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Update: The staff is in conversation with the buyer right now. More to follow, but at this point it looks to be a benevolent benefactor from the community. More to follow as we get it.
SoylentNews community:
As you know, there is not a lot of information available right now. Barrabas reports that he has sold the Soylentnews.org and associated domain names, and successfully transferred them, but neither the buyer's name nor the terms of that sale have been disclosed. As spokesperson for the staff of the site during this time, we would like everyone to know the following:
Our current backup plan is to revert to the li694-22.members.linode.com where the site is actually hosted. If we need to go there for any reason, we will try to notify the site in advance. If it has to go down or we are forced down, we'll be there. We will rebuild the database with some downtime and work from there.
We will send out a mass email to all users from the database informing them of this step should we need to do so.
We do not plan to implement this yet. We (the staff) did not advocate the buyout, but will try and work with the buyer if possible. We do not know the terms on which the domain name was sold.
We the staff will still operate the site, in its current condition on linode, until the community can vote on a new name. Depending on the buyer, we hope we can consider keeping the name the same as an option.
Until we know more information, we would like everyone to remain calm, collected, and civil, while we sort through these issues. Thank you
~mattie_p
(Score: 1) by willie3204 on Monday March 10 2014, @10:31PM
This site is not in need of a bunch of techies to maintain slashcode in order to make it successful long term. It needs a vision and a someone (or group) of people to execute whatever it is we're trying to do here. There has to be SOME leadership.
Having those original guys who put the site up is good but without any organization or means of maintaining long term support (money) we'll be on another new slashdot community soon...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by hybristic on Monday March 10 2014, @11:18PM
I agree with you. I was simply pointing out that this might not be an issue with leadership as a whole, as in no one can lead, and no one is willing to be lead. Just that this leader was probably on his way out in the end, even if no one saw it initially. The dust from launch is finally settling, and now we see where the pieces landed. So now it's up to someone to step up and take charge with what they have. I don't know if anyone is up to the task, but I don't think that people need to be worried about getting forced out over petty issues which the GP was implying. I found the team to be competent and easy to work with for the most part, so if someone competent takes the reigns, I don't forsee any additional fallouts like this one. I could be wrong, my insights are not as up to date as they once were.
(Score: 1) by willie3204 on Tuesday March 11 2014, @10:50AM
I hope you're right, hybristic. I also would like to make this my new home.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by naubol on Monday March 10 2014, @11:58PM
What I so dislike about your post is the implicit assumption that techies cannot have vision or possess leadership. There is also the assumption that this doesn't represent SN becoming more organized internally. If there was a split focus between power blocs, eliminating one might bring about the very results you are looking for.
(Score: 1) by willie3204 on Tuesday March 11 2014, @10:55AM
That's true and you're right naubol. I'm not saying techies cant have vision rather with so many techies worried about tech (ubuntu vs centos, really?) while the walls are crumbling around them it makes me wonder what exactly that vision is...
It would be nice if a leader or leaders were chosen quickly to get some confidence back.
(Score: 1) by naubol on Tuesday March 11 2014, @01:28PM
Ahh, I get more where you were coming from. I am also concerned with where this site is going, because I want so very much for it to succeed. I am willing to give NCommander time to see if he can pull it off, because I found his emails to be calmer in tone (even though he cussed and Barrabas didn't) and more focused on the things I would care about from the site.
I think I interpreted that issue differently. NCommander's complaints do not seem directed so much at the OS issue but rather at the lack of communication. So, I think it is easy to say the instigating event was about which OS to choose for running the site, but his email seems to focus on the lack of discussion, mediation, and consensus building for which he was looking.