Thread: Permanent page for plans documents etc.

Do we have a page/area where plans, pics, autocad files or pdf's can be uploaded and which will be permanently available for members to download.

The reason I ask is thst Simmos Panbreak files have disappeared from his original post since I first downloaded them.

I have now had several enquiries for them, which is not a bother as I just send them off to whoever asks for them.

But was thinking these could be more easly available if they could be retained within the forum for anyone to download should one so desire?

Any docs-pics-plans etc that are attachments to posts are a weak link and subject to being lost whenever the forum software is upgraded - that's the nature of these types of forums and it has happened to me (and countless others) on 3 other forums.

On the woodies forum as a Moderator I was able to go back in and reinsert the photos on some of my long threads but I don't especially want to be doing that again.
Luckily I have all physical original and processed photos organised in time series/topi/project folders so I can easily find them.
I don't know if this been fixed in subsequent updates of the forum software but I wouldn't hold my breath.
I doubt there is anyway around it and besides nothing is permanent on the web anyway.

I host a bunch of stuff online for people on a site that's been doing so for years - happy to put any documents of interest it up with the rest. It started out as parts manuals for vintage motorcycles but has expanded into some metalworking stuff. Metal stuff:

https://motofaction.org/books-catalo...hures-manuals/

The site is all done by hand in HTML so there won't be any updates to break things... or so goes the hope.

Perhaps a forum dropbox or google drive could be set up? Would obviously need someone to vet anything to be uploaded to make sure nothing malicious is added by scammers/spammers and I assume password access only

I totally agree that somewhere is needed that we can share Plans and Manuals on. This was actually talked about some years ago, maybe on the Woodwork Forum site. If J.C. is happy to do it, then perhaps use his website other than than Dropbox or Google Drive would be a good idea. It really needs to be a searchable site otherwise it's going to be hard to find stuff.

I’m happy to do it - the site already moves hundreds of GB a month of pictures and PDFs so a few more won’t be noticed.

"MWF Library"

Originally Posted by J.C.

I’m happy to do it - the site already moves hundreds of GB a month of pictures and PDFs so a few more won’t be noticed.

the problem with it being hosted elsewhere is that new members will not know its there unless directed to it.

Originally Posted by eskimo

the problem with it being hosted elsewhere is that new members will not know its there unless directed to it.

Can't disagree with that!

We had a Wiki that got rolled into a Vbulletin forum subdirectory at one point, but the forum had difficulty with software updates breaking it and with access permissions to allow people to upload it. It ended up being rolled back out after being abandoned by the forum software managers and I manage it now offsite.

It's not always simple to add this sort of stuff to a forum, depending on the software/etc.

That being said, I have no horse in this race - just offering up a page if required, and I have been happily hosting this sort of stuff for others and myself for years so it's known to work. People can send stuff in via email or Wetransfer, I put it in git, push/pull and it's there.