As you may already know, Rootsweb has effectively been shut down due to a security issue. That’s where the Tingewick website has been hosted more or less since I first built it, 20 years ago.
It seems it will take ‘a few weeks‘ to resolve and there is a growing feeling that it may have vanished as a free hosting platform and will only return as a (paid-for) offshoot of Ancestry. I’m starting to look for an alternative but hosting a site of this size (more than 20,000 individuals, and growing) is going to cost £100 a year or more.
The site helps vast numbers of visitors. If, say, 100 were willing to pledge sponsorship of £1 each year, I could afford to set it up on a secure, reliable server. As a thank-you, the open public site could revert to showing bare outline trees with just dates and places, but subscribers might access a separate password-secured area which would offer a full version with sources and quotes – even more information than the current site – as well as all the other transcripts, photos etc.
Would it work? Would YOU be willing to pledge £1 a year to get the site back on the air?
Tingewick people 
I recently came across your great site following someone who is in my one-Name study. Might be worth looking at Simply Hosting (US company not the British One) they are use to genealogical sites and if you want to use TNG they will (after you have paid the licence fee (approx £28) install it on the site for you.
Hi Julie – thanks for the compliments and the very interesting suggestion for web hosting. I assume you use them for some of your network of sites, perhaps your Butcher one-name study? My reservation would be the 5GB space limit on their upper plan – I’d hate to hit a ceiling halfway through a rebuild. Certainly one to consider, though – thanks!
Hi Su,
My Butcher ONS is hosted by the Guild themselves using TNG. The Howes study (howesfamilies.com) and a number of other Guild members use Simply Hosting and when I was deciding how to proceed I made contact with Simply Hosting (www.simplyhosting.net) who were most helpful. My biggest question is how much space is 5GB. I was directed to the following on their website https://www.simplyhosting.net/genealogyhosting which has a discount for the first year. It might be worth dropping them an email and explaining the situation. They do a TNG install for you if you hold your material in a family history programme and can upload a GEDCOM. I decided to host my ONS sites with the Guild and am still mulling over a site with Simply Hosting for another project – not whether I will use them, but how I envisage the site working.
I hope that helps.
Hi Julie
Thanks for the suggestion. I don’t think I’m ready to go down the TNG route yet – I’m a bit of a control freak and like to keep the trees on t’net fairly bare so I have plenty to exchange with people who choose to get in touch with me. The biggest breakthroughs come from sharing what may seem like quite minor bits of information! Having the Tingewick site hosted for free for so long by Rootsweb was wonderful but I fear those days are over. I hope I’m wrong!
Hi Su,
Hope you had a nice Christmas.
Simply Hosting do also have the ability to offer webspace and use HTML. If that is preferred. Other options are Weebly or you could move it to WP.
I don’t have any ancestors in your patch, but admire your dedication – I would be happy to pledge a small something to the coffers and I hope others step forward to.
Happy New Year!
Best wishes,
Julie
Hi Julie
Many thanks again for kind words, advice and most of all your pledge – hopefully I won’t need to take you up on it and Rootsweb will return …
Hi Su,
I am more than happy to contribute to help build a new site. the advice you gave me regarding Thomas Alton/Sarah Holton enabled me to break down a huge brick wall . I belong to both Sussex and Sheffield family history groups and they both charge about £12 per year.
jan
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Hi Jan
Many thanks! Fingers crossed it won’t come to that in the end – the new site is shaping up quite well already so maybe I’ll have enough space there without paying; and of course Rootsweb might reappear at some point. Thanks for the kind words, too – I enjoy the tussle of breaking down walls firstly for the challenge and the joy of making that breakthrough (I make precious few in my own tree after 30 years 😦 ) and of course it means making new connections on the Tingewick database too. It all adds up!