TMO forums donated to Hildon Foundation
Posted on 2012-12-12 19:12:46 UTC.
TMO forum started being part of maemo.org more than 3 years ago with funding from Nokia. Previously it was part of the web site Internet Tablet Talk, privately founded by Reggie Suplido and dedicated to the initial Nokia Maemo devices.
The Internet Tablet Talk first and TMO later, have been the glue for this amazing community that we have, providing an efficient way of communication between developers and end users, not just a place for discussion and comments.
Reggie has been the administrator and owner of forums since the very beginning, and thanks to him a lot has been accomplished. However, now that Nokia is stopping activities around Maemo and Meego, continuation of forums was at risk.
The cost of maintenance for current host solution was too expensive ($468/month) to be funded by the Hildon Foundation. Continuing in the same way was clearly difficult so migration to a cheaper solution was somehow mandatory.
Finally, Reggie has decided to donate the forum to the Hildon Foundation:
"I saw my name mentioned in one of the board meetings about the possibility of becoming the admin of maemo.org. I appreciate the offer but I have to decline as of this time."
From the Hildon Foundation we want to thank Reggie for this contribution and for all the time and efforts he has shared with us.
Now we have different constraints that affect the migration of the server:
- Lack of funds to pay a new hosting service and a vBulletin license. Please donate!
- Man power to migrate and administrate the forums. Board and Council are conducting a survey to address it.
- Concerns about data privacy laws if we move the service from the U.S. to Europe.
Migrating to an OSS might be doable in the near future but at this point it could be very difficult to accomplish, as we lack resources and time. However, if anyone with the required knowledge is interested in starting such a project for migration, please contact with Council.