Dutch Shepherd Forum

So, I was quite sad to read the news this morning that Eric is shutting down this site.

I can't be sure that Radar would be where he is today without the people, information, and tips gathered here.

I want to extend a huge thank you to you Eric for bringing this site into the world, and I fully understand your position.

I took the liberty this morning of acquiring the URL DsDogsOnline.com. I know it might take years to acquire all the wonderful content and discussion on this board, but I hope to keep the discussion alive for any and all who are interested.

It may take a couple of weeks to get it up and running, but if you are interested in being involved, please PM me your email address. I will keep you up to date of the progress.

Eric, if you feel like my effort is a copyright or other issue for you, please let me know. I do not want to infringe on the good work you've done here.

there is also the Dutch Shepherd group on FB

very sad to hear

I am a member of most DS groups on FB but don't post on them often.

Michael I'll be PMing you my email and anyone else who wants to keep in contact shoot me a PM and I'll send you my email or FB contact!

With the FB groups you miss the categorized discussions.

I joined one, but the activity is low. I've never felt comfortable posting on it.

Hopefully, I can have a discussion area up on the new domain in the next few days, so we can discuss what we want there. My first idea is to bring back the photo contest, though I can picture the effort to administrate it.

As a professional IT nerd, I formally volunteer my support to any new forum. I have to wonder if Eric would be open to transferring the content and domain? It would surely be easier than trying to rebuild from nothing. I offered assistance last time there was talk of shutting down, but there was never any follow-up to that.

The forum shutting down is sad news, indeed. Although I think I've only posted a handful of times over the past two years, I've been here daily and have learned so much. Thank you to everyone for all of your helpful insight. I will certainly look up the DsDogsOnline.com. Will this forum just disappear altogether like it never existed? So much information will be lost.

racingiron1 wrote:I have to wonder if Eric would be open to transferring the content and domain?

That's what I was wondering. Or rather, hoping....At least content, however that works.

This is sad. Michael, I PM'd you my email.

i also hope maybe some content could be salvaged..
theres no doubt in my mind this site has saved many, many dogs from shelters or being pts purely through education. aswell as letting those who arnt capable of caring for DS know of their intense needs before thinking of getting a pup.

There is also a Reddit subgroup for DS as well... Not very active though.

Wow.
this site has been a repository for so many memories we all have. and so much great knowledge and advice is to be found here! i hope some or all can be preserved.
thank you Michael - and your first volunteer, Eric - for acting to keep the forum going in some form or another.

p.s., some of us - or maybe ONE of us - will NEVER be on facebook, so i certainly hope there is a non-facebook alternative.

I have reached out several times on transferring the domain and there was very little interest. Only one person has ever even truly shown interest.

When people find out how much work is done behind the scenes...

icvanstra wrote:When people find out how much work is done behind the scenes...

I do have experience at a much smaller scale, so I kind of have an idea.

johninny wrote:this site has been a repository for so many memories we all have. and so much great knowledge and advice is to be found here! i hope some or all can be preserved.

But, statements like the above make me want (really need) to commit to carrying on. I have received some PMs offering support, so hopefully I can pull it all together.

However, I work full time as a Software Development Manager which is more than a 40hr/week job. I go to school two nights a week, and of course there's time spent with Leela and radar. I will need all the support I can get, and I fully expect some bumps in the road as I get started. Hopefully, you will all stick with me to keep it going.

I am building my test site on my hosting service right now, and if it works out like I expect, I will have the new site ready in a few days.

That said, Eric if there's any way I can preserve the content on this site (at the very least as an archive) please let me know. I have a tool that will pull the content into my site from the database if you are willing to let me have it.

One final thought. I am not taking this on as a business venture. I have no plans to monetize the content or site in any way. I will be taking on the expenses from my own pocket. This is my way to giver back to the community that helped me understand my dog and get me through some really difficult times.

Michael, I'm available to help if you need grunt work or an extra pair of hands/eyes. I'm no technical genius, but if I can lighten the burden and help keep our DS community together, I'd like to help. I really value our group.

I can pitch in too. I have a little background in running sites.

*** UPDATE ***

I had a phone conversation with Eric this morning. It looks like we've agreed to allow me to take ownership and control of this site as-is. So, the site should be up and running for the foreseeable future.

Please be patient while we transfer everything, as it's quite possible there will be some issues. This may include a day or two of downtime

Additionally, I'd like to replace the current platform with one that has more robust features. I hope to be able to make that transition seamless for all the current members.

Thank you so much everyone that has reached out offering assistance. I will probably still call on you for help, but I think we're headed in the right direction!

I might have to do a little celebration tonight, because I probably won't have time for anything else in the next couple of weeks.

Michael rocks.

Wonderful news! Thanks to Michael and Eric for making this happen. Knowing that the forum will live on in good hands makes it much easier to be patient with any hiccups along the way, for me anyway! I know the initial setup work has to happen, but once you're at a state to begin handing off duties you've got several of us out here willing and able. I'm just ecstatic that our cozy little corner of the internet will still be here.


- the "other" Eric

Holy shit, really? WOOHOO!