Firstly - Keep Calm and Keep Researching

Secondly

We felt it was time to give you some reassurance that slowly , quietly in the background the core team has been working to ensure that this important resource stays online and has a future.

The most important first step was to ensure stability of the site and the information held here, be it in the Forum and its many replies, the picture archive, transcriptions etc. We are confident that we have achieved that for the medium term.

One challenge is funding, we'll not bore you with the detail or reasons, but in the short term we have had to suspend the "donations" feature of the site. We need to turn this on as soon as possible so that we can continue to pay for the Hosting platform. We have a plan to solve this !

The Team will be meeting face to face in the next few weeks to discuss a development plan and priorities for the site as a fitting Legacy of Dave's inspiration. Please feel free to let us know what you would like to see here - we cannot promise to deliver but all sensible suggestions will be considered.

We will update you as decisions are taken.

regards

David, Graham, May, Michael, Wendy and Slowhands

many thanks for the update - all your very hard work is greatly appreciated - as someone with strong family links to the area I have found the records invaluable :)

Some years ago I wrote code to help with the searching of the FoD database. I met Dave in Perth in 2007 and we talked a bit about what I had done and agreed I would do some changes. I don't think that they ever happened!

I have only just heard of his death and would be happy to help if anything is needed.

Michael Williamson

Thanks for all your hard work in helping to make sure this valuable resource stays in tact. I just discovered it about a year ago and it has been invaluable in tracing my husband's family! Please keep us posted as to what we can do to help. I am not close to personally do anything to help, but would be more than happy to make a financial donation to help maintain whatever is needed.

Cindy Thomas

This is too fantastic a resource to lose....It helped me solve a family mystery.
everyone is so helpful.........I will happily make a small donation or pay a joining fee........
sandie

Kia Ora from NZ and obviously links to the Forest.

Anyone who has used this site knows what a wonderful resource and great community it is. And especially for those of us who do not live there.

I am sure that all of us would be happy to spend a joining fee on such a site.

I would not like the site to change too much as once you get to know it makes it easier to carry out your research.

Thank you so far for all that you have achieved.

Rita James
NZ

I agree that a joining fee would be a good idea.

Kia ora ano

I support my fellow Kiwi's sentiments completely. This resource is too valuable to lose, perhaps even more so for those of us 12,000 miles away from the Forest.

Just let us know what is needed when you are ready.

Thanks for working so hard on behalf of all of us who are descendants of the Forest, and who no longer have access to those who actually lived there before migrating to the Antipodes. In the case of our family, those ancestors are long gone now, but you have the traces they left behind in the records of the Forest.

John

Thank you team! This is a wonderful site and it is great to know that you guys are carrying on the good work. I've donated in the past and would certainly be willing to do so again to help this fantastic resource to continue.

Joss

Please keep going. Along with so many others I have found this to be a wonderful resource. I'm willing to help financially if I can. LizzieN

This site has helped me so much with the information that it gives. Thankyou all I know you have all put a lot of hard work into it. I would be happy to subscribe yearly or donate to help to keep it going.

When Dave Watkins set this site up he was very keen that it should not become a Subscription site. Over the last 7 / 8 years donations have kept the site alive.

We would like the site to stay Subscription free, allowing users to contribute based on their ability and value they get from the site. Some contribute time to the transcription project etc.

This is certainly a topic for our meeting - thanks for the inputs

regards

David, Graham, May, Michael and Slowhands

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

I support the approach established by David. You only really appreciate the full benefits of this superb resource after you have been using it for a while. That is the time to consider making a donation (and to remember to continue to do so at intervals thereafter!)

Best regards

-Colin

Just a very big thanks for this resource - I am willing to support it financially with whatever model you come up with - it is that important to my family history.

Like everyone else I would like to thank you all for keeping this fantastic site going after David's sad death. I would like to help as well.

Once again, thank you.

Janet Ballinger

It is clear you have our gratitude and support, thank you for preserving this site and planning to take it forward. Please count on my support too and keep us posted as to whatever help you need, we're right behind you!

You ask what we would like to see in the future and it is testament to David that there have not been any suggestions - he got it right, what a star!

Wills
When you have your planning meeting, could you consider the Wills Index? Would it be possible to make it easier to use by simply putting in just one set of search criteria then show everything that's applicable on the same screen, without having to go to a different place again to see the beneficiaries or copy and paste a will number into yet another section? It is not obvious at first where to paste the Will number to view the Will.

As a result of the search I would like to see all the appropriate options in one long scrollable list (sortable) rather than have a limited number on different pages. It would be good to have the Will number next to the name, as a clickable link to the actual Will with it's details on the same screen, making all the details easier to copy into my family tree software.

Newsletter
Also, to have a Newsletter emailed now and again would be fantastic too, to keep us all up to date.

Images
And for the pipe dream for the future? Well, that would be to have images of all the Parish Registers and other documents available to view and download from this site...!

Well you did ask!!

It is clear you have our gratitude and support, thank you for preserving this site and planning to take it forward. Please count on my support too and keep us posted as to whatever help you need, we're right behind you!

You ask what we would like to see in the future and it is testament to David that there have not been any suggestions - he got it right, what a star!

Wills
When you have your planning meeting, could you consider the Wills Index? Would it be possible to make it easier to use by simply putting in just one set of search criteria then show everything that's applicable on the same screen, without having to go to a different place again to see the beneficiaries or copy and paste a will number into yet another section? It is not obvious at first where to paste the Will number to view the Will.

As a result of the search I would like to see all the appropriate options in one long scrollable list (sortable) rather than have a limited number on different pages. It would be good to have the Will number next to the name, as a clickable link to the actual Will with it's details on the same screen, making all the details easier to copy into my family tree software.

Newsletter
Also, to have a Newsletter emailed now and again would be fantastic too, to keep us all up to date.

Images
And for the pipe dream for the future? Well, that would be to have images of all the Parish Registers and other documents available to view and download from this site...!

Well you did ask!!

Thanks for this feedback

Newsletter. Very much an agreed priority by core team

Images etc. 2 things may challenge this space and copyright but we will look into this

Search enhancements. We will look into this

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

I can only echo what everyone else is saying , that this is a superb resource.
It has been an invauable resource to me over the years and many times I have wished there were others that could match it when reseaching other branches of the family.
I would be very happy to make a donation or indeed subscribe but I can understand that you want to keep in the spirit of what David wanted. At times we can all take things for granted and we must all play our part in keeping it going.

There still isn't a Forest of Dean Y-DNA project. Or for that matter, any DNA project. That was suggested by David at least a couple of years ago, and I'm among those who have mentioned it more recently. If there were such a project, it would presumably be part of this resource, so I just offer it as grist for the planning mill when you get together.

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=18211

I've been wondering whether, either by posting on this thread or privately by request, members of this forum could be given a steer on what the average donation is.