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#50 2015-07-18 12:45:28

towndock
Member
From: Oriental, NC USA
Registered: 2007-04-06
Posts: 329
Website

Re: Domains

zero wrote #293433:

I’ve just registered txpcms.com, txpcms.net and txpcms.org. Have I jumped the gun?

Perhaps.

I have never met or communicated with Dean Allen, but I haven’t seen anything (I’m familiar with his online ups and downs) that would suggest he is going to snatch the domain away.

This is a domain with impressive page rank, and thousands of backlinks.

Rebranding is very difficult to pull off well. It would need to be done as part of a significantly updated/changed product. I remain an enthusiastic and loyal Textpattern user and supporter, but nothing that is happening suggests a significantly updated/changed product is on the horizon. Rather, well done incremental changes are afoot.

If forced, rebranding could be done. It just doesn’t feel forced at all.

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#51 2015-07-18 13:26:21

zero
Member
From: Lancashire
Registered: 2004-04-19
Posts: 1,470
Website

Re: Domains

Why does the product need to be significantly updated to merit a rebrand. Won’t backlinks be redirected to the new domain, thus keeping their value, so long as it happens while we still have access to texpattern.com? Is there much rebranding to be done apart from changing the name? There would be some rebranding or restyling anyway when .com is updated. But I’m no expert on branding, so just asking.


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#52 2015-07-18 14:28:09

towndock
Member
From: Oriental, NC USA
Registered: 2007-04-06
Posts: 329
Website

Re: Domains

zero wrote #293473:

Why does the product need to be significantly updated to merit a rebrand.

Part of rebranding would be saying why. In a positive manner. Messing with a brand name is more often than not, a bad idea.

There is also the issue of unintended consequences. However unlinked to the online world Dean may be, he appears benign from what I can see. Renaming his baby could cause something else to appear at Textpattern.com.

I’m not trying to end the branding conversation, just bring a different viewpoint to it.

Last edited by towndock (2015-07-18 14:37:20)

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#53 2015-07-18 14:50:26

philwareham
Core designer
From: Haslemere, Surrey, UK
Registered: 2009-06-11
Posts: 3,564
Website GitHub Mastodon

Re: Domains

Whilst it’s great that people are suggesting alternative domains and stuff. We really should stay with the current brand and domain situation unless forced to act (which hasn’t needed to happen as yet). I am still sticking with plan of getting some DNS control by open and friendly communications with Dean.

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#54 2015-07-18 14:52:18

candyman
Member
From: Italy
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 684

Re: Domains

If we have backup of all the sites (forum, plugins, docs…) I don’t understand the need of leaving textpattern.com considering that, until today and probably even tomorrow it has been/will be renewed.

When (and if) it will be cancelled we could think to an alternative (and Phil’s textpattern.co is actually the best, according to me).

More: I don’t understand the advantage of changing the domain registrant from a person to another: a huge step forward it would be to create a Foundation.

Last edited by candyman (2015-07-18 15:02:53)

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#55 2015-07-18 16:02:15

hcgtv
Plugin Author
From: Key Largo, Florida
Registered: 2005-11-29
Posts: 2,722
Website

Re: Domains

philwareham wrote #293477:

I am still sticking with plan of getting some DNS control by open and friendly communications with Dean.

Alright, you can contact me when and if that comes to pass.

I’ll send you the wiki docs when I have them converted.

Signing off …

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#56 2015-07-18 17:04:53

bici
Member
From: vancouver
Registered: 2004-02-24
Posts: 2,072
Website Mastodon

Re: Domains

Having read through this thread. I think it is best if we can continue to work within the present setup. I think that philwareham should continue to pursue his plans of contacting Dean and seeking a solution that would allow us access to the Textpattern domain.

BUT I also think it wise that a Plan B be actively pursued. ( i found this extremely wise once i saw that Textdrive was headed to oblivion…once it was switched off i already had my ducks in order elsewhere and was online within the day.) .

Plan B should involve setting up a Foundation as Candyman suggests. In fact if we had a Foundation it could become the custodian of Textpattern the CMS and the Textpatern.com Domain and could even include Dean on the Foundation’s executive. It would also solve the one-man-controls-all issue.

Plan B should also involve pursuing alternative domains and a perhaps Brand. I think we have already taken some postive steps towards Plan B.


…. texted postive

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#57 2015-07-18 17:28:00

zero
Member
From: Lancashire
Registered: 2004-04-19
Posts: 1,470
Website

Re: Domains

philwareham wrote #293477:

Whilst it’s great that people are suggesting alternative domains and stuff. We really should stay with the current brand and domain situation unless forced to act (which hasn’t needed to happen as yet). I am still sticking with plan of getting some DNS control by open and friendly communications with Dean.

Phil, do you really think you can have any communications with Dean, never mind open and friendly? My one way messages to him were always open and friendly and of benefit to him, but I still got no replies. But there is no such thing as no communication. The communication we have received is that Dean is not respecting us or ignoring us or can’t be bothered. Interpret it as you like but when directly requesting communication a non-response is ignorance. But you know that.

Looks like Bert will leave the scene unless some things, ie management, governance, whatever you call it, improves. Although that might sound like a tantrum or trying to manipulate people to get his own way, nevertheless he has already contributed a lot in his short time back and the project will be worse off without him.

I can understand that you are doing a lot of work so the thought of more upheaval must be depressing. But the way I see it there doesn’t need hardly any upheaval. It’s just copying textpattern.com across, changing textpattern to txp wherever it is needed and away we go. Redirects take care of backlinks and we have the happy, loving, caring sharing Texpattern txp we all love on a domain that will last.


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#58 2015-07-18 17:38:19

zero
Member
From: Lancashire
Registered: 2004-04-19
Posts: 1,470
Website

Re: Domains

bici wrote #293483:

Having read through this thread. I think it is best if we can continue to work within the present setup. I think that philwareham should continue to pursue his plans of contacting Dean and seeking a solution that would allow us access to the Textpattern domain.

BUT I also think it wise that a Plan B be actively pursued. ( i found this extremely wise once i saw that Textdrive was headed to oblivion…once it was switched off i already had my ducks in order elsewhere and was online within the day.) .

Plan B should involve setting up a Foundation as Candyman suggests. In fact if we had a Foundation it could become the custodian of Textpattern the CMS and the Textpatern.com Domain and could even include Dean on the Foundation’s executive. It would also solve the one-man-controls-all issue.

Plan B should also involve pursuing alternative domains and a perhaps Brand. I think we have already taken some postive steps towards Plan B.

Perhaps you’re right but from my and others experience Dean will not respond. As for putting him on the executive, forget it! He started Textpattern and then what? He left it to others. He started a TextDrive rescue and then what? He left it to others. Why? Perhaps he just like the buzz of starting things, perhaps he hoped his bright ideas would make him a fortune without any perseverance on his part, perhaps he has problems. Whichever way and we don’t know because of his lack of communication, he is unreliable and does not seem interested – at all.

This is a most friendly helpful forum, and if Dean cannot communicate with such friendly folk then God help him. But that doesn’t mean he should be on any foundation, committee or whatever and stopping the projects progress. Don’t throw your love away.


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#59 2015-07-18 20:52:20

bici
Member
From: vancouver
Registered: 2004-02-24
Posts: 2,072
Website Mastodon

Re: Domains

zero wrote #293485:

Perhaps you’re right but from my and others experience Dean will not respond. Don’t throw your love away.

;-)

I would be happy to pul the plug. BUT we should have all our ducks in a row and we should give philwareham a few months to communicate with Dean. If he doesn’t succeed in having a dialogue …then blow up the bridge and be done with it. I would prefer if possible that that avenue be given a chance. I have no problems of having Dean be on a Governace board. He would be but one of many, and it respects the lineage. But if there is no communication from Den then he won’t be able to part of the governance structure.

To me it is clear that the status quo regarding Textpattern and the domain is untenable.


…. texted postive

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#60 2015-07-18 20:57:29

bici
Member
From: vancouver
Registered: 2004-02-24
Posts: 2,072
Website Mastodon

Re: Domains

philwareham wrote #293477:

Whilst it’s great that people are suggesting alternative domains and stuff. We really should stay with the current brand and domain situation unless forced to act (which hasn’t needed to happen as yet). I am still sticking with plan of getting some DNS control by open and friendly communications with Dean.

That would not be enough. The domain has to come under someone else’s control. i.e. a Foundation. You need backup for all phases. Should Dean, for whatever reasons, let the domain lapse, because he is the only Administrative contact ….poooff!

Last edited by bici (2015-07-18 22:05:19)


…. texted postive

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