Grand Banks forum

firstbase said:

I figured that wasn't missed but thought I'd ask anyway. Just odd as Bob was so into it. Vanishing and letting it all go down the drain is strange. I don't remember where he was from, lived. Was he in the PNW?

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I was under the impression from his posts that Bob was cruising the west coast and Mexico pretty much full time.

Soo-Valley said:

... I can accept the site is lost for good.

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thebruce said:

... FB isn't really designed to be a forum.

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Moving forward and applying lessons learned; what is the collective thought of collecting files, docs, and photos in a cloud based folder to compliment this forum?
If for some reason this forum dissolves we'll loose even more. With a shared link to the cloud folder the information would still be accessible, maybe?

Kurplunk said:

Moving forward and applying lessons learned; what is the collective thought of collecting files, docs, and photos in a cloud based folder to compliment this forum?
If for some reason this forum dissolves we'll loose even more. With a shared link to the cloud folder the information would still be accessible, maybe?

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Seems like a good concept but above my pay grade forum wise.

Kurplunk said:

Moving forward and applying lessons learned; what is the collective thought of collecting files, docs, and photos in a cloud based folder to compliment this forum?
If for some reason this forum dissolves we'll lose even more. With a shared link to the cloud folder the information would still be accessible, maybe?

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This forum, TF is a great trawler forum which includes a sub forum for GB. Use it and add to it. This is now the place to collect files, docs and photos. There is no reason to have multiple locations/sites. We need just one reliable place.
A one-off forum just for GB will no longer survive. IMO

A word to the wise...

Don't put all your eggs into one fragile, transient, privately-owned and operated basket. All websites come and go. None are impervious.

Soo-Valley, I agree 100%. I was thinking about the "what if" scenario of loosing another forum.

It seems these forums continue to exist for an aging population. Most here it seems are 60 +. As we age out will there be replacements?
Flywright, I get what you are saying on duplicity, a backup would be nice, but someone needs to maintain it. The GB forum has some history shared within this forum. Perhaps Bob Lowe was the last one with a desire to keep it running.
I know I found it useful as a resource, useless as a forum for sharing with like minded folk as it was dying when I joined.
I still feel supporting a diverse TF with sub forums of specific interest is now the wave of the future.

Soo-Valley said:

This forum, TF is a great trawler forum which includes a sub forum for GB. Use it and add to it. This is now the place to collect files, docs and photos. There is no reason to have multiple locations/sites. We need just one reliable place.
A one-off forum just for GB will no longer survive. IMO

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"A one-off forum just for GB will no longer survive."

I agree with you Soo-Valley, Steve. And, would like to add:

Tollycraft Boating Club Forum also did an unexpected disappearance. It too had great volumes of information and members' interactions available... for... getting answers to nearly any questions regarding"Tolly's".

Similar to GB folks, some Tolly folks began doing Facebook. From what I hear; that way of communication regarding specific boat lines leaves a lot to be desired, in relation to the previous old-school boat brand specific forums. To be clear - I don't do Facebook.

IMO TF is the best currently available [basically "old-school" design] boating forum. I do wish there was a way to get most of the previous members of the Tollycraft forum to participate in Trawler Forum. Bet you wish same for GB owners.

In closing I just want to say... TF is a great forum and I sure hope it continues. There is a lot of intelligence displayed herein; with pretty good humor too!

Happy Holidays!! Hope 2021 turns out well.

Years ago when I was working, I contributed technical aviation info about aviation approaches and navigation on a pro pilot forum. I had the blessing of my boss and help from technical and policy staff in our Oklahoma City HQ. It was completely in addition to my other duties but I could do it on the clock in my spare time. This went on for a year or two and we established quite a deep database of Q&As...very similar to TF.

Then one day, the server company vanished (from my perspective) and all was lost without adequate forum backup. There was no way to go back and recreate what had been established after their money dried up or or their business desires changed. I never learned what the cause was...just moved on.

Just sayin'....sometimes **** happens. Better to have a backup when possible.

FlyWright said:

Years ago when I was working, I contributed technical aviation info about aviation approaches and navigation on a pro pilot forum. I had the blessing of my boss and help from technical and policy staff in our Oklahoma City HQ. It was completely in addition to my other duties but I could do it on the clock in my spare time. This went on for a year or two and we established quite a deep database of Q&As...very similar to TF.

Then one day, the server company vanished (from my perspective) and all was lost without adequate forum backup. There was no way to go back and recreate what had been established after their money dried up or or their business desires changed. I never learned what the cause was...just moved on.

Just sayin'....sometimes **** happens. Better to have a backup when possible.

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Hopping my "back-up" brain keeps functioning! Cause... I'll never learn "... what the cause was [as it, if it, when it may eventually] just moved on"! LOL

Kidding aside - I have a few back-up folders for my toys e.g. boats, classic car trucks, RV, houses... etc. They have in them much I learn on the net. Including quotes from others and websites for instructions. In total - a couple hundred pages of info. When I see something on the net that's good enough I simply copy it and place in applicable folder.

Art said:

When I see something on the net that's good enough I simply copy it and place in applicable folder.

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I too, have gleaned Good-to-Know articles, photos, and part numbers and categorized them in folders on my computer. Only problem with that though, is there are good many times that the article or other bit which I am looking at today doesn't falls into the Good-to-Know realm untill tomorrow!

This is what I have for presentation to the table.
First and foremost, the intent of this endeavor is NOT to replace Trawler Forum or to create another Messaging Board, Forum, Chat Group, ect, but to create a common information storage location with exponential longevity, working in conjunction with TF.
Platform:
• A Google Docs account with associated email address.
• Three Administrators for oversight and quality control
o Passed on with a simple password handover.
• Grand Banks Community
Concept:
A thread is started in TF within the Grand Banks Forum posting the Email address and the link to the Google Doc account.
Anyone with the link will be able to access the Docs, but only the Administrators with a current password will be able to upload to folders (as oversight and QC). Individuals within the Grand Banks community submit items for public storage via email. Administrators review and place it in appropriate folder in Google Docs.

There has been a claim made stating that “Grand Banks vessels are a One Hundred Year Plus boat”. We need a resource library with the potential longevity to support our so loved fleet of Grand Banks of all vintages.

Email Address: grandbankspreserve@gmail.com
Files Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xm4RFn2pcJAwQSg3YBxsYLBvlchvcl_9?usp=sharing

Correction in Terminology

Kurplunk said:

• A Google Docs account with associated email address.
• Three Administrators for oversight and quality control
o Passed on with a simple password handover.
• Grand Banks Community
Concept:
A thread is started in TF within the Grand Banks Forum posting the Email address and the link to the Google Doc account.
Anyone with the link will be able to access the Docs, but only the Administrators with a current password will be able to upload to folders (as oversight and QC). Individuals within the Grand Banks community submit items for public storage via email. Administrators review and place it in appropriate folder in Google Docs.

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I have confused Google Docs with Google Drive. Google Drive is correct. Sorry for the potential confusion.

Does someone still have access to the old site and is able to download all the information on there?

stiggy said:

Does someone still have access to the old site and is able to download all the information on there?

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I have never heard of anyone having access besides Bob. I have gone to the home page, the gbwoodies page, and it still comes up. However, all the links, with the exceptions of the two advertisers, show an error loading. I think the only hope of getting anything would be to somehow get in touch with Bob. Sorry to bring it up but I searched the obituaries in his area but didn't find one for him.

firstbase said:

I have never heard of anyone having access besides Bob. I have gone to the home page, the gbwoodies page, and it still comes up. However, all the links, with the exceptions of the two advertisers, show an error loading. I think the only hope of getting anything would be to somehow get in touch with Bob. Sorry to bring it up but I searched the obituaries in his area but didn't find one for him.

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In his early 80's according to net and still in Oak Harbor area.. email might still be active. boblowe@whidbey.net

Maintaining a web site is not costly but is a time sink. Suspect Bob just lost interest. Once he let the domain expire, all the data hosted on that domain expired as well, unless he had his own server and was diligent about backups. I would guess that a site owner would have backed up his data store and a copy might still exist but I doubt the forum threads exist.

when I last conversed with Bob I got the impression he was living in Mexico full time, where I do not know.
My PM with him and the thread where we connected have been deleted. Folks here did not want us talking with Bob, so am surprised this thread has not disappeared.

Once upon a time; i.e. it used to be: ��

I was under the impression that - "Once it's on the net... it's forever available somewhere on the net."

Maybe to super sleuths in govt and the like... but, I guess not to us general folks.

Swimming on the side, while watching you GB people go after the internals of the old GB forum, sure reminds me of a few years ago when we Tolly folks went after the suddenlydisappearedd Tollycraft Boating Club Forum's contents.

No luck in our raft of Tolly's. Wishing you all best luck!

According to Frode, Bob wanted to turn the site into a profit centre and when a number of us balked he had a snit and abandoned it. I got banned because I disagreed with him over some pet thing he was in love with so that was it for me. Frode and I corresponded, trying to figure out how to keep the site alive but Bob blocked us at every turn.

Offer him a ton of money and you might get something.

Xsbank said:

According to Frode, Bob wanted to turn the site into a profit centre and when a number of us balked he had a snit and abandoned it. I got banned because I disagreed with him over some pet thing he was in love with so that was it for me. Frode and I corresponded, trying to figure out how to keep the site alive but Bob blocked us at every turn.

Offer him a ton of money and you might get something.

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LOL...a GB Forum Go Fund Me, with proceeds to Bob....

"Give to the GB Fund. Because a forum is a terrible thing to waste."

Xsbank, do you know if Frode kept or has access to the forum archives when IAGBO was hived-off? I understand Frode provided the technical support to scrape the earlier Grand Banks Owners forum.

In their later years neither forum had a great deal of activity but for people like me with an older Grand Banks the archives would be of tremendous value as they were full of very detailed and specific technical advice.

I would actually contribute to that go fund me page.
I mean, think about it, I was a contributor to the website (in a small $ way). I would pay to have access to all of that information some where else. Again, in a small way.
Of course, it would seem like holding the website hostage.

Mike GB32 said:

I would actually contribute to that go fund me page.
I mean, think about it, I was a contributor to the website (in a small $ way). I would pay to have access to all of that information some where else. Again, in a small way.
Of course, it would seem like holding the website hostage.

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So would I. However, we can't even find Bob much less get him to name a price. Wonder if he is reading this thread?

Hi Bob!

SoWhat said:

Once he let the domain expire, all the data hosted on that domain expired as well

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That's not really how it works. The domain name really only gives you control of the DNS records which point you to the server. Loosing the Domain only breaks DNS. The content is on disk somewhere. Now if the server is taken down and there is no backup of the data, then you have a problem.

Why would you need to create a new forum, when TF already exists with a GB sub-forum?

You will need to do the following:

1) Purchase a domain.
2) Purchase a server and hosting space, or rent hosting space and pay for that space (Rackspace, GoDaddy, Comcast, etc all have such services)
3) Purchase forum software
4) Configure and Administer the forum software. This will require that you maintain a Site Admin. and Moderation team.

The other option is to migrate the group over to Trawler Forum, much like the Mainship Yahoo group and others have done in the past.

Either solution will not get you your content back. That is owned by the previous site owner.

TF would be happy to assist with migrating Grand Banks over to Trawler Forum.

Shrew said:

Why would you need to create a new forum, when TF already exists with a GB sub-forum?

You will need to do the following:

1) Purchase a domain.
2) Purchase a server and hosting space, or rent hosting space and pay for that space (Rackspace, GoDaddy, Comcast, etc all have such services)
3) Purchase forum software
4) Configure and Administer the forum software. This will require that you maintain a Site Admin. and Moderation team.

The other option is to migrate the group over to Trawler Forum, much like the Mainship Yahoo group and others have done in the past.

Either solution will not get you your content back. That is owned by the previous site owner.

TF would be happy to assist with migrating Grand Banks over to Trawler Forum.

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I don't think that anyone is talking about a new forum. Just some way to save the good stuff in some form over here. I guess the challenge is that a lot of the good stuff is in posts. The docs would be easy if they could be located.

Must have been a pretty big war of some sort to cause a guy who was obviously dedicated to the brand and its owners to just give it all up and let it go down the drain. Significant turn in attitude.

firstbase said:

I don't think that anyone is talking about a new forum. Just some way to save the good stuff in some form over here. I guess the challenge is that a lot of the good stuff is in posts. The docs would be easy if they could be located.

Must have been a pretty big war of some sort to cause a guy who was obviously dedicated to the brand and its owners to just give it all up and let it go down the drain. Significant turn in attitude.

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Reading/listening to what you folks are saying re GB Forum disappearance:

Can't help but to wonder if a mistake was made by GB Forum's administrator; wherein the forum's contents were mistakenly deleted and became non retrievable. Thereafter... the administrator may have wanted to go incognito.

Evidently that is what occurred to the Tollycraft forum while rebooting it after a major site improvement. All posts were lost and could not be brought back. Tolly forum is No-More!

Severall of us tried for a while... to no avail.

I think that a lot of GB stuff is generic, generally, if better in some build ways than other makes.

If you GB guys have questions, many of us on here were there too, so to speak, much of the info resides in memory and can, with patience, be resurrected. Most of the information is not esoteric nor secret, most of the synergy on the GB site was because of the members which, when Bob began his rampage, destroyed that synergy; that was the real reason it failed. Many of the guys are probably still here, overtly like me or hiding like Giggitoni 8^).

What Xsbank said.
My GB is my first GB. Naturally I went online to find info about the boat and forums that shared that interest. As a non member of the GB owners forum you could not see pictures of the discussion taking place. It took effort to become a member. I assisted Roddy becoming a member when I was still able to connect with Bob.
I was not aware of the politics of the GB forum, just the great shared information available there from old timers about the older GB boats.
That said, it did not take very long to go through the archived threads and get the info needed. Several were then bookmarked for quick reference. That is lost.
In hindsight, while it is/was a good reference for old thread discussion, there was no new discussions. Yes, several new posts were made, but forget about a discussion as they could not see you have replied and you could not get a notice someone replied to a subscribed thread. Interest in posting ended for me and I suppose others. Soon there were no new posts for months and then the forum ended.
Bob would not/could not answer PM or email. That forum is dead and lost.
Make new memories here. Find the blogs like a member here has going 'Choices' https://grandbankschoices.wordpress.com/tag/grand-banks/
Also there are many GB owners groups, locally it is https://www.psgbowners.org/

All is not lost, just misplaced.