Regarding moving to the new "backup" site on EZBoard ( http://pub33.ezboard.com/bgrassrootscurrentinformationcenter ), I suggest holding off on a permanent move until the Greenspun site falls down for more than a couple days.

Although there are certainly advantages to the EZBoard format, my general philosophy is not to make changes in any "routines" during a crisis unless absolutely necessary. For the moment, lots of people are evidently comfortable lurking and posting on Greenspun; moving to EZBoard is not hard but does represent a small amount of effort (logging in and all that). As we are all searching for information during these perilous times, seems to me reasonable not to add to confusion.

Also, those who may be trying to archive stuff might not want to move until they are ready. Anyone who is working on the archives question, please speak up.

I do however suggest everyone should bookmark the new site, and if Greenspun seems to be down for a long period of time, then check over on EZBoard to see if a permanent move is in order.

This is just my personal opinion -- I can see the counter-argument that it's better to move over now, while both boards are running, so that someone who checks in to Greenspun less often (like me, lately, due to other pressing duties) can get the message that we are in transition.

Comments?

--Andre

-- Andre Weltman (aweltman@state.pa.us), October 31, 2001

Answers

I'm archiving Y2K stories from TB2000, GICC
and Y2K Discussion Forum. It's tedious as
each thread has to be renamed with the title
name. I have less than a thousand threads so
far. It will take another month to get all
of them.

-- spider (spider@web.com), October 31, 2001.

So, spider, does this mean you suggest we move over now (to stop new threads from being created here on Greenspun), or move later when you are closer to the end of your Sisyphean efforts???

-- Andre Weltman (aweltman@state.pa.us), October 31, 2001.

To All,

I expect to continue posting on Greenspun until it goes down for the bell. It could be tomorrow or 6 months from now. EZ board is the backup board for GICC and I hope that people book mark it in case of failure on this forum. I agree with Andre that this is not the time to change unless we have to.

Martin

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 31, 2001.

I have no suggestions as to when it is moved.

-- spider (spider@web.com), October 31, 2001.

Please stay on Greenspun as long as possible! It is easily the best source of news I've seen and also the easiest to use. I mostly lurk but it's my info lifeline. Stay with it till the end. Is it possible to have a mail list to notify interested parties of when the shift happens. Ciao

-- Kevin (kevijeps@marathoncanada.com), October 31, 2001.

There is an important legal concern to posting copyrighted material to the putative "backup" forum. GICC, as it now (still) survives, is a pure noncommercial forum, completely free of advertising and blatantly 'pushed' requests for donations. Hence, the Fair Use exception to the copyright laws clearly does apply to this forum.

By contrast, with the "backup" forum, when signing up, and also in use, there is advertising. That clearly constitutes "commercial exploitation". This negates the Fair Use exception to the copyright laws that forbid the republication of copyrighted material.

This is not to be construed as legal advice. What I am saying that I personally will NOT post copyrighted material to the "backup" forum. My independent legal research shows that the Fair Use exemption to the copyright laws does not apply when there is any commercial exploitation at all involved in the republication process. Recent court rulings, in the wake of the Napster controversy, have strengthened copyright protection in case law. Persons posting copyrighteed material to the 'backup' forum do so, at their own legal peril.

The bottom line conclusion, unless an attorney posts legal advice that Fair Use applies to the "backup" forum despite the clear commercial exploitation --- that we can rely on --- is that the "backup" forum is quite simply NOT.

-- Robert Riggs (rxr.999@worldnet.att.net), October 31, 2001.

I wholeheartedly concur that we should stay here as long as is humanly possible. In switching you always lose some viewers.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), October 31, 2001.

Uncle Fred is right, ezboard is at least an emergency location, no?

-- Will (righthere@home.now), October 31, 2001.

Spider and et al. I'm using a program called teleport to vacuum up all of the links. It takes a day or two on the end of a 56k modem line [was ~70 meg in may2001]. There are some tricks on how to do it but it ain't to bad. [Spider if you get teleport email me and I'll send you the greenspun config file.]

I made a CD, did a collection back in MAY 2001, and am workin on as quickly as possible to get current data. for the folks who have posted a bunch of stuff just email me your addy and I'll glady send you a disc. Everyone else it will cost $15, $10 for the effort and $5 for donations two good causes [one is Robert W.'s Better times . see http://home.att.net/~ofuzzy1/gs-sale.htm for more details. If you want to wait for the next the updated version, it will be ready in about 2 weeks.

I sent one to Paula Gordon, gratis, when she get's it I hope she'll let you know if was worth the effort.

I still have some discs from the y2k era, GN's site and the gem 'Cosmo Access' the whole thing [forum and 2 wonderfull info sections.] And gobbs of other great sites.

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), October 31, 2001.

Forgot to add:

The ezboard format is not nearly as easy to surf and work [and add updates] as greenspun... it is a tedious fromat to use.

Sadly the greenspun experience is unique and a lost art.

I will do some research on other boards.

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), October 31, 2001.