Site closure announcement
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:53 pm
Dear Fordson Friends,
All things must end. For this website, the end comes in May 2018.
I started this site in the late '90s. Back then, there was a need for it. Much to my surprise, for Fordson owners around the world the site became "an online home", so to speak. People who had never been in contact before formed lifelong friendships after "meeting" on fordsontractorpages.nl. For years and years, there was an active community of Fordson friends in countries like the UK, Holland, America and Australia and this website played its part in bringing people together and sharing vital information in how to keep our little blue friends purring away 50 years after Fordson stopped making tractors.
A few short years after the site began, Brian Dye joined as a member. His immense knowledge of all things Fordson, his genuine willingness to help and his unique sense of humour quickly made him the #1 source of Fordson lore on this website. Brian became friends with many of the site's members and the most-heard question on tractor shows in the UK, Holland and Australia is: "Has Brian arrived yet?" I may have started this website, but without Brian the place would never have come this far. Everyone who's been here for a while knows how much Brian contributed, so I think I can safely speak for all of you. So, Brian, on behalf of everyone here: thank you.
All things must end. The reasons for wrapping it up now are several. First, the PHP forum is falling apart and no-one can safely upgrade it. Second, the nature of the old-tractor hobby has changed. Get-togethers are getting less, as is the real sense of 'community' that for so long existed on fordsontractorpages.nl. The experience here has become more, shall we say, fleeting. Third, Brian and I are very, very busy in our daily lives. Fourth, there's no new generation banging on the doors to take things further, nor can we seem to find a suitable partner to take over the site (believe me, we've tried). Fifth, the site costs money year-in, year-out. Each in our own way, Brian and I have invested in this website over the years and it adds up to quite a sum. That's OK, neither of us regrets the expenditure, but given the decline in usage of the site it would be a waste to continue like this. To summarize, this place is slowly but inevitably beginning to gather dust. That's not how it should be, so we're making a final bow.
The exact date of close-down is not known yet, but it will be in May 2018. Therefore you should get used to the idea that as of May 1st, 2018, there is no more fordsontractorpages.nl. If there are topics in the forum that you frequently consult, then please take notes or copy their content. Once the site is gone, you're on your own - so don't wait too long.
Brian, Rick and I are having a quiet conversation in the background about a more modern, scaled-down and cost-effective continuation in one form or another. Don't get your hopes up. If it somehow happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Expect the latter, hope for the former. Even it does happen, there might be a time gap between closure of this site and its re-emergence.
For now, a most sicnere 'thank you' to all of you, for your support over the many long years that this site has been around. It's been a pleasure to have been of some assistance to you. Keep your Fordson tractors blue, and keep them running. All the best.
Warm regards,
Oscar
All things must end. For this website, the end comes in May 2018.
I started this site in the late '90s. Back then, there was a need for it. Much to my surprise, for Fordson owners around the world the site became "an online home", so to speak. People who had never been in contact before formed lifelong friendships after "meeting" on fordsontractorpages.nl. For years and years, there was an active community of Fordson friends in countries like the UK, Holland, America and Australia and this website played its part in bringing people together and sharing vital information in how to keep our little blue friends purring away 50 years after Fordson stopped making tractors.
A few short years after the site began, Brian Dye joined as a member. His immense knowledge of all things Fordson, his genuine willingness to help and his unique sense of humour quickly made him the #1 source of Fordson lore on this website. Brian became friends with many of the site's members and the most-heard question on tractor shows in the UK, Holland and Australia is: "Has Brian arrived yet?" I may have started this website, but without Brian the place would never have come this far. Everyone who's been here for a while knows how much Brian contributed, so I think I can safely speak for all of you. So, Brian, on behalf of everyone here: thank you.
All things must end. The reasons for wrapping it up now are several. First, the PHP forum is falling apart and no-one can safely upgrade it. Second, the nature of the old-tractor hobby has changed. Get-togethers are getting less, as is the real sense of 'community' that for so long existed on fordsontractorpages.nl. The experience here has become more, shall we say, fleeting. Third, Brian and I are very, very busy in our daily lives. Fourth, there's no new generation banging on the doors to take things further, nor can we seem to find a suitable partner to take over the site (believe me, we've tried). Fifth, the site costs money year-in, year-out. Each in our own way, Brian and I have invested in this website over the years and it adds up to quite a sum. That's OK, neither of us regrets the expenditure, but given the decline in usage of the site it would be a waste to continue like this. To summarize, this place is slowly but inevitably beginning to gather dust. That's not how it should be, so we're making a final bow.
The exact date of close-down is not known yet, but it will be in May 2018. Therefore you should get used to the idea that as of May 1st, 2018, there is no more fordsontractorpages.nl. If there are topics in the forum that you frequently consult, then please take notes or copy their content. Once the site is gone, you're on your own - so don't wait too long.
Brian, Rick and I are having a quiet conversation in the background about a more modern, scaled-down and cost-effective continuation in one form or another. Don't get your hopes up. If it somehow happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Expect the latter, hope for the former. Even it does happen, there might be a time gap between closure of this site and its re-emergence.
For now, a most sicnere 'thank you' to all of you, for your support over the many long years that this site has been around. It's been a pleasure to have been of some assistance to you. Keep your Fordson tractors blue, and keep them running. All the best.
Warm regards,
Oscar