Just an advance heads up to all members...
For 5 years we have been hosted and maintained by Ning on their servers and using their network software platform, which they provide and maintain. About 18 months ago Ning was bought by Glam corporation. Since then much has happened, but to cut to the chase- I no longer have the confidence I used to have in the reliability or integrity of the Ning-hosted platform here. The situation continues to slowly deteriorate month by month, and I don't want us to be hostage in a platform that has so uncertain a future. At this point I need to be more proactive rather than just sit back and hope for the best.
So- For the past year I've been researching alternative homes for FOTMD. A year ago I did set up an actual test site elsewhere but I found it lacking in certain areas, and continued my research. Suffice it to say I have fairly thoroughly already looked into a broad array of alternatives, so I'm not asking for suggestions at this point, I'm simply letting everyone know that I have been in the process of testing alternative homes for FOTMD.
When a prospective home has been tested and found to be an excellent choice, I'll begin the preparations for moving us there. All this takes time. And I want to emphasize that this process will not occur quickly- it will likely take anywhere from 2 months to a year I estimate, depending on how well testing goes on any prospective platform I have in mind.
I am posting this simply to reassure all members that it will be a careful process and that everyone will have plenty of advanced notice. Not to worry! I'll be doing everything in my power to make it a painless and happy outcome. 
What can FOTMD members do to help? Well, it's fotmd members kindly donations that make this testing possible, first of all, so I want to say a big THANK YOU all for your donations in the past. They are making it possible for me to pursue a careful migration path.
But in terms of actual physical assistance:
Yes there is something all members can do that will be helpful for that day when we finally do move- if you have a few minutes to spare over the next couple of weeks- dig through your own content here and delete things that you no longer care about.
Go through your PHOTOS and delete that bunch of photos of the rubber plant you bought your nephew for his high school graduation four years ago.
Go through your VIDEOS and see if there's something there that you no longer even want people to watch.
Go through your BLOG and delete posts that mean nothing to you anymore- the posts about that time you had a hangnail removed and you couln't make it to your dulcimer club meeting that day. Or when your goldfish died and you can't even remember his name anymore anyway. ;)
Go through your FORUM and GROUP DISCUSSIONS that you may have created- any that have no importance anymore to you or others? How about that discussion you posted about the snowstorm that might have been heading your way in 2012? ;D
Go through your MUSIC PLAYLIST and delete song clips that you don't care about anymore.
If lots of members do this, FOTMD will be all the easier to move to a new place when the time comes. Yes that's something we can all do a bit of- housecleaning! 
Thanks and big HUGS to everyone! Remember- Not to worry!
Comments