The Future of MetaChat?

http://metachat.org/index.php/2024/12/02/_64

Hello all. This post Is an update on my research about hosting this site and its future.

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I heard from seanyboy and they had the login credentials for the hosting service. When I logged in I saw that the credit card on file (chrismear's) had been declined on 9 June, which means the clock is ticking.

Unless someone knows otherwise it looks like chris was paying about $US24 per month out of his own pocket to host this site. I assume that is not something someone else wants to do, but if I am incorrect let me know.

What I do NOT know:

* The admin username/password for the b2evolution CMS for this site.
* While the domain is good for another 11 months, without hosting that really isn't relevant.

There is no person listed as the contact in the WHOIS for the domain, but the contact information is a phone number and address in Iceland. I have reached out to Kattullus to see if they are that contact, but I have not heard back.

In the email I sent to everyone listed on the About page I outlined what I think are the options moving forward. But I want to emphasize that I am not volunteering to do more than report the results of my research... and MAYBE pay a one-time charge to the hosting company to buy time. I have reached out to them (rimuhosting.com) to explain the circumstances and ask for a grace period. With the account past due it isn't possible to transfer the domain. If it is paid up that can happen.

To keep the website going as is:

* will mean either transferring the hosting to another person and they can decide how to fund it.
* Finding out who owns the domain and figure out how to pay for that.

Other options:
* Start a new site on a free service such as Wordpress.com (or elsewhere). If access to the admin credentials can be found then it MAY be possible to export/import the old data. I have no idea how it works with b2evolution.
* Let it go and find other ways to share. A reminder that Eideteker set up the Discord which has been fun. More on how to join that is here: http://metachat.org/index.php/2024/12/02/_64

This isn't an exhaustive list, but I needed to post something soon as the clock is ticking.

I will be out of town starting on Friday, 20 June and will not have much Internet access while I am.