(RFD) Amiga.org's future

[brianb]

As a software developer I think your attacking this problem from the wrong angle...  Developing for the lowest common denominator will always lead to poor/mediocre results and frustrating support.   In this case developing around the small minority of "classic" users will hinder the majority.  

Make a *great* site with the newest and coolest tools preserving the content as best as possible.  That should be goal #1.

If the site was meant to be viewed on classic hardware solutions will come forward (heck maybe even a new browser), and if not then there was probably never much interest anyway.

Besides simple/older browsers could always use something like http://mowser.com/   just give it a site and it renders a simple HTML version removing unnecessary code, CSS, images, etc.   Meant for mobile users, but I'm sure a possible work around for the hardcore classic users who have to use their classic systems on the web.

I think developing for the small minority, that do have some possible workarounds, is only going to limit you in the long run and cause increased frustration.  And for what?!  The 5% of people who might use a classic amiga to occasionally access this site?  Why bother...

My $0.02 anyway...

[brianb]

That is a tough poll question, and the wording made me pick the option I didn't originally like.  

But to sacrifice all this great information/knowledge in discussion boards so we can move the Amiga platform forward I had to go with preserve.  

What is forward on the Amiga platform?  What is to move forward?   This is a niche hobby market at best, with a dwindling user base.   The only "forward" I see on the horizon is the recent growth in hardware (FPGA) based Amiga emulators.   There will be no killer-app, revolutionary hardware, etc. just people a little nostalgic for the good 'ol days of computing.

[brianb]

Wayne wrote:

Less vaguely asked, why go to the (potentially several) hundred hours of so work required to change the site over once it no longer works?

I've seen the community that uses this web site dwindle from thousands per hour, to barely enough to qualify "hundreds" and most of those, the same people.

Well faced with those hard facts, it certainly doesn't make much sense.  (sadly)   Although I'd hate to see the site go, and appreciate the work you have put into it.   I can certainly understand your dilemma...  

If you nuked the current site, and started from scratch would there be anyway to make an archive of the original site available?  Even if not in a pretty form, but the raw data from the discussion boards?  Cause your easiest path, would be to start new (burn and rebuild) and if possible offer an archive download (even if it's some kind of HTML dump) option.  Just a thought...