Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
I've tried to get this simple update done. AFAIK, Rob Macfarlane is the sole remaining forum administrator. He is apparently unwilling to share the necessary credentials, nor even simply change "2020" to "2021." Rob hasn't done an SSS race in ten years and the last I heard, he was living on his boat in Oxnard. I asked Joe, in his role as Commodore, to engage with Rob and get the forum administration transitioned to one or two individuals who are active in the club. That hasn't happened. Rob, you read this forum - what's the problem?
Hi Bob -

In 2018 I offered to help Carlianne with the website, she accepted - she sent to me all the known credentials for the web host, web server, the web site, and the forum. I performed a backup of everything at that time, made a couple of changes at her request. She mentioned the idea of her son taking on managing the site and I received no further communication on the matter.

As part of reviewing the forum software in 2019 I told Don Martin (SSS Commodore at the time) that the Forum was out of date, insecure, would need to be ported to currently-supported software, and that I did not have the bandwidth to take that on. Nothing was done that I am aware of as regards pursuing an upgrade or port. At least I got the SSL certificates working correctly on the forum site.

In 2020, prior to the end of year meeting, Joe Balderrama telephoned me and we spoke for two hours about ideas for the club going forward. He asked if I would be interested in being a sound board should any questions come up at the Board and I said yes. He and I talked briefly just before that meeting, and I have had no communications with Joe since then.

I'm sorry that you would characterize that as "unwilling to share the necessary credentials"; no one has asked me for them and I was unaware anyone needed them. Greg Ashby is the current webmaster, I expected that he was maintaining everything - certainly Joe never mentioned any issues to me. If Greg doesn't have the login information for the sites then I can review what I have (which is now 2-1/2 years old) and see if any of that information remains valid.

As regards racing with the SSS, I have not raced with the SSS since 2013 that I can think of - that's when I retired to go cruising. Since then I have sail to Mexico, Canada, back to Mexico, out to French Polynesia, spent a winter in Hawaii, back to Pacific Northwest, down the coast to San Francisco and now in Southern California. When was in San Francisco on my trips through, I served on RC a couple of times, was the SSS start boat, worked on the web site a bit, and happened to be in Hanalei on Beetle when the 2018 SSS TransPac finished there. I'm not certain how any of that information is relevant to frustrations with the SSS web site. It does strike me that your statement about not racing with the SSS for 10 years is factually inaccurate and a bit of "attacking my character"; that is not helpful and in effect suggests that I have no relevance to the club; perhaps that is true, perhaps I'm not relevant to the club - but I don't see it that way. And I whole-heartedly agree, the SSS website is in a woeful state of disrepair, the value of the site as an information-distribution channel has been lost, and there's lots of work that could be done there to make the website vibrant, useful, and relevant.

My current situation is something of a bummer in that I was wrapping up final preparations to roll out to the South Pacific April 2020 - which is precisely when the island nations across the Pacific started to close their borders due to the Covid virus. I elected not to return to French Polynesia as it looked iffy from a cruising perspective (turns out lockdowns on boats did happen there, for months - no boat movement, no swimming, no going ashore except for food once a week, just stay on your boat). I'm glad I elected to remain in Southern California - at least I speak the language, have my car for transport, have access to medical facilities if needed, and I am hoping to receive a vaccine sooner than later.

In the meantime I am trying to enjoy Southern California, have been scuba diving the islands, continue to maintain Beetle, and am hopeful that come November Mexico might be open and safe to cruise. If we're lucky by next spring (another year from now - egad!) countries will have re-opened their borders and I can sail again for the South Pacific and visit places beyond French Polynesia. Currently I am in Arizona helping out my parents at their place.

If you have constructive suggestions or questions that I can help with, please let me know.

- rob/beetle