Host Server “end of life”

[Wedgy]

I’ve received news today which I was hoping I wouldn’t receive for another year or so ….. the server company is discontinuing the service IA is hosted on (technology moves on). They have given me 3 months notice, so the server will be disconnected on 31st July 2018. We've been on the same server for all but 6 months of IA's life.

For any other website this wouldn’t be an issue with ongoing support, but Iconic is in its twilight years – kept going by the few for their love of the community and supported by me, ensuring the health of the website. But the software is out of date, the server is out of date and I am out of date (in terms of being very rusty on the programming side), which makes any transfer to a new server very difficult.

I want to be open and honest with you all, my first thought are the following:

Plan A
I find a smaller/less complicated server and manage to transfer the site – we may lose a bit of functionality such as rotating banners. My concern is my current knowledge level and my time availability.

Plan B
I find a way to archive the site for posterity, but we move the community to another platform (FB or anywhere else suggested).

We have enough funds now to pay for the next 3 months hosting with £20 to spare. I will ask the donors if they want a refund on that balance or a donation to charity. If you have a reoccurring paypal donation, please feel free to cancel – I will most likely cancel them at the end of the 3 months anyway – especially due to the uncertainty.

The clock is ticking – but can assure you I want IA to survive as much as the next person.

Matt.

[Mayfly]

It all depends if this is a decision is made with the head or the heart.

There is very little interaction these days with even fewer posts made. Yes I will pop a little into the coffers as long as IA is in it's current form but given the current level of interaction is it sensible to to keep funding a forum on a different server just because we can?

I hate social media, however FB or another social media outlet may be the way to go if we simply want to keep in touch with those who still pop in. It breaks my heart to think of losing contact with all the friends I made over the years but saying that, many don't frequent IA anymore anyway, I just don't want to lose contact with those that are left.

Being a sentimental old biddy what I can say is IA will always live on in my memory what ever is decided and I want to thank you Matt for everything you have done for it's members. Not only did you do much to help a certain short person but you kept me sane too.

I will support whatever is decided.

[Spitfire]

I think we've been here before - or similar - and last time if i remember it was a 'lob some cash in and see what happens'
This time I think the runes are trying to tell you something .. time to let it go .. and my vote would be to let it die gracefully .. as the film once said "they shoot horses don't they"

Like MF I too have MANY happy memories of the banter and fun on this forum - it helped me through some tough times and - like all things in life - there were some not so good times ...
But time moves inexorably on and things have changed RAPIDLY over the years - some for the better - some would argue not so ...
Unlike MF I do not dislike social media - I've said before that Facebook is a mine of brilliant pages and sites and I follow loads of interesting aircraft projects - not least of which is https://www.facebook.com/groups/NX611JustJane/?fref=nf and the boys on WR963 https://www.facebook.com/avro.shackleton2/
There's something for everyone and whilst I very very rarely visit IA I see the posts come up on my Twitter feed so know what's occurring through that.

Times change - I am 65 and now retired but try very hard to keep up with the modern world - I bought a 3D printer and had great fun with that and have just bought a Laser Engraver ...and its the same with social media .. my iphone is a line into the modern world and I love the way it automatically can be set to keep me informed of the projects I enjoy ....
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=The%20Two%20Seat%20Spitfire%20Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/118983335150/?fref=nf

Even Disney has a song for it Wedgy ...

[RLN]

I can't really comment as I am one of those who has been wayward of late both with my prescence and other contributions.
I too have made many friends on this forum and even met some of you (hope you have recovered from the shock). As Bilbo said "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." I don't know what it means either. Anyway, whatever you choose to do will be fine, but as I refuse to do Farcebook will someone let me know where to find you.

https://youtu.be/9NCLmuo_944?t=28s

[Spitfire]

I hate social media

I refuse to do Farcebook

What is it with older people and social media & particularly Facebook
I see 'cutting off nose to spite face' mentality ... I see 'fear of privacy breaches' and the 'world knowing your business' paranoia ... well it ain't like that - you get to control who sees what and after several years I've had absolutely no issues .. you probably get more trouble with your bank - those wonderful trustworthy institutions...

Hell I'm 65 and you have to see through it and not cut it off just 'because' of what you've heard or perceived... it's here to stay - and no you don't 'need' or 'have' to like it I realise that ... but like all changes if you embrace and use the bits that suit you and shut out the rest - the teenage bollox part - then its a gold mine

If you think about it when the IA forum was active we/you were all like juveniles on Facebook anyway - more games and trivia than anything meaningful about Iconic Aircraft - did 'Identify the car' - or spurious and inane word games ever contribute anything other than a bit of fun

Well Facebook is similar - you just have to see past the games and trivia and get to use it for what it is ...
Its a modern tool you can use like any other tool ...

I remember MF once mentioned 'Black Mike' I knew nothing about that plane so I entered it in to Facebook - and lo and behold there's a whole dedicated page ...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/345309428932536/
Like Forums these group pages are moderated and controlled - you have to ask to 'Join the group' - once in you get to see the content ... and loads of it there is ...
If that group then does or says anything new it appears on your own Facebook timeline and you get to see it straight away.. no checking in to see what's happening .. it's just there.
Tell me that's NOT interesting

Think of any aircraft project, organisation or club and they'll have a Facebook page... no games and trivia just good stuff about the plane or organisation ... or do you need the games and trivia just like teenagers on Facebook ... see what I'm getting at ... and if you 'Follow' a page and you then don't like what you are seeing or it gets boring you can just as easily 'Unfollow' it and it goes away.

I have spent hours on Facebook because it has some inbuilt intuition - if you search something it links on the right of the page other things like that you may be interested in - that leads you down a new path to many other interesting things .. similar to YouTube which is amazing too - the stuff I have learned and picked up by watching relevant YouTube videos .. There's always someone who's already done what you are trying to do and is happy to share their experience...

Find any company - group - organisation - person and they'll have a link on their website to a Facebook page ...
Here's one ...https://www.facebook.com/JonoMagic/
Take a look - spend a few of your precious minutes on it - he'd love it if you did

I have given examples before ... here's a few more I follow ...

https://www.facebook.com/EllipticalPhotography/?hc_ref=ARTl7ixfzDfxU-_dRqaBEfQ_4UTdy4IgpHJx_BEkNulsyIkS9Bm9hVTghyJgLZ-Secw

https://www.facebook.com/BBMF.Official/

https://www.facebook.com/royalairforceredarrows/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NX611JustJane/

I've just been to see the Airborne Museum in Normandy ... guess what ...
https://www.facebook.com/airbornemuseum/

I've just been to see the Bayeux Tapestry ...guess what ...
https://www.facebook.com/bayeuxmuseum

Just try it - if you don't like it delete it and shoot me ...

PS https://www.facebook.com/wwwIconicAircraftcouk-90283331809/

[Aceyone]

Well said David,saved me all the typing !

[Sooty655]

I agree with most of what David said, with the exception of

... it's here to stay -

Facebook will only last until the "yoof" move on to the next fad. Us oldies who don't click adverts and fill in stupid quizzes don't attract enough revenue to keep it going on our own.

Personally I make very limited use of FB ~ I find it easier to google whatever interests me and go to the website. It saves wading through all the garbage posted on FB pages.

I've waited until now to see how many people responded to Wedgy's news. Like Mayfly, I'm happy to continue funding IA as long as it continues, but it hardly seems worth keeping it going for just six of us. We might just as well exchange email addresses.

[Spitfire]

I agree with most of what David said, with the exception of

... it's here to stay -

A bit of a misquote there young man ... If you look back I was particularly referring to Social Media in general and a side reference to FB. As you say FB may one day die ... but it will only be replaced by A N Other .... and there's no way I can see it just yet ...

There have been deaths I grant you ... MySpace came and went .. and look at Friends Reunited ... that exploded then quickly imploded when FB completely eclipsed it.

There is too much inter-connection too - Instagram / Twitter / FB ... all sitting cheek by jowl and connecting to each other.

Social Media in general and the way iphones/ipads et al are being used is indeed 'here to stay' ... look in ANY cafe/pub/restaurant/public place and phones are glued to the hands of pretty much everyone .. and its NOT just youngsters .. there is growing support in the silver hairs too because we are the baby boomers, and we are now grey, but some of us are 'with it' in spite of its drawbacks - seeing instead the benefits.

Some things I positively love ... being able to have a Facetime with my daughter in Hampshire on my iphone - to see her and chat as if she's in the room ... I LOVE that ... stuff I would have killed for when my wife and I were courting in Worcester/Oxford back in the 70s ..and queuing for 10 minutes on one payphone once a week

I feel connected and I refuse to be left behind ... and I won't be

[Mayfly]

What is it with older people and social media & particularly Facebook
I see 'cutting off nose to spite face' mentality ... I see 'fear of privacy breaches' and the 'world knowing your business' paranoia ...

Well I'm not sure if I should stand in the naughty corner feeling well and truly told off or to suggest SF takes his BP medication and laid down in a darkened room

I'm not sure why my dislike of social media offends you so much David. I have tried it, in fact I was an Admin for an organisation for a couple of years. My dislike of FB has nothing to do with privacy breeches or people knowing my business.

I dislike the way it's structured. As an admin I was sick of dealing with questions where the answer was in full view on the home page etc,etc while having to stay polite. I was over the moon when someone was found to take it over. There are others things too that I don't like about FB but won't bother going into them here it's not about why I do or not like FB.
I simply see it as the same as me not liking Firefox - I just couldn't get along with it, not sure why just one of those things.

Personally I make very limited use of FB ~ I find it easier to google whatever interests me and go to the website. It saves wading through all the garbage posted on FB pages.

I totally agree Sooty -

At the end of the day - as I already said, I have always supported IA and I always will in whatever format the future has mapped out for it.

[Sooty655]

I agree with most of what David said, with the exception of

... it's here to stay -

A bit of a misquote there young man ... If you look back I was particularly referring to Social Media in general and a side reference to FB. /snip\....

No, David, you were referring to FB in particular -

What is it with older people and social media & particularly Facebook
I see 'cutting off nose to spite face' mentality ... I see 'fear of privacy breaches' and the 'world knowing your business' paranoia ... well it ain't like that - you get to control who sees what and after several years I've had absolutely no issues .. you probably get more trouble with your bank - those wonderful trustworthy institutions...

Hell I'm 65 and you have to see through it and not cut it off just 'because' of what you've heard or perceived... it's here to stay - and no you don't 'need' or 'have' to like it I realise that ... but like all changes if you embrace and use the bits that suit you and shut out the rest - the teenage bollox part - then its a gold mine

As for the "young man" appellation, you're well wide of the mark. Not old enough to be your father, but big brother certainly, so cut it out, kid.

[Sooty655]

I hate social media, however FB or another social media outlet may be the way to go if we simply want to keep in touch with those who still pop in. It breaks my heart to think of losing contact with all the friends I made over the years but saying that, many don't frequent IA anymore anyway, I just don't want to lose contact with those that are left.

If there is a consensus to move the site over to a FB group, I'm happy to admin/moderate it and see how it goes. I already do that for the XM655 Official site.

[Dougs]

Oddly I keep up to date via Twitter, keeps my eye on all IA and others activity without trudging through websites. It just makes it all easier. I too think a FB page would be the best easiest way of keeping in touch.

[Spitfire]

What is it with older people and social media & particularly Facebook
I see 'cutting off nose to spite face' mentality ... I see 'fear of privacy breaches' and the 'world knowing your business' paranoia ...

Well I'm not sure if I should stand in the naughty corner feeling well and truly told off or to suggest SF takes his BP medication and laid down in a darkened room

Tee Hee - just like the old days



Bring it on - 40 lashes for me then



Facebook it is then

[Mayfly]

You don't get the good stuff until you have served your penance

[Spitfire]

You don't get the good stuff until you have served your penance

My bad .......Just tell me where and when and I'll be there

[RLN]

Zealots are bad for any religion.

[10680]

One of my (now) infrequent visits.

I'm willing to support (financially and by posting) any option.

I don't know if it's as easy to have different threads on, say, Facebook as opposed to a forum.

It would be a pity to lose the archives.

[34053]

It will be sad to see the current IA format come to an end. However, I suppose that have to accept that things move on and times change. I am prepared to 'go with the flow' and agree with the majority vote on which course of action to take.

(I have been a late 'convert' to FB, only really because a lot the info' from Southern Locomotives Ltd generally seems to appear on FB before going on their website).

PW

[Mackrick]

I have been absent from the forum for a long time. My personal circumstance have changed including work. I keep looking at the forum every month and have fond memories of it at its peak.I made friends on here, had a laugh but was also able to share photos and information that I hope people enjoyed. I no longer post on any forums and only use social media for family and close friends. It’s a shame after all the hard work by Mat and the moderators as well as the forum members are about to loose this. It is with a sad heart that I wait to see the outcome.

[Hungry Haggis]

One of my very infrequent visits in past couple of years. I certanly do not do facebook have never trusted them and never will. I am 70 been retired for 28 years for health reasons and since Jan this year have had 2 life threatening/changing episodes . If I vote facebook will it count ? If it doesn't then where ever you all end up I wish you all well. I do hope IA can go on somewhere but will guess it won't be in a closed forum .Thank you Matt for all your hard work in starting this and keeping it going for all this time.

[Wedgy]

Update:

My intention is still to keep IA alive, but on researching alternative hosting, it is clear it will have to be a "hard changeover". Which means I either let IA go offline on July 31st, or take it down myself before then …. before I can recreate it.

Im currently practising my coding - its a bit rusty. Wish me luck.

[Mayfly]

You've never let us down yet Wedgy, I have every faith in you.

[Sooty655]

Never practice, you waste all the good bits.

Good luck, Wedgy.

[Spitfire]

Go for it ...

Maybe we'll meet up on the other side

[Gaz]

Evening!!

Matt, do a Facebook page for those that will use it. The guppy page does very well on there.

Look for a basic host for the forum for the others. With some clever coding you can probably link them, much like you do now with twitter.

Hello everyone, by the way