Isn't the point moot since you're already using an alias?

There are many whose sense of culture extends no further than what they can see from their front porch. That is the only "authentic" thing to them.

Bus as has been the case in history, and will be the case in times to come, evolution calls the shots. Like nature abhors a vacuum, evolution abhors anything that doesn't change in the larger progress of humankind. Those who scream the loudest about cultural progression are those who already know in their collective subconscious that the exit sign for their culture is nearer than before; and may I add a culture that was tenuous to begin with, a shadow-play at best. Ask the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, they all ended up as crash-test dummies when the time came. The same will happen to those who emulate them.

Evolution's generosity is plain and stark: adapt or die.

The fact that no one has answered in 17 days should give you an idea as to the resonance of it. It blows a fuse for many. :smile:

Daniel V

sitesetis.com

Paul

Re Distortion, I likewise have not contacted him in awhile. Maybe I will send him an email about this idea for the original PF posters.

There may have been many who registered at PF in those first 2 and half months but my recollection is that there were only a handful of actual posters doing the work like you, Aniket, DarkCloud, Distortion, Baron Max and a few others. Which was okay by me, it allowed for a more focussed engagement than just a lot of names making scattered comments. Looking at archive.org for 2003-4 PF does spike and I see other names that I remember.

Speaking of which, re the probability that some posters have passed away that could be the case with Baron Max. He often said he was retired and in one of the html copies that I have he stated that he wasn't afraid of death. The statement seemed a bit more than just rhetorical.

Re SEO, yes, when I had the Esophy website it was decent and the analytics were showing visitors from everywhere. That lasted around 3 years. After 4 and half or so I let go of it along with the domain name.

Re downloading of all posts, I didn't see that since that's awhile after I left.

Anyway, I don't know about a "séance" but I think it would be interesting for a temporary thing of having some of the original posters relate their views about whatever nowadays. Since this is the "new" PF then I think it would be appropriate here. If not then I have the forum I previously mentioned. Just updated the phpBB version and tweaking the styles on it (Light/Dark). I will send you a link to it once that's done. I don't put the link here because that would be seen as 'hijacking' and all that nonsense. Though I have already received an email from someone on this board inviting me to another. :-D

If by some chance you have email addresses of some of the members then let them know with a quick note or I will email them myself if you send the addresses. Again, a long shot, but who knows, even if we could only find a dozen or so names it could turn out interesting.

Cheers

Daniel

Paul

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Looking at the list you linked to it was indeed 2002 because I remember the house I was living it at the time. The recollection of being the 7th to register was because some years later I went to the forum to search for my posts and that placing came up somehow. Considering a forum's registration versus actual participation maybe I looked at "active" posters? But I know I was in there early because there were only a handful of names that were noticeable.

What I've done prompted by all of this was go looking through old CD backup files. I remembered making some but wasn't sure if they were kept or thrown away. Well, I was surprised to find a backup disk with html copies of 78 topics on the forum. These copies showed the dates of registrations and for "Spaces" it was July 1, 2002. You registered on March 10, 2002 so I figure that's the beginning of the forum unless there are technical particulars I am not aware of re the beginning.

Others:

DarkCloud - April 12, 2002
Distortion - May 8, 2002
Baron Max - April 1, 2002
Xev - June 27, 2002
i know - June 7, 2002

That's only in looking at 3 of the 78 topics. When I get a chance I will look at the others and derive whatever info from them.

By the way, is 'Distortion' still running things in Alberta? He was helpful to me for a while and I appreciated it.

Overall, the idea that I had was to find as many of the first or at least active 100 posters at PF and let them use a phpBB forum I have which is not getting any use for a temporary reunion of sorts. It would be interesting to see how things have changed for them, perceptions, priorities, and so on. But then I found this newer PF here and since you're already associated to them then maybe they'd like to consider said reunion. If anything, I think it would make for an interesting read especially with the time-space element of 17 years ago.

Find the first 100 members? Yeah, I know, an impossible task. But that's what makes it a fun challenge. :-D

Anyway, good to hear you're keeping busy. Yet, it is unfortunate that internet Morlocks got a hold of PF and ran it to ground. I know that was probably not your intention, but hey, poop happens.

Considering the status as you put it of the domain name and database, if anyone wants to view some of those html copies then send me a PM. As long as it's done privately and not posted online then there are no legal problems with it.

Cheers

Daniel

Baden

After some years of my administering a couple of forums, making a few websites, blogs, etc., I can understand the 'moving on' part of the situation. Apparently Paul had financial difficulties and if PF was the only option in that regard then I can see where it went and why.

Didn't PF have thousands of members at one point? By that time I had already left but I could see how things could get complicated.

As for the good old days, when PF membership was at around 200 or so it seemed enough 'breathing' room. And the rule of thumb was/is that 20-25% of the 'registered' will actually be participating. Factor in those who want to engage with others compared to those who simply want a mirror, then the tally is less percentage-wise.

Nils Loc

Is that you, WK? Good to see you are still active in the entropy amusement park. How are things in your part of the Pacific? I guess that's Paul narrating the radio stories?

At the present I have a website, even a new forum just for the appearance of it, but nowadays I treat all of that as diaristic, basically a fancier medium for notes to myself and whomever may sail by on the web. A lot more relaxed and not bothered about things as much. Overall, healthier and clearer. Real life by the moment, not by the keystrokes. :smile: