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Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
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Message 1 of 2 in Discussion

From:

Brandflake301 (Original Message)

Sent: 11/29/2008 6:13 PM

Folks,

I migrated an experimental group that I play with from time to time, http://groups.msn.com/GayPagans Obviously I was never able to gain much interest in the group as Pagans are so far and few between.

Anyhow, this is what I found out. The days of elaborate site building tools that we have taken for granted here at MSN are over. All of the pages that were migrated over to Multiply.com as you can see by following the trail were basically chewed up and the end result was a piece of paper torn into shreds somewhat resembling the original product that was migrated. WHAT A COMPLETE AND TOTAL MESS!

No sense arguing. The public did not support the "aesthetic" MSN Groups and MSN did not keep their servers functioning properly. So, those days are over. I'm trying to think of a song

Back to Multiply...The What's New Page will be preserved and kept in tact. It will be shown as the "Home Page." This is good because it has all of our crucial information and provides an outlet for all of our numerous user groups, profiles, and of course the main site which I might add, is much more aesthetic, lol!

ALL of the other pages will be turned into Blog headers, tagged as Custom Pages. I do not know how the ~METH PROJECT~ pages will be presented and obviously they will lose their exposure undoubtedly compared to how they are presented now. I do not know if we will have anymore than one message board but from what I've been told we will not. We will simply need to create different threads to keep tract of various subject material.

I am dissapointed as are a whole hell of a-lot of MSN old timers but there is no sense in griping. The good news is that we were able to preserve and refine our site with the new website, www.backtothebasicsplease.com

When I am not building the web-site which has been a huge task and there is much more to do, I have been in developer sites, a-lot of which have been discussing the MSN Groups end. I had no idea just how big the MSN Groups really were and how much of an impact the closure has and is going to have on many people

Now, on the flip side of this, MSN Group activity has come to grinding halt. No one wants to devote time to an online "community" that is coming to an end. Membership activity across the board on all MSN sites has come to a screeching halt. ~Understandable.

Okay, so we will start the migration here within the next couple of weeks. There are a couple things I still want to brainstorm about and there are still some glitching on the side of Multiply that is still being reported. I don't want to migrate a group of this size until Multiply is as prepared as possible so just a little bit more patience will be due.

The MSN Group on MSN will still remain after the migration has started. We'll leave it here until they pull the plug on it. I would also like to experiement with another migration onto Aimoo.com. They too do not have the technology to match MSN Groups but they are a young company with a great sense of urgency. In other words they are hungry to please new customers. I like that sense of urgency and I'd like to try and build something with them knowing that my e-mails will be answered with a willing sense of urgency and good customer service. Perhaps as they grow they will add more features and technology and we'll grow with them.

Again folks, with the migrations about to start I understand that there may be some confusion. Ed and I will be here to answer your questions but know that the MSN site will remain on the MSN servers as a functioning group until MSN pulls the plug February 21st, 2009.

You may also be interested in the Google Group, the MySpace and Facebook profiles and of course the main site, www.backtothebasicsplease.com

I and perhaps some of you are sorry to see MSN Groups close. I don't think they'll be truly missed until they are closed forever but a new chapter for user groups is about to begin. MSN Groups started the trend. The trend for blogging over forums has won, so like anything else it is about time to turn the page!

Both Multiply and Aimoo have some sort of audio/video plug in kind of like Myspace and Facebook so we'll have to see what that's all about. They both allow you to create your own page which adds to the "community" effect. These are all good features! They also provide subscription so if you are only interested in one topic to be dumped into your e-mail box and nothing else, you can subscribe only to that topic. MSN never provided that and I know that has been frustrating for many members.

Any questions, ideas, suggestions, or just plain complaints specific to the Multiply/Aimoo migration and transition, please post to this thread and we'll do our best to either answer or brainstorm on some solutions.

Brandon

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Message 2 of 2 in Discussion

From:

Brandflake301

Sent: 12/5/2008 4:17 AM

Saturday I think it is

Now that the site is built and we need to concentrate on our "tools," and building concepts, workshops, etc., I'm going to go ahead and start the migration of the MSN Group to both Multiply and Aimoo. I am interested in the private threads that one of these companies offers. This will allow us to set up private or restricted access threads that would include only those who are working on a project. Once the migration starts you will receive e-mails from each new webhost inviting you to join. Again, this does not mean the MSN Group is going anywhere. It stays until we wave it goodbye Feb 21st.

Anyhow, if that doesn't pan out the way I'm thinking we'll find some other means. The casual talk will not be interrupted but the workshops will be an added dimension to the structure that we have built and the business that we want to build.

By the first of the year I want to have the basic web tools ironed out so that we are not caught up with fussing about what one button does or doesn't do when our concentration needs to be on the project(s) and what's going to push us forward and help whomever is on the receiving end of our work.

Migrating the MSN site now will also let me know exactly who will be inclined to participate in some way. I say if we're lucky maybe 5-10%. So, if we end up with a handful that will be enough to knock on some doors so to speak and try to get others involved. Everyone has left MSN and our group. I swallowed that pill long ago, so starting fresh is okay with me! I don't have big expectations for these new services but I want to see first hand what we'll be able to do with them.

Okay, the Google group has more or less turned into a publication of motivational expression and news. We have an audience that definitely appreciates this and I think the Google Group will stay on that frequency if you will. We can't do a whole array of different things with Google because of their unstructured bulletin board system but maybe we'll take a look at that. It is difficult to deciper what is what and when it was posted.

The MySpace profile has become a great source of private conversations especially from the youth. The stats that are so freely expressed are great. We'll put out announcements from time to time. I don't know that Facebook has really taken off.

That leaves the MSN Group which again will stay here until Feb 21st but I'd like to see the two migrations; one into Multiply and one into Aimoo place emphasis on workshops. Free messaging that is fluid in nature is how I think we're going to get some good ideas and some good movement. We certainly can't have this type of messaging on the corporate website. Those blogs/forums need to be tailored to err on the side of poignancy and professionalism; however, not overly.

In summary and I'm kind of brainstorming at the same time I'm writing this is to continue to place emphasis on these user groups. I would like to see the Google Group continue what it's doing but also bring in new membership and perhaps those individuals that need and have a desire for fresh recovery offering the various programs and solutions that are available. I think this could be a good outlet for personal stability and support whether dealing with addiction, new diagnosis, depression. Daily postings are great but you don't have a group unless people correspond and help each other. I'd like it to be something more than a listserv.

I want to be open to all of this too at the other groups but especially if we can get private threads we can focus on the projects that we want to work on.

Okay, so that's my little plan for this weekend for the internet stuff. I'd really like to get a feel for what you all would like to do. I have some commitments on the outside of the websites but they are down the road aways. I will also be sending a-lot of e-mails to organizations that may want to work with us. Recruit and retain, recuit and retain.

Brandon

One more thing, I believe Multiply has chat service. Sweet! I also have a chat service for the website I just haven't set it up yet. I forgot which one I installed but it looked good!