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Thinking about closing this site

Jay Dougherty said:
Hi, everyone:

Pretty much every editor, except Ray, has become inactive (as editors), including me, and it's understandably very difficult to recruit editors, as Ray can tell you, as he's been trying valiantly for months. So rather than keep what amounts to a zombie site running, I think I'll have to shut this one down at the end of the year. I don't have the drive to keep this one, and it's generally not a good idea to let a site run for a long time unattended, which is what I have increasingly done.

It's sad for me to have to consider this because I know the place has become a regular haunt for those of you who come here. I've also put a lot of time into the place, and it works, technically, which is saying something, given how I've constructed the place.

I'm not 100% sure about this decision yet, but I think it's only fair to give you a heads up about my thinking. I would not sell the site to keep it running. No one would buy it anyway.
Click to expand...

Jay!

A big thanks to Ray, too, for all his time, to begin with.

Then, I have no idea what to say, because the forum has made an impact. Different people write in different ways and the forum has been a nice place to touch base with a community.

But it has to work for you, and the others putting time and energy and money into it.

If you are going to take a step back... that's very valid too. But I am thinking as to how I could help... I've got my little domain name / site poetry.berlin that I basically do very little with and I'm trying to figure out something for that, because it's not true that there is no money in poetry, that people don't care enough about poetry to pay for it (and this world is submerged in money), and online presence matters.

Alright, for now, much love and a happy run-in to the End-of-Year stuff :)

Rob
 
Robert (Stastny) said:
Jay!

A big thanks to Ray, too, for all his time, to begin with.

Then, I have no idea what to say, because the forum has made an impact. Different people write in different ways and the forum has been a nice place to touch base with a community.

But it has to work for you, and the others putting time and energy and money into it.

If you are going to take a step back... that's very valid too. But I am thinking as to how I could help... I've got my little domain name / site poetry.berlin that I basically do very little with and I'm trying to figure out something for that, because it's not true that there is no money in poetry, that people don't care enough about poetry to pay for it (and this world is submerged in money), and online presence matters.

Alright, for now, much love and a happy run-in to the End-of-Year stuff :)

Rob
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Thank you, Robert. I appreciate you, your poetry, your perspective, and your kindness.
 
Raymond Huffman said:
There is a similar, free site with a larger membership that some of you may be familiar with called Poetry Circle. You just have to register. It doesn't have a Front Page, but a lot of its structure is similar to OAF.
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Jay originally created Poetry Circle
which i joined on Dec 13, 2007

Jay offered wonderful editing software for the poets,,
sadly when it was sold the new owner removed it and doesn’t seem interested at all in the needs of the p0ets
and charges $25 a year to have the freedom of full site access

Jay creates p0etry venues that respect & cherish
the heart & voice of creativity.

i at 72 congratulate Jay on his entering the world of retirement leisure

i’ve been a financial supporter for Jay’s venues as have many others …and am more than pleased to continue to contribute to this cause

if there is some way to keep OAF afloat it should be fully investigated and implemented

silent lotus
.

.
 
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Jay, do what will bring YOU the greatest personal fulfillment. After all these years of Poetry Circle, which you founded, and then Open Arts Forum, plus Clock Radio, Kiss My Poetry, do what works best for you. Easier said than done, I reallize.
The Open Arts Forum as it is now, just isn't sustainable. To publish a new front page every day, you need a roster of editors. If that's not possible, then don't publish a new poem every day. Make it 2x weekly. But even that may not be your solution.
I hope you know you've been a tremendous resource and king of editors all these years.

Why don't you just do, what nearly every other online poetry journal does, and put the site on temporary hiatus? Give yourself a break.
 
Would be a real shame to see it go, but if you feel it isn’t sustainable then do what you need to do. I don’t think it is a ghost forum! Still seems pretty active to me.

Suppose I’d better start packing up my poems!


:eek:
 
Jay Dougherty said:
Hi, everyone:

Pretty much every editor, except Ray, has become inactive (as editors), including me, and it's understandably very difficult to recruit editors, as Ray can tell you, as he's been trying valiantly for months. So rather than keep what amounts to a zombie site running, I think I'll have to shut this one down at the end of the year. I don't have the drive to keep this one, and it's generally not a good idea to let a site run for a long time unattended, which is what I have increasingly done.

It's sad for me to have to consider this because I know the place has become a regular haunt for those of you who come here. I've also put a lot of time into the place, and it works, technically, which is saying something, given how I've constructed the place.

I'm not 100% sure about this decision yet, but I think it's only fair to give you a heads up about my thinking. I would not sell the site to keep it running. No one would buy it anyway.
Click to expand...
This makes me so sad! I understand, and would like to be an active editor again to try to revive it.
 
Well Jay I’ll certainly be sad to see it go if that’s the decision you settle on - but I do understand. I’d offer to edit but I’m still working full time and my various health issues conspire to fuck up any spare time I have. But then everyone finds some kind of excuse I suppose.
Thank you for all you’ve done so far. This site has been the home of some high quality writing - whereas much of the internet is awash with drivel…
Thanks
Marc

(still hoping you keep it going!)
 
Raymond Huffman said:
There is a similar, free site with a larger membership that some of you may be familiar with called Poetry Circle. You just have to register. It doesn't have a Front Page, but a lot of its structure is similar to OAF.
Click to expand...

Jay ran and then sold that one.
—-

Jay will there be a way to extract our work. I’m thinking the journals.

I don’t hold much personal value for the FrontPage publication side but the forum— gah! Feels like burning down the family farm.

I have not been active the past year or so but the thought of it going away and losing the people and art is argh.

I’d be willing to financially contribute to keep the journal section open.
 
Jennifer Wilder said:
Jay ran and then sold that one.
—-

Jay will there be a way to extract our work. I’m thinking the journals.

I don’t hold much personal value for the FrontPage publication side but the forum— gah! Feels like burning down the family farm.

I have not been active the past year or so but the thought of it going away and losing the people and art is argh.

I’d be willing to financially contribute to keep the journal section open.
Click to expand...
Maybe a night of copy and paste, Jennifer? But no bound leather journal of your handwritten works? :(
 
Jay Dougherty said:
Hi, everyone:

Pretty much every editor, except Ray, has become inactive (as editors), including me, and it's understandably very difficult to recruit editors, as Ray can tell you, as he's been trying valiantly for months. So rather than keep what amounts to a zombie site running, I think I'll have to shut this one down at the end of the year. I don't have the drive to keep this one, and it's generally not a good idea to let a site run for a long time unattended, which is what I have increasingly done.

It's sad for me to have to consider this because I know the place has become a regular haunt for those of you who come here. I've also put a lot of time into the place, and it works, technically, which is saying something, given how I've constructed the place.

I'm not 100% sure about this decision yet, but I think it's only fair to give you a heads up about my thinking. I would not sell the site to keep it running. No one would buy it anyway.
Click to expand...
Hey, Jay,

Sorry about my absenteeism.
If it helps, I am planning to start devoting more time again to the writers and Ray.

Ultimately, this is your baby, and I support whatever decision you make, but this site has fostered and inspired much great writing since 2018. Thanks to you and the community.

Cheers,
Jordan
 
Ok, day 1 (renewed) .. and just added an Entry for Front Page publication .. and got to say, it was a pleasure doing it again, it's been a while.

The process isn't complicated, and didn't need to refer to the tutorial, as all the elements were easily remembered.

I will second @Trish Saunders comments though .. I'm not sure we need a new publication on the Front Page every day .. once or twice a week is plenty and will give time for selection and consideration by Editors.

For now, though, I will be adding a new selection once a day, for future FP publication .. my focus will be primarily on the Art section, as Ray has the Poetry section well in hand, but if I see I poem I really do like, or any other writing, I will add that to the FP.
 
Just gonna chime in on my direct thoughts here.

I came to this sight because I wanted to share and communicate with other artists. Getting my work featured and/or on Front Page is nice, and an honor, but it's not what motivates me to do or share my art. I pay for the privilege of having my work posted and being involved with a site that doesn't have irritatingly gaudy, distracting commercial messages messing up the scenery.

It seems if the fat was trimmed and more members became actively supportive, OAF could not only survive, but flourish.

With that said, if OAF did not have a Front Page, was a Pay For site, and expected members to contribute in some way, I, as I'm sure others, would still frequent OAF. Like a Pastor said 50 years ago about a church which had just formed, "If the congregation wants this church to survive, they will do something about it". The church is a functioning success and just built a new building a few years ago.

Jay, you need to look out for yourself first and foremost. I will shed no tears over its demise, because I will continue to follow my bliss with or without OAF.​
 
Jordan Trethewey said:
Hey, Jay,

Sorry about my absenteeism.
If it helps, I am planning to start devoting more time again to the writers and Ray.

Ultimately, this is your baby, and I support whatever decision you make, but this site has fostered and inspired much great writing since 2018. Thanks to you and the community.

Cheers,
Jordan
Click to expand...


thankyuuu Jordan !!!!
 






xmas future.gif








free.jpg








dd 5.jpg
 
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Don't know what to say other than what's been expressed already.
I would feel a great loss if this site were to close down.

On the other hand, I understand Jay's dilemma very well and respect his decision
regardless of what that might end up being.

I'm just rattling off ideas here, but I was thinking of possible options were we to decide
as a group to take it over:

1. We all contribute, say $200 to $500 each(more or less) and offer the amount
to Jay, as a quasi purchase price and as a thank you for all that he has done,
pro bono, if I may add.
But he can keep ownership of the site(legally speaking)
while we as a group run it on a day to day basis and free him from that responsibility.
I'm suggesting Jay remain the legal owner, as many of us would be hesitant to take over
completely.
One, or a few of us would get a crash course from Jay on how to keep it running.
From there on we come up with a fixed monthly/yearly membership fee
Btw, Jay wouldn't have to give up control and all decision could still go through him,
if he so wishes.

2. To survive long term, a site like this one needs more new members, daily monthly, etc.
One way to achieve that could be to have writing contests each few months(quarterly?)
with a small fee($10? $20?) to enter, which we would advertise on facebook via Rattle's site
and other public forums. Our editors could then choose a winner in say 3 categories,
poetry, art, and fiction. All existing members could submit, of course, and possibly win.
This would bring in curious, new people who hopefully might stay on as regular contributors.

I think we all love this site and based on that we should be able to find a path forward...
 
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Michael Acker said:
On a side note, shouldn't all members(especially those who haven't been active lately)
be informed via messaging that the site might be shut down, to ensure they have enough time
to save/backup their threads...
Click to expand...
No. They can read the announcement on the site if/when it is given. It would be a technical nightmare to send messages to all members. If someone hasn't been actively watching the site for a reasonable amount of time then we can only assume they don't really care anymore ab0ut their content. Besides that, it's not really our responsibility. This is essentially a social media website that has no membership fee.
 
Raymond Huffman said:
No. They can read the announcement on the site if/when it is given. It would be a technical nightmare to send messages to all members. If someone hasn't been actively watching the site for a reasonable amount of time then we can only assume they don't really care anymore ab0ut their content. Besides that, it's not really our responsibility. This is essentially a social media website that has no membership fee.
Click to expand...
OhhhhhhhhKay......:)
 
Jenn Zed said:
Ok, day 1 (renewed) .. and just added an Entry for Front Page publication .. and got to say, it was a pleasure doing it again, it's been a while.

The process isn't complicated, and didn't need to refer to the tutorial, as all the elements were easily remembered.

I will second @Trish Saunders comments though .. I'm not sure we need a new publication on the Front Page every day .. once or twice a week is plenty and will give time for selection and consideration by Editors.

For now, though, I will be adding a new selection once a day, for future FP publication .. my focus will be primarily on the Art section, as Ray has the Poetry section well in hand, but if I see I poem I really do like, or any other writing, I will add that to the FP.
Click to expand...

so great! i was an editor for about 24 hours and begged to be released. something about it was just hard for me, it jumbled my already jumbled brain. and it drained my creativity. i only have so much brain power! and then just a few weeks later, i hear the site might go down. i was crushed. and felt terrible! i love this site so much. i'm new here, but i feel like this is home.
 
Douglas Goodwin said:
I totally agree with this. Don't store your shit in someone else's locker.
My God, if you're not an adult at this point...it's probably too late.
And being an adult is, in my opinion, more important than even (fucking) poetry.
Click to expand...
lol

Totally agree!

This site is clearly chock full of slackjawed moochers who need to be taught a lesson in personal responsibility hahaha
 
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Jennifer Wilder said:
Jay ran and then sold that one.
—-

Jay will there be a way to extract our work. I’m thinking the journals.

I don’t hold much personal value for the FrontPage publication side but the forum— gah! Feels like burning down the family farm.

I have not been active the past year or so but the thought of it going away and losing the people and art is argh.

I’d be willing to financially contribute to keep the journal section open.
Click to expand...
Jennifer, There is no way to easily "extract" your work. You will need to copy and paste it into a file offsite in order to save it.
 
Jennifer Wilder said:
Jay will there be a way to extract our work. I’m thinking the journals.
Click to expand...

Raymond Huffman said:
Jennifer, There is no way to easily "extract" your work. You will need to copy and paste it into a file offsite in order to save it.
Click to expand...

i download OAF threads as pdf

p0ems ,,posts,, journals,, discussions etc etc

takes about 15 seconds for each one

i've attached one from this thread and one from my journal
 

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