Okay folks, as you can see we are experiencing a denial of service attack by Stan.

We have been working on the new forum site that will eventually reside at www.homesteadingtoday.com. It has been tested by some of our most frequent posters, and due to our current difficulty, I have decided to open it up for feedback from everyone since we have been forced to disable new posts on this venue.

To access the new forum, simply click here and take a look around. I think you will be pleased. You may post anonymously as a guest, or you may create a profile that allows you to post by logging in every time you visit. The new forum has all kinds of features that I think you will like, but I'd encourage you to be patient, you probably won't notice all the new things right away. If you have any questions, feel free to post them, and myself and the other forum moderators will do our best to assist you.

By the way, the new forum encompasses the Countryside, Country Families, Freedom Self Reliance, Dairygoats, Country Singletree, Cooking and Crafts and Raising Rabbits for Profit forums at this time, and may include others by the time we make the switch permanent.

The new forum will not look exactly like this one. I hope that you will find it appealing, though, and easy to navigate as well as fun to use. Try it and let us know what you think!

The best part about it, NO TROLLS ALLOWED! :-)

In the meantime, new postings on this forum will be disabled until sometime tomorrow. I apologize for the inconvenience.

have fun!

-- (homesteadingtoday@mission4me.com), May 09, 2002

Answers

Chuck, love the farm pic-is it yours?? Now I have questions. I am pc stupid and was going to start to register. Now-what is an ICQ #,AIM address and the msn and yahoo mess mean?? HELP!!!

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

You don't have to put the ICQ# and MSN number and such in there if you don't want. That's just for folks who like to chat in real time using a third party program.

-- chuck (woah@mission4me.com), May 09, 2002.

Thanks Chuck. The new forum is great.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), May 09, 2002.

The format on the new forum is typical of most of the other forums on the internet, i.e. a pain in the rear to navigate. One of the benefits of the present forum is that it is fast and simple.

It also appears that it is going to be christian oriented and thus will be opposed to any other religious views, judging by the "Mission for me" messages and displays on the host page. Too bad, as there are many folks who will be turned off by this narrowminded attitude. I predict a much smaller audience and less participation of some of the more intelligent responses to homestead questions.

-- abdul (nospam@aol.com), May 10, 2002.

Abdul, I can't speak for everyone, but I am always interested in hearing what others have to say without regard to their religious preferences.

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), May 10, 2002.

HI! I am trying to keep an open mind about the new forum...but sure need some help in using it. I registered, and it said I was registered, but then couldn't vote, or post a reply. It said someone else had that name already, but that was after it accepted my registration. I am a webtv user, and do not have the slightest clue what all the codes are. Is there something I am missing as far a further instructions? I love the forum....don't post too often, but read every day almost. HELP.

-- Barbie Ann (think_peace51@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

I just wish we could have found something similar to the Lusenet format. As for me I don't care for the new format but then I am old & set in my ways. Once I find something that works & is easy to understand and use I like to stick with it. The new forum has too many bells & whistles for me to feel comfortable navigating so I guess I'll just read the old one until it's gone. I never claimed to be a real comfortable with computers or a computer whiz! :) Abdul, I think you made a good point, hopefully all of our religious beliefs would be equally allowed not just Christianity. I know there's more than just you & I who aren't Christian if that makes you feel less of an outsider. If it gets too oppressive- Yahoogroups has some forums for Pagan Homesteaders that might be a better fit. Bright Blessings,Kathy

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), May 10, 2002.

"You can make some of the people happy some of the time, but you can't make all of the people happy all of the time!"

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

By the way, I can't register or login either. Will worry about it later.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Errr...Chuck, when I clicked on www.homesteadingtoday.com , I was taken to "mission4me" or something like that!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

That is only temporary, it will be put on its own site eventually and archives moved there too!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 10, 2002.

I see satanswelp has had a field day... Pretty neat site. Pretty technical, but I think I can navigate ok. Thanks, Chuck. PLEASE jump us to the new board soon. While some of the posters are relatively amusing, they tend to be tedious at times... Thanks again!!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), May 10, 2002.

In answer to your questions, it looks like a couple of you may have gone to www.homesteadingtoday.com looking for the new site. If you will re-read my original post at the top of this thread, you will see that www.homesteadingtoday.com is currently pointing to MY PERSONAL WEBSITE, which IS Christian oriented. THIS WILL NOT be the future home for the forum, which will be completely separate.

The new forum will be just as open to all beliefs as the current one is. Nothing is changing in regards to the rules and policies of the forum, just the look of it, which is currently at a TEMPORARY HOME, and will be moved to its new home at www.homesteadingtoday.com as soon as possible.

You are correct that the new forum has lots of bells and whistles that the old one does not. It was a very difficult balancing act to be able to add needed functions (such as a search feature and better privacy for forum users) and still keep it as simple as possible. This is the best compromise I could come up with.

One good thing about the new forum, we won't have to put up with trolls, or occasional downtime. That's a plus!

Hope you will stick it out and let yourself get used to the new look and feel before making a decision not to join us.

Cheers

-- chuck in MD (woah@mission4me.com), May 10, 2002.

I registered and all that just fine. I too like the simplicity of this current format, BUT I plan to move to the new site when the time comes. It will take some getting used to. The new site looked great and I look forward to the move.

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Thanks for all the hard work .I do hate the question and answer format !!!! But I guess it will just take some getting used to.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Oh Chuck, you're such a nice guy! Can I adopt you? There is going to be a bit of confusion for a little while, but we'll handle it. As for Stan, I don't bother praying for him. I believe that God helps those who help themselves. Stan obviously does not have that plan in mind.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

If you have disabled new posts here....wht are we able to respond to this thread?

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Oh my Chuck..I went to the new site..so much work you all have done! I am so very very embarrassed to say..I do not know how to get registered..cause I do not know what the password is. I am so sorry..can someone explain how I get that .. I feel absolutely stupid and I have already allowed this to ruin my morning..thanks for the help.

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), May 10, 2002.

Sher, make up your own password. Just for you. After you register, you must LOG ON.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), May 10, 2002.

That's right. When you pull up the front page, on the top of the screen right above the word "login" is the word "register". Click there and follow the directions. Not every field is required, so if you don't know what something is, just leave it blank!

Please don't let it ruin your morning!

Cheers!

Chuck

-- chuck in md (woah@mission4me.com), May 10, 2002.

Chuck

I was able to get right in and post without registering, so I don't understand how this new board is going to keep the trolls out.

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@xaol.com), May 10, 2002.

Now that I have had time to play with the site a little I really like it.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

You wrote: I was able to get right in and post without registering, so I don't understand how this new board is going to keep the trolls out.

When you go to the site, it checks your IP address, and if that address belongs to one that I've designated as a "prohibited" address, it bounces you out of the site before you even get in. So trolls can't even see the new site, much less post on it. Non-trolls get right in no problem.

Cool, huh?

-- chuck in md (woah@mission4me.com), May 10, 2002.

I still don't quite get this IP thing. I though that unless you had a cable modem or some other means of direct access, your IP number changed every time you logged on. AOL has millions of subscribers, do they have a unique IP address for each one of them? Or if a troll gets banned with their home computer, what's to stop s/he from just going to the library and getting on a computer with a different IP address? I routinely post from 3 different computers just in the course of my day, and I'm not even trying to cause trouble.

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@xaol.com), May 10, 2002.

It changes a bit every time you log on, but not enough to get past the block.

Theoretically, a troll could access the new site once, but after I identify the troll, and put a ban on the IP, it can't get back in.

Since I already have the IP addresses of some of our more popular trolls, they were banned from the outset.

-- chuck in md (woah@mission4me.com), May 10, 2002.

the new forum is very very nice. May I suggest 2 other popular categories... "anyone from...?" and "computors". The more categories the easier it would be the find stuff. You have done a wonderful job and we sure do appreciate it. Thanks, Jamie

-- jamie (jamie@nowhere.com), May 10, 2002.

Registered easily enough...but can't figure the rest out. Will have to take time later and monkey around with it. Guess will just have to get use to it. Sort of liked having all the questions right in front of you without going to a certain catagory. I'm sure it'll be great once it all gets up and running. But will miss the old format. Guess old habits are hard to give up.

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), May 10, 2002.

May I suggest 2 other popular categories...

The new site doesn't need categories. You can "make your own" by going to the search link at the top of the page and searching for whatever you are looking for. Any posts that contain your keywords will come up in a list!

Pretty cool, huh?

-- chuck in MD (woah@mission4me.com), May 10, 2002.

may I suggest you quit deleteing threadds, and jsut make the move, to your "new"site. I foresee it going pretty satel real fast with you at the wheel,, smash it into some rocks. So jsut make the move, and take all of it with you, to save LUSENT

-- Welp (satanswelp@hell.net), May 11, 2002.

Chuck, is it going to be permanant that we won't be able to post new questions?

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 11, 2002.

Annie, I would guess so. I can't see how it could go back, and how you'd re-integrate things that had progressed separately: I think it had to be a clean changeover. They hadn't intended it to happen just yet - they were still testing, and the software still has a few problems, although no real show-stoppers. It's certainly taken off like wildfire over there. I would expect that the next step will be to do what they'd intended to do, and move whatever was on the testing area of Chuck's site to the real www.homesteadingtoday.com, then probably move the info from here across there and close this down - or at least just put a pointer to the new site.

Remember, once Countryside dropped this site, we had no right to go on using their name - it was only allowed on sufferance. It was always understood that if the archives and the forum were to remain available, they'd have to do so under a new name as soon as possible.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 11, 2002.

Thanks Don.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 11, 2002.

Thanks, Chuck. Sure looks good to me! :)

-- Judy Hill (hillsacres@sk.sympatico.ca), May 12, 2002.

How very very sad this is...............

and to those of us who cannot bring themselves to go "over there"........good-bye Countryside........ it was sweet................

Peace and blessings,

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Earthmama, Phil and Jay still have nice places on Lusenet. Country Style Homesteading and A Country Singletree. You'll recognize familiar names. Come on over and sit on the porch with the rest of us old timers for a spell. We're all pretty laid back over there. You'd be more than welcome.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 12, 2002.

Don, How could the word " countryside" be used "only on sufferance? It's not a copywrited *word* is it? I should think anyone could have a forum called countryside. Seems to me the magazine would just remove their link to it ? ? ? ?

Confused.

-- Judy (JMcFerrin@aol.com), May 12, 2002.

Chuck I am having big problems, maybe someone can help me with it. I have the one password but it doesn't work on country families, so I have that password, but all except for one post that I am not sure how I succeeded in doing I keep getting something is incomplete. You know my password can you tell me what I am doing wrong or maybe I need to practice a little more. Thank you for all the kind work you have done for us all. Debbie in Ok.

-- debbie in Ok. (bwolcott@cwis.net), May 12, 2002.

I agree July. If they quit advertising it and providing links, that should be enough. Otherwise once THIS site is gone and deleted, any one of us can start again here at this site. Wouldn't be surprised if that happens at all.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 12, 2002.

I'm sorry---that's JUDY!

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 12, 2002.