[TheForge] theforge history who knows it?

[GHS]

Going to wugate right now is probably a waste of time.
The lists (at least artmetal) have been down for about4-5 days.

Mike Graf

terry l. ridder wrote:

> hello;
> 
> thank you mark for the theforge history.
> 
> i thought that perhaps the artmetal list archives would exist but it
> seems that they are also no where to be found.
> 
> please see http://wuarchives.wustl.edu for complete details.
> 
> it would appear that part of the wugate theforge archives are lost.
> i have all of 1996. i am missing all of 1997 and part of 1998.
> december 1998 is when epoch majordomo qth.net begins.
> 
> of the epoch majordomo qth.net archives i have everything except
> theforge digest volume 1 numbers 0000, 0001, and 0002. so depending on
> how the majordomo qth.net theforge digests where number i am missing
> either 2 or 3 theforge digest volume 1.
> 
> anyone remember the name of the graduate student? there is a possibility
> that they may have a copy of theforge wugate archives.
> 
> i am open to suggestions as to where to look for either the artmetal or
> theforge wugate archives.
> 
> On Fri, 26 Nov 2004, Mark Williams wrote:
> 
> mark> 
> mark> theforge started at the St Louis ABANA conference in 1994. Enrique Vega
> mark> organized a small group of folk, no more than 30, at an unscheduled
> mark> gathering to discuss ways of using the internet to improve blacksmithing.
> mark> The artmetal listserver hosted by Washington University was one result.
> mark> The on-line supplier's list was another. A formal request for support was
> mark> made to the ABANA board at the November 1994 meeting. However, the ABANA
> mark> board was leery of this new medium and took a wait and see attitude. After
> mark> several years, during which time the number on the list and in the
> mark> supplier's list grew, the ABANA board decided that the ArtMetal list had
> mark> too many non-blacksmiths and, so, started theforge as educational outreach
> mark> for both the blacksmithing community and for the public. At first, the
> mark> host was Washington University. They did this as a public service and
> mark> charged zero for it. A graduate student used theforge as a research
> mark> project. Problems arose as no one was responsible for maintenence of
> mark> theforge after the student graduated. At that time(1998 I think), I was
> mark> working at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. One of my coworkers, Al Waller,
> mark> hosted listservers for a large group of ham radio operators. Upon hearing
> mark> of the problems theforge was having, he said he could host theforge on his
> mark> system for $100 per year. The ABANA board accepted and we've been with Al
> mark> ever since.
> mark> 
> 
> <snip>
> 
> mark> 
> mark> Mark Williams
> mark> 
> 

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