Help restoring the Hearthtools PELLET advice server!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

webbie

Seasoned Moderator
Nov 17, 2005
12,165
Western Mass.
As some of you may know and the rest are about to find out, Rod (hearthtools) is one of the world's foremost experts on pellet stoves and moderated this forum for a couple of years. During that time he contributed a lot of information here, but also built up a number of pages on his server - Hearthtools.com

Many of them are linked to - and have been visited thousands of times - in the stickies above this forum

But we have a problem! Rod closed up his retail operation and now just does service...and, in the process, he let his server lapse and it was taken offline! Those links no longer work!

But all is not lost! He actually has gotten ahold of the ancient server computer that his site was on and even got the domain name working again - with nothing there yet until we restore.
http://www.hearthtools.com

Well, here comes the pitch. Restoring from this ancient server and hard drive and then putting it online is going to cost some money - money that Rod does not have to spare at the moment. Since I prodded him into doing this whole thing, I donated to the cause.....but, frankly, not enough to pay the expenses that he is going to incur.

Long story short - if any of you want to help him with $5, $10 or whatever your heart desires, please send paypal to:
[email protected]

As the webmaster, I officially endorse this effort since it is likely to help MANY tens of thousands of pellet heads in the future. I hate to see good data and advice be lost to the sands of time!
:cool:
 
Thanks guys. Been a long process out of pocket about $250 so far. I'm sending the hard drive for recovery and that will cost about $125. Any help is appreciated
 
Hey, this is great!
The data Rod has written is not replaceable - little tips and instructions on service of many older pellet stoves, etc. etc.

It will be great to resurrect it and not have to (hopefully) change the many links we have to it on this site!
 
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Yes im going to take the time and restore the directory's just like before so MOST links will not be broken
 
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Anytime we can help restore things that have made this site what it is, and keep the Archived Contributors? I am all for it.

Done deal.

I have read through all of those Stickies numerous times. I hope that many in the future can to.
 
Yes im going to take the time and restore the directory's just like before so MOST links will not be broken

And then put a 404 redirect so that calls for any pages which do not exist (for whatever reason) go to a nice directory page which links to everything!
 
Glad to help a solid contributor. I own a lot of thanks for several forum members.
 
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It would be kinda painful but it looks like your website was pretty static you could pull most off of archive.org I think.

http://web.archive.org/web/20101222091227/http://www.hearthtools.com/

I think you would still be missing some. Some links to files work ok some images though are missing.

Yeah - that would be the last resort...but, luckily, he located the actual server appliance with the stuff on it. That should assure the most complete copy - and the cost is not too high (time being money)....
 
Nice be know my 15 years of sharing online has been appreciated. Brings tears to my eyes.
I have been putting this off for 4 weeks but Mr Chi prodded me into getting it fixed.

My wife was upset I was spending money we dont have to fix something that is not making us any money.

THANKS AGAIN YOU ALL ROCK!
 
As some of you may know and the rest are about to find out, Rod (hearthtools) is one of the world's foremost experts on pellet stoves and moderated this forum for a couple of years. During that time he contributed a lot of information here, but also built up a number of pages on his server - Hearthtools.com

Many of them are linked to - and have been visited thousands of times - in the stickies above this forum

But we have a problem! Rod closed up his retail operation and now just does service...and, in the process, he let his server lapse and it was taken offline! Those links no longer work!

But all is not lost! He actually has gotten ahold of the ancient server computer that his site was one and even got the domain name working again - with nothing there yet until we restore.
http://www.hearthtools.com

Well, here comes the pitch. Restoring from this ancient server and hard drive and then putting it online is going to cost some money - money that Rod does not have to spare at the moment. Since I prodded him into doing this whole thing, I donated to the cause.....but, frankly, not enough to pay the expenses that he is going to incur.

Long story short - if any of you want to help him with $5, $10 or whatever your heart desires, please send paypal to:
[email protected]

As the webmaster, I officially endorse this effort since it is likely to help MANY tens of thousands of pellet heads in the future. I hate to see good data and advice be lost to the sands of time!
:cool:
 
OK, Donation Done!
 
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Is this some kind of joke?
 
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Done.

Thanks for all the great info! ! I used those links and posts ALOT when deciding on burning and also on deciding on a stove.
 
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