files you need to here shortly.

 

[filibusterman]

I voted no. However, if Fullmetal chocobo is willing to let us use his server I think that would be a cheaper and good alternative.

 

[petrusbroder]

I have just recieved notification that tha TAS site will expire November 16, 2010 and that I have to pay the fee before November 19, 2010 to avoid data loss.
I have made a total backup of the site to my computer, backup computer, off-site computer and burned the backup onto several DVDs.
Yes, I am a backup paranoic.
The Team Anandtech logo-file is backed up separately and can be mailed to those who would like to mirror it for BOINC-projects.
FMC: i'll be in touch with you about the hosting.
I'll also consider other options (which would not be dependent upon somebody's server ...).