Expiry of domain onlinephilosophyclub.com

psyreporter · Post by **psyreporter** » January 20th, 2021, 7:11 am

The domain onlinephilosophyclub.com was expired on January 9th, 2021 and it wasn't renewed. I sent an email to [email protected] using a custom mailserver and I submitted a message on the contact form of http://scotthughes.biz/ with no response.

I also submitted a PM to all moderators and admins with no reply.

After a chat with Namecheap, the registrar, I was offered to renew the domain using a different account. I just did it (it cost $13.16 USD). After 80 days, the domain may still be deleted. Namecheap may then place the domain into my account (if not decided otherwise by negotiation with admins/moderators, I simply intended to help).

Perhaps it would be wise for Greta to make an export of all forum content so that the forum may be recovered.

Steve3007 · Post by **Steve3007** » January 22nd, 2021, 5:25 am

Possibly useful:

https://www.phpbb.com/support/docs/en/3 ... -or-domain

Steve3007 · Post by **Steve3007** » January 22nd, 2021, 5:44 am

To a selection of some of the more recent and/or prolific posters:

arjand
Atla
LuckyR
Greta
evolution
Terrapin Station
Greta
Steve3007
Papus79
h_k_s
Michael McMahon
impermanence
popeye1945
Newme
Arjen
UniversalAlien
Syamsu
HKS
Empiricist-Bruno
Belindi
baker
Pattern-chaser
Burning ghost
Ecurb
Count Lucanor
Gertie
Jack D Ripper
BigQuestioner
Fanman
Jklint
Sculptor1
GE Morton
Wossname
gad-fly
Sealight
Hans-Werner Hammen

the site may go offline permanently fairly soon or we may be able to move it to a different server. If we do manage to keep it going on a new server we may not be able to port previous posts across. If you're interested, watch this space.

psyreporter · Post by **psyreporter** » January 22nd, 2021, 5:53 am

Why should the forum be preserved?

For many users, the forum may be a sort of information resource and some discussion content may be of significant value for some users. I noticed that some users wrote extensively in some topics and when that content would be lost, it would be like complete books to be lost forever. I also noticed in a topic that someones grandfather was active on the forum and that his posts were a memorabilia.

What is needed to migrate the forum is the following:

- SSH login (or a full website directory export, e.g. a zip-file)
- MySQL database export

Perhaps it would be an option to request other users to help restore contact with the owner (Scott). Perhaps someone can be found that knows him personally.

Perhaps the owner is interested to sell the forum. A community effort could raise the funds required.

Steve3007 · Post by **Steve3007** » January 22nd, 2021, 6:01 am

Yes, all good points.

Note: This philosophy club also has a Facebook page on which Scott has posted. We might be able to reach him from there.

it would be like complete books to be lost forever

Like the burning of the great library of Alexandria! Or maybe that's going a bit far.

Steve3007 · Post by **Steve3007** » January 22nd, 2021, 6:03 am

https://www.facebook.com/philosophywebsite/

UniversalAlien · Post by **UniversalAlien** » January 22nd, 2021, 7:42 am

Does the site have a domain name legally owned by someone

Obviously there have been and still are many people interested in posting on this site - Some may even wish to own it
- even if it has been basically a non-profit. I'm thinking that maybe an online auction will sell the site quickly and raise money to maintain it

Greta used to list herself as site administrator and I had contacted her, or someone by that name, on "Philosophy Now" as I used to see her post there years ago. She replied:

"Hi UA

A few days it just disappeared. I tried emailing Scott twice but my messages didn't get through the Junk Mail filter of his online book club site.

A domain check shows that the site's URL is for sale.

It seems Scott decided to scrap the forum and didn't want to discuss it with anyone. It was fun while it lasted.

Hope you will be safe in the upcoming mayhem.

G"

Possibly something happened to Scott? - As he used to like the forum and even if he lost interest I do not think he would just let it go without an explanation.

Whoever takes action at this point please keep me posted as to what is going on
through this post or by sending a message if the message function of the forum is still working.
Thanks,
-UniversalAlien

Steve3007 · Post by **Steve3007** » January 22nd, 2021, 10:00 am

For a laugh I've decided to try setting up my own philosophy discussion website which I'm calling philotalk.com (I was pleased that such a short .com domain was available these days), just in case it really is curtains for this one. If someone else has the same idea, and it does turn out that we can get an export of all the past posts from this site (a big if), it would be interesting if we could load the same post history into two sites and then let them run. It might answer that age old philosophical question of what happens if a teleporting machine is invented and two copies of the same conscious entity emerge out of it. Will they argue with each other as to which is the real new manifestation of the late great onlinephilosophyclub.com?

Post by **Pattern-chaser** » January 22nd, 2021, 10:31 am

Steve3007 wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 5:44 am To a selection of some of the more recent and/or prolific posters ... the site may go offline permanently fairly soon or we may be able to move it to a different server. If we do manage to keep it going on a new server we may not be able to port previous posts across. If you're interested, watch this space.

I'm interested! I'm retired, and my main interest these days is ... this forum. I searched for some time to find a decent place to 'live' on the net, and this is where I chose. So I'm interested in two things:

1. If this site does close, does anyone have knowledge of another decent forum to move to? Already I would miss not seeing some of you....

2. Can we keep this site open? Is it just down to money? From other notes here, it looks like it isn't quite that simple. I'm a skint pensioner (etc, etc), but I could pay a little if (quite) a few of us joined together...?

Hoping to keep you all company here for some time to come!

Post by **Pattern-chaser** » January 22nd, 2021, 10:56 am

I used this post so that maybe some of those mentioned will see this. As this site might disappear without notice, I've set up a group email. Any email sent to it will auto-bounce out to all members. At the moment, there is only one member: me. Anyone of you who cares to email [email protected] will be added to the membership. Send only details in your email that you are happy for other members to see. I suggest real-name, net-name, and maybe location? I'll start:

Steve Merrick; Pattern-chaser, NW England; 66 years old; retired software designer and armchair philosopher.

I look forward to hearing from some of you. That way we can keep in touch, and maybe decamp together to a new or existing forum elsewhere on the net? Better still, perhaps we can find a way to keep this forum open as it is?

Steve3007 wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 5:44 am To a selection of some of the more recent and/or prolific posters:

@arjand
@Atla
@LuckyR
@Greta
@evolution
@Terrapin Station
@Greta
@Steve3007
@Papus79
@h_k_s
@Michael McMahon
@impermanence
@popeye1945
@Newme
@Arjen
@UniversalAlien
@Syamsu
@HKS
@Empiricist-Bruno
@Belindi
@baker
@Pattern-chaser
@Burning ghost
@Ecurb
@Count Lucanor
@Gertie
@Jack D Ripper
@BigQuestioner
@Fanman
@Jklint
@Sculptor1
@GE Morton
@Wossname
@gad-fly
@Sealight
@Hans-Werner Hammen

the site may go offline permanently fairly soon or we may be able to move it to a different server. If we do manage to keep it going on a new server we may not be able to port previous posts across. If you're interested, watch this space.

psyreporter · Post by **psyreporter** » January 22nd, 2021, 11:02 am

Pattern-chaser wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 10:31 am 2. Can we keep this site open? Is it just down to money? From other notes here, it looks like it isn't quite that simple. I'm a skint pensioner (etc, etc), but I could pay a little if (quite) a few of us joined together...?

Hoping to keep you all company here for some time to come!

Most important will be to restore contact with the owner. Perhaps there is a forum user that personally knows Scott.

The owner was active in the past days on onlinebookclub.org.

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewt ... 5#p1609525 (January 14th)

January 22nd, 2021, 12:47 pm

arjand wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 11:02 am
Pattern-chaser wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 10:31 am 2. Can we keep this site open? Is it just down to money? From other notes here, it looks like it isn't quite that simple. I'm a skint pensioner (etc, etc), but I could pay a little if (quite) a few of us joined together...?

Hoping to keep you all company here for some time to come!
Most important will be to restore contact with the owner. Perhaps there is a forum user that personally knows @Scott.

The owner was active in the past days on onlinebookclub.org.

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewt ... 5#p1609525 (January 14th)

I didn't get the email notification from Namecheap about the expiration. I can renew the domain registration if needed.

January 22nd, 2021, 1:19 pm

I have just logged into the Namecheap and everything appears to be fine now. The domain registration is not expiring until next year. I am sorry for the worry and hassle.

psyreporter · Post by **psyreporter** » January 23rd, 2021, 8:11 am

Scott wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 1:19 pm I have just logged into the Namecheap and everything appears to be fine now. The domain registration is not expiring until next year. I am sorry for the worry and hassle.

I am glad that the issue is resolved! I am merely a guest and passer-by but I noticed that some users wrote texts the size of books in some topics, which I intended to read at some time. I could imagine that it would be a significant loss for some users when the forum would be gone.

Do you want to continue the forum or would you be interested to sell it if there would be a buyer?

p.s. perhaps it would be good to make a clear agreement with Greta since she indicated that she dedicated to administration merely because she was left with the role and no-one else was available. I have been provided with temporary admin access and noticed that quite some effort is made to administrate the forum, and this while considering that I have found no indication of repression/conflict!

Post by **Pattern-chaser** » January 23rd, 2021, 8:54 am

Pattern-chaser wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2021, 10:56 am I used this post so that maybe some of those mentioned will see this. As this site might disappear without notice, I've set up a group email. Any email sent to it will auto-bounce out to all members. At the moment, there is only one member: me. Anyone of you who cares to email [email protected] will be added to the membership. Send only details in your email that you are happy for other members to see. I suggest real-name, net-name, and maybe location? I'll start:

Steve Merrick; Pattern-chaser, NW England; 66 years old; retired software designer and armchair philosopher.

I look forward to hearing from some of you. That way we can keep in touch, and maybe decamp together to a new or existing forum elsewhere on the net? Better still, perhaps we can find a way to keep this forum open as it is?

Recent posts indicate that all is well, for now. The email address already exists, and costs nothing, so I will leave it in place. Anyone who wishes to be added to the membership only needs to email their details, as above.

I'm leaving the list from Steve3007's earlier post here, unquoted, so that all mentioned might receive an alert to this message.

@arjand
@Atla
@LuckyR
@Greta
@evolution
@Terrapin Station
@Greta
@Steve3007
@Papus79
@h_k_s
@Michael McMahon
@impermanence
@popeye1945
@Newme
@Arjen
@UniversalAlien
@Syamsu
@HKS
@Empiricist-Bruno
@Belindi
@baker
@Pattern-chaser
@Burning ghost
@Ecurb
@Count Lucanor
@Gertie
@Jack D Ripper
@BigQuestioner
@Fanman
@Jklint
@Sculptor1
@GE Morton
@Wossname
@gad-fly
@Sealight
@Hans-Werner Hammen