#ELTchat: the loss of eltchat.com – Plan B
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The website to keep up the communication of its members, a base and repository of our ideas was one of the first things we all thought of creating – the wiki came later.
Andy Chaplin was keen to join the moderation team and help with podcasts and technical stuff; he was quick to buy eltchat.com and announced the good news to us after the fact.
A few months later, right after TESOL France 2011, he suddenly disappeared – some say for reasons of health.
We never found out for sure.
We never received a single word of response to our emails.
eltchat.com was and still is registered in his name.
And yesterday we lost it
On August 8 the domain expired and we have no way of taking over unless it goes up for sale again; it was very sad that Andy Chaplin did not find it appropriate to renew.
The news is really upsetting.
The work we have put in on this website cannot be told in a few simple words – but it has been a labour of love and we have got so much out of it that we have never regretted one single moment
We are pretty upset at the behaviour of this individual – disappointment is one big understatement.
But we trust that our community of #ELTchatters, our PLN for short, will again gather round the new domain which we have purchased – eltchat.org
It will take us a few days to put the website back on its feet
And all will be as it was before – all the posts in place all your thoughts and comments, all the polls and great summaries which got us on the shortlist of the ELTon Awards nominations
We will be back with a vengeance
We are not just a website – we did not get on the ELTon awards shortlist as just another website!!!
We are a great community of teachers and we have a Plan B!
See you all in September!!!
Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto Bruno Andrade Sue Annan Andrea Wade
Henrick Hoprea Mike Harrison Sue Lyon Jones Vicky Loras Lizzie Pinard
Tyson Sebunt Melania Paduraru Vicky Saumell David Dogson
Lesley Cioccarelli Cecilia Lemos Fiona Price Miguel Mendoza
Arjana Blazic Doug Peterson Chiew Pang Janet Bianchini Tamas Lorincz
Huge Thanks for all these reposts
Marisa Constantinides – Shaun Wilden
P.S. We would greatly appreciate it if any of you belonging to this great community of teachers, teacher educators, bloggers, #ELTchat followers, reposted this on your blog
If you decide to do this, please add your name to the post under ours.]]>
43 Responses
So sorry to hear you’ve got to re-site, but it’s great that you’ve got the .org address and will be back. May ELT chat continue to thrive!
[…] Blog Repost: #ELTChat: the loss of eltchat.com – Plan B August 10, 2012 Rick Leave a comment Go to comments If you haven’t been involved in #ELTChat discussions on twitter for the past couple of years, you should know you’ve missed the chance to connect with fantastic like-minded educators who pursue PD and always strive to do best for their students. #ELTChat is a discussion held every Wednesday on Twitter, and even though I wasn’t able to participate in the last discussions, we could always refer to the website that had been created as a repository for the discussions. This was only possible due to the hard work of all those who are involved in getting things up and running. If anyone here has been involved in any kind of endeavour, be it online or offline, you’ll know how hard it is when things seem to fall apart – but they only seem. As someone who has benefitted a lot from #ELTChat, and someone who appreciates the work that’s been put up by the team of moderators in ELTChat, I’ve decided to share what Marisa Constantinides has written on her blog here. This is not meant as a manifesto, but I believe those who keep looking for opportunities to keep growing professionally should know where they’ll be able to find the new website for #ELTChat, and a couple of words by the moderators on the reasons for the change. I’m posting the post in its entirety, as it’s been written on the original blog post, without adding nor deleting any word from it. Without further ado, here goes the repost from Marisa’s blog: […]
I have just reported in my blog. Just let me know if I can be of any help!
Love live #ELTchat.org!
I’ve reposted on my blog as requested http://cioccas.blogspot.com
[…] post was originally published on Marsia Constantinides — TEFL Matters on August 10, 2012. I support the ELTchat project, and am very proud of my brief stint as a […]
[…] eltchat blog previously hosted at eltchat.com will be moving. The message below is reposted from Marisa Constantinides’ TEFL Matters blog. For the last – well, almost two years now, since September 15 2010, #ELTchat has kept us on our […]
I’ve just reposted on my blog too, linking back here. Will share on twitter and Facebook.
[…] http://marisaconstantinides.edublogs.org/2012/08/10/eltchat-the-loss-of-eltchat-com-plan-b/ […]
[…] Reposted from Marisa Constantinides‘ blog TEFL Matters. […]
Hi Marisa!
Have also reposted on my blog – always here if you need me : )
Hugs,
Vicky
Sorry to hear that. Shaun’s told me how hard you both work to keep things going.
Best of luck with the .org!
[…] to keep it going! So, this is a re-post of an original post from Marisa Constatinides at: #ELTchat: the loss of eltchat.com – Plan B Here it […]
http://thelizziepinardworldofteachingefl.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/217/
Reposted on mine too!
Long live #ELTChat!!
I’m so sorry to hear this happened & hope it gets sorted out soon.
I was trying to think back to my twitter days and I don’t recall the name Andy Chaplin at all. But I can’t help wondering what might have happened to this person to make him disappear like that. Maybe a really serious health problem? Is there anyone out there who knows him?
I’d repost if I had a blog. Will keep my fingers crossed hoping all gets sorted quickly. I know how hard you & Shaun have worked to keep this wonderful project going.
Ax
Hi Anna and thanks for your comment.
Andy went by the twitter handle of @olafelch
You have no idea how many times we have emailed and tried to reach him by phone or message on email, on skype…
We did hear he had a health problem but was recovering – no more information was ever available – of course we were concerned!!!!
Marisa
Yes, I’ve course. I recognise the twitter handle.
I’m sure you did your best to track him down and try to find out what happened. Just so strange how someone can disappear like that.
Really hope you sort out the website really quickly.
Ax
and “yes, of course”! 😉
If he is well enough to start a google+ account he should be well enough to say, hey, I don’t care to hang out with you guys, here are the keys to eltchat.com
A few #eltchat followers do follow him; perhaps they could let us know something
I’ve also reblogged this: http://www.davedodgson.com/2012/08/reblog-eltchat-loss-of-eltchatcom-plan-b.html
As I say in the post, I will be more active in the chats once the summer break is over. And really, #ELT chat was mentioned so many times during my research (even though it was focused on blogging), highlighting what an important role it plays in ELTers’ online networks.
Speechless, but #eltchat.org is what matters now. I have re posted. Hugs Marisa.
Debbie
I am sorry to read this info, but i firmly believe that you will manage! Keep fingers crossed!
[…] backstory and plan to overcome this hiccup in its life, read Marisa Constantinides’ post: #ELTchat: the loss of eltchat.com – Plan B. In short, they’ll be moving content to eltchat.org in […]
Mentioned here too:
http://fourc.ca/eltchatmoved/
That’s shocking!
They didn’t send you any notice or anything that the domain name is about to expire – not sure how it works but I would expect… What about all the content?? Lost too?
I can imagine how you feel – I would’ve been devastated…
LEO
Hi Leo,
Thanks for sentiments but they wouldn’t contact us – we didn’t own it so they wouldn’t bother to let us know – even if they did nothing we could do
Marisa
Hi Marisa
Sorry to hear such news! Have reblogged as you asked.
http://fionaljblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/reblogging-eltchat-loss-of-eltchatcom.html
All the best
Fiona
[…] 12, 2012 by Melania This post was originally published on Marisa Constantinides — TEFL Matters on August 10, 2012. It was re-posted by Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto who supports the ELTchat project, […]
Hi Marisa,
What a nightmare – but am glad you’ve got it sorted. Will spread the word.
Sue
Hi Marisa,
I’m so sorry to hear about this, but am convinced that #eltchat will continue to be the best form of CPD :-)I reposted it on my blog too!
Take care
Arjana
Hi Marisa
I couldn’t believe this totally unexpected piece of news! I am so glad that you have already got a Plan B in place ready to roll!! I do hope the move goes well and wish you and the eltchat team all the very best!
I have just reposted your post on my blog:
http://civitaquana.blogspot.it/2012/08/repost-eltchat-loss-of-eltchatcom-plan-b.html
Warm wishes from Abruzzo
Janet
just had time to read what has happened and reposted it on my blog. I hope everything will be fine soon.
Best,
Eva Buyuksimkesyan
Hello Marisa, I am very sorry to learn about the ELTChat website. I have blogged about this and included your blogpost on my website:
http://www.eltexperiences.com/2012/08/the-revival-of-eltchats-website.html
I look forward to seeing the revival of the website. If there is anything you need help with please let me know.
Hi Marisa,
Just catching up with this news this morning; will try to get a re-post up on my school teacher training blog soon to spread the news.
What an upheaval and hassle for you! Moving home is never without a degree of pain…
Anyway, great to see there is already a good Plan B. Hope to see you and all the chatters there in the Autumn.
Best wishes,
Josh
[…] Various commitments, both personal and professional have kept me away from my blog and other online activities for almost four months. The usual – classes, deadlines, family visits, kids’ holidays. And I think I would probably have kept away until September and the end of the long summer break, had it not been for the news that eltchat has lost its .com domain, through no fault of their own. (To find out more read Marisa and Shaun’s blog post. ) […]
[…] Constantinides provides full details here about the reasons for the change of […]
[…] […]
I’ve reposted on the ESL-Library blog. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help. http://esl-library.com/blog/2012/08/14/eltchat-needs-your-support/
Hello
Great that you’re starting up again in Sept!
I’ve reposted this at:
http://jobethsteel.posterous.com/the-loss-of-eltchat-89100
Good luck!
Jo
[…] following post was originally published by Marisa Constantinides on 10 August, 2012. It announces the loss of eltchat.com domain and I’m proudly reposting to […]
Hi Marisa and all,
Just reposted on my blog as well: http://sophiamavridi.edublogs.org/2012/08/16/eltchat-every-end-is-a-new-beginning-2/
I’m sure plan B has a great future because it’s the people and not the domain that have made it so succesful.
See you all in September and please, let me know if there’s anything else you need help with.
Sophia
Plan B will work..re-posted and hope to meet up again in Sept..team spirit will win all in the end..
[…] DevelopmentContact ELTChat changing address Posted on 11 August, 2012 by Simon Thomas Marisa Constantinides on the move to eltchat.org (note: the site doesn’t seem to be up yet).Share this post:Bookmark on […]
Hi Marisa
I was so shocked when I read your post- so sorry to hear what happened (what a nightmare!) but very glad to hear you have a plan B – I’ve posted about the new site at http://www.elt-training.com. Good luck with it all,
Jo
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