I found this posting in the "Philosophy of Photography" Forum:

"Many thanks to Philip Greenspun for coming up with the software that drives this forum, and for hosting it (i.e. running the server, greenspun.com, on which the software runs). Unfortunately, Phil tells me that greenspun.com is no longer being maintained, and will, at some time in the near future, go away. Which means that this forum will die. I have written to the photo.net people asking if they would host it, but they haven't replied. Perhaps they are not interested. Does anyone have any good ideas?" -- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), December 21, 2001

Does anybody have any thought about this? Has anybody heard this before?

-- Rob Schopke (schopke@attbi.com), January 06, 2002

Answers

This was discussed in great detail a few weeks back. A few of the most active greenspun forums (including this one we were told) will be absorbed into photo.net. after that server goes away. I haven't heard anything recently as far as any kind of time frame or if anything has changed.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), January 06, 2002.

Like Alan Gibson, I also wrote to the photo.net full-timers but with no reply. Philip did say that our Leica forum is an important photography forum and should be brought into the photo.net service, so I assume we will be saved. The time frame that I was last told was "after the holidays."

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), January 07, 2002.

Creating and maintaining a forum such as this must be a lot of work. How are the creators compensated? Is it just altruism? Do they just enjoy computers and the Leica? One thing I've observed-- if it is something that is good, and noble, you better enjoy it while you can, because it certainly is on the way out! At least, that's how it's been in my time. The Leica has been the best example of something that goes against this trend.

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), January 07, 2002.

That's rather sad, Frank. There are lots of good and noble things in my life that I've helped to enrich and sustain with friends and fellow enthusiasts.

This Leica forum is a good effort by dedicated folks. I trust that it will survive, but it is by no means the only Leica forum on the net. There are other vital Leica forums to turn to if it should not.

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), January 07, 2002.

Will we have fair warning before it goes down (like a week). If so, and if mr. greenspun doesn't move the forum to photo.net or the like (which would clearly be superior to my proposal - they are much better programmers then me and more used to load issues). I can most likely set up a site to continue this forum, i have already set up something similar on some other commercial sites... and hopefully figure out a way to keep the archives (I doubt it would be too hard). It may take a while (a week or two more) for me to get the picture upload capacity working but i am pretty sure this site can survive...

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), January 07, 2002.

Godfrey, Where else on the net you would recommend leica forum like this? Regards, Tom

-- tom tong (tom.tong@ckh.com.hk), January 07, 2002.

How about www.leica.com :-)

-- ReinierV (rvlaam@xs4all.nl), January 07, 2002.

I maintain three forums, and I DID receive a response from the Photo.net people. However, I do not have a precise time frame for the switchover. Here is what I was told: "We are working with Greenspun to figure out the simplest way to technically make the transfer. We will do it sometime after the holidays and give you a heads up first."

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), January 07, 2002.