The future of Amiga.org ...?

[buzz]

Fred Fish didn't write software. He collected software, and you paid him for it.

This is not true. He did write software, and his fish disks were distributed for the cost of a disk, and free by other means (bbs's etc). he was a supporter of GPL also.

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.

I dont see how you took his comment this way. I'm sure in the last 15 years, you have done things for more than a monetary reward at the end, and people like the site and contribute which shows their support. I don't personally believe it has a value as you think, and I think there are sometimes more important things than money.

[Wayne]

I think there are sometimes more important things than money.

You're entitled to that thought, and to your opinion as it were, but as I said, to me, the Amiga soap opera simply isn't one of them.  I do see where you're trying to slip in the fanboy mantra of "you should just give it away for free because the Amiga is more important than you".  

I'm clearly baffled as to how you think I would in ANY way be "profiting" from such a sale considering everything I've done for both the site, and the community over the years.  How much is 15 years of your life and constant dedication worth to you?  

Besides, even if I were making obscene profits as you seem to want to suggest (which I'm not), the question remains...  So what?

The problem, hence the hole in your subtle suggestion is that -- as I've tried to explain -- I'm burnt out on "the greater good".  I'm no longer really interested in computers, but in the same breath, this site is indeed like my child.  As such, I want to find someone who's willing -- and able -- to step up, buy the site, and keep it going.  

Much like the Excalibur test, the person or persons who are willing to step up and invest in it will be someone I'm assured won't easily take the site and run it into the ground.

Running a site like this takes dedication, and frankly, 15 years worth of dealing with all the constant red vs blue, squabbling, bitching, and backstabbing betwixt site members (and even site members going out of their way to sabotage AI)  is just more than I care to deal with any more.

Indeed, I'm not interested in "the greater good" and/or giving away 15 years worth of blood, sweat, and tears.  You wouldn't either if the roles were reversed, I guarantee ANY of you would feel the same way I do.

The question remains.  If the site is worth something to the community, someone will step up.  If not, then there's no point in me spending any more of my life trying to keep it going day to day.  I hate that fact, but there it is.

Wayne

[NovaCoder]

Wayne, I totally understand and agree that spare time is very very hard to come by as we get older and work and family responsibilities come into play....Amiga time is my down time and I enjoy it..I hope you can sell the site for a nice amount of money and hopefully to pay you back for all the hard work and dedication you paid over the years to the Amiga community!

btw, I'll gladly donate some money if the community wants to get together to buy Amiga.org!

X2

[covansky]

Hi wayne, I'm Spanish, from Barcelona, I ask you to please continue this great work, you are our strength ... I love to friend and I'm sick of seeing the best in this great adventure will be ... us not, that you're one of the best .... please ...

[X-ray]

"...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?..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
You know, Wayne, it is one thing to completely misinterpret my post, but it is another thing to try to put words in my mouth. You just dropped several notches in my estimation.

[kickstart]

Well if you want to sell this maybe you can share the money back with the most active users (not me of course), theres some amiga forums if this site dissapears people move to another one and end of history, dont take it bad but this is the reality.

[buzz]

You're entitled to that thought, and to your opinion as it were, but as I said, to me, the Amiga soap opera simply isn't one of them.  I do see where you're trying to slip in the fanboy mantra of "you should just give it away for free because the Amiga is more important than you".

Actually that wasnt quite what I was thinking.

I'm clearly baffled as to how you think I would in ANY way be "profiting" from such a sale considering everything I've done for both the site, and the community over the years.  How much is 15 years of your life and constant dedication worth to you?  

I'm sure you have done plenty. But don't forget sites like this are built on the userbase and contributions too.

For me, the last 15 years is worth the experience and enjoyment I have got from it. I did things for the fun. I don't understand how you are looking back needing some kind of value for the time. When you started the site it was because you enjoyed running it surely?

Indeed, I'm not interested in "the greater good" and/or giving away 15 years worth of blood, sweat, and tears.  You wouldn't either if the roles were reversed, I guarantee ANY of you would feel the same way I do.

you are wrong there. I already do, in the way that my(our) site and information is licensed.

[Marcb]

@Wayne
 
I applaud your honesty, if your heart is not in it then no arrangement of words by way of reply on here is going to reignite that passion, however, I hope that you reconsider...
 
Either way, thank you for the hard work you have put in to keeping this corner of the internet a haven for Amiga users, ex-users and fan boys alike, sure there are other Amiga sites, but as you said, there is only one Amiga.org.
 
 
@All
 
Unless there is a single individual out there that has both the $ and ability to keep Amiga.org running as it is, I suggest we start talking about a community purchase of Amiga.org.

[motorollin]

My life wouldn't be the same without this site. I will be honest though. As a student I cannot commit large sums of money to buy amiga.org, neither can I commit large amounts of time to run it. As much as I would love to say "put me down for a donation of x, and y hours per week administrating the site", I'm not prepared to do that when there's a good chance I won't be able to honour those commitments. As much as it would pain me to see this site and its community disappear, there's little I can do about it.

What I can offer is my thanks to everyone who has been involved in amiga.org's inception, day-to-day running and maintenance. This has been a great community over the years and I will always be grateful for the help I have received with Amiga-related problems, and even more-so for the friends I have made during my time here.

Finally, if a significant number of people agree to club together to buy the site, such that individual contributions will be relatively small, I will unquestionably consider contributing.

[ElPolloDiabl]

At least we had some good times here. Let it fade away. Amiga the pseudo company that is holding us to ransom is probably to blame. Amiga is not cursed, it's just that nobody really gave the Amiga a chance. See you around guys...

[coldfish]

'twas only a matter of time.

I can dig where Wayne is coming from, and hope he can get something for all the time and effort he's put in?

g'luck.

[whabang]

I, for one, welcome our lesbian overlords.

This site was one of the first ones I ever visited back when I took my first steps out on the net back in '95, and I while I'm not posting as much as I used to, I have been a regular and registrered member for about ten years.

I alone, must have spent many thousands of megabytes of bandwidth visiting this site, and when the site peaked, around 2003-2004, there must have been considerable hosting costs involved.

If people think that this site, and the part of the Amiga community remains alive because of it, are more important than a person or than an undisclosed ammount of money, then feel free to pay up and buy the site! The .org will be saved, and I will be here along with it. And I will not be alone. Many of us oldtimers are still lurking around, and new ownership won't affect that.

Wayne has keept this site running for longer than most other Amiga-sites around, and while there has been donations from the community, I cannot imagine that all costs, not to mention all the time spent on the site, have been paid for. And now people are whining because he actually wants some compensation for all that? Geez!

Thanks for those years, Wayne! You have done an excellent job running this service for the community, and I hope you get something for all that trouble. You deserve it.

[gertsy]

@whabang; Negative me, never thought of the upside..
If we have lesbian overlords they WILL have to punish us for being naughty.
But knowing our luck they will be ugly fat chicks from the island of Lesbos.

One thing that will never change is change.  And it's always when I start to take something for granted..

Gertsy

[the_leander]

My life wouldn't be the same without this site. I will be honest though. As a student I cannot commit large sums of money to buy amiga.org, neither can I commit large amounts of time to run it. As much as I would love to say "put me down for a donation of x, and y hours per week administrating the site", I'm not prepared to do that when there's a good chance I won't be able to honour those commitments. As much as it would pain me to see this site and its community disappear, there's little I can do about it.

What I can offer is my thanks to everyone who has been involved in amiga.org's inception, day-to-day running and maintenance. This has been a great community over the years and I will always be grateful for the help I have received with Amiga-related problems, and even more-so for the friends I have made during my time here.

Finally, if a significant number of people agree to club together to buy the site, such that individual contributions will be relatively small, I will unquestionably consider contributing.

This pretty much covers it for me.

Wayne, from the bottom of my heart, thankyou for keeping this place going. It's been an honour and a privilage.

Namaste.

[Boot_WB]

My life wouldn't be the same without this site. I will be honest though. As a student I cannot commit large sums of money to buy amiga.org, neither can I commit large amounts of time to run it. As much as I would love to say "put me down for a donation of x, and y hours per week administrating the site", I'm not prepared to do that when there's a good chance I won't be able to honour those commitments. As much as it would pain me to see this site and its community disappear, there's little I can do about it.

What I can offer is my thanks to everyone who has been involved in amiga.org's inception, day-to-day running and maintenance. This has been a great community over the years and I will always be grateful for the help I have received with Amiga-related problems, and even more-so for the friends I have made during my time here.

Finally, if a significant number of people agree to club together to buy the site, such that individual contributions will be relatively small, I will unquestionably consider contributing.

As Motorollin' speaks, so speaks my country.

Wayne, I wish you nothing but the best future, and thanks for creating and running this site for so many years.

I feel for the people who have currently "dropped out" of the Amiga scene for a while, and in the course of time will think "I wonder what's going on over at A.org these days.." only to find that the site has closed. For me, that will signal a major step in the demise of the community.

Whatever your sutuation at the moment (and over the coming months), I hope you take with you the overwhelming awareness that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of people genuinely wishing you well for the future, and who would shake your hand if they met you on the street. Not only for having run this site, but for being a genuinely nice guy who is approachable and generally fair (we all have our bad days :-) ). There's not many people in the world who can say that.

I hope you find a buyer, or an amicable arrangement which keeps you happy (ie retain ownership, but delegate all operations).

Whatever happens, all the best for the future. So long, and thanks for all the fish. I hope that we will see you again.

[Akiko]

I'm willing to contribute $100 or so.. I'm sure there there must be at least another 99 members would do the same!

I think it's so important to try have Amiga.org owned by many commited members as possible, rather than say one or two individuals that *could* franky shut down or bastardize this site at any time.