It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
POVRAY.ORG domain. While the project had a presence on the internet
prior to this, the 18th was the beginning of having our 'own place' - a
permanent somewhere that wasn't just a sub-directory or forum on someone
else's server.

Having a domain dedicated to a free software project wasn't nearly as
common back then as it is today (nor as easy to set up; options for
hosting were very limited) and has allowed us to provide a stable
location and email addresses for the project for a quarter of a century now.

I noticed this was coming up when I went to renew the domain recently.
While of course it's no big deal in the scheme of things that it's
turned 25, it has made me think a little about the early days.

(And who knows, maybe there's even some users here that weren't born
when povray.org popped into existence ...).

Post a reply to this message

hi,

Chris Cason <del### [at] deletethistoopovrayorg> wrote:
> It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
> POVRAY.ORG domain. ...

good to know.  a nice 'round' number, worth celebrating, surely?!  :-)


regards, jr.

Post a reply to this message

Op 18/08/2019 om 15:22 schreef Chris Cason:
> It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
> POVRAY.ORG domain. 
> 

Congratulations! And thanks for that years-long dedication to POV-Ray. I 
don't think there are many projects that have survived so long without 
failing. I came to know POV-Ray around 1997 iirc, looking for a serious 
raytracer (I started with Breeze Designer) and I have been hooked ever 
since, also thanks to the enthusiasm of the POV-Ray team and - last but 
not least - that of the many users. I have always been struck by the 
particularly friendly atmosphere of these newsgroups and the ready 
helping hands willingly extended. Without forgetting to mention the 
great art that was generated thanks to POV-Ray!

Even if activity has slowed down lately, I sincerely wish a healthful 
next 25 years to POV-Ray. Up to the 50th anniversary! (even if I shall 
not live to see that one) :-)

-- 
Thomas

Post a reply to this message

On 18/8/19, at 15:22, Chris Cason wrote:
> It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
> POVRAY.ORG domain.

Congratulations, povray.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1YD2e4OmOg

I still use the 10th anniversary keyring (but that's 2001).

-- 

             / /\
Linux user / /  \
#289967   / / /\ \ PGP Pub Key
          / / /\ \ \ 0x01A95F99
         / /_/__\ \ \
        /________\ \ \
jellby \___________\/ yahoo.com

Post a reply to this message

Chris Cason <del### [at] deletethistoopovrayorg> wrote:
> It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
> POVRAY.ORG domain. While the project had a presence on the internet
> prior to this, the 18th was the beginning of having our 'own place' - a
> permanent somewhere that wasn't just a sub-directory or forum on someone
> else's server.
>
> Having a domain dedicated to a free software project wasn't nearly as
> common back then as it is today (nor as easy to set up; options for
> hosting were very limited) and has allowed us to provide a stable
> location and email addresses for the project for a quarter of a century now.
>
> I noticed this was coming up when I went to renew the domain recently.
> While of course it's no big deal in the scheme of things that it's
> turned 25, it has made me think a little about the early days.
>
> (And who knows, maybe there's even some users here that weren't born
> when povray.org popped into existence ...).

Many congratulations, Chris!

You've done a great job. POVRAY is a fantastic piece of engineering/art. Now, it
has come of age.

Thank you very much for being persistent for 25 years, and hopefully the next 25
years :)

Post a reply to this message

On 8/19/19 2:43 AM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
> Op 18/08/2019 om 15:22 schreef Chris Cason:
>> It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
>> POVRAY.ORG domain.
> 
> Congratulations! And thanks for that years-long dedication to POV-Ray. I 
> don't think there are many projects that have survived so long without 
> failing. I came to know POV-Ray around 1997 iirc, looking for a serious 
> raytracer (I started with Breeze Designer) and I have been hooked ever 
> since, also thanks to the enthusiasm of the POV-Ray team and - last but 
> not least - that of the many users. I have always been struck by the 
> particularly friendly atmosphere of these newsgroups and the ready 
> helping hands willingly extended. Without forgetting to mention the 
> great art that was generated thanks to POV-Ray!
> 
> Even if activity has slowed down lately, I sincerely wish a healthful 
> next 25 years to POV-Ray. Up to the 50th anniversary! (even if I shall 
> not live to see that one) :-)
> 
Agree. Well said.

On the activity slowing suppose that true on povray.org, but ray tracing 
itself is more active than ever in my opinion:

August 19, 2019 (POV-Ray gets a brief mention)
    http://www.realtimerendering.com/raytracing.html

and much which used to show up primarily on povray.org or the old 
irtc.org site is still happening, but elsewhere:

July 17, 2019 (Yep, wonder if she worked around a real bug...)
   Ray-Tracing Digital Elevation Data in 3D with Povray (Part III)
   http://shallowsky.com/blog/mapping/DEM-data-in-3d.html

July 21, 2019
   Why Povray is great.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJo_P9mHFd8

I think too, many of us that use POV-Ray as a tool day to day for 
whatever, don't post most of what we're doing anywhere. It's a solid 
tool I know reasonably well that I enjoy sometimes mangling for my own 
ends.

Bill P.

Post a reply to this message

On 18.08.19 15:22, Chris Cason wrote:
> It was 25 years ago ...


Uh. Shit. I'm old.

Gregor

Post a reply to this message

Chris Cason <del### [at] deletethistoopovrayorg> wrote:
> It was 25 years ago today (18 August 1994) that I registered the
> POVRAY.ORG domain. While the project had a presence on the internet
> prior to this, the 18th was the beginning of having our 'own place' - a
> permanent somewhere that wasn't just a sub-directory or forum on someone
> else's server.
>
> Having a domain dedicated to a free software project wasn't nearly as
> common back then as it is today (nor as easy to set up; options for
> hosting were very limited) and has allowed us to provide a stable
> location and email addresses for the project for a quarter of a century now.
>
> I noticed this was coming up when I went to renew the domain recently.
> While of course it's no big deal in the scheme of things that it's
> turned 25, it has made me think a little about the early days.
>
> (And who knows, maybe there's even some users here that weren't born
> when povray.org popped into existence ...).

well, missed the day, but still congrats everyone

I first learned of pov-ray through that book Pov-Ray creations that I bought in
the late 90s.  came with a disquette Lol

good fun.  today I mostly just play games, mostly VR nowadays. It's mindblowing
how a VR game like Rec Room allows you to create stuff with your own hands from
inside the very game with very primitive CSG and the looks even mildly remind
primitive pov-ray renders of non-reflective surfaces.

tech increased tenfold since then, but I'm glad povray is still around

Post a reply to this message

Chris Cason <del### [at] deletethistoopovrayorg> wrote:
> It was 25 years ago ...

In 1994 , I was learning to use fractions, multiplications, etc... at school,
but none of my teachers told me about POVRay until I discovered it by myself in
1997 in a magazine that contained a CD with povray (v2.0) and PovSB (a software
with an ironwire interface for windows 3.1).

Post a reply to this message

I had to check my records to find out that I got POV only 20 years ago.
And I have no way of telling when I find out about POVRAY.ORG.
But I'm sure it wasn't to long after.
Or maybe that is how I found out about POV in the first place.
20 or 25 is a long time ago!

Post a reply to this message