Vertical Devices site down?

[Stridergdm]

Archived information is better than no information at all! Sorry, I know you have every right to do exactly that you want with the site. Just stating my opinion. Thanks for having maintained such a useful site for so long!

As I understand US copyright law, I can lose my copyright if I don't defend it. Once I learned that I there was another unauthorized copy out there, I had no choice but to ask them to take it down - which they did without complaint. I thank them for that . I didn't want to have to do that, but I had no choice. No real loss, though, that version was ancient.

I hope that I'll have time to put the site back up next year, but the amount of work scares me . Just imagine the effort required to take new photos of everything to satisfy the critics.

Thanks for the nice feedback , I appreciate it.

Gary

You're confusing copyright with trademark law. See #5 on Top 10 Copyright Myths. You can't lose it by not defending it. The Web has changed things a bit in terms of "copies" since pretty much anytime you view a page you're making a "copy". This clearly isn't "fair use" but on the same token w/o making a full copy, things wouldn't work. Throw in things like caching proxy servers and things get even less clear. Now something like the Wayback machine and other archival websites probably on some level are violating copyrights, but as long as they "play nice", don't make money and remove content upon request, my best guess is they'll continue to exist.

That said, you're clearly in the right here to ask them to remove and to ask others to not maintain copies. After all that's what copyright is all about, controlling access to stuff you write.

[LukeM]

Gary, sorry I should have been more specific. The archived information I was referring to was the possibility of simply maintaining what content you already have, so that it would still be viewable. Just because it doesn't cover the latest device, doesn't mean people won't find it useful.

[gdstorrick]

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[Llapgochmaster]

Hi Gary,

Jay here, from Montreal, Canada. I never did send you an e-mail of appreciation, but I'll let you know now that I found your site to be a pure delight. Moreover, it was full of thoughtful comments and evaluations and more comprehensive than just about anything else I've ever seen in the vertical world!

I can scarcely imagine the massive amounts of time, effort, and money you've poured into the site over the years, and I can also sympathize with the notion that you'd rather not have the site online than see it get outdated.

That said, I'd like get down on my virtual knees here for a moment and add my voice to those encouraging you to put the site back online simply in an "this is an archive, I've taken a break from updating this site" capacity. This sort of thing does happen from time to time, and there's no shame in replacing the main page with a brief note explaining that you can't spare the resources to keep the site running, and that you'll be back when you'll be back. People will get that, and if they don't, well, I'll paraphrase Dr. Seuss: "...the people who mind don't matter and the people who matter don't mind".

All up to you, of course. Whichever way you go, you have my thanks for sharing your labour of love/manic obsession.



Cheers,

Jay

[jeffkruse]

I feel like I have missed out. :( I never got to see the site. Bummer.

[creektrails]

I feel like I have missed out. :( I never got to see the site. Bummer.

Ditto,

[caltrop]

Finally after wondering for several months what's going on.

I'm not much of a spelunker, more of a general climber but with my declining health...

I do like GEAR! I was looking for some information on some gear a while back and the first place I went was - GONE!

I had several discussions with Gary in the past. Thanked him...? THANKS!

I will miss your site.

Liz

[Carl Amundson]

Gary, I'm sorry you felt the need to shut down the site.
I found a very valuable site to research gear and learn the pros & cons of various types of ascending/descending devices.
I'm a gear head and I loved just looking at and reading about all the gear.

It was a great archive and will be sorely missed in the caving community.

[fuzzy-hair-man]

I'd like to add my thanks to every one else's, I have spent hours window shopping on your site and generally found it very useful.

[madmax]

Gary, Thanks a lot!!!
Your Site was a Guide for everyone and the museum for climbig hardware, where people had learned about the roots and also had the oportunity, to choose none of the Mainstream-Devices pushed by Big Money with the "it's-not-better-but-red-and-green"-Intention!

I'd like to start a Climbing-Hardware-Wiki, where the Community could carry on, what one Man started - how about that, would we have your compliance?

[gdstorrick]

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[Evan G]

I'd like to start a Climbing-Hardware-Wiki, where the Community could carry on, what one Man started - how about that, would we have your compliance?

I'm not sure what you mean by "my compliance," but I certainly don't have any objection to your starting such a site. I'd like to see it.

Gary

Condolences???

LOL! Even tho your site is no longer up which showed a wonderful array of devices that can go up and down a rope. Hey people! I would like to point out that idea of history can be mostly subjunctive and thus many objects and ideas get repeated. Thank you, Mr. Storrik for giving an objective view point to look at...



You must excuse me Gary, but again. What the hell people, what Gary has built is Verty History apart of the NSS history, apart of the Verty Sec of the NSS. I once was told that the golden age of verty caving is over............yep it is......when you lose your past, then you have no Golden age.

In another thread I have mentioned that now with tech and minimal funding you can create a Caving University. You know the caver that have experience an know parts about caving, well let's get it on dvd and podcast. I personally would love to hear Gary ideas and knowledge on Verty. Who invented the Frog? What was B. Smith ideas being the rope walker? Instead of just TAG, the Nation wondering and maybe the world. Youtude is free or we can create the NSS podcast U on the NSS network.

Who gets the knowledge? Well, walk over tho the mirror and look into it. You did, but it was because you past the tests of the caves themselves. Anybody can pick up a flashlight, but few can make a map. And even fewer can show what the history of caving is let alone the history of Verty. Gary your an asset to the caving community, thank you!!

[gdstorrick]

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[NZcaver]

I have photos of you and a portion of your displays at the 2007 and 2009 conventions. If it helps, you're welcome to them.

[gdstorrick]

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