hmmm...... Ozyr, what your take, I know you can speak your mind
You want my honest opinion on this, okay, here it goes then (and yes, I do speak [type] my mind!)
(I've already spoke my mind to some extent on the old board, in reply to Richard. Read it while it lasts.)1 - First off, I think it is nice that Richard gave out the Odyssey PDF magazine he created. Nice last minute good bye to the O2/VP community.
2 - Complaining about the cost of running an Odyssey2/Videopac forum honestly in kind of lame. If you don't like to lose money on running a Web site, then don't do it. Most video game fan sites lose money, as does mine. Do I complain about it, maybe a little. However, I enjoy doing it, so around $100 a year is no big deal. Honestly, $100 (whatever in England or Europe), is nothing if you have a regular paying job. It is a drop in the bucket.
Also, I pride myself at having virtually no advertisement on my site (I have one Amazon.com link), which Richard kept trying to do to pay for the old site/forum. I refuse to put up ebay stuff, google links, and the like. I've thought about them, but I don't like them, thus I don't do them.
Back on subject though, if it is costing Richard too much, then drop the site. Just do it, and move one. And honestly, I hate having two forums. It'll be nice to just have one again!
3 - As far as I can tell from Richard's post, his main complaint is the cost to fix a hacked forum. It sounds like it was hacked and/or the data badly damaged. He also gripes about how backups didn't work on a MOD'd forum.
Well, I've been there, and still have my own little forums (hidden away for the most part). Yes, you can backup a MOD'd forum, you just need to know what you are doing. I've had some hairy experiences with php forums, but managed to pull through with the community on the phpBB support forum.
As for Richard talking about paying to restore the old forum, I wish he would have posted that he needed help first. There is a good chance one of us could have helped him, and for much less money. This is my biggest gripe - no communication. Only now do we find out that his site was apparently hacked (or corrupted), and he took months to get it fixed. He should have simply posted this from the start. Now, I've got nothing personal against Richard, but this whole thing could have been handled better. Simple fact.
4 - The comment on fickle members spatting their dummies (his exact words) was kind of odd. But, as I see it, he is just spouting a bit of anger/frustration that his forum and site are no longer really used anymore. Again, his own fault for not communicating. This also could be in reference to some members here who have complained about not getting things that they paid for - and they have that right to complain! As far as I know, some people never received things they paid for, yet!
But, I think his main point is the new forum, which went up when his went down. Frankly, let the old one die, and I have not like two forums at all. This one is designed much better, no ads, no complaints about needed money to keep it running, etc! Thus, goodbye old forum, it was fun while it lasted. (And please, don't keep the old one going, just go out with some dignity Richard!).
(On a side note, I will admit that I think Robbert put up this forum too quickly. It was supposed to be temporary, but it expanded way to fast. Note Robbert, this is just my opinion, nothing more or less. I don't mean any insult, but I am speaking my mind. It is water under the bridge at this point though.) 5 - As for thanking his friends, that is cool. Not sure if he considers me one, but I like that he gave me credit in the Odyssey magazine he created. Plus, I never had much of a problem with Richard, except for the silence when the old forum went down.
6 - As for someone buy the old domain site, anyone here is welcome to it. I would guess that Richard will ask at least ?500+ for it (to recap his loses).
In a nut shell, out with the old forum, long live the current forum!end-of-line
P.S. Since the old forum is going away, would people stop posting on there then, please! Just let it go with some grace, and let it have a nice quick death!And, if Richard reads this, I still personally have no ill regard towards you in general. Things could have been handled better, but no one is perfect (and I should know, I've made plenty of mistake, that is life). Thanks for the old forum, while it lasted. It was fun for a few years. Time to move forward though... Good luck in life, and whatever lies ahead!
