Member Contributer Popular Post thtanner Posted May 30, 2023 Member Contributer Popular Post Share Posted May 30, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 3:50 PM, HispanicSlammer said: I have notice that will require a major update, and a renewal of certificates, more license fees. It's going to be a lot of work and frankly my interest have moved on. Last year we did not meet the goal, keeping vfrd going has been a lot of work over the last 21 years but I think it is time I moved on. It was a passion and not a business. My goal was never to make money, I did it because I loved vfrs. But over the years I became less and less interested in riding. I even almost stopped riding. I bought a second bike and renewed my love of motorcycles a couple of years ago, with a smaller lighter bike. Every time I got on my vfr, my neck, knees, back and well it hurt. So I sold the vfr a couple of weeks ago for a more upright bike. 2020 ktm 1290 gt. I had 89k miles on the veefalo, I got the best miles out of her. But it's time to move on. Honda has.. Thanks for all the friends, good times, rallys, meet ups, Frankenstein vfrs, turbo builds, tire and oil posts. I just don't want to do this anymore. I will keep it going until the certificate expires. All good thing must come to an end. If you want I'll continue hosting and maintaining the invision license. I'm in IT and am intimately familiar with what's required. Forums shutting down like this is a huge knowledge drain and will hurt future VFR owners as the bikes age into classics and collectables. It would be a shame for decades of info to be thrust into the darkness instead or kept afloat on a life raft. We can migrate you to a free LetsEncrypt certificate there's no need for a paid one for a non-commercial site. Shoot me a message here or Facebook if you'd be interested. I would make no changes, and just continue to maintain it on a technical and fiscal level. 21 hours ago, VFR4Lee said: At the risk of getting flamed, maybe you should sell to VerticalScope or someone like that, Miguel. Cash in your chips instead of just walking, but the site could live on. Worked for the founder of Ducati.ms, which is still a good site I may add. 👍 Please, no. Let's stop putting knowledge under their ownership, I've already lost another forum of over a decade to them that they ended up shutting down. 9 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkie Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 With vfrd closing, where are we supposed to turn to when we need cheap airfare to Malaysia or quatar? 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 1 hour ago, thtanner said: If you want I'll continue hosting and maintaining the invision license. I'm in IT and am intimately familiar with what's required. Forums shutting down like this is a huge knowledge drain and will hurt future VFR owners as the bikes age into classics and collectables. It would be a shame for decades of info to be thrust into the darkness instead or kept afloat on a life raft. We can migrate you to a free LetsEncrypt certificate there's no need for a paid one for a non-commercial site. Shoot me a message here or Facebook if you'd be interested. I would make no changes, and just continue to maintain it on a technical and fiscal level. Please, no. Let's stop putting knowledge under their ownership, I've already lost another forum of over a decade to them that they ended up shutting down. Your plan sounds better. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 3 hours ago, Sparkie said: With vfrd closing, where are we supposed to turn to when we need cheap airfare to Malaysia or quatar? I have been banning them left and right for weeks 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Popular Post Dangeruss Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2023 4 hours ago, thtanner said: If you want I'll continue hosting and maintaining the invision license. I'm in IT and am intimately familiar with what's required. Forums shutting down like this is a huge knowledge drain and will hurt future VFR owners as the bikes age into classics and collectables. It would be a shame for decades of info to be thrust into the darkness instead or kept afloat on a life raft. We can migrate you to a free LetsEncrypt certificate there's no need for a paid one for a non-commercial site. Shoot me a message here or Facebook if you'd be interested. I would make no changes, and just continue to maintain it on a technical and fiscal level. Bravo, and I know Danno has also stepped up. Once the path forward is known and funding assessed, as others have said, lets pass the hat around to ensure that a smooth transition and an equitable departure for Miguel are adequately funded. 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Make it so. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer RC1237V Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 On 5/27/2023 at 11:09 AM, Presson said: And as Dutchy said earlier, if there are current or future liabilities (IE: more cash needed) let us all know. I was looking around the other VFR site today and it's clear we really do need to keep this one going.... +1 Yes, thanks Miguel, this site has not only helped me gain knowledge on my bikes, but also get through some tough times. I have also met, and rode with quite a few people, even bought bikes from some. I would love to see this site continue, even if it requires a subscription. I wish I could help with the computer stuff, but I'm only useful on the user end when it comes to computers.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Wald Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 5 minutes ago, RC1237V said: And as Dutchy said earlier, if there are current or future liabilities (IE: more cash needed) let us all know. I was looking around the other VFR site today and it's clear we really do need to keep this one going.... I am in as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer ggathagan Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 Thank you, thank you, thank you for the effort you have made over the years. VFRD is by far the best VFR community I've been involved with, both in the technical knowledge and the member's willingness to help. Much of that rests on your shoulders, Miguel. If thtanner and others are able to keep the site going, that'd be great, but 21 years is an admirable run. I'm also glad that you are back on a bike, even if it isn't a VFR. Whatever the future hold for VFRD, know that we are all better for having been a part of it. Aloha and God bless 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer adkfinn Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 Miguel - As many others have said. Thank you so much for your time and commitment to the site. This is hands down the best VFR site online and I have learned a massive amount from it over the years. I do hope we can either keep it going somehow or keep it online as a searchable database tied to VFRW perhaps or tucked away as a searchable archive? The knowledge accumulated here is priceless. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeper Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 If someone is to save the forum, maybe a name change to reflect the change? I'm sure Miguel has some feelings about his baby going off without him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Popular Post thtanner Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2023 1 hour ago, Sweeper said: If someone is to save the forum, maybe a name change to reflect the change? I'm sure Miguel has some feelings about his baby going off without him. The whole point of "saving" the site is for long term information preservation; I want someone who posted 10 years ago to be able to still find and reference their old post, not have to find out what the site is called now. Miguel would retain full admin privileges, still be the founder, just I'd assume they don't have much interest in continued participation, we'd make sure they were still able to and still have full privileges. In fact, the goal would be to make the site not feel like much all has changed. Maybe up some anti-spam measures, stuff like that, but as far as general functionality, mods, day to day, I don't see much need to start to change things up other than maybe try to jumpstart some more forum activity/events. I am willing to shoulder the financial burden as well as the technical. Fiscal assistance appreciated, but I am willing to out-right pay for it if needed to keep things running. On a technical side my plans would be to pay for whatever's needed to keep the site up for a year on the current provider, and use that year to work a transition to our own home on AWS. Try to cut those costs down as much as possible to make it financially viable long term. It'll be quite a project to transition, so having the year to do it would be the play. I've sent Miguel a DM here, posted both on this thread and the thread on Facebook. If there's interest I'm sure I'll know before too long. I really do want to save this site indefinitely, and don't mind putting in the leg work and funds to do so. The certificate expires today, May 31, so action will be needed to keep things going. If hosting continues beyond the certificate expiration, you can manually 'proceed' through the expired certificate notice. You'll have to do so until (if) it gets renewed. 6 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer bmart Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 2 hours ago, Sweeper said: If someone is to save the forum, maybe a name change to reflect the change? I'm sure Miguel has some feelings about his baby going off without him. VFRland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thtanner Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 Below is the message I just sent Miguel (for full transparency). Quote Hi Miguel, Just wanted to provide more detail into my proposal so you understand where I'm coming from, who I am, what my goals are, and what my capabilities are. Who am I? Long term VFR owner, we have 4 in the stable (98,99, 2x 2014). My 98 has a spot in the living room saved for display when I can no longer ride it physically. I am currently CTO of an ISP and heavily involved in network/systems administration and dev-ops. I have been on the hosting side since the late 90s. I am a certified database administrator among a bunch of other network and system certifications. What is my goal? To take over both the administrative and financial burden of the website (ownership, essentially) to preserve the information and keep this resource online as long as possible. I do not want to make any immediate changes to site functionality. I'd like everything to stay "the same" as much as it can. You'd retain Admin privileges, though I'm not sure you're that interested in continued participation in the site. Moderators would all stay the same, etc. Why? What is your angle? I have been a victim of the 'Facebook Group' migration since forums started shutting down 5-10 years ago. I've lost so many resources over the years. I reference VFRD at least two dozen times a year when working with people on VFR issues. I can't imagine I'm the only one. I simply want to toss out the life raft and keep it afloat. I have no monetization plans, nor plans to hock it off to a third party. I'd be happy to sign a gentlemen's agreement as such. What would you do technically now, and later? Now, I'd simply get the site up to spec certificate wise, and cross the 'upgrade' bridge with the invision upgrade/server upgrade at the current provider. After the site was situated, the goal would be to then develop a plan to move the site to its own home on AWS within the year to reduce future costs as much as possible, as well as to make future expansion easier. Feel free to reach out on here, I @'d you on Facebook, or you can e-mail me tyler@-------.com. Happy to chat on the phone too. I really just want to save this website. I'm willing to put in the work and funds to do so! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 8 minutes ago, bmart said: VFRland Hold yr horses, surely that's a decision for Miguel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mello dude Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 I'm sure several people here have PM'd Miguel about picking the forum up...but don't know what his thoughts are on that.... Anyone have direct contact with him and can mention it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeper Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 A redirect would point to any site it could be moved to. I was only thinking of Miguel and his sense of ownership. The information could be moved. It’s better than letting it die. Thank you by the way for stepping up. I hope it works out.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thtanner Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 10 minutes ago, mello dude said: I'm sure several people here have PM'd Miguel about picking the forum up...but don't know what his thoughts are on that.... Anyone have direct contact with him and can mention it? He did see my initial message as it's marked as read, so I'm still crossing my fingers that we'll be permitted to save the site. I know he wants to be done with it based on his post, and even transferring it to somebody is still a hassle; I totally respect that. On 5/25/2023 at 7:20 PM, mello dude said: Miguel....when d-day sir? The certificate expires in approx 4h and 10m as of me posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 11 minutes ago, Sweeper said: A redirect would point to any site it could be moved to. I was only thinking of Miguel and his sense of ownership. The information could be moved. It’s better than letting it die. Thank you by the way for stepping up. I hope it works out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yes, this, easy enough to set up DNS and redirect to a new domain. The vfrd domain is registered through August 17th. So we'll just get a cert error after it expires?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thtanner Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 1 minute ago, vfrcapn said: Yes, this, easy enough to set up DNS and redirect to a new domain. The vfrd domain is registered through August 17th. So we'll just get a cert error after it expires?? After it expires you'll get a certificate error. The domain may be registered through Aug 17, but it's unclear when the hosting end date is. There's domain, hosting, and certificate all with potentially separate end dates. I don't see any benefit to putting a new name on the site, even for Miguel. He'd still be the founder and have Admin access should he want it. He just would be off the hook for the backend work and money side. It's very easy to attach another domain to the vhost if that's the path they'd want to take, though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mello dude Posted May 31, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted May 31, 2023 Jeez, today is it.....this place has been part of my motorcycle life since 2006...... Anyone wanting to contact me, check VFRW or my email dynalon@roadrunner.com For contact purposes, hate to say, but join VFRW for now.... I'm not giving up on checking with Miguel about a move...mbe a FB contact.... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkie Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Looks like this is it for here. I wish nothing but the best for y'all. See ya on the other site. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Popular Post Grum Posted June 1, 2023 Member Contributer Popular Post Share Posted June 1, 2023 Opps the end looks near! Certificate has expired. Thanks to everyone for this wonderful forum. Its been my almost daily hang out for a few years and I will miss it greatly. Its been a joy to learn from so many experienced members, and a lot of satisfaction to help (where possible) those with a sick VFR. All the Best of Health and safe riding to all. Fare Thee Well VFRD and it's members. Cheers. 7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer flya750 Posted June 1, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted June 1, 2023 Has any thought been put into transferring this management of this website to someone else? I don't think a small membership fee would be too much to ask to properly fund the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer flya750 Posted June 1, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted June 1, 2023 14000 members? We charge everyone 50 cent per year.... Management of this site can't be that difficult? It seems to me we could find an IT Guy/ VFR lover who would/could take over the site? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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