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EotW Closing

Started by Ed, February 26, 2006, 07:09:09 AM

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Ed

lcasa has just announced that EotW will be closing, permanently, on 12th March 2006 - two weeks time :huh:

The reason given is that it's costing too much to run, which seems to be the reason why a lot of big writing sites close down.  I can't help thinking there's probably more to it than that, though - I think a lot of site owners get to the stage where the various hassles become too much of a burden, take up too much of their time and take all the fun out of it for them.

I can't see Doom ever getting that big, because (ostensibly) it caters for a niche, rather than all genres.

Still, a sad day for all regular EotWebbers.  I hope they all find a new home.
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Geoff_N

My gob has never been so smacked! (As Ken Dodd was fond of saying). Although not a member of East I hear many good things and dipped in now & then to read.

Coincidentally, Speculations became too big for its host to handle and pulled the plug without notice last week. And note, Ed, that Speculations is a niche group too!  Anyway Kent Bewster has been busy and most of it is back on another host. But for the IT keenies he has left his trail and notes on what happened and how he's putting it together at
http://www.speculations.com/

At least two of us here are at Specualtions - an absolute must for any SF and F writers.

Geoff

Ed

Strange, isn't it?  Websites and forums seem so permanent, but they're quite fragile, really.  I must have witnessed at least four or five very popular sites close in the past three years.  Some I was gutted by, others not so much.  EotW was a good resource - it's a shame it's closing.

I wonder if some get into bandwidth troubles because of bots and spiders?  I had to ban one from our forum, because it was raping our bandwidth - trying to catalogue the whole damn thing.  At one point we had over 20 bots simultaneously raking over the place for hours at a time.  Thankfully it took the hint from the robots.txt file and buggered off :afro: 

If all else fails, you can also set traps for the ones that ignore the robots file, which gives them the equivalent of quicksand to wade through, in a virtual reality sense, and costs you nothing in bandwidth :afro:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

SharonBell

Jeez, if CD went under, I'd be devastated. All my buddies and writing friends are really in here. I rarely go elsewhere.
"Be good and you'll be lonesome." Mark Twain

www.sharonbuchbinder.com

Ed

I can't see it folding anytime soon, Sharon  :afro:  I'm glad you and the others have made a home here - it's nice to have a place to settle and chat with friends on the Internet :smiley:

Talking of chatting with friends - I wonder where Joyce has got to? :/  She hasn't been here for a month now, and she never replied to the e-mail I sent her :scratch:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Geoff_N

#5
Strange that, isn't it Ed?

Me and others have made good friends at Bewrite over the last 2 years or so. Some we've met face to face - like Donna here, and Les Floyd  (but note that he only pops in here now and then). Most I'm in touch with here and there: - other groups, Messenger, e-mail, even that contraption called the phone. But one or two have dropped all contact - even though we've met in person (oh, I see). Have you heard from Les Crawford in the last 6 months Donna?

Geoff

LesFloyd

Joyce and I were living in Geoff's cellar until just last week, but we managed to escape while the Nelder's were away on a wife-swapping weekend (Geoff came back with Cherie Blair).

Hello! :smiley:
"Even if it were possible to travel at the speed of light, it would not be desirable, as one's hat would keep flying off!" - H.G. Bells

Geoff_N

LOL   Actually I thought I was bringing back Girls Aloud, but it was dark...

Geoff

canadian

Geoff, the last I heard from Les Crawford was a PM at the beginning of October last year. I've sent him a few messages since then but haven't had anything back.  :( I hope the ole guy's okay ...

As for writers' sites closing down ... guess it's a natural progression. They're a shitload of work, cost money (and where's that comin' from? surely not the participants) and can cause frustration when people start raggin' on their own agendas. Although I'm not able to participate as much anymore in the three forum 'homes' I've acquired over the last year, it's nice to pop in now and then. Kinda like dropping in to the pub whenever I'm able!

And I've been really fortunate to meet up in person with some of the writers I've come across ... Geoff, Walker, AngieMonteiro, a bunch of writers from The Write Idea, and my flirtybee, of course! I'm still planning on meeting up with Les Floyd (watch out, boy!) & Ed next year. Doug and I are talking about a trip to Wales & Scotland. And Sharon ... you're closer than all of them! Any plans on comin' to Canada in the next while?

If people stand in a circle long enough, they will eventually begin to dance. -- George Carlin

Ed

I would've come to the one at Avebury, but something stopped me - think I was on holiday that week, but I can't remember exactly :scratch:

Joyce must be OK, because I see she still posts over at the Writer's Dock, and Sally Quilford sent me a note to say she was fine, just busy.  I hope I haven't done anything to upset her :huh: 

I hope Les Crawford's OK, too - he seems like a nice guy.  Maybe somebody's got his real life contact details?
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Walker

That's pretty wild about EOTW. I've been a member there for a couple years now. It's a pretty big site for sure and lot's of great talent there too. I found the average age to be much younger than here, though-- not that that's a bad thing, just different.
Sometimes the age thing is very pronounced and it gets a little jeuvenile (sp?). Lot's of fighting, name calling, trolling, arguing and, sometimes, downright, flatout, unbridled hatred!
I'm gonna miss that.
:/
"Lord, here comes the flood, we will say goodbye to flesh and blood. If, again, the seas are silent in any still alive, it'll be those who gave their island to survive. Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry."
Peter Gabriel.

SharonBell

Quote from: canadian on February 27, 2006, 07:11:44 AM
And Sharon ... you're closer than all of them! Any plans on comin' to Canada in the next while?

Depends on our Florida building plans. We've found if you're not around, all work stops! We love Canada. Haven't been in years. Last trip was to Toronto for a meeting for Dale. We might come back, now that he's figured out the right answer to "What is the purpose of your visit?" <Answer: Vacation. NOT "To present a paper at a meeting" followed by an hour grilling by police wanting to know if he was going to be paid, how much, and why couldn't a Canadian do it?>  :lol:
"Be good and you'll be lonesome." Mark Twain

www.sharonbuchbinder.com

doolols

Quote from: SharonBell on February 26, 2006, 03:08:54 PM
Jeez, if CD went under, I'd be devastated. All my buddies and writing friends are really in here. I rarely go elsewhere.
Same here. I'll flitted around a lot since I first joined the BBC's Get Writing site all those years ago. I drop in to Debs' The Writers' Den every so often, because I have committments there in a couple of forums. I don't do the chatty stuff any more. I think BeWrite got too big, and I used to spend ages catching up with threads. CD is my only regularport of call. I think it has everything that I need in a writing forum  :afro:
My name is Gerald, and I am a writer (practicing for AA - Authors Anonymous)

Ed

#13
Thanks, Gerald - I'm glad to hear it :smiley:  I sometimes wish we had a few more folks participating, but I'm also glad the forum hasn't got too big and impersonal.  That's why I haven't gone around on EotW trying to steer refugees in this direction, although I did mention our crit group in the Dr Dark Group, in case some of the horror writers felt like joining in with us.  The response so far has been underwhelming, though :fugly:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

Walker

Man, it's really whacked over there right now. Everyone is coming undone-- wailing, weeping, saying their goodbye's.
Turns out (surprise surprise) almost everyone had at least one alter ego, except me of course-- I'm just me, and him, and the other one...but that's it...honest.
If there's anyone over there you need to even the score with, now's the time. It's a veritable free-for-all. It's like a massive flock of seagulls taking dives at a hopelessly stranded whale. The spectacle alone makes it worth the visit...kinda like the Grand Canyon-- doesn't serve any purpose, but you have to see it at least once.
Jeez, I'm in a wierd mood today.  :cheesy:
"Lord, here comes the flood, we will say goodbye to flesh and blood. If, again, the seas are silent in any still alive, it'll be those who gave their island to survive. Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry."
Peter Gabriel.