thank you for all your comments and wishes in the other thread, i appreciate it, and it means a lot to me.

to address just some of your comments:

setting up a for-pay/subscription system would require a crapload of backend work which i don't have the resources for. unless the income would be enough for me to replace my salary so i can quit my job and do this right it's not worth it. also, it would change the character of the site from what it was intended to be.

handing it over to new management, well, that would require somebody crazy enough to spend as much time on it as the team and i have. so far nobody has volunteered for that position - big surprise .

setting up separate forums for OT and UD would upset both some moderators as well as some regulars and in my opinion rip into the unique character of the forum.

you all know how addicting this site and especially the forum has become, and it's especially bad for me, not only because i started it, but also because of my emotional and obsessive personality. i know deep down inside that there is no compromise.


to look at the future, i've put some more thought into what's gonna happen with PC911, i'm sure you all want to know, so here's the scoop:

the forum will stay up until the end of the month. i want to help you find one good forum that you all can comfortably transition to. please post suggestions for possible forums.

the site will stay up indefinitely. the content like the how-to's and the freeware downloads are still available to everybody, though i will remove some of the outdated or half-assed content.

the UD fight cancer team will continue, it's a worthwhile effort and there is no reason it should be affected by anything else.


i want you to be sure to understand one thing. you should consider PC911 a step in your life like it has been in mine. now it's time to move on to the next higher step. see PC911 as your training wheels, and now you've graduated, and are ready to move on to the next level, find another challenge, learn a little more. if you have stuck around here this long and spent this much time on computers, you've demonstrated that you're in it for good and can confidently go on.

i encourage everybody to stay in touch with each other. there is a link at the top right corner of each post (envelope, pen, and paper) that allows you to send e-mail to other members. i considered circulating a list, but i don't want it to be harvested or get into the wrong hands. anybody who wants to stay in touch with me should send me an e-mail with your contact info. who knows, i might look you up when i'm in your neighborhood.


i'm sure i'm forgetting to answer some other questions you might have, so feel free to ask away in this thread. let's use this thread as the constructive thread to clarify things, answer questions, make suggestions, etc. and keep the sentiments to the other thread. i'll make an effort to be here as much as i can over the next two weeks to make sure everything is taken care of.

alex

Alex. I was afraid this day would come. I like your idea about posting suggestions on new forums. If possible I think it would be nice if all (or many) of the PC911 'ers moved to the same forum.

Is there anything we can do to keep PC911 alive? I can help out with anything you need. I have background with Server-side technology even though I mostly do client side. Maybe If we all contribute PC911 will live on.

In any event, Alex, its been great learning form you and your forum. I wish I had found PC911 earlier. I'll never forget the friendship that flourished here.

I guess I need to win a lottery, Alex!

If I do, you've got a permanent job? <G>

Fact is, we'd BOTH have a permanent job.

Slo Hands

For all you XP users.....

I like TweakXP.com

Very informative.....

Meehowski

well if you still read my posts. this what i say about it.

one it is not a waste of time.

two it is not needed to be looked at as a job.

three you can slim down the whole site as far as reviews most only ask for help in the fourm.

four if you had more moderators like shelly and marti and mrman and your others you can have them take over the reins somewhat by giving them tasks to do that need to be done.

the more moderators there are helping the more time everyone can spend doing family things.

as in my group on yahoo i started for the msagents program i gave the mods.. the ablilty to do most of the stuff i can but not all of it. that way nobody gets overwhelmed with a lot of tasks that need to be kept up. if a mod sees something in the site that needs to be taken care of then they can do it. with out my permission. if they mess it up too much i can remove their moderator status.
of course that means you need to find mods that you can tell are going to do what is about the same thing you would do.

five. as for this group that is what i would do get more moderators to help on the simple tasks like adding reviews and items to be downloaded or updateing the looks of the site. aslong as they dont destroy the feel of the site, that way you can go on vacation for six months and comeback and the site would be like it was when you left. as in being kept up and taken care of. i am sure all the mods would love to get rid of the spammers or find their isp and have them kill their accounts.

mine is getting long also. so will stop

roving cowboy / keith hall

Don't Whine, Don't Moan, Just Go To The Gnome. http://www.lockergnome.com

Well, this is a bummer! I understand, but........

Alex,
Thanks for the honest update on the future here. I for one, relied tremendously on the How To guides. With reading those, and reading through the posts I've learned more than I ever thought possible when I got this pc 4 yrs. ago. I've spent several hours today reading all of these threads of late and feeling very sad. Although you don't know me,I feel like I'm losing an old friend(s). I can't ever re-pay you, or the many others here for the help and knowledge I've been given!

I think you have made the right decision. As one of those who came here originally for the WinMag forum, I have learned much from you and Shelly, Grogan, etc.

I can't help but noticing that some of the long-winded posts to your decision have plenty of ideas about what YOU should do, but don't offer to lift a finger to preserve this forum.

I have also seen the level of civility decline, especially in the OT posts. It reached the point that I didn't post to OTs, because of the likely of either a rude or an unreasoned reply.

Please keep using your alias when you visit other forums, so I will know its you. (Same for Shelly, Grogan, and the other PC911 moderators.)

Ray

It's all been said, so I'll only say how devastated I was at the news today, even though the signs have there to see.

My very best wishes for the future to you and your family, Alex, und aufweidersehen..

Looking forward now, its damage limitation time.


Could I suggest The PC Guides Forum, which I have no doubt you'll be quite familiar with.

It enjoys a good reputation, it's recently been given an expensive and substantial face lift - mainly at the "back end" - and it is quite highly structured, so as to easily facilitate special interests such as UD and OT in one or other of its numerous forums.

Otherwise, it is functionally rather similar to PC911. Some things better, others less so!

Anyway, I've put it on the table for consideration.

I'm also a member there BTW, just so everyone knows where I'm coming from

Mitch

I want to thank you for making it clear what your intentions are,and I for one hope to see someone keep the forum going.I don't have the health,and or wealth to be of much assistance.

Thank you, and thanks to all the great friends I have made here,and I do hope somehow we can keep in touch.I will come here as always each day,and stay abreast of the status,Tuff


Edit: I am also a member of Bitbendertech,it is also a great forum and some really great folks there.I will post the forum link,for those who would like to check it out.

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/index.php?s=

Yes I'm a member at Bitbenders, too. Plenty of old PC911ers. Haven't posted yet cause I find it difficult to break in to a new Forum. It's great to come where everybody knows your name.

Guns don't kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.

Well said Mike, errr Joe?, ummm Bob?, Ken? What is your name again?

LOL!

Mark099!

Tuff, I went there to sign up on you guy's recommendation. Looks like a good enough site. Going to take awhile to get over leaving Alex, It's almost like a failed marriage, there's an empty place.....

I want to respond to the comment that "there will be other places to go",
or something to that effect. That may be true...but there will NEVER be
another place that you can TRUST like PC911. It took me a long time
to truly trust PC911. I am guarded, and suspicious of everything on the
Internet. With good reason, I think you will agree. So, little by little, and
watching very closely, I gradually became more and more trusting in
PC911. It took me a long time. I don't think there will EVER be " another
place" that I will trust. None. Ever.

DavyWavy -

Possible sites...

AMD Only:

http://www.amdforums.com/index.php


Primarily Asus, but support for other products/software is good:

http://www.asusboards.com/vbulletin/index.php?action=home


Ex-UD PC911ers are here:

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/index.php?s=


Anandtech is toooooooooooooooooooooo slow!


Lots of everything here:

http://discuss.madonion.com/forum/wwwthreads.pl

http://www.hardforums.com/


Potential here:

http://ttzforums.com/

http://www.forumoc.com/forums/index.php?s=


Considering the rivalry with Bitbender and the familiar faces there it is a logical choice.

Mark099!

oh yeah, TTZFORUMS. As an added bonus, they used to have a "BABES" thread, but me thinks its been added to their "General Discussion" forum.

each and all of you.

rpera@houston.rr.com

i'd like to suggest CGIWorld.net . They've had free boards for a long time that always worked great, but the free boards have been temp. unavailable because of others using it for illegal use. Anyway, i think they have the best CGI boards i've ever used and they are free. If you could get everyone to convert to a new board like that, or one similar that'd be great. So just a friendly suggestion, good luck!

meik

Thank you, Alex, for letting us know what is happening.

I am very disappointed that it has come to this, but understand.

As I stated in another thread: "Thanks for the ride," it's been fun.

I'm sure that I'm just one of many who feel very sad to see PC911 shut down. I know you've given it a lot of thought Alex, but for what it is worth, here are my thoughts.

All societies/communities must live by rules or face anarchy. I think what happened here is that so many folks forgot the purpose of PC911 and used it as a venting board for personal opnions. That in itself would probably not have been fatal, but they also forgot basic rules of civility. Most assuredly there have been times when I've been shocked (and I don't shock easily) at the name-calling and foul language used by some of the posters. I've never understood why that was tolerated in a computer help forum. Nor do I understand why adults would talk like that to people they don't know simply because they disagree with their views. One of the first rules most of us learn is never to discuss POLITICS or RELIGION with friends or enemies as people feel so strongly about both and are not about to change their minds, and definitely not in a computer help forum!

I've heard over the years about flaming wars on the Internet, but always managed to avoid them as I never went to any newsgroups. I chose PC911 after stumbling on it one day, because it was so helpful and so many of the posters are absolutely delightful and humorous to read. I love being part of the PC911 UD team and am certainly glad that you have no plans to disband it.

The primary purpose of this forum is to HELP folks with computer questions, although I've been amazed at the diversity of knowlege on almost any topic from plumbing to mechanics & electrical advice. It is NOT to to provide opportunities for acerbic and vitriolic comments from folks whose Mothers neglected to wash out their mouths with brown soap when they were growing up

Why not keep the forum going but with a new rule strictly enforced...NO discussions on politics, religion or guns, there are plenty of other avenues available to those who feel the need. When a moderator sees a topic heading south towards Hades or whatever, delete the post and inform the poster of the reason for deletion. If that is too much trouble just plain delete the post and refer to Rule # ?

Whatever you decide, you must ultimately feel good about your accomplishment here. I will certainly miss the postings that so often provide a smile or a chuckle along with the FRIENDLY help from all.

Here's hoping you change your mind about shutting down!

Anne

I WILL MISS YOU ALL........

Meehowski

Great reply miztrial, it could NOT be said better.
It truely going to be a sad day.

For those that would like to use a FAMILY rated site check out http://www.wopr.com/cgi-bin/w3t/wwwthreads.pl
NOTE: Those that do NOT follow the rules get banned.

David C Abernathy

David C Abernathy

Damn...:'(
Well, could everyone post where they are moving to? Where does Scotterpops hang?

Here is another forum I sometimes visit...

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/

Great post miztrial,Friendly Expert Computer Help - In Plain English
I'll probably get flamed for this but I think the OT's ruined this site,or aleast there could have been a seperate forum for it.This site has got to be the best site available for newbies and advanced
alike,why would people want to read about flaming one another or bickering among each other instead of the main reason were all here -to help people with computer problems.just my 2 cents

I"ll miss this site and everyone here, good luck to everyone

"I'll probably get flamed for this but I think the OT's ruined this site,or aleast there could have been a seperate forum for it.This site has got to be the best site available for newbies and advanced
alike..."


I agree wholeheartedly, sixpac

Pentium 2.4 512, Win XP SP2, ATI A-I-W 9800, Intel M/B, On-Board Audio

Scotterpops: http://members.cox.net/scotterpops/index.html

bobbo

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=150

Support PC911


PC911Racing The Gazette BBT Dubbers ExMadCows

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

Alex, for most of us it would be hard to even imagine the work, the sweat and the time that you and the Mods have invested in this site.

I do know, however, the feeling of being "burned out" and it is no fun. I therefore can understand and appreciate your decision.

I sincerely wish the best for you and your new adventure. May you have great success in all that you do.

I will sorely miss this site and all the good people here, especially the Moderators, and just hope that I can find another "Help Forum" that will be as helpful as this one has been. This of course would require a miracle.

Thanks again Alex to you and the Moderators for a great ride the last few years.

Well, its a sad thing to see this site go. Ive been coming to this site for just about as long as I have had a connection to the internet(about 4 years now). I have learnt so much here and I have made some good friends. Well nothing lasts forever in this world. I will always remember this site and how much it contributed to my life and my knowledge of computers. Its going to be strange not coming here as it has been a routine of mine to check in at least a few times everyday. Anyway. Thank you Alex for efforts that you poured into this site. If you ever come to S. Florida drop me a line and come visit.
glenred@earthlink.net

Garbru

Alex, like the others I will miss PC911. It is a site that I could recommend to anyone without reservations. The other senior members and many other contributors get a salute also. I participate in other forums, but none compare to PC911 even when things get a bit mean.

There is a good brewery/restaraunt here in my area of Kansas and you can count on a free dinner if you let me know your in the neigborhood. Best wishes and good luck in the future.

Gary

I for one have never even seen a post that said you are ending this fourm alex. ? did i miss it.

roving cowboy / keith hall

Don't Whine, Don't Moan, Just Go To The Gnome. http://www.lockergnome.com

Wow! I'm blown... Happiness is what it's all about. A sad day indeed. This forum by existing (THANK *U* ALEX) has given me and helped me out more times than I can remember. I refer people here 'cause the folks are nice, knowledgeable and more than willing to help.

I would love to this place alive so I'd be willing to offer my services (i'm a web developer) and/or a few coin$ anyone up for discussion on this?

tia
t.

XP Pro SP3
GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H
AMD 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz
Western Digital Caviar 160GB SATA
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA

Alex: I am an old dog with just a few tricks. I am very careful where I spend my time as I don't have a lot of it to waste. The time I have spent while on your site, gleaning answers and provoking more questions, has been the most productive and enjoyable of my life outside the time my loved ones have given me.
You are a good man and I am proud to call you my countryman. I wish you the best of everything. I will never forget you. Thank you.
DSB aka tpikdave

Sorry to se this place go.....I've only just discovered it

None the less in just a short time i rec'd a lot of very useful & friendly help.

Thankyou very much Alex and all contributors you're all,what we call in Oz,dead set legends,good on ya.

I'll be very interested in following you clever ppl to a new site(s),
(I like the look of the XP forum at VirtualDr).

If you'd like a very friendly and helpful music recording site,look no further than

http://216.194.77.119/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?s=3ce3bc92739affff;act=SF;f=1

I'm specialf there too!

Good luck with all your future ventures Alex.

Very best regards

John

Alex, I feel like there's been a death in the family. The PC911 forum has been a daily visit for several years and I will miss it. At least I have your name in my address book as well as the other moderators and a lot of the regulars. To quote Sir Winston Churchill: "Never have so many owed so much to so few" (With apologies to the RAF).

bobbo

Perhaps Alex, Marti, Al, Grogan & Shelly have some suggestions on the best forums around. I, for one would like to hear from them about this subject.

A special thanks to them for the many years of advice they've provided me, even when I've been particularly obtuse.

Best wishes to you all & may our paths cross once again.

Fred

Sorry to hear that this forum is closing. I'm not a regular here I can usually be found on the http://www.pcguide.com/vb/. If anyone wants a new home come on over we would be glad to have some knowledgeable people like yourselves.

Wow!! Got us this A.M., checked the forum, like most days, and ????
It's like a nightmare. Please...stay open, or where and the heck is everybody else gonna hang out at?

Gravity....not just a good idea, it's the law!
My Magic

I'm still in denial, I come here daily looking for my friends and even looking to pick a fight sometimes with Hal9000 who I respect as a formidable foe (we have a lot in common, but I don't have the endurance he has at this stage of my life). I was traveling the great USA when the shit hit the fan here and I couldn't find all of the achieves of that. The jabs that people give each another here are mainly those of good friends although I must admit some of them I didn't understand.
The layout here is the most pleasant of any on the net despite CG's feelings of inadequacy. You don't need to fill your pages with color to be great. The color is in the printed words of the forum members and I'm sure that Alex is aware of that even if he forgets it from time to time.
Doesn't anybody know of a foundation that can fund the continuation of the forum. I would toss my day job to help keep this thing going if I could support my family at the same time.
Thank you Alex and all of the staff for all of the time that you have donated to my favorite hang out.

Ethan

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
"Why shouldn't the American people take half my money from me? I took it all from them." - Edward Filene

Very sad thing to see happen. I will really miss this place. I have become very familiar with the look, feel, and operation of this site to the point that other forums seem like a hassle to get to know. Gonna force it on me now though.

I've already seen many over at BBT. Anyone that I would want to keep in touch with are already there. So I'll see you all around! I guess I'll have to start getting used to my browser opening to another forum.

I'll probably use this as an opportunity to broaden my horizons, and join other forums. For well over a year, this was the only forum I looked at/participated in. Maybe I should branch out and see the world. None will be the same as this forum. I have many fond memories of this place, and it will be missed.

Best of luck to Alex, the mods, and anyone else that I won't see over at BBT regularly. Although I sure wouldn't mind Alex poppin his head in over there and saying hi.

I think this is my 1100th post here. It was time very well spent, and I will not forget where I'm originally from.

I too would be willing to help with money and time

I also feel that the OTs did this place in. I rarely read the OTs except for a very few since my main purpose here was to learn more computer knowledge and find out the latest problems with new hardware and software

MY Two Cents;
Get rid of OT
THREE STrikes and your OUTER HERE
When the going gets tough the tough get going


LOVE PEACE AND PROSPERTY TO ALL

Starship Warrior

Hi Alex,
Like many who are posting I am still hoping for a minor miracle of some sort. Ie PC911 will continue.

However. If you do as you say close the forum, but keep the site open as a resource, will it be done so as to allow acess to the archives? There is just so much valuable info there it would a great shame if it were not accessible in some way.

On another note UK members might like to have a look at Technology Vault Forums and PC Advisor. I look in on both forums regularly mainly for UK related topics but have found excellent information and advice on many topics inh both forums.

Alex, whatever happens, thanks,

Jim

Are you pulling the whole site or just the forum?

If the whole site is there anyway I can leech all the information, save the whole site to my harddrive?

(edit)Now just I hope I have enough time to come back and see the answer before it's gone. (/edit)

(edit)Never mind, re-read. "the site will stay up indefinitely."(/edit)

--------------
History teaches us that history has taught us nothing.

Alex,
I'll Be sorry to see you go, I've been around PC911 for roughly 12 months, I've enjoyed every minute, and learned a lot. Thanks for that.
The saying is all good things must end, that says it all.
I appreciate your point of view, You and your family come first.
Amen to that!.
Best wishes to you and yours for the future.

Jaberwoc.

jaberwoc

x(
Hi All,
i have been a member only a short time, But the INFO i have gleaned has been of great help not only to me, but also family and friends.
Many thanks to you all, and my very best regards.
triplea (West Yorkshire, U.K.)

I haven't been as regular on here as I had intended to be, mainly due to commitments, and my number of posts barely qualify me to even add to this discussion.

I discovered PC911 about 2 years ago and since that time have always come here when I had a problem. I have also learned a lot, not just about computers but also how unselfish some people are in the way they devote their time and knowledge, for free, for the betterment of society. In this case, the computer society because that is where they can do the most good. Not all that different from people who visit the children's wards of hospitals around Xmas, hoping to elicit a smile or two from sick kids who may not get that many visitors.

The variety of people who have helped me time and again never had the opportunity to see the smile on my face when their wisdom and knowledge helped me get out of a dilemma.

To hear that the forum may be closing down is as shattering to me as it would be telling to a kid in a sick ward that Santa doesn't really exist. If you can no longer visit the kids, at least don't shatter their hopes and dreams. Let someone else visit them, but keep their dream alive. PC911 is the best technical forum, period. It has helped thousands, nay, tens of thousands with their problems. How can an OT disagreement (or anything else for that matter) put an end to that?

Hold your head up, Alex, many have started a forum: few have achieved what you have with PC911. The saying "it's hard to get good help these days" certainly does not apply here. You have the best. Don't let them scatter....there will always be a need for PCNineOneOne.

clover

well, as this forum is shutting down, I'd like to thank everyone who works here, as well as those who frequent the site. There have been a lot of problems I've had over the.. year that I've been here, but they've all been solved, in a quick and timely manner. I'd also like to write a little something for you. Something about what PC911 is to people. Not only has this forum become an impressive computer community, but people have come here for spiritual support, and support that has absolutely nothing to do with computers, like cars (dm, aha). Though this forum was in existance long before I even knew how to turn on a pc, I still feel I have become somewhat of a member of this community. You've all shown me what I can and can't do, and we all had some fun out of it. Again, a big

THANK YOU

dell 8100 pentium 4 1.3 gigs
windows M.E.
256 mb rdram p.c.800.
nav 2002
internet explorer 6.0
road runner
sygate 5.0 firewall.

we MUST keep together, check out other forums ,and vote on which one we'll go to,i feel like im losing brothers, and sisters, please lets stay as one and agree on another forum where we.ll all be together again.

billy.

look at all the familar names already on this list http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/memberlist.php?s= Support PC911

Walter A Robertson

Hi All-
I have done the migration thing over to BitBender also, I can be found there as Bendecko. I also wanted to point out the fact that the HFT Forum (www.hftonline.com)
has extended a warm welcome to all of us who wish to join them.

Thanks to each and every one of you who ever gave me advice or help, and thanks Alex for putting together the best forum I have ever come across. Take Care jxdesign/bendecko


Dell Dimension L933r P3
Windows ME
319 mb sdram
NAV 2003
IE 6.0


Trackem People Search
http://www.trackem.net

dell 8100 pentium 4 1.3 gigs
windows M.E.
256 mb rdram p.c.800.
nav 2002
internet explorer 6.0
road runner
sygate 5.0 firewall.

just signed up, bit bender forum, thanks.


billy.

Familiar names or not, that place is just too confusing. Like they let a 2 year old loose with a "create new forum" button.

--------------
History teaches us that history has taught us nothing.

>Familiar names or not, that place is just too confusing.
>Like they let a 2 year old loose with a "create new forum"
>button.
That's funny as hell and kinda true but there are a coupla "short-cuts" to cut out all that extraenous stuff. And the fact that the place is not so big (yet) is a plus for some of us. It won't be the same without you Myk. I admit I'd come back here in a NY minute, or where ever the Mods end up. Otherwise, well, we gotta go somewhere...(damn, getting sad again)

Walter A Robertson

Perhaps if they would make better names for the separate forums it would be easier to understand what goes where.
But those cutsie names like, "hardware grill" don't make sense. So that is the forum where I post about my new laser cut fan grill right?
What I would've thought was an OT forum seems to have had computer stuff moved to it.

I've noticed all the forums I've been checking out have multiple forums. But they have names for them that are straight forward.
I suppose if everyone goes to BB I will probably register, but it would just be mainly to lurk because I don't know where to post anything there. I'm not even sure I could find anyone in that mess.

I do know that for now they are in my restricted zone so I could get rid of their asinine popup crap. I'm not so sure I want to be associated with someone who thinks "if you annoy someone enough they will be your friend".

I just counted how many forums and sub forums they have there. 47! They only have 37 active users! Wouldn't it make more sense to just give each user a forum?

--------------
History teaches us that history has taught us nothing.

No no, there are more than that. Look closer to the top. Member stats. 436 members. 12 staff. active 208 non active 228.

I think you saw the number that is currently online.

Your numbers were off, but I totally still see your point. The number of forums do make it very confusing. Just something to get used to I guess.

"if you annoy someone enough they will be your friend"

Had to laugh out loud on that one

"I just counted how many forums and sub forums they have there. 47! They only have 37 active users! Wouldn't it make more sense to just give each user a forum?"

And that one

Gee, Myk, I didn't think you were around anymore! Good to see you!!

FWIW, I like BitBender (but then again I would)--love all the smilies and stuff (did you see the little RastaMan? I'm digging on him...wonder if there's a RastaGirl somewhere)

Yes I'm still around. I just haven't been much because I'm beta testing (and hope to soon be playing what I've tested) and I've been helping my brother build a monstrosity of a house.
He took the summer off trying to find a basement digger for the second half, but that's when the beta testing kicked in.

I'll probably end up at BBT (since it seems everyone else is) at least to lurk and comment, still don't know if I'll be able to figure out where to post a question though.
But don't expect me around anywhere much for a while because my brother got the digger and the basement pourer all lined up and we need to get his sewer pipe covered before it freezes.

I suspect my computer time to be going back up to "he ain't got a life" status sometime next summer.

I saw you around at times but didn't know you were a regular poster again.

I was talking about active users, collegeguy. Even now there is only 39. With more forums than people online it's got to be impossible to get a good debate going where you keep the page open and refresh it every few minutes.

--------------
History teaches us that history has taught us nothing.

Well, I guess most of the folks here don't know me too well, but I have contributed where I could; my experience wasn't as deep as most of the regulars.
But this forum pulled me out of several problems, some of which were critical and at work. Grogan, Shelley, Alex, and several others: my thanks to you all, and those (like da' Crazy German) who contributed and worked hard out of love for the accursed computer.

To Alex: Gute Nacht, mein freund. Und danke sich fur alles!
(forgive the incorrect grammar-it's been a long time)


Bob the Ranchhand

AMD Quad 3.0/Oclocked to 3.7 stable.
ECO-R120 Water Cooled System
4 Gig pc1066 DDR2 RAM
Asrock mobo
Dual SATA DVDs with Lightscribe
Dual SATA 1_TB HDs
Windows 8 Pro/Windows 7 Ult

I remember you. I use Mail Washer every day!

Walter A Robertson

Thank you for this great explanation on closing the forum,which you were not obligated to give.
Thanks also for not using a single obsenity in this post.
I know most people are not offended these days by any language,but there are a few,that are sick of trash talk.
I agree with your analogy about coming to your house and making rude comments and you throwing me out,on the other hand if you started using foul language you would not need to throw me out.
The obscenity problem and the use of certain biological terms are the only problems I have ever had, with you or anyone else on this forum.
I always tried to block them out as best as possible and stayed mostly away from OT.
I know I am living in the past in these days of anything goes,I can't even watch a football game without seeing a bunch of idiots in an anti society commercial or a promo for a vile nonsense situation comedy to be on that night.
Thanks again to you for providing the forum and to Marti Al,Shelly,Grogan,Steve and the other posters,that made this forum special.
May God Bless Us All!
LL

Alex

This is such saaaaaad news. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I wish you luck. PC911 is THE best site going as far as I'm concerned. Even if you think things are outdated. From now till the end of the month will be bittersweet days. Gee, when I get on the net, PC911 is home. It's the anchor for the rest of my time on the net. I am really going to miss coming here to learn from such knowledgable people and being entertained by all the antics. For the most part there are a good group of people here.

Vera

I've been gone for over a week, and the first thing I always do is get my coffee and come here. I am truly shocked! Will have to read back and see why all this is happening.

I came here from the old winmag forum. Everything I know about computers I have learned from the wonderful people here. I never posted much, but was always helped with any problems I had.

Just want to tell Alex and all the others THANK YOU!!!!!!!! and GOD BLESS you all!!!!!

ok, so why not just ban OT threads for a while if we can't behave?

Just have a break, leave it to self manage. Things are best left to level out between people rather than having to babysit arguments.


Surely better than shutting down?

I don't agree with you Alex when you compare this site unfavourably to others. It's not meant to be bells and whistles is it? "plain English" and all that?

PS: I'm not going to get all twee and sentimental about this like others. I still say there's something silly about giving up on your project just because you met some difficult obstacles.

There's two things have been said here which I would be dishonest to ignore:


1) it's been said that too many people have used this forum as a sounding board for their own big mouths.

I've been one, I admit. * holds hands up*.

2) "Why does everyone always have to be right"??
Guilty as charged, that's been me. I hold my hands up again.

Don't shut this down because of a few assholes. We're not worth it mate.

I think the root of the problem lies not with the posters of OT threads, but with those who respond. Many can't disagree in a civilised, intelligent manner, but instead resort to childish and abusive replies, using brutal and demeaning language. I participate on one forum which concentrates on political issues, and every shade of opinion can be encountered from those who think, for instance, that the US is the greatest threat to world peace and are no better than terrorists, to those who fervently believe US policy is saving the world from a great crises, yet I never see the same derogatory remarks posted there, as I undoubtedly would here. No one is told to find another country to live in, or castigated for being a commie or an 'asshole.' Opinions are respected, and arguments take place within the parameters of civilised behaviour. Each respects the others point of view. If only that were the case here. Instead there are too many who basically are the type who would want to fight if one met them in a bar and disagreed with their world view. I think the mods should have stepped in, not to prevent OT posts, but to stop many of the obnoxious replies. That would have set a pattern on how to respond in a decent manner, even when one finds the original post highly disagreeable. That hasn't happened, and so abuse has become commonplace, and we end up where we are now.

I hope you understood I was counting myself amongst the "assholes".
Some people are mellow, some are high octane,

maybe there should have been one moderator

with an open mind and a thick skin whose

sole responsibility


was to moderate OT threads and keep things civil.


Then, once you crossed the boundary you would be warned, then sanctioned.


Not because of your opinion, but the way you were expressing it.

I wasn't directing my post at you JoeP, it was just a general observation. I usually found those who had the strongest opinions, perhaps, Al or Myk or Hal were rarely if ever offensive. It was those guys sitting on the sidelines, who knew nothing about the topic, but would jump in, using foul and abusive language, no doubt to show they were one of the boys. A kind of 'look what a great patriot I am.' Unfortunately they could only express thermselves in childish terms, and a particularly nasty child at that.

*falls of his training wheels* Doh! See I am not ready I AM NOT READY MAMA I dont wanna go..... Oh wait I have been going to Tom's hardware guide lately, but there not as active as you guys... And they dis newegg alot.. They just scares me... Any other suggestions guys?

"If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)

it is kind of like a bad dream this.

I hadn,t been in for ages.

When I came back there had been a big Exodus over UD.

Maybe this is some of the kickback from that.


I still believe it can be saved. We can save it. By how we behave.

SOme people are consistently tolerant,

some are consistently childish.

SOme are very inconsistent, like me.

But how do we know who/what we are unless the others are there to tell us.


This is sad
.

Yep, I feel like maybe this is a bad dream, Ill wake up tomorrow and it will be PC911 as usual....minus the flame wars and trolls. Oh well it seems like its really coming to an end. There are other forums out there. Will just take some getting used to. anyway this place was awesome while it lasted.

Garbru

Rats!

I liked this place.
I liked the help I received.
I liked the fun little signature files.
I liked most of the personalities.
I liked the OT too.

I guess I missed the bad stuff, and that is ok.

I understand Alex wanting to move on to something else. I have been building and maintaining websites since 1996 and it gets old.

I would take over the PC911 forum but my provider has locked that kind of activity down.

I wish you well Alex and all the rest of the moderators and regulars here.

THANK YOU!!

As far as the "where are we gonna go?" question, I suggest a vote on a new home.

Gather up the URLs that have been suggested, set up a vote for them here. Everyone would need to visit the various links to see how they like them, of course.

That way, everyone would at least know where the majority of people here went. I also think that it would be a good idea to list some of the runners up in the vote also, since not everyone is going to the same place.

This should probably start this coming weekend, so people would have to check out the sites.

Since PC911 will remain without the Forum, the results could either be listed on the PC911 homepage, or linked to from the homepage.

How about it Alex? You willing to put together a vote message?

JP

Yes Yes Yes!! Let's all agreee on a new forum - I like the idea of being able to access the same group in future at another site.

But best of all I like the suggestion that the forum be left to self manage without Alex having to put in the hours, if such an outcome is feasable!

best wishes to all 'We'll meet again....', Roger Bideleux

Melbourne, Australia

While it's not going to be a computer forum per se, I've made a lounge area for everyone to hang out at. This way even if you scatter to the four corners of the 'Net (does the 'Net have corners?), you'll still be able to kick back with your fellow ex-PC911ers. Take a look and let me know what you think:

http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/Forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=10

yeah, sure, sounds great. put together a list of valid candidates, and i'll create a poll post with the links and info.

Well there goes the best community I'd ever had the privilege of being a part of. I'm going to miss this place.

Always knew this was a major undertaking for you, Alex. Just didn't realize the extent of the damage it was doing to your life.

All the best to everyone here. May our paths cross again.

Rob Watt

W@KK0
"Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll learn."

Hey Rob,

Hope you'll consider stopping by the Lounge and saying hi:

http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/forum/

Are you keeping the forums intact, just not letting people post? There is a ton of good information worth saving.

To all the moderators & members of PC911....thank you for all the wonderful support....not to mention the PC911 Winamp skin, which has become my favorite of them all.
I hope you will all find a friendly, helpful board to come to.
Amazing Techs http://www.amazingtechs.com/ I've discovered to be such a place,,,very helpful...& welcoming....& a great sense of humor, as well.

This rare place will be missed by many. Have a Great Life Alex!
Mike

There are lot of changes in our lives even we don't want they come but we MUST accept. Hope we meet together somewhere else. Good luck to all

Thanks to everyone at PC911 youve certainly steepened my learning curve 18 months ago I knew nothing about computers (except from running wheel alignment machines) now maybe I've graduated newbie scool.
Sad to see it go but we all have to move forward,this I understand from some recent changes on my own Employment /Living arrangments.....Alex all the best to you and your family and I hope to bump into you around the net.
Jim Wood

Life without pc911 will be so much harder, but I thank you and wish you the best of everything Alex.


Toots

Alex:

I just returned from a working vacation, albeit without a computer for the first time. and I must say that I am not surprised in your decision. However, I would hope that you might reconsider and modify the forum to eliminate the OT's and other topics that cause the problems. I have been logging in to this site daily, with the exception of the past 12 days, since you put it up. I was lucky enough to have seen it grow from it's infancy to what it is today.

The civility on this forum has gone downhill just as it has in society as a whole these days. I was in Florida during my time away and attended Mass last Saturday evening with my wife. As the Priest bid everyone a farewell, he actually reminded all to be courteous to each other as they were leaving the parking lot. This is a congregation made up of 97% Seniors !!!! If those people are no longer civil to one another after attending services, I'm not sure how to expect people to act on here.

I only hope that you can find a way to correct the problem, or rather to eliminate the options that allow the problems to occur. After all, it is up to the users to act like mature adults and to be kind to one another.

I will miss all who I read comments from daily, and want to thank you and Shelley as well as Grogan, Al and all of the others who have helped me over the past several years.

Please give us all one more chance.

Best regards,

Paul

My god. I didn't know the end of the world was coming this soon.I for one will be lost without this forum. Please,please reconsider. I go to other forums but none come close to this one.I have had my PC only two years and i need lots of help from the PC knowledgeable individuals here. I guess all good things come to an end however.

Attachment #1, (gif file)

the thing i want everybody to understand (which a lot of people didn't seem to get from my posts) is that my decision has a lot to do with the fact that i'm ready to make a change in my life and move on. grogan brought up the winmag forum. i remember when i first joined winmag back in early 98. i didn't know jackshit about computers and was fascinated by all the info. i lurked, learned, started posting and really got into it. you know what? i really miss that. i'm tired of being stagnant like i've been over the last year or so.

i have made the decision to move on to the next chapter in my computer interest, my career, my hobby, which is networking and security. there is a lot to know and learn, and i want to get back to finding fascinating websites and forums where i can lurk, learn, post, and really get into it, be the student, not the teacher. i also want to get some training and certifications i should've gotten a long time ago, like network+, ccsa, cssa, ccna, etc.

but for all that to happen i need to be able to come home and pick up a book and study, or focus on a project at work, or go away for a few days on vacation, without having the urge to check my e-mail or the forum and make sure that everything is ok, the server is up, there is no flame war in the forum, etc. i need to disconnect, make a cut, move on, i can't drag this around with me anymore.

you all know it - pc911 is an addiction. for me with my emotional personality and ties even more so. i can't just do something half-assed, i either get fanatic about it or i don't do it. sandy can certainly attest to that.

this has been a very hard decision for me to make, you better believe that. i have pondered, considered, weighed, agonized, cried, wavered, tossed around, for this entire week. the fact is though that i have been getting to this point several times over the last year or so, and every time it happened, i got a little closer. this time i came to a conclusion, and the more i dealt with it and the implications, the easier and more logical it became.