ATFW Blogged

Hopefully, the DNS change will kick in soon enough, and the redirects will begin, and this information might be useful.

You're probably wondering why a blog, and why a resuscitation at this point. They're both connected for me (in a way), so I'll begin with the first topic.

The content management system at ATFW has been hosed for a while. Maniac has just finished up his tenure at university and has entered the workforce and in general doesn't have the time to contribute to code maintanence. However, I'd like to thank him for all of his contributions and hard work he's contributed to the site over the years.

Additionally, I don't want to have to deal with site redesigns or coding at all. A blog makes things far more convenient, and there really is zero maintanence required. Information can be posted and responded to, and that's that.

The downside is that there's no shot of the Databank being recreated here, either, which is unfortunate but a necessary cut. Not having the Databank also eliminates a good deal of maintenance, which I really don't have time to perform. The time I do have to give will be devoted to news and content. (Having said that, there is a possibility the Databank could return in Wiki format in the future. That's just something I'll have to research. If you have any ideas or thoughts on that topic, feel free to comment.)

Although TypePad is much slicker and offers more options, it's also a paid-only service. That's not really something I can afford right now, although I'd like to make ATFW available again and keep it updated. For me, using Blogger.com was the best option. It's absolutely free, and news and any other content can be posted in a collaborative framework. (A minus is that anon news submissions via the content system directly are not possible. Please submit this news the old fashioned way--email--or comment to a present news post with that information.)

(If you had admin access under the old system and would like to be added to the list here, please contact me.)

As far as why revamp now? Recently, I've had time to explore what to do as far as a hosting solution/content management solution goes (being unemployed gives a person some time to research and to act) that would give me time to update.

I have kept up (as well as possible) on developments in the genre. If there's something you think I should know (whether it be a mod or a commercial game or a freeware project), please let me know.

I am hoping that the blog format will eliminate any future technical issues regarding the site and hope to keep the site updated as news and information develops in the space combat simulation and strategy genres.