Geelong and District database and web site - it needs to be back online and accessible to everyone!

www.zades.com.au is missing - the background to how it came to this can be read in more detail on my blog.

In summary, 25 years of work was completely wiped off the web when the latest 'web hosting company' decided that they no longer wanted to support the server on which my database and web site were running.

If everyone who responded to my blogs, Facebook pages and Tweets contributed to this project we could have the web site and database back up and running and available to all the researchers in our region.

The database includes more than 1.6 million records for researchers of people and places in our region - and there is no charge - I have never charged for people using my database - it's been produced for local and family history researchers.  Amongst others, it has been used by the National Library of Australia, State Library of Victoria, City of Greater Geelong, Deakin University, and the Geelong Advertiser.  Add to than the numerous researchers - just like me - who find it invaluable.

What's more, I've got another couple of thousand entries waiting to be added ... once I can get it back up and running.

To get the web site and database up and running properly I need funding for:

• Web hosting
• Broadband access with sufficient upload and download volumes for the web site and database
• Doman name - due for renewal
• Technical support to get back up and live
• Email access - locked in to the Domain Name
• Add on utilities and components like Admin Tools for security and backup and database query functions

Already a very kind and generous person has stepped forward and is starting to recover the web site and database.  I won't go into details of what was done to my web site and database by the 'web hosting company' - it's sufficient to say that it needs some work to get to a working state.

The reason I need help to get it all back up and running - I don't make any money from my web site or database - in fact any research requests go to non-profit Family & Local History Societies.  I started the database in 1992, the initial web site in 1995, and have expanded it to cover an area from the Otways, almost up to Ballarat, across to Werribee, and all places south each of that arc.  

Since the beginning I have funded everything myself.  It hasn't been easy and was even more difficult when I was made redundant a few years ago. I just survived two years of unemployment but I finally got a job - unfortunately it is only for 12 months and ends in May this year.

Some of these things I need funding for - you might consider superfluous and now available for free.  That might be the case now but not for something more than twenty years old.  These things will be addressed in Stage 2 - reviewing options for the long-term use and potentially converting or upgrading to newer technology.  This aim of THIS project - Stage 1 - is to get the web site and database up and running as soon as possible so researchers can start using it again.

A short timeframe has been allocated to raise these funds as the funds are to be used to RESTORE something that already existed and therefore time is of the essence.

It may require more than one technical expert to address everything required to get the web site back up and running.

I've had some wonderful feedback from my blog when I was asking for help but nothing is free - and I don't expect it to be.  I'm just grateful for the amount of moral support out there - between us all I'm sure we'll get there in the end!