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From: Chris Young
Subject: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 5 Apr 1999 15:43:02
Message: <370903fc.3648551@news.povray.org>
A Message from POV-Team Coordinator -- Chris Young

It is with great sadness that we announce our POV-Ray forum will be
closing its doors permanently by the end of this month.  The POV-Team
is moving our development effort to our web-site at
http://www.povray.org/. It marks the end of nearly nine years, since
our very beginning, that the POV-Team has  called Compuserve our home.


In September 1996 we moved into the forum from our original home in
the Go Graphics GraphDev Forum.  We contracted for our own forum with
CompuServe Pacific based in Australia through our team member Chris
Cason who lives there.  

However CompuServe Pacific recently decided to drop all forums from
its service. They helped us prepare a proposal to have CompuServe USA
pick up our forum. However considering our declining forum traffic,
CompuServe USA did not feel that they could devote an entire forum to
a single product such as ours. 

They generously offered to negotiate terms to place us in a vendor
forum where we would share space with other developers or vendors but
the POV-Team declined.  We feel we can meet users' needs better
through expanded use of our web site, ftp site, and news groups at
povray.org while keeping our identity intact and by keeping our
autonomy.

While POV-Ray by definition is a team effort, we feel it is right and
proper to thank several individuals who helped us in our stay here
CompuServe.  Their efforts in promoting us on GraphDev and POVRAY
forums and assisting us in maintaining our online home have greatly
contributed to our success even though some of them never wrote part
of the program itself.  Our sincere thanks to...  

 -*- Larry Wood and Matt Drury of Go Graphics Group who were our
     hosts on CompuServe until 1996.
 -*- Drew Wells who founded the POV-Team and made arrangements for us 
     with GGG.
 -*- Dan Farmer who spent countless hours both here and in GraphDev 
     answering users' questions.
 -*- Tim Wegner and the Stone Soup Group who proved that large, 
     open-source, team development had a magic power that we could tap

     and model ourselves.
 -*- Chris Cason who established povray.org and POVRAY Forum.
 -*- Dale C. Brodin who assisted me in promoting our libraries.
 -*- Alan Kong who kept our libraries full of the latest utilities and

     the greatest images.
 -*- The staffs of CompuServe Pacific and USA.  Although our ways are 
     parting and we've traveled some rough roads, we appreciate all
     you have done to help us.

 ...and finally thanks all of our loyal forum members, who were
willing to subscribe to CompuServe to participate in our efforts
there.  Their testing, feedback, artistry, and passion for ray tracing
(along with our internet users) continue to inspire and motivate us to
keep working to make POV-Ray bigger and better.

If you are a CompuServe subscriber and there are any files you were
planning to download there, or if you have questions we can answer
before we go, feel free to use the forum until it closes.  After that,
we look forward to seeing you at povray.org. 

  Sincerely,
  Chris Young -- POV-Team Coordinator <cyo### [at] iquestnet>

(permission to repost granted)


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From: Margus Ramst
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 5 Apr 1999 16:52:11
Message: <3709146b.0@news.povray.org>
I personally am happy with this new development. It seems the POV community
was divided in two - those who had access to CompuServe and those who didn't
(like me). This should at least bring all together in one place. Whether
this place is ultimately better than the other - I can't say... But I hope
and trust that this will only improve things.
Just my thoughts.

Margus


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From: Spider
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 5 Apr 1999 17:29:39
Message: <37091C4A.FCFE9E5A@bahnhof.se>
As a Non compuserve user, I have to be happy, since I now can follow the "real"
discussions on the main media. (Emitting...)
But I think it will be a difficult transmit for you to make, and I wish you luck
in your work on the new base.

to a changing future.

-- 
//Spider
        [ spi### [at] bahnhofse ]-[ http://www.bahnhof.se/~spider/ ]
What I can do and what I could do, I just don't know anymore
                "Marian"
        By: "Sisters Of Mercy"


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From: Graham Redway
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 5 Apr 1999 17:42:46
Message: <37092061.BA599A3F@compuserve.com>
I too am happy with this development. The Compuserve 'community' is now
very small and it is unusual for more than 1 message to be posted each
day . However, it will be sad to lose the large galleries of images that
have accumalted over time and I only hope they will be copied to
Povray.org. 
I'll loose the ability to be smug for a few days after the POVTeam
releases new versions only on Compuserve before letting it go public.
I see no reason for me to stay at Compuserve with their extortionate
charges, $25 for 20 'free' hours, am I that stupid? (Say nothing!)

	Graham.

Margus Ramst wrote:
> 
> I personally am happy with this new development. It seems the POV community
> was divided in two - those who had access to CompuServe and those who didn't
> (like me). This should at least bring all together in one place. Whether
> this place is ultimately better than the other - I can't say... But I hope
> and trust that this will only improve things.
> Just my thoughts.
> 
> Margus


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From: Nathan Kopp
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 5 Apr 1999 18:41:49
Message: <37092D68.9971E5A3@Kopp.com>
I wish you the best with the moving efforts... I hope all of the image
galleries can be transferred.

Like others who have do not have Compuserve, I see this as wonderful news. 
Good for POV-Ray, bad for Compuserve.

Twyst... how's the new povray.org coming?

-Nathan


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From: Lance Birch
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 6 Apr 1999 01:32:07
Message: <37098e47.0@news.povray.org>
I have heard much about POV-Ray's Compuserve forum, and unfortunately I have
never had access to this wonderful place.  I feel now that the closing of
the forum will at least bring all POV-Ray users together in a more united
manner, rather than dividing the users into "those that have Compuserve
access" and "those that don't".

I first heard about POV-Ray in the back of a 3D modelling program's manual,
suggesting that users that want true photo-realism not use their software,
but an infamous renderer called "POV-Ray".  At this thought I was
immediately excited (especially since I'd never heard of a company that
suggests the usage of another piece software!!!).

The passage read:

"3D WorkShop version 2.0 provides a simple way to export the objects,
lights, cameras, and surfaces you use to create an animation to the freeware
raytracing program POV-Ray.  POV (Persistence of Vision) can use these files
directly to produce fully raytraced 24-bit images of astounding detail,
providing true reflections, shadows, refraction, and a multitude of other
effects"

It then told of how to access POV-Ray from Compuserve, by typing Go Graphdev
and selecting Library 8, POV Sources...

Of course it was only years later when I gained internet access that I
tracked down www.povray.org!  And then began another era of computer
graphics for me...

And now of course, we are passing into another era in POV-Ray...  And I feel
that while closing the Compuserve forum will be a great loss, it will only
make the POV-Ray community more united, and I think everyone will benefit
from that...

I can still remember the first time that I found Dan Farmer's website, and
still new to email wrote to him, and was thrilled the next day to have
received a reply!  While the forum is gone, I'm sure that it's colourful
history lives on in Dan Farmer's "A Bit of History and Lot of Name
Dropping", which can be found at http://www.websharx.com/~dfarmer/bio.htm

I can confidently say that things can only get better from here, and POV-Ray
will live on forever as the best raytracer... EVER!

In total gratitude and thanks to the POV-Team who have opened up my life to
the world of POV-Ray,

Lance.


---
For the latest 3D Studio MAX plug-ins, images and much more, go to:
The Zone - http://come.to/the.zone


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From: Twyst
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 6 Apr 1999 13:27:26
Message: <370a35ee.0@news.povray.org>
Nathan Kopp <Nat### [at] Koppcom> wrote in message
news:37092D68.9971E5A3@Kopp.com...
> I wish you the best with the moving efforts... I hope all of the image
> galleries can be transferred.
>
> Like others who have do not have Compuserve, I see this as wonderful news.
> Good for POV-Ray, bad for Compuserve.
>
> Twyst... how's the new povray.org coming?
>

Almost done!!! Work and other stuff has kept me from working on it for a
while. =/


> -Nathan


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From: Fabien Mosen
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 6 Apr 1999 17:07:57
Message: <3665ACA9.B5FCA5CC@compuserve.com>
My .02 Euros about the Cserve Povray forum.

Using a Cserve account since 3 years, I think that the latest news are
good news.
The povray forum had 2 advantage over the internet :
- early access to beta releases
- contacting the pov-team directly

But, since approx 1,5 years, the Pov-activity over the Internet has
grown so much :
- ever-growing IRTC
- news.povray.org, with *hot* discussions, many people listening and
talking, new images everyday...
- useful sites as twysted.net, and related macrostation, links, etc...
- increasing number of people playing with sources, making patches...
- a very nice "communauty" spirit.

in comparison, the Cserve forum looked very pale;  those who didn't had
access to these
shouldn't regret it !

Now that things are gonna move, my only hope is that the Pov-Team won't
be bothered too much
by people who will abuse of their new "reachability".  (you know,
problems like the ones they 
had with POV 2 public betas).

I think that, as a communauty, it's part of our responsibility to help
avoid such problems.

Cheers,
Fabien.


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From: Thorsten Froehlich
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 6 Apr 1999 18:23:37
Message: <370a7b59.0@news.povray.org>
In article <3665ACA9.B5FCA5CC@compuserve.com> , Fabien Mosen 
<101### [at] compuservecom>  wrote:

> My .02 Euros about the Cserve Povray forum.
>
> Using a Cserve account since 3 years, I think that the latest news are
> good news.
> The povray forum had 2 advantage over the internet :
> - early access to beta releases
> - contacting the pov-team directly
>
> But, since approx 1,5 years, the Pov-activity over the Internet has
> grown so much :
> - ever-growing IRTC
> - news.povray.org, with *hot* discussions, many people listening and
> talking, new images everyday...
> - useful sites as twysted.net, and related macrostation, links, etc...
> - increasing number of people playing with sources, making patches...
> - a very nice "communauty" spirit.
>
> in comparison, the Cserve forum looked very pale;  those who didn't had
> access to these
> shouldn't regret it !
>
> Now that things are gonna move, my only hope is that the Pov-Team won't
> be bothered too much
> by people who will abuse of their new "reachability".  (you know,
> problems like the ones they
> had with POV 2 public betas).
>
> I think that, as a communauty, it's part of our responsibility to help
> avoid such problems.

Please correct your computer clock (cancel post and post with correct date
again), this date made the whole thread move far down (at least) inmy
newsreader. :-(


     Thorsten


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From: Bob Hughes
Subject: Re: Farewell CompuServe
Date: 6 Apr 1999 23:30:53
Message: <370AC33A.2574548B@aol.com>
Sad indeed, for the sentimentalist and non-sentimentalist alike.
I was first using Compuserve as my internet access and even uploaded a
few things there; maybe a POV raytrace as well, been too long ago to
remember.
I too think things are taking a good turn for POV-Ray instead of bad. I
tried another trial of Compuserve about a year ago and it was so slow
moving from place to place there. I have been using AOL now for the past
few years and it's much quicker. The POV-Ray SIG (special interest
group) there as waned a bit also however, being no longer called an SIG.
The uploads and message posting activity has certainly dwindled over the
years.
By stark contrast the internet side seems to be flourishing. In fact,
the 3D rendering acivity on AOL doesn't appear so healthy either, but
maybe it's just my viewpoint. Or maybe there is actually some sort of
exodus going on away from the online companies and onto the internet.
Personal web pages have certainly been growing in popularity so maybe
that's part of the reasoning for more and more web-based activity.
Things sure have changed anyhow. From BBS's and ftp to online services
to web sites and http, is that it?

Chris Young wrote:
> 
> A Message from POV-Team Coordinator -- Chris Young
> 
> It is with great sadness that we announce our POV-Ray forum will be
> closing its doors permanently by the end of this month.  The POV-Team
> is moving our development effort to our web-site at
> http://www.povray.org/. It marks the end of nearly nine years, since
> our very beginning, that the POV-Team has  called Compuserve our home.
> 
> In September 1996 we moved into the forum from our original home in
> the Go Graphics GraphDev Forum.  We contracted for our own forum with
> CompuServe Pacific based in Australia through our team member Chris
> Cason who lives there.
> 
> However CompuServe Pacific recently decided to drop all forums from
> its service. They helped us prepare a proposal to have CompuServe USA
> pick up our forum. However considering our declining forum traffic,
> CompuServe USA did not feel that they could devote an entire forum to
> a single product such as ours.
> 
> They generously offered to negotiate terms to place us in a vendor
> forum where we would share space with other developers or vendors but
> the POV-Team declined.  We feel we can meet users' needs better
> through expanded use of our web site, ftp site, and news groups at
> povray.org while keeping our identity intact and by keeping our
> autonomy.
> 
> While POV-Ray by definition is a team effort, we feel it is right and
> proper to thank several individuals who helped us in our stay here
> CompuServe.  Their efforts in promoting us on GraphDev and POVRAY
> forums and assisting us in maintaining our online home have greatly
> contributed to our success even though some of them never wrote part
> of the program itself.  Our sincere thanks to...
> 
>  -*- Larry Wood and Matt Drury of Go Graphics Group who were our
>      hosts on CompuServe until 1996.
>  -*- Drew Wells who founded the POV-Team and made arrangements for us
>      with GGG.
>  -*- Dan Farmer who spent countless hours both here and in GraphDev
>      answering users' questions.
>  -*- Tim Wegner and the Stone Soup Group who proved that large,
>      open-source, team development had a magic power that we could tap
> 
>      and model ourselves.
>  -*- Chris Cason who established povray.org and POVRAY Forum.
>  -*- Dale C. Brodin who assisted me in promoting our libraries.
>  -*- Alan Kong who kept our libraries full of the latest utilities and
> 
>      the greatest images.
>  -*- The staffs of CompuServe Pacific and USA.  Although our ways are
>      parting and we've traveled some rough roads, we appreciate all
>      you have done to help us.
> 
>  ...and finally thanks all of our loyal forum members, who were
> willing to subscribe to CompuServe to participate in our efforts
> there.  Their testing, feedback, artistry, and passion for ray tracing
> (along with our internet users) continue to inspire and motivate us to
> keep working to make POV-Ray bigger and better.
> 
> If you are a CompuServe subscriber and there are any files you were
> planning to download there, or if you have questions we can answer
> before we go, feel free to use the forum until it closes.  After that,
> we look forward to seeing you at povray.org.
> 
>   Sincerely,
>   Chris Young -- POV-Team Coordinator <cyo### [at] iquestnet>
> 
> (permission to repost granted)

-- 
 omniVERSE: beyond the universe
  http://members.aol.com/inversez/homepage.htm
 mailto:inv### [at] aolcom?Subject=PoV-News


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