[App_rpt-users] app_rpt users signing off - last post - list closure

[Bryan Fields]

On 10/2/19 12:17 AM, Stacy wrote:
> All,
> 
> It is with great sadness that I make this mailing list read only.

I remember when I asked Steve Rodgers right after Christmas 2005 if they
wanted an email list as they had a only a non-active web forum at that time.

On 12/26/05 10:31 PM, Steve Rodgers wrote:
> I'd be willing take you up on that mailman mailing list offer. The phpBB isn't 
> attracting enough traffic. My hosting service doesn't offer a mailing list 
> program; just phpBB.

In 2005 Illiana.net was doing ISP stuff in Northwest Indiana and the far
southern Chicagoland areas, it was a non issue to host the list for us.
Unfortunately for the list and perhaps fortunately for me, I sold illiana.net
late in 2008 and the new owners shut lists.illiana.net down.  In march 2009
Steve Rodgers setup a list on his own servers qrvc.com and the list was back
and going after several months.

There was much drama around IRLP and shortly thereafter Jim, doubled down on
Free Software.  AllStar grew, and lots of great info was shared.  MDC1200 came
to app_rpt and Limey Linux was the distro of choice.  I always detested redhat
so Jim helped me compiling it on debian, along with zaptel support for the
wonderful pciradio card.  Was some great times.

After Jim's passing I was asked again to assist with the list and general
server support.  I've had a server online for some time, and that's grown into
a more formal colo, we have our own IP space and ASN for the last decade or so
now.  Baring scheduled maintenance my keekles.org rack has been online since
2008.

Working with the rest of the admin team we developed an architecture for the
core network services of AllStar which could be hosted in any VM environment
on donated VM's.  We found three providers across the US willing to give VM's
for registration and distributed database, and with some automation, we were
off and going.

Stacy helped out porting the registration service to asterisk 13, Tim rewrote
the portal and I got everything cataloged and working in docker.  The wiki was
up and going, allowing anyone to edit the docs in an easy format.

As an AllStarLink, Inc. founding board member I pushed us to apply for 501c3
non-profit status and wrote a restatement of the articles for AllStarLink,
Inc. to make us legally able to do so.  I've been a stickler for doing things
the legal way and guided ASL in the same vein.  Early in the life of ASL, Inc.
I setup the admin committee and chartered it as a meritocracy and responsible
for all things technical.  The volunteers we had help were great and we moved
from rebooting stuff when something broke, to researching it, identifying the
problem, and fixing the service.  It was not always easy, but it was rewarding.

I can't say I'm a fan of web forums, the potential for abuse is just too high.
 As a proponent of written correspondence, I won't be making the jump.

73's
-- 
Bryan Fields

727-409-1194 - Voice
http://bryanfields.net