The end of Paddleducks?

[Eddy Matthews]

Hi Guys,

I've been thinking long and hard about this for some time, but two things keep coming into my mind.... Firstly, after losing my wife to a brain tumour almost 4 years ago now I've just lost my interest in modelling, and secondly, Paddleducks is getting more and more quiet (has it had it's day?).

So, when the fees for the website become due again early next year I won't be renewing the hosting fees or domain name. So Paddleducks will end....

The only alternative is for someone else to take it over - I would provide all the files that run the website and the user database etc. But it would be down to that person to source a new host and set everything up at their expense. Sadly there have been offers of help in the past with the running of the site, but they just fizzle out after a while and I always end up doing everything myself - That's NOT a gripe against anyone, just a statement of the facts as I see them.

So there you have it... It's now up to someone else to take over the reigns if Paddleducks is to continue....

Regards
Eddy

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Eddy
Even if I`m not that long herein, I would miss it! But I`m not firm enough to "overtake" that, and my modelbuilding projects take too much time for hosting a forum in the way it, and its members deserve.
Best regards
Gerhard

[greateastern]

Hi Eddy,
  Looking at the birthdays it could be that we are just getting too old to do a lot. I keep doing because I'm not about "to go gently into that long goodnight".  I'm just barely out of  the woods with lung cancer and next year I'll be 72 so I'm looking at throttling back as well. I'll miss things here but I certainly understand your concerns and the costs involved.  I don't think it has "had its day" but there are a lot of sites out there on ship and a/c modelling that we certainly have competition for members with. Maybe posting on other sites so people know we are around. However it turns out, thanks for your efforts, it has been a pleasure being a member here . Maybe one of the other UK modelling sites might be willing to take over the files and membership as part of their group. It would be sad to lose the whole thing.
dave

[R.G.Y.]

Eddy, I like a lot of others will miss this site. Although I haven't posted anything for a long time. My Totnes Castle build has been on the back burner, as a traction engine has taken over. I do look in most days, but like you say, very little going on. So I do understand your position. Like all organisations a few do all the work, or even just one. Dave you are still young at 71, but I see you have reached the age when you count the next birthday. In that case I am 74, I think us elderly should keep mind and body as active as possible. A big thank you EDDY for all you have done. Geoff

[the bombus]

Hi Eddy,
first of all i would like to say that i have all the understanding in the world for your situation
the loss of your wife and thereafter the loss of interest in modeling ( and other things aswell maybe)
i would like to say thanks to you for everthing you did for all of us all that time
looking at the ages of the members i'm one of the younger ones but i could'nt step in to your footsteps
healthproblems , lack of time , and other things not to be mentioned here keep me from it
nevertheless i'm sure that someone in our ranks will keep the fire burning
no paddleducks would leave a big black hole for me ( and for many many others)
and although most of us never met in person, we are all one big family ( at least in my point of view)
Eddy thnx a lot for everthing you did and do for all of us
many sincere greetings from The Bombus (Lode Nicolai from Belgium)

[PeeWee]

Hi Eddy,

Very sad to see this post on what is pretty much my first visit in a far too long a time.  As one of those who offered to help sometime ago, only for personal circumstances to take over.  I put my hands up in letting you down.

I know what's involved and the effort that it takes and how an event in your life can change everything.  With the loss of a job and a terminally ill parent its easy to loose sight of ones hobbies and forget about other responsibilities.

Its only in the last 2 weeks that i have started to get back in the workshop after nearly 2 years away.  I hope that the site can continue as someone who enjoys paddlers and finally enjoying my modelling once again.

All the best to all PD's
Ian

[Roderick Smith]

I have noticed the increased silence re posting, but that could be because the body of knowledge has been built up, and it is now more a reading reference.
The problem with closing down is how to avoid losing the material.  It isn't easy to archive, because it would take a full-time editor to condense the threads into a compact form.  Even without compacting, it is still a lot of work to assemble the text into a series of files capable of being placed onto a dvd, but I gather that that is what happened when the forum migrated to a new host.  Inevitably, photos will be separated from the text which explains them.
Much of the mood spreads across all technical hobbies: they are run by and for an ageing generation; the young one doesn't take them up.  Paper publishing is waning.  Many see this as the outcome of the growth of facebook: superficial and transient, not archived.  With my Rail News Victoria, the workload has increased, ironically because the quantity of news has dropped: it takes more and more time to winkle out fact from opinion.  I am ceasing publication with issue 300, and am devoting more time to research based on processing my photo collection.  There is another magazine in the field, club based.
Keeping the forum alive costs money; closing it down takes a lot of effort.  If the material can sit on a dvd (or a few), members could purchase the set for future reference, but somebody has to handle the money transfer and mailing effort.
Could Eddy supply some viewing statistics?  Google searches often bring up a Paddleducks reference, so there could be many nonposters viewing as guests.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor (for five more issues).

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Eddy
You asked above if it had its day? I dont think so, when I look at the members-count, every week threr are new subscribers, even I had a good long look at this forum bevore I registered. And there is not a day, I did not watch in here, even if i did not post every day.
My hope will be, that somone will keep it going on! I like this forum, because it is relativley qiet! No nonsense-posts, no badly comments, but useful hints and good respect between the members of Paddleducks, this is, where so many other forums fail.
Hope we can go on together
Regards
Gerhard, just a model-builder

[greateastern]

well, Roderick may be correct that people are so full of knowledge that there is nothing new to post, but I can'
t imagine. Good, bad or indifferent, the internet has willy nilly provided a great deal to read, talk about or point a finger to. I'm forever finding something new, and yes, it takes time, but I enjoy that aspect as well.
  I've seen other  modelling sites where replies can run a thousand words with all sorts of references--never see that here. somehow, it may be a lack of enthusiasm, but as I mentioned in my first post, it could be that we have all aged out and our next project will be 6x2x2 feet with a sort-of pointy end and  paddles.
  with a thousand members, hardly anyone seems to be interested enough to even make a farewell reply, so maybe, as Eddy said, PD has had its day. Maybe our "stuff" could become part of the Paddle steamer Preservation Society and we could move there--we do have something in common. I really don't know what the answer is. Perhaps putting this all on dvds or cds and  making it available through someone for purchase?
   We have probably lost a lot of young potential members who are otherwise occupied with useless endeavors such as ipods, iphones and internet games. Maybe a new game featuring a paddle minesweeper?
  Any new thoughts Eddy?

[steamboatmodel]

I would like to thank Eddy for all the time, effort and money he has invested in Paddleducks. I have been a member since we started on Yahoo, which we moved from due to space limitations. I wonder if it would be possable to go back to "Yahoo".
Regards,
Gerald.
PS Another option might be to be absorbed by another website like rcgroups as a subsection.

[DamienG]

I'm thinking on it awaiting some info from Eddy to answer my email.My son says he'll host  the site on one of his business servers we'll wait and see not over until the lake runs dry.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Guys....

a. I have been here since year DOT [as one of the first 12 members of the group] when PD's was on YAHOO with Paul Jordan from Canada as the host.....[12 years ago?]
b. There will be a number of complications which ever way we go     
c. I have suggested a potential scenario to Eddy, however this was not considered appropriate 

Lets just wait & see if we can resolve the quest to maintain OUR .....  ......PD WEB site

Derek 

[R.G.Y.]

Eddy, I will own up to posting on (your Model Boats) (nothing to do with the mag) about the catastrophe if P.D. should close. I understand Stephen has given an option, sorry if this is not of interest. R.G.Y. aka Hammer. 

[Gerhardvienna]

I'm thinking on it awaiting some info from Eddy to answer my email.My son says he'll host  the site on one of his business servers we'll wait and see not over until the lake runs dry.

Going further on would be just great, not only I would miss it!!
Regards
Gerhard

[neil howard-pritchard]

I'm thinking on it awaiting some info from Eddy to answer my email.My son says he'll host  the site on one of his business servers we'll wait and see not over until the lake runs dry.

Damien, I don't post on here very often as I don't have a paddler, although would love to build one some day, but I do come on and view all you guys posts and the beautiful models you build................and I both commend Eddie for his stalwart and unstinting selflessness over the past years for giving us this forum, and to people like yourself who can and are able to help.....................


YOU ARE ALL STARS  and I thank you all. neil.