Home Forums **WC Back-up sites**

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  • #470623
    Jon
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        Under the shadow of the bankruptcy filing by F+W…WC is under new management.
        New owners are working on a new site, but for now we remain on this platform

        If you have a facebook page or other alternative for a back-up meeting place should WetCanvas be inaccessible, please place the link and a short description in this thread.

        #799007

        Thanks for creating this thread, Jon.

        I started a subreddit on Reddit here:
        https://www.reddit.com/r/WetCanvasTalk/

        It’s there mostly as a short-term place to use for anyone from the WC Community if WC should disappear. It’s not meant as a backup site, or an alternative to WC; it’s just that having been sideswiped a couple of times by other people’s bankruptcies I’ve found it’s useful to be prepared. I’ve spent the last 50 years in harsh climates, and I really bless the modern weather forecasters for being able to now provide significant advance warning of impending storms. They mostly don’t actually happen, but at least I’m well stocked up on potato chips :)

        A lot of people aren’t all that familiar with Reddit (and neither am I, unfortunately :( ), so WC folks should feel free to use it as a practice area as well.

        New users do need to create a user name and supply an email address to use Reddit, but as far as I can tell, the email address doesn’t get verified. So if users are worried about that, they can just make one up. But generally Reddit has pretty good security, and (unlike Facebook) doesn’t promote providing personal information to them.

        The basic rules of Reddiquette (how to behave on Reddit) are here:

        https://www.reddit.com/wiki/reddiquette

        Cheers;
        Chris

        C&C of all sorts always welcome! (I don't mind rude or harsh criticism.)
        I suppose I have to do this too :p (my blog, & current work). My Visual Arts Nova Scotia page.
        Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known - Oscar Wilde

        The primary palette: Attention, observation, memory, imagination, integration, execution

        #799029
        Vorpal
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            I’ve contacted Dick Blick, Jackson’s Art, and Doodlewash to see if any of them would be willing or able to take over the site.

            Here is Jackson’s reply:

            Dear Susan,

            This is very sad news. We’re are very much fans of WetCanvas. I personally find it very useful looking for advice when stuck in the studio.

            I have passed your email to our the Director who I’m sure will consider all options.

            Kind regards,

            Joe

            Here is Doodlewash’s reply:

            Hey there, Susan! Wow… yeah… just saw that news.Ugh! Not good! Though I had worked with Watercolor Artist Magazine, that was the extent of my contact with anyone associated. I don’t have any contacts with WetCanvas, so I’m not sure who currently is in control of that content. I don’t think I could merge the existing content very easily, and would certainly need someone on their end to approve it. But, I would certainly welcome any and all from the community over to Doodlewash and would do anything I could to set up the same Forums there. It would be starting from scratch most likely, but Doodlewash is a community-driven project where the members decide what happens next, so it’s definitely an option! I’m not sure what they’ll do with their assets, based on the bankruptcy. I would imagine someone would come in to purchase them, but equally not sure what sort of community would result in that. I could easily create matching forums on Doodlewash and welcome any and all, but again… it would likely have to be a from scratch, community-driven effort to restart it. 😊
            He can be contacted at https://doodlewash.com/contact/

            Susan

            #799013
            AnnieA
            Default

                Thanks for creating this thread, Jon.

                I started a subreddit on Reddit here:
                [url]https://www.reddit.com/r/WetCanvasTalk/[/url]

                It’s there mostly as a short-term place to use for anyone from the WC Community if WC should disappear. It’s not meant as a backup site, or an alternative to WC; it’s just that having been sideswiped a couple of times by other people’s bankruptcies I’ve found it’s useful to be prepared. I’ve spent the last 50 years in harsh climates, and I really bless the modern weather forecasters for being able to now provide significant advance warning of impending storms. They mostly don’t actually happen, but at least I’m well stocked up on potato chips :)

                A lot of people aren’t all that familiar with Reddit (and neither am I, unfortunately :( ), so WC folks should feel free to use it as a practice area as well.

                New users do need to create a user name and supply an email address to use Reddit, but as far as I can tell, the email address doesn’t get verified. So if users are worried about that, they can just make one up. But generally Reddit has pretty good security, and (unlike Facebook) doesn’t promote providing personal information to them.

                The basic rules of Reddiquette (how to behave on Reddit) are here:

                [url]https://www.reddit.com/wiki/reddiquette[/url]

                Cheers;
                Chris

                Hey, Chris, I was just about to start a WC subreddit but you beat me to it! Thanks! I’ve used reddit for a long time, but honestly don’t know all that much about a lot of its functions. I do know that people can post images using imgur, and I think there’s a reddit image uploader now. As you mention, it’s easy to sign up. You do need an email, and while it may be possible not to have that email verified, as I understand it the powers that be do prefer verification. You must have made yourself a mod, which means you are an exalted overlord…no, just kidding. It just means you’ll watch over the subreddit and are there to solve any problems that might arise. It probably isn’t a permanent solution should WC disappear, but I think it can be a good temporary place to keep in contact.

                [FONT=Arial]C&C always welcome ©[/I] [/font]
                [FONT=Palatino]
                “Life is a pure flame and we live by an invisible sun within us.” ― Sir Thomas Browne [/size][/font]

                http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/29-Jul-2007/85002-sig-thumbnail_composite_2.jpg]/img]

                #799014
                AnnieA
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                    Artist & Craftsman might be another good idea. They have a website but also bricks and mortar stores throughout the U.S. And, they’re employee owned, which is a plus in my view.

                    Or perhaps some university or art school might be interested, although I think that’s probably less likely, and might create other problems.

                    Who is it that owns/manages The Color of Art Pigment Database? That’s a long shot, I suppose, but it couldn’t hurt to try if nothing else pans out.

                    It occurs to me that it might be a good idea first to determine if WC really could be run primarily by a volunteer staff of users. That might make quite a difference to various entities who might be approached about a purchase. Not having much overhead probably would be more desirable.

                    The Zan Barrage link didn’t work for me…

                    [FONT=Arial]C&C always welcome ©[/I] [/font]
                    [FONT=Palatino]
                    “Life is a pure flame and we live by an invisible sun within us.” ― Sir Thomas Browne [/size][/font]

                    http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/29-Jul-2007/85002-sig-thumbnail_composite_2.jpg]/img]

                    #799012
                    Jon
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                        #799026
                        Irishwhistler
                        Default

                            WOW. The potential shutdown is news to me. I have a number of friends I have come to enjoy here, that along with sharing the wonderful works of others. I will certainly share my contact information with those of you I have come to know.

                            Mike / Irishwhistler ☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸

                            #799003

                            Thanks for all this information :thumbsup: I’m hoping Dick Blick will buy the site.

                            Here is a link to Painting Friends that you’ll need a user name and PW for as well. Several WetCanvas artists started it and are still active and we did chip in money several years ago to get it where it is now. It’s a friendly bunch :cat:

                            Blog here[/URL]

                            Facebook link here

                            Kay

                            Moderator: Watermedia, Mixed Media, Abstract/Contemporary

                            #799015
                            AnnieA
                            Default

                                Hey, Jon, I have to apologize, since I think I went off on a tangent of possible buyers for WC, when you may have been looking only for a temporary landing spot for us, in the case one might be needed.

                                Kay, is your group site able to handle all the traffic it might get if it too many WCers decide to join? I don’t know how many active users WC has at this point, but given all the different forums, it may be quite a large number. I’m completely unwilling to use Facebook because of it’s lack-of-privacy issues and selling of user data. That’s why I think the reddit subform that Chris set up (link above) is a good idea, since there wouldn’t be any bandwidth worries, and it’s easy to join and use.

                                [FONT=Arial]C&C always welcome ©[/I] [/font]
                                [FONT=Palatino]
                                “Life is a pure flame and we live by an invisible sun within us.” ― Sir Thomas Browne [/size][/font]

                                http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/29-Jul-2007/85002-sig-thumbnail_composite_2.jpg]/img]

                                #799009

                                Hi Jon,

                                Thanks so much for the new link as the first didn’t work for me either.

                                Just want to say that as someone who’s technically “poor” and living on a pension, I would still be very happy to pay a regular subscription to keep us all together, if that becomes necessary, as of all the various interest-led forums I’ve been on over the last twenty years or more, this is the only one that meets my every need, and is now the only one I post to…and besides, the people here are surpassing wonderful in so many ways! :)

                                Sláinte

                                Sephie

                                Until we meet again, in Cyberspace or The Islands, in Fair or Stormy Weather :grouphug:

                                #799027

                                Thanks for the link to Painting Friends and I’ve applied to join. I do hope W.C. will be saved. The Doodlewash reply sound good.

                                Penny
                                I live in Wiltshire, England
                                “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” -Will Rogers

                                #799018
                                PaintBoss
                                Default

                                    Thanks everyone. I have saved links. Kay, I registered with Painting friends.🙂

                                    ~Christine
                                    🇨🇦

                                    #799020
                                    ntl
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                                        Another possibility is the internet archive, mentioned by Grinningbudgie in post 39. I have no idea how to approach them, or anything else about it, but here’s some info:
                                        330 billion web pages
                                        20 million books and texts
                                        4.5 million audio recordings (including 180,000 live concerts)
                                        4 million videos (including 1.6 million Television News programs)
                                        3 million images
                                        200,000 software programs

                                        To learn more, go to https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/23/1821188/-The-Internet-Archive-How-Had-I-Never-Known-About-It-A-Library-for-All-of-Us-Check-it-out?utm_campaign=trending

                                        Today we have 20+ years of web history accessible through the Wayback Machine and we work with 450+ library and other partners through our Archive-It program to identify important web pages.

                                        There’s a SIGN-UP HERE link on that page. Perhaps the mods, or those who know how, will post our pages to that site soon.

                                        I searched https://www.wetcanvas.com/ and –if I’m reading this correctly, the Wayback Machine Saved 1,224 times between April 29, 1999 and March 1, 2019. looks like individual pages need archived (by somebody–mods? volunteers?) So this is a real possibility, at least for saving the whole shebang.. but what then of going forward?

                                        Summary of wetcanvas.com · Site Map of wetcanvas.com

                                        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=360
                                        The Wayback Machine has not archived that URL.

                                        This page is available on the web!
                                        Help make the Wayback Machine more complete!

                                        Save this url in the Wayback Machine

                                        #799001
                                        Robin
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                                            I registered on Painting Friends, too, and am awaiting the email to make it official.
                                            Also will make time in the next few days to download some reference images to paint.

                                            Robin

                                            #799002
                                            Robin
                                            Default

                                                I also joined the Wetcanvas FB page Doug started and am confused as it seems someone else is the admin there, who I guess has to approve me to comment and I’ve never heard of this person?

                                                Is it someone everyone else knows to have WC users best interests in mind?

                                                Robin

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