@X-ray,
Again, not going to sit here and defend why I -- or anyone -- thinks this site is, or isn't worth what I'm asking. Frankly, neither would you if someone walked into your house and belittled your work as I feel you have just done mine.
In my mind (and thankfully that of others in this community) this site has tangible value. Hell, it might be one of the only actual Amiga related things in the world that does. Value intrinsic in YEARS worth of posts, in thousands of gathered images, in hundreds of articles, and in thousands of comments to said same.
Absolutely, positively granted. A lot of those comments, articles, etc were in fact contributed by "you", meaning the community, but the fact that *I* was here at all to collect all the little nibbly bits and make them all accessible is more than almost any of you have done over the years.
Fred Fish didn't write software. He collected software, and you paid him for it. The Amiga Web Directory didn't invent links, Kevin Hisel simply gathered them and you all thought he was an Amiga God. Miriam-Webster didn't make up words, they just collected them and we all buy their dictionaries. I could go on with example after example but I think you get the point.
I'm not trying to "sell the community". I'm trying to quietly walk away with a little dignity from a community, and a site (which you are correct, go hand in hand) that frankly I spent 15 years of my life helping to build.
What I don't get, is the need of some to step into a thread like this with negative -- or better stated, discouraging -- comments at all? It's not like it was a request for discussion. I've stated my case, clarified my intentions, and stated my asking price for everything that I've worked on for 15 years. I'm tired, and yes. "Disenchanted".
Then you, and a couple of people come along and just feel some unexplainable need to pull your wanker out to tell me how you feel that I'm somehow stupid for even making the offer?
Yes. This site is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Nothing more, nothing less (thank you Captain Obvious :lol: ).
As Amiga collectibles go however, I feel compelled to state that Amiga.org is, in fact, more unique than the Walker prototype, the 3000+ or even a mint copy of Detective Stories (Superman #1). There will never be another AMIGA.ORG.
That being said, I am hoping that several intrepid community members (hopefully friends) will band together and form a consortium of sorts. Sell shares, elect your own webmaster, do whatever and run the site the way that "you" (the community again) want to run it.
I already have an offer on the table, but it's what I will generously call "a little low" and contingent on a 90 day window. Before giving into such an offer, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer it to the very people that help to make it what it is today.
Maybe there isn't anyone in the community (or even a small group of people) who really cares whether or not this site continues. As others have stated, there are always other web sites, and I'm sure at least one of you have bought a domain and started a bot to rape the content from here already.
Looking at the whole ordeal from my perspective, it would only take the 800 active members each tossing in $13 to a neutral paypal account to solve the whole damned boggle. 200 people at $50. 100 at $100, etcetera.
I'm not asking anyone here to donate anything btw. I'm only making a point of how little $10k is in the grand scheme of things.
Who knows?
All I can say is it's messages like yours which continue to add to my deepening depression and only serve to reinforce that I've wasted 15 years of my life dedicated to this site and to trying to support everyone in the first place.
Despite all this ranting, I'm not angry or anything. I'm really not. I started this thread to just openly tell people how I feel about the situation with zero intention of changing things at any point in the foreseeable future. Really. I'm burned out on computers in general.
If I had my way right now, I'd almost rather computers didn't exist. I really have no use for any of them, and the longer this thread continues, the more a few such as yourself convince me that -- current economics aside -- the thrill is gone and it's time to move on.
Who knows? Perhaps if AI had done something. Perhaps if Bill Buck hadn't fscked me and others over. Perhaps if the AI had pushed to go the Mac route like they did with OS X in 1999? perhaps.. perhaps... perhaps.... Too many variables to care any more.
So far, between just two people in this thread, if someone would only take the initiative to work it all out, you're already 15% of the way there.
Disenchanted indeed...
Wayne