My main concern is the archive from Bennie himself.
He did a lot of this work this thread is about, on his dime.
But as we see from other sites not as old as Bennies, they too are getting shut down by both administrators and the lack of active members - both make the problem of paying for Hosting, as a "wonder if it's worth it" moment - so I ask - to others that are still here...we need to understand...
IF the sites members decide to delete portions of threads or entire "blocks" due to some negative or unforeseen issue - there is data; links, images, schematics procedures for repairs or mods, that may have been embedded in the thread that will will also get deleted off or removed from view.
So something needs to be decided, either by a "repository" or older blocks of data stored from those threads by attachments or uploads - that may not have migrated to the sites appropriate sections - for if those threads and their efforts to solve a problem or the solutions - if that data is deleted - it may not be able to be recovered.
This was a crux to even the CB Tricks site's own forum.
There should be a "Recycle Bin" of sorts enabled, integrated into - this site for uploads to preserve the data, even when members have moved on.
There had been efforts from others for Phishing data off the forums done by unscrupulous actors that sold the data they mined off of sites like Bennies - even the DVD discs he gave them - for a profit. This even includes Forums own member data - handles and even some of their own personal information as well - Emails, home pages, links even phone numbers.
- (It may be prudent to remember that for as we Buy/Sell/Trade or otherwise discuss more personal matters we need to accept the facts of openness that was considered normal may change or modify later as times and their ideals - change and modify - they call it progress.)
- There is also the fine line of Phishing versus Open Source. We can provide methods and answers to help others solve their communication problems - we need to keep or preserve that knowledge - this may seem redundant - but please review the threads' own premise.
In todays world, the fine line that used to exist between the Dark Web and the Rest of the Internet, has gone grey and washed out - thanks to help from Social Media.
Even our Brower's have to be reconfigured/updated to run what IE would have called "ADWARE".
It is now considered an acceptable tracking method used under EDGE and Chrome to allow sites to locate and flood you with AD's whether they pertain to your needs or not.
It may be a prudent concept to not just "delete" or hide difficult posts, for if embedded in their posts and threads is Data that can be useful in the communications realm, we need other options.
It would be wiser to "Stay" the hands of deletion and discipline to save those efforts of other participants that took/and still take - this site for what it is worth to them, as a resource of information we all of us, can use and do our best to preserve this data for others that follow us.
Can't do much about bills that don't get paid, nor the costs of hosting itself - but as sites close their portals - so does their ability to be searched, and the repository they offered as storage and data, if you haven't found it by then, it's too late now.