Sierra Web Ring nostalgia

[Collector]

After not having not visiting it in years, I just stumbled on this:

http://www.webring.org/t/The-Sierra-Ring?sid=44

It is rather sad. I remember most of these sites when they were still active. Many of them were linked to by the old WebX boards. Now most (all?) of them have not been touched in years. Of course the Geocities sites are gone altogether. Recently, Brandon Klassen was wanting to try to archive the Sierra fan sites before they disappear, but it is too late for many of them.

[BBP]

Aren't they on Archive.org?

[Collector]

Some may be, but it is very incomplete. Even when they do get archived usually they are missing images, links don't work, etc.

[Rudy]

Can't say I'm sad about it. If the webpage designers don't bother updating their sites, tiny and incomplete as they are, then those sites are better off to be removed. Unfinished and ignored sites do not exactly promote the Sierra legacy in a positive way. I prefer a handful of good, detailed websites, above tons of unfinished ones, each with 3 screenshots and a half-assed walkthrough.
As for archiving them, what could they possibly have that can't be recovered from our own collections?

[Tawmis]

Can't say I'm sad about it. If the webpage designers don't bother updating their sites, tiny and incomplete as they are, then those sites are better off to be removed. Unfinished and ignored sites do not exactly promote the Sierra legacy in a positive way. I prefer a handful of good, detailed websites, above tons of unfinished ones, each with 3 screenshots and a half-assed walkthrough.
As for archiving them, what could they possibly have that can't be recovered from our own collections?

We're each entitled to our own opinions - but, that said - I would have to kindly disagree with you Rudy. Even if they're half-arsed, half-done - who knows why they stopped? Maybe it's half arsed, half done because they don't know a lot about making webpages? (I would certainly fall under that category! I have like six different websites, but each of them, to me is pretty much half arsed when I compare them to - say, what Collector has done here!) Whether they were limited on time, or lost their internet connection, or life simply got too busy to maintain it - even the smallest markings of Sierra fandom means someone - at that moment - took something that they were passionate about, and made a page about it. They could have made a page about their family, their job, the weather, their favorite toy - but no - they took a moment to make a page about Sierra games. To me, that's what matters. Sierra inspired someone to say "Thanks for the childhood memories!" and make a small little webpage about it.

[AndreaDraco]

I want to chime in for the Police Quest website and forum, because with one thing I have to sadly agree with Rudy: it's pretty useless. Nevertheless, I renewed the domain for another year. I keep hoping that Almirena will pop up and tthat we can work on the contents we planned two years ago. Unfortunately, I don't know how to work on this kind of thing all by myself (HTML, programming, coding, whatever), but sometimes given the very few people that expressed interest in the saga I wonder if it's even worth the trouble.

Anyway, Rudy, I can't see how having it in this neglected state is worse than not having it.

[Rudy]

Ok, how about this: if you guys want and if you allow me, I'll gladly help out putting a whole bunch of content in it. Just let me know what you need and I'll provide it: walkthroughs, screenshots, music, videos, anything. If html programming is the problem, I can have a look at it since I learned quite a bit of html over the past years, fix those dead links and insert the data you want. The sites would grow exponentially in no time.

[AndreaDraco]

That is not the whole problem, Rudy. I don't have access to the website, only Almirena does. Same with the Gabriel Knight 4 Campaign, where maybe Santi has access too, but he vanished as well.

Thanks, though.

[DeadPoolX]

Andrea, I'm sure you've already thought of this, but try emailing Al. I don't mean one email, either. Send one email a week. Yeah, that's sort of like spamming, but if Al is the only one with access and she's really hard to get in touch with, you might have to be that annoying about it.

[Rudy]

If you renewed the site, can't you simply contact the host and ask them for the username and password? You are the owner of the site, aren't you?

[AndreaDraco]

DPX, I understand she had some major trouble in her life and I don't want to push her. I've talked to Collector about this - and about the GK4 Campaign, which is a bit agonizing as well - but I don't see a viable solution less than moving all the content elsewhere.

@ Rudy: the PQ site was my first attempt to something web-related, so I'm extremely ignorant in these matters. I don't know precisely what I am I only know that Almirena is the only one with access to the site and many functions of the forums.

[Tawmis]

Ok, how about this: if you guys want and if you allow me, I'll gladly help out putting a whole bunch of content in it.

For myself, I would respectfully decline. I want the site to go at my own pace, my own time, when I am in the mood - I want it to be a fun thing to do. Not feel pressured that I need to do something. Once I feel the pressure to do it, it no longer becomes fun. As of right now, it may be pretty bare in comparison to SHP or the Chest... but it's something that I can sometimes go back to and find something to add, because I feel like adding something.

Thanks anyway, though.

[Collector]

I used to have FTP access to the PQ site, but it looks like my password expired. I never did have access to the cPanel. I do have all of the content of the site. You might have trouble moving the domain to another hosting service, but you could register another domain name for it. We could also save the PQ forum's database, but it might not matter too much as the forum never had much traffic. If there is a way to resurrect the site, it might make more sense to link to the PQ forum here where there is more traffic, especially as Andrea is already a mod on SHP.

The last time that I talked to Al she said that she wanted to give me full access to the GK site to be able to manage it, but I have not heard back from her. Even with FTP/cPanel access I am not sure if I would want to start changing it on my own. It is her site and I would not want to make creative decisions for her. If she is never going to come back, I can think of no one better to take over than Andrea with is love for the series. Al did register the domain of gabrielknight.net with the idea to change the focus of the site from the campaign to a general GK site.

[Jules]

Just send her a letter via snail mail. It's slower but there's a better chance she'll respond. I sent her a Christmas card last year and she responded with a nice card and small letter.

Try sending a Christmas card with a little how do you do, hope you're feeling well, we're all thinking of you, and by the way give us the password and everything else we need for the GK4C site.

I think two stamps did the trick. I have her addy if any of you need it.

[Collector]

I have her address if she hasn't moved in the last couple of years.