Supertopo

I tried to get on Supertop this AM but couldn't. Is it gone forever?

Yes

It's still there as an archive but the forum no longer operates - ie you can read it, but not post on it. And photos have been removed.

Still there, maybe you have a browser issue? Still useful for searching various stuff (like obscure routes):

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/forum.php

It's definitely not loading just now

What is mind, that is, mind itself, as it presents itself as a first person, conscious phenomenon, NOT the material footprint believed to be associated to mind.

Works for me, but I have mind over matter. The material footprint of ST forum is still there, not not associated to a mind.

Works for me too.

John Robinson wrote:

I tried to get on Supertop this AM but couldn't. Is it gone forever?

Have been in a coma?   We finished mourning the death of ST years ago.   Hope your feeling better. 

Edge wrote:

On an unrelated yet similar note, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. 

I’m shocked, shocked to learn that!!!!

As of a week ago, I could still access threads on the Supertopo archive.

Oh thank god you can still read the Klimmer Massive Ark on the Moon

it was sad to see it go the first time, but it was a great treat to still read the relic stories that were stuck in time there, although all the pictures removed.

With the text gone as well, I feel the next generation of climbers will be able to spend more time with their loved ones, climbing, exploring the outdoors, rather than pour over the old forums for stories about California routes they are excited to try.  RIP old taco.  Imagine how the really large trout lovers feel.

I enjoyed ST. I was always under the impression that the digital world is temporary. I am not surprised that it went away. I keep hard paper copies of all my work and writing on a shelf in physical form. I make zerox copies that I store elsewhere to protect from a potential fire. Still own a library of books. Will be keeping them. Love the internet, but there are limits and weaknesses to anything. We have seen that with the demise of the mighty Taco. Thanks to Chris Mac who created it and kept us all entertained for a decade with his creation.

Does anyone know why they took down the archive? I am ignorant about all things computer, but seems that it shouldn't have been a big deal or cost to maintain it as it has been for the past few years---or possibly see if there was another 'host' willing to do so. I would occasionally look back on some of those old threads. I did make paper copies of a few of my favorites---now I just need to locate them!!!

Excluded from the wayback machine archives as well?

mat wrote:

Excluded from the wayback machine archives as well?

Yeah looks like it, no idea why unless Chris Mac requested it for legal reasons.
Anybody good with data scraping? Would be great to preserve the beta section at least in case the site fully dies. 

If anybody wants to look at a specific forum post there and has the link you currently (don't know how long the cache lasts) just have to type cache: in front of the link in Chrome and it will pull up the google cache version.

Example:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1592911/The-Red-Rock-Appreciation-Thread   will no longer work

But typing cache: in front of the link will 

You can still find forum posts in google search to get the link they are just dead links now

Chris Mac is likely a super rad guy but the way he handled the forum did climbers dirty.

Adam W wrote:

If anybody wants to look at a specific forum post there and has the link you currently (don't know how long the cache lasts) just have to type cache: in front of the link in Chrome and it will pull up the google cache version.

Example:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1592911/The-Red-Rock-Appreciation-Thread   will no longer work

But typing cache: in front of the link will 

You can still find forum posts in google search to get the link they are just dead links now

Adam, I apologize for the ignorance of my questions , but where specifically should we type 'cache'---before the 'http', before 'supertopo', before the name of the specific forum topic, or....? Also, do we need to know the 'topic number ' (1592911 in your example) for this to work? Also do we need to know the specific topic name? I recall a number of threads of interest, but have no idea of the 'number' and often know the general topic, but not sure of the  actual 'official' title of the thread.

Colonel Mustard wrote:

Chris Mac is likely a super rad guy but the way he handled the forum did climbers dirty.

If I remember what I heard right, it was a complicated mess where someone had gotten/felt harassed and was threatening legal action not just against the offender but also Chris Mac and the forums. I think I remember hearing that he said the forums were a revenue loss but he kept them open because of the amount of first hand history that was being shared by so many key individuals but once it became a liability to himself and his livelihood he was done with it.

Perhaps I've gotten some or all of the details wrong due to the amount of time that has gone by but I swear this is what I recall. So yeah, it could appear that people got done dirty, but really it was Chris Mac himself who was going to get it the worst. He created that resource and then people ruined it by weaponizing it. 

Alan Rubin wrote:

Adam, I apologize for the ignorance of my questions , but where specifically should we type 'cache'---before the 'http', before 'supertopo', before the name of the specific forum topic, or....? Also, do we need to know the 'topic number ' (1592911 in your example) for this to work? Also do we need to know the specific topic name? I recall a number of threads of interest, but have no idea of the 'number' and often know the general topic, but not sure of the  actual 'official' title of the thread.

you need to type this into Google search, without the quotes:

Terry E wrote:

you need to type this into Google search, without the quotes:

So you need to know the thread number? Is there currently any way to find what that number is? I'm highly doubtful that most people pay any attention to, let alone recall, the number of a forum topic.