TOCH Down :(

[leonventer]

Originally Posted by Bombphoon

Are you able to archive the information on this forum too?

https://lwag.org/forums/

It looks like there is some good information there but the forum is inactive.

Yes, it was a very useful site. The late Richard Eger started LWAG (Luftwaffe Archives & Records Reference Group), and he collaborated with several notable Luftwaffe researchers to compile a vast amount of information from many different sources on the site's discussion board.

I would dearly like to preserve this part of Richard's legacy, but sadly, it doesn't seem possible. The problem is that the site is currently just an empty shell. The only functional parts are the displaying of the home page and the first page of threads in each forum, as well as the first page of the members list. It isn't possible to view the contents of any threads because their links are no longer present, and the 'Search' feature doesn't work. I used to be a member, but the 'Log in' mechanism is broken. Also, the 'Register' and 'Contact Us' features have been disabled.

This is all a bit puzzling because someone is still paying for the domain name and hosting fees, and the site's database obviously still contains at least some thread and member data. If anyone knows one of the site's administrators (the listed ones are Charles Petrie, Jamie Iverson, and 'Maerlyn'), please let them know that I'd be happy to make an archive of the content and make it publicly & freely available.

In the interest of clarity, I want to be explicit about my motivation for doing this:
I attach great value to the collective knowledge in such forums, and I cannot bear the thought of it being lost. I have benefited greatly from the information contributed by researchers who have spent much time and effort dredging through primary sources, and as an ex-software engineer, this is one way in which I can give back to the community. I respect intellectual property and copyright law, and, where possible, I will always obtain consent before publishing such material. The archives will be hosted free of ads, tracking cookies, or any exploitation of personal or proprietary data. I hope that makes my intentions clear.

Leon Venter

[edwest2]

Hi Leon,

Can you see this?

https://lwag.org/forums/forumdisplay...5a4005e9_f_11/

[leonventer]

Hi Ed,

Originally Posted by edwest2

Can you see this?

https://lwag.org/forums/forumdisplay...5a4005e9_f_11/

Yep, that list of thread titles looks really tantalizing, doesn't it? The bummer is that there's no way I've found to access any more content than that. You'll notice that there are no working links to the individual threads or their posts, and you can't get to the second (or any subsequent) page of threads in the forum or do any searches either.

As I mentioned earlier, the site is currently only capable of displaying the home page and the first page of thread titles in each forum -- it's a great pity. So agonizingly close, yet so far away...

Regards,
Leon Venter

[Nick Beale]

If TOCH should ever go down permanently, I'll make the archive available on a website that I'm working on. The site will also include an archive of the original incarnation of TOCH (1998-2004), as well as other Luftwaffe-related reference data.

Hi Leon, you’re welcome to archive my www.ghostbombers.com if that fits in with your plans.

[leonventer]

Hi Nick,

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Hi Leon, you’re welcome to archive my www.ghostbombers.com if that fits in with your plans.

That would be an honor -- thanks very much for your generous offer. You're a primary example of the contributors to whom I feel indebted.

I will look into how your ghostbombers content can best be accommodated within my site structure, and then write a custom scraper for downloading it. I'll discuss the details with you beforehand and let you know before I start the download process.

Best regards,
Leon Venter