UFO Updates List Folds

[Decker]

Originally one of the most dynamic UFO lists, UFO Updates, started by Glenn Cambell of Desert Rat fame has finally folded. Back when my wife and I were publishing UFO Magazine, UFO Updates was the place where all the news, rumors, and people were gathering. When Cambell left he turned it over to Errol Bruce-Knapp, host of Strange Days, which came out of Canada. This really does leave a void, although for quite some time I could tell that the list was winding down. The following is the note just left on the site today ... Monday, December 23, 2013.

From: UFO UpDates - Toronto <post.nul>
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2013 05:54:24 -0500
Archived: Mon, 23 Dec 2013 05:54:24 -0500
Subject: The List Fades To Black

Not, perhaps, the merriest Christmas news for some subscribers
and readers to/of UFO UpDates, but the time has come...

The world has moved on, apparently beyond the need of a
centralised service such as this List - witness the dramatic
drop in List-bound traffic of the last few years.

So, the plan is to mothball the List and for Glenn Campbell to
take-back the Archive, by this coming New Year's Day, via his
hosting company. Glenn wrote the script that made the Archive
work and originally hosted it. The post.nul will
also be retired at the end of the year.

The Archive's addresses - depending on how you access it -
should not change. Nor should the search facility. "Should",
because until we actually move the Archive we won't know.

I'm grateful to all those who contributed 90,00+ posts to
UFO UpDates over these many years, increasing the awareness and
knowledge of the phenomena and my 'ufological' education.

My thanks to Glenn Campbell for his advice and support over the
years and for taking over the Archive for the benefit of
succeeding generations of the 'seriously interested'.

I've been retired for the past six years tho' there are still
things on my bucket list to be completed, such as the digitising
and uploading of several hundred hours of my Strange Days...
Indeed radio program to virtuallystrange.net ...

Trusting that all will be revealed, eventually,

Errol Bruce-Knapp
Late-Moderator of UFO UpDates - Toronto

Facebook & Twitter
errolbk_at_virtuallystrange.net


Decker

 

[Double Nought Spy]

Sorry to see that list go. I hope the archive remains readily available and easily searchable, because it's a tremendous resource.

I'm often surprised that any email lists still keep going, but they have their place due to some aspects that make them unique in the current blizzard we know as the internet. Email lists as forums are just obscure enough, just clunky enough to keep a lot of nonsense out of them, I think.

Glenn Campbell's contributions to this field are enormous, but mention him at a place like ATS, and you had better duck quick or get plastered by a wave of ignorant hate. Curious situation, really. Have you, Don, or Gene and Chris, ever thought of having him on as a guest? He's an interesting character with lots of great stories to tell. Unlike so many others in the field, his stories are very well documented, too.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Just as a point of reference: We have the infrastructure to run a mailing list of this sort on our server. So if anyone is interested in working with me to explore it further, let me know. At its end, participation consisted of just a few messages every few days, which is unfortunate.

As to Glenn Campbell: A good idea. Let's see what we can make happen.

 

[uforadio]

Sorry to see that list go. I hope the archive remains readily available and easily searchable, because it's a tremendous resource.
<snip>

Searchable archive from November 1996 up to December 31st 2011 is available here thanks to Isaac Koi:
UFO Updates List Archive - Minus

Probably remaining two years will be updated by Isaac in the near future.

There are few other similar lists that I am member of too but UFO Updates was on the top.

 

[uforadio]

I was contributor to UFO Updates from 1997 and have some great memories there about discussions, news, discoveries and leads. I also made there some great friendships with colleagues and researchers. This is truly a sad news although as Don has mentioned traffic did go down in recent years. It is a end of an era.


Hopefully EBK will digtalise remaining set of his SDI shows. They are important for future UFO archives and some unique guests were interviewed there (like Wilbert Smith's son etc)...

 

[uforadio]

Members of UFO community sending epic waves of thanks to EBK and his list moderation. For those who are not subscribers, you can read posts here:

UFO UpDates Archive
or here:
UFO UpDates: Dec 2013 (scroll down to messages from Dec 23rd)

 

[IsaacKoi]

Searchable archive from November 1996 up to December 31st 2011 is available here thanks to Isaac Koi:
UFO Updates List Archive - Minus

Probably remaining two years will be updated by Isaac in the near future.

Hi Giuliano,

As you predicted, I'll be uploading an updated PDF archive of posts to the UfoUpdates List in a few days time (assuming that Errol gives his permission again, which I doubt will be a problem).

I still have not given up hope that the List will continue in some shape after EBK's retirement, possibly using a lower-maintenance system (such as Google Groups) which does not involve the manual re-formatting that Errol has been doing. I've reserved a couple of possible Google Group names and set them up to have online archives viewable by everyone (with those approved to become members of the List having various options for receiving posts by email) - so the List could continue to operate in a similar manner at zero cost with options as to multiple List managers etc. I've mentioned on UpDates that I'm happy to transfer these groups to Errol or anyone he nominates.

 

[IsaacKoi]

Hi Giuliano,

As you predicted, I'll be uploading an updated PDF archive of posts to the UfoUpdates List in a few days time (assuming that Errol gives his permission again, which I doubt will be a problem).

Since the topic of an updated PDF archive of posts to the UfoUpdatesList came up here a few days ago, I thought you might be interested in my email below giving a link to an updated version of that archive (complete from 1996 to the end of 2013). I've just sent that email to the UfoUpdates List but I'm not sure if Errol is accepting any further posts.

All the best,

Isaac


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Isaac Koi <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, Jan 5, 2014 at 2:45 AM
Subject: UfoUpdates List - updated PDF archive
To: [email protected]


Given that Errol Bruce-Knapp's UfoUpdates email discussion List
is fading to black, I have created an updated version of the
searchable PDF archive of posts to this List which I first posted
a couple of years ago (with Errol's permission).

Errol has again kindly given me permission to share this updated
PDF archive.

The easiest way to download the archive is as a single Zip file
(with a file size of just over 0.5Gb) . The zip file contains
folders for each year from 1996 to 2013, with each folder
containing a PDF file for each month of that year. This link is
valid until 10th January 2014:
WeTransfer

As a more permanent solution, I have also uploaded a copy of the
relevant zip to the link below (but this link is very slightly
less user-friendly, because when the relevant webpage loads you
have to click on "to download" then click on the UfoUpdates zip
file and click on download):
RapidShare

The entire archive of PDF files can be searched rather quickly
using free PDF-XChange software I detailed a while ago at:
FAST searching of major free online collections of UFO journals (or just browse/download them), page 1

I still haven't completely given up hope that the UfoUpdates List
may continue in one form or another. I've mentioned to Errol that
I've taken the liberty of creating an email discussion group on
Google Groups with the name UfoUpdatesList. That group should be
considerably easier to maintain than the current List. For
example, the Google Group infrastructure will mean that the
moderator does not need to manually reformat posts or the links
within them.

I've now set up that Google Group with options that mimic the
previous operation of the UfoUpdates List, e.g. an online
archive, emails requiring approval by the moderator before being
posted, emails received will indicate the source as the
UfoUpdatesList.

I'm hoping (although it is merely a hope rather than a real
expectation) that Errol may want to try moderating this
lower-maintenance version of the List, or else nominate someone
else to moderate it. It would be easy for me to transfer the
Google Group to Errol or some other new moderator. In the absence
of any other volunteers, I'd be prepared to take on this job
myself for at least a trial period. (Of course, I would not
launch that List, or transfer it to anyone else, without Errol's
express approval).



Since I'm posting (or attempting to post) to the List, I'll just
also mention that a complete collection of the "Probe Report" (an
early 1980s British UFO publication edited by Ian Mrzyglod) is
now available online to download as searchable PDF files:
Box | Simple Online Collaboration: Online File Storage, FTP Replacement, Team Workspaces

Many thanks to Ian Mrzyglod for not only giving a positive answer
when I sought his permission to scan these journals, but also
doing all the scanning himself. I've posted a couple of sample
covers and a bit of background (including quoting Jenny Randles
referring to the Probe Report as a "superb" publication) in a
short item on the AboveTopSecret discussion forum:
Now online: Full collection of "Probe Report" ("superb" British UFO journal) - free PDF download, page 1

I hope to be able to share another collection or two of material
in the very near future. If this List does indeed completely
close, I'm not sure of the best way(s) to let any interested
researchers know when such resources become available.



Finally, I'll just slip in a further thought. If anyone on this
List has previously edited/published a UFO
newsletter/journal/magazine (or self-published a UFO book) that
they think is worth making freely available online, then just
send me an email. I may well be able to help get the material
scanned, rendered searchable and/or uploaded to (say) a free
file storage website.

For that matter, if you know someone else that has the rights to
such material (either because they were the editor/writer, or
because they are the heir of such a person) perhaps now would be
a good time to reach out to then, ask if they would like that
material to be freely available online. If so, again just send me
an email and we can see whether something can be sorted out. I've
found that a surprising number of people have been quite prepared
to give their permission is someone actually takes the initiative
and asks them for it.

I think I've made my view fairly clear over the years that I
think a lot of time and energy is wasted within ufology
reinventing the wheel. I think (perhaps optimistically) that
it _may_ be possible to reduce that amount of reinvention of the
wheel (and improve the quality of research) by making more UFO
material (both primary source material and secondary analysis)
freely available in searchable format online. There remains a
large gap between the knowledge in print and the knowledge
online.

For the last year or two I've been planning a fairly ambitious
project in this regard (under the working title "the UFO
Collective") and have been increasingly tempted to post a
reasonably detailed outline of that plan on this List - but it
now seems it is probably too late to do that. Oh well...

All the best,

Isaac

 

[IsaacKoi]

I still have not given up hope that the List will continue in some shape after EBK's retirement, possibly using a lower-maintenance system (such as Google Groups) which does not involve the manual re-formatting that Errol has been doing. I've reserved a couple of possible Google Group names and set them up to have online archives viewable by everyone (with those approved to become members of the List having various options for receiving posts by email) - so the List could continue to operate in a similar manner at zero cost with options as to multiple List managers etc. I've mentioned on UpDates that I'm happy to transfer these groups to Errol or anyone he nominates.

Having had some further contact with Errol, it looks like I should abandon hope that he can be coaxed to change his plan to retire. He has no problem with my setting up a new List along similar lines to UfoUpdates, if I wish.

I'm hesitant about doing so.

Is there any need to replace the UfoUpdates email discussion List??? (This is not a rhetorical question - I'd be interested in your views).

There are various other private UFO email discussion Lists (Project 1947, Current Encounters, EuroUFO etc) but none of them have public online archives of posts in the way that Errol Bruce-Knapp's UfoUpdates List has/had.

I'm not sure the demand for such a List still exists given the existence of numerous relevant Facebook pages, blogs and discussion forums such as AboveTopSecret.com which allow quick and easy mulit-media posts.

Still, unless someone can be persuaded to do the job, I'm tempted to set up a new List (not in the name of UfoUpdates but along similar lines, i.e. an email discussion List with a public online archive - probably using the relatively low-maintenance Google Groups infrastructure). Is there any demand for such a List???

Personally, while I rather like using Facebook and discussion forums for some purposes, I don't think they are a complete replacement for an email discussion List with a public archive - particularly since:

(a) researchers (particularly older ones) seem to like the List format but dislike forums and/or Facebook. Some of them are more likely to move to some of the existing private Lists rather than public forums. This would further detract from the quality of public UFO discussions online.

(b) Facebook's format encourages short responses rather than detailed discussions.

After (hopefully) getting some views here and elsewhere on the question of whether a replacement email discussion List is needed (and whether anyone else can be persuaded to volunteer to manage one ) I'll decide what to do. If there is a resounding silence, well, I suppose that will be answer to the question of whether there is any real demand for such a List.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Again, I have the online infrastructure to manage a list of this sort if anyone wants to do the heavy lifting.

 

[uforadio]

From Michael M. Dechamps' FB post
https://goo.gl/r2qsSf

Michel M. Deschamps added 5 new photos.
August 12 at 4:25pm ·

It is with deep sorrow that I received the news that my friend and webhost, Errol Bruce-Knapp has passed away. He has left a legacy that will linger for years to come. He was one of the Pirate Radio pioneers of the 1960s and a fellow UFO eyewitness. He will be greatly missed by one and all who knew him in person, or would listen to his podcasts after he had been hosting "Strange Days...Indeed" with Victor Viggiani at CFRB 1010 Newstalk in Toronto. Peterborough, Ontario was his last place of residence where he spent his last days. I am honored to have known him! A great day of sadness indeed...

 

[Constance]

unless someone can be persuaded to do the job, I'm tempted to set up a new List (not in the name of UfoUpdates but along similar lines, i.e. an email discussion List with a public online archive - probably using the relatively low-maintenance Google Groups infrastructure). Is there any demand for such a List???

I hope you will do so, Isaac. You certainly have the energy, knowledge, and technological capabilities needed to maintain such a list/discussion, and I think it would serve the public interest if it could be archived and accessible to the public even if only some vetted individuals were permitted to post in it.