Updated (9/20): We are now back up and running, at least at partial capacity. Thank you all for your wonderful messages of support and encouragement. I couldn’t have done this at all without you!
Dear friends and avid supporters of The Winchester Family Business:
If you’re seeing this message here, it’s because there is no Winchester Family Business to post this message on. The site has suffered a massive setback and it’s future is very uncertain. There aren’t words to say how devastated I am, and how I feel like I’ve lost a child that I’ve nurtured for five long years.
Earlier this evening, the WFB hosting provider, A2 Hosting, shut the database server down and will not bring it back up. We had no warning. This means that not only can the site not run, but I can’t get a copy of the database and our massive archive to use for rebuilding. I have nothing right now. This is the latest of incidents that has plagued the Winchester Family Business ever since our ill fated upgrade in early June, but it’s probably the one that just killed the site.
For those that remember, back during the last few months of season eight our site was having constant errors, making it almost impossible to navigate articles or post messages. We were running on a server with not enough resources, an outdated Joomla platform, a template that needed rebuilding, and applications that were woefully outdated. We had to rebuild everything. In June, I did just that, and needless to say the upgrade did not go well. The server was constantly running out of memory and crashing, many of the new applications didn’t work right or killed site performance, and the new template, pretty though it may be, turned out to be a massive resource hog.
I could bore you all with further technical details, but let’s just say that I’ve been working my ass off all summer on a daily basis to fix all these issues, with little or no help from A2 Hosting or Joomla. This is the age of open source, where you are expected to be a savvy enough coder to fix these things yourself. In the end, I just didn’t have that kind of power over time and space.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to get The Winchester Family Business up and running, and to what capacity. I’ve already devoted so much time and energy just to watch this site, aka my long labor of love, crash and burn. Rebuilding right now seems more than my broken heart can take. Not to mention, real life won’t give me the time to do so. The only other option I was given was an expensive upgrade, something that is not realistic for a fan site that doesn’t generate that much income. I’ve never begged for donations before, and I refuse to now. We managed to sustain ourselves for five years, and if that’s no longer possible, maybe that’s the sign it’s time to stop.
I’m sure I’ll find a new resolve, but for now, The Winchester Family Business is no longer in business.
With season nine approaching in a few weeks, I’ll make sure our Supernatural reviews will still be available and ready for discussion. You may or may not have noticed our dedicated pages to Person of Interest and Revolution on this TVFTROU site. I can setup one for Supernatural if need be. This site is on a different server and a different provider than The Winchester Family Business was, so it is stable.
The Winchester Family Business also has a Tumblr page, so watch for reviews and other articles there too. http://winfambusiness.tumblr.com/
I ask you all to give me a day or two to mourn, and then I’ll come back with some options. The Winchester Family Business will never fully go away. We have too much history. I’ve put five tireless years of my life into this site. The late nights, the news and spoiler updates done in my car during lunch breaks at work, the laptop with me at kids events and family vacations, the cross country con trips, it’s been so much a part of who I am. I can’t imagine life without it. Maybe that’s why I am truly, truly crushed right now.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your amazing years of support and love. The SPN Family is truly the greatest family in the world. There’s a lot to celebrate in the next few weeks with the return of season nine, so let’s focus on the positive and get ready for what’s truly important, the Winchesters back in action.
With much love,
Alice
This is horrible! So much lost! (Such a disturbance in the SPNfamily force…) Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help! We’re family, after all!
I found this site, from what I can see on my cell, it doesn’t have everything… but it seems to have a lot. http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/ (It’s a web-archive) I hope maybe it can help.
such sad news:(
I love the site, suggested to anyone that watch spn
I am mourning with you Alice, please don’t give up! You’ve done such a great job, and WFB is really the best site I’ve ever come across. Whatever happens that will never change.
I would love to help if it anything I could ( research & editing etc ) I could understand your lost I have my baby blog which I enjoy doing it I know It can’t compare with work you’ve done over the years
If u want you could check out mine see what I did and if you want new army I’d love to help out
http://oursupernaturalstory.blogspot.co.nz/?m=0
Thanks again
Hugs
I’m so sad for you. I hope you can find a way to get your database back. There’s got to be a way. Sue the heck out of them! Sad sad news for the whole Supernatural Family.
Hugs from Brazil
You have – for whatever it’s worth – my support, my love and my condolences.
WFB is/was the only Supernatural site I followed – certainly the only one I’ve ever participated in – and I have made some truly wonderful friends there.
Alice, I hope you can find the energy/desire/resources to rebuild, but I look forward to the continuation of what brought me to the site – all the incredibly balanced and articulate articles and discussions.
Thank you, Alice, for everything you’ve done and tried to do over the years.
Long live the WFB – in whatever form it takes.
Hi Alice:
*Sends you a virtual hug*
I’m gutted for you; WFB IS (I’ll stay positive and use present tense) an incredible source of entertainment and information for SPN fans because of you and the WFB crew.
Whatever path you take from here, a huge thank you for all the time, effort and passion you gave to this project; it’s a big part of what makes SPN special!
so very sorry to hear Alice! *hugs* my friend.
Dear Alice,
I’m so sorry to hear this sad news. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll be able to get everything back. *hugs*
@Paleonut: you are amazing for finding this. Thank you!
I’m so sorry to hear. It truely feels liek a death to hear the news. But hopefully WFB will follow our brothers i that death isn’t permanent and you find a way.
I’m sick about your site being dead, but this is Supernatural after all… nothing stays dead that’s supposed to live, and WFB IS supposed to live. Wither thou goest… I’ll follow! You’ve made the Supernatural experience a lot of fun for us and we love you for it! Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put into WFB, fingers crossed you find a way to resurrect it.
Hi Alice
I am so sorry and devastated to hear about this. I feel as though I have lost a little of the Supernatural Family that was so important to me. Please please tell me that this isn’t it
Kaz1
No ..No…. just no.I am really sorry Alice.I am not very good in computers but I do know how when all our hardwork just seems fruitless.
But let me tell you I am happy that you started this site and such brilliant articles and I got to interact with other Spn fans.You,ardeo,sweetondean all the the writers are the greatest and all your hardwork was not for nothing.I pray to god that whatever possible should happen so that you can recover the database or whatever solution possible, I follow The winchester family business on tumblr and i will be on the lookout for reviews.
My best wishes
Oh Alice, I am so very sorry. This is horrible. WFB has felt like home ever since I discovered the online fandom. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed and appreciated all your hard work. Thank you so much for adding such wonderful layers to the whole Supernatural experience, and you have my complete support for whatever you plan to do for the future. I’m not sure there’s anything I can do to help, but if there was, I would love to.
Alice – I am devastated at the loss of this wonderful and balanced website but feel even more sadness for you – it was obvious that this site was your baby – the love, effort, and integrity that you put into it shined so brightly. If there is ANYTHING that your fans and followers can do please please let us know.
Alice so sorry to hear this news! I love WFB and all the love you have put into the site over the years shines through. We have all seen how much work it has been for you since the change at the beginning of the summer (and how frustrating it must have been even before the changeover using the old system). I hope you find a solution that works for you and that you get your archives back!
I am so sorry to hear about this! Since I found the site, it has become almost a daily stop, and I appreciate what you and your co-conspirators have done over the years more than I can say. I really hope that, once the fall out is over and you’ve had time for many deep breaths, you are able to find a new, more stable home. I wish there were more I could do besides offer my own sympathies, so if there IS something, let us know!
I’m so very sorry, Alice. It is a wonderful site. You’ve done an amazing job with it. I’ve met so many people that I’ve truly connected with and love talking to. You made that possible by creating policies that kept the hatefulness to a bare minimum and by diligently staying on top of posts that fall outside those bounds. And even give us a place to vent without bringing everyone else down. You listen to suggestions and try to keep everyone happy (within reason). It is a massive undertaking and you and the others have handled it beautifully. And I and I’m sure many others truly appreciate having such a nice place to come to.
I have faith you’ll regroup and be back but understand if you need a big break after this nightmare. I’m not computer savvy and don’t have much of an income right now (though would be happy to donate what I could), but if there is anything I can do help, please let me know. I was a travel agent for years and work with insurance companies for my mom. So I am used to sitting on hold and getting the run around until one of us caves, if that is helpful 😀
Thank you so much for all you and the others have done. It’s been a hard couple years and your site has really saved me on several occasions.
Stay strong and I’ll keep you in my thoughts,
Kelly
Oh Dear Alice..
Even i am crushed, your side was the once SPN site i ever followed with me being silent reader..Please dont be disheartened..I believe there is God up there and looking at you to support you in ways even you would not be able to imagine..pleasecsheer up
I’m so sorry to hear all that Alice. I very much appreciated all your hard work and the wonderful site you built. So thank you.
WOW!! Alice… This website has become a huge part of my mornings. I found this site 3 years ago and I have been a lurker until this year. It is the only site I have ever felt comfortable enough to make a comment. I can tell by your words that you are just done. I hope that you will continue to write reviews and maybe consider rebuilding in the future.
I am devastated to hear this. I love TWFB , I have been reading your articles and reviews for years. It is the one place in this fandom where you can post without fear of being ripped to shreds. I visit many times every day. I will be keeping everything crossed that something might be done to get everything back. I will be looking out for the s9 reviews.
Alice
Please don’t be like Dean now and think you have to do this alone. If there is anything we can do to help, we are right here waiting!! I don’t know what losing your database actually means (in terms of effort), but I say start again, from the beginning, you have an army of supporters that will help you in any way judging from the comments above. I simply REFUSE for WFB not to be there with my coffee in the morning!! Please please tell us how we can help you
Alice, I’m so so sorry about the whole thing. I love TWFB, and even though I don’t post on the main site much, I need the CBOX like I need air to live. I live vicariously on there, and know that there is no place in the SPN fandom like TWFB. There can never be. It’s just the best. You all are just the best.
I hope you can find the faith to rebuild and keep doing what you love. Till then, you’re in my prayers. Stay strong!
Sending all love and wishes.
Alice,
I had to post another message because I just read my earlier post and realised that all I wrote about was myself and how devastated I was to read this news. It was so selfish of me. 🙁
If I feel devastated you must be feeling absolutely broken down by it all. You certainly sound it. I am so very sorry, Alice. This site (like the show) has gotten me through some very difficult times over the past years and, for that, I am so truly grateful to you and all the other writers here. I echo Kaz’s sentiments above – if there is anything we can do to help you and this wonderful site, please let us know.
Oh, Alice, I’m so sorry. I had tears in my eyes when I read your letter. If the loss is devastating for us, I know how empty you must feel. I am so so sorry.
Since I discovered this site I come here every day, sometimes twice a day. I read every article more than once, and I check in on CBOX. I literally don’t know what I will do without my CBOX friends. I literally don’t know what I will do without WFB. This site is awesome.
I love you, your articles and all the hard work you’ve put into the WFB. If there is anything we can do to help, we will definitely do it.
Thank you. More than I can say.
Dear Alice. I am so sick that this has happened to you and the best Supernatural site out there. You have done such a wonderful job in making this site truly stress free and welcoming for participants to post. No other site can say that!
This is the only site I have been a member of. It has been a part of my life for many years now and it will be almost impossible to get through my day (I am disabled) without it. How can those douchebags take your database?
Remember we are all behind you and those who are computer wise and able to help in any way I am sure they would be happy to. You are not alone in this. We love you and your wonderful site.
Bless you and thank you for everything you have done for us.
The Winchesters will rise again!! I am sure of it.
Alice-I am so sorry about the loss of WFB site and all your hard work. Please let us-your appreciative fans and friends-know what we can do for you.
Dear Alice I’m so sorry to hear this news. Don’t give up please because I come here every day to read your article. I discover this site 3 years ago and I usually do not write because english is not my language and it is very difficult to express my thoughts. I always thought that this site is very balanced and polite. So if there is anything we can do to help you please let us know.
With love from Italy
[quote]I’m so sad for you. I hope you can find a way to get your database back. There’s got to be a way. Sue the heck out of them! Sad sad news for the whole Supernatural Family.
Hugs from Brazil[/quote]
My dearest friend Vicki said what I think… You guys are just so awesome, I’m just devastated by the news…
Alice, pls don’t give up, I imagine or I can’t even fandom how terrible it is to lose all the labor of love that you and all your support team put in the site… But, pls Alice, I beg you, don’t give up, I think I can speak for all those who have a daily routine, like me, check the WFB every day for SPN news…
I do hope you guys continue, if not, believe you are gonna be missed and always remembered fondly…
Take care
Cla;}
Oh, Alice,
I’m so sorry. I loved your site and was a regular visitor and sometimes commentor. I know how very hard you worked on it and how much of yourself you put into it. I hope you will be able to retrieve the archives and open a new site. But never think all the work was in vain. So many of the SPN family enjoyed the site over the years. That is not gone. It is a fond memory! I really hope it can be salvaged and moved elsewhere. Love coming to the site for the reviews and fun articles, updates, and discussions. You always ran a top-notch site. I know it won’t just all go away. Let us know what you need when you are ready, my friend!
I am so sorry, Alice. And so grateful for the wonderful coverage you’ve provided for five terrific years.
Dear Alice, That is such incredibly sad news. My heart aches for you. You have put so much of your heart and soul into that wonderful website. A website that has been a valued part of my life for years now. The first thing I turned to when I rise in morning and the last thing I checked before going to bed. We fans may have squabbled but my love for your site never wavered. My love to you, sweetondean, Ardeospina and all the contributors for all the wonderful moments. Hopefully the WFB will continue on in some form in the future and that you will recover the archives. That doesn’t even seem legal!! So again Alice, thanks so much for everything.
I will miss all the friends I have made at WFB. You all know who you are 😥
Oh, this is just awful! What will we do without this wonderful, wonderful site? Not only is this the only site that I use to participate in the Supernatural fandom, this is the only site that I use to participate on the internet period. Commenting and participating in online fandom is not really my thing; here is the only place that I do so. Like many others have stated above, I come here every day to read and comment. If there is anything, and I mean ANYTHING that I can do to help I will as I am sure many others will as well. I am not great with computers, but even if you need someone to help with something really mundane like re-typing articles, I’ll help. It is my sincere hope that once you recover from the shock that you will want to rebuild…even the actors and crew of the show know about this site and it has proven itself to be THE premier Supernatural site on the web.
Maybe you could rebuild going forward with season 9 just to start and deal with the massive archive retrieval project at a later date so that the task doesn’t seem so daunting? Or perhaps make a Supernatural chapter on this site for the time being?
Whatever you decide to do, please know that I am so very sorry that this has happened and I just want to thank you so much for creating and running THE BEST Supernatural site on the web. 😥
Alice, I am truly devastated for you and us all. I can truthfully say that your site is my #1 go to place for so many things and I truly appreciate the hard work you have put into it. You are not alone – if there is some place we need to be putting a bug in a particular ear let us know. Misha is not the only one who can mobilize us!
You’ve got an army here, Alice, just waiting for orders. 8)
The SPNFamily rallies again! No one doubts what we can do when united in a cause. And the WFB is definitely a worthy cause!
BTW, I will also have a bit of time on my hands, and would love to help out, if you need unskilled (seriously unskilled) labour. 🙂
HOLY HOSTAGE!!
They’re holding your stuff hostage. ARGH! All that work and what a miserable experience.
I don’t know if this is an option for you, or if it’s one you want to pursue, but most state governments have a consumer affairs bureau. (Sometimes it’s in the executive branch, other times you’ll find it in the state attorney general’s office.) If you know what state the company is HQ’d in, call that state’s AG or consumer affairs office. A phone call from someone official can shake loose a lot of stuff. I’ve done it successfully in a variety of situations myself.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT THIS SITE…. 😥 😥 😥
why?why?why?i am so sad right now….i donno what to say plz do sth plz repair it it was an awesome site u gatta repair it plz plz plz
Alice, I am so very sorry about what has happened. especially for the stress you must be feeling right now. Take some time, take a breath, and then come back and tell us what you have decided to do. If you need us to donate to help fund a new site, let us know. We’re family here. I don’t have much extra, but I’d certainly be willing to chip in what I can.
Take care, Alice.
Deborah
Alice, I am so sorry to hear that! It’s terrible news. I’m glad you’re going to keep the spirit of WFB alive, and I wish you the best with this site. Take your time to mourn, and we as the SPNFamily are here for you and mourn with you!
Oh this is truly sad news!! WFB is the best fan sites ever!
I wish you best of luck getting things back!
(is there a way to boycott this company…cause you know, they do not know what they’re dealing with in SPN fans!!)
I’m so very sorry to hear this terrible news. It might seem silly, but it is terrible. I want to let you know how greatful I am to you and all the writers who have given us an open forum to discuss….well everything. I’ve had such a good time coming in here and being able to talk to all of you. It’s safe in here and for the most part quite pleasant. I really do hope you can find a way to keep it all alive.
thanks for everything….and thanks everyone for allowing me to share with all of you….
[quote]I’m so very sorry to hear this terrible news. It might seem silly, but it is terrible. I want to let you know how greatful I am to you and all the writers who have given us an open forum to discuss….well everything. I’ve had such a good time coming in here and being able to talk to all of you. It’s safe in here and for the most part quite pleasant. I really do hope you can find a way to keep it all alive.
thanks for everything….and thanks everyone for allowing me to share with all of you….[/quote]
alice, whatever you need….just let us know
That is just awful! You and others have worked so hard to make so much fun and interesting material available to us fans. If there’s anything a computer-challenged but enthusiastic fan can do to help, please let me know!
hey guys,
just thought i’d put this out there. prior to finding this awesome site, i frequented another site which isn’t so bad. as a matter of fact, it went from my go to site, to my back up site, which i guess will again be my go to site. i somehow found the wfb and enjoyed the positivity and the awesome forums, that i just planted myself here. anyway, the other site, supernatural.tv isn’t bad and i thought maybe if you guys needed a place to chat, you might join me there. i’d love to continue with you guys there….i go by my first name and last initial on that site…annan. it’s a good site. you get current spoilers & updates. there are different forums and it’s well moderated. they don’t go for the nasty stuff. kind of like here. i stay out of the dean forum as i find it a little hostile…but the sam forum is pretty friendly. there is also, for us bibro’s, the winchester brother forum which is a pretty positive forum. anyway, just thought i’d put it out there. it would be nice to be able to be able to chat with you guys….so until alice & co. can regroup…..anyway, hope to see some of you there….
alice, i’ll be waiting for your return…i will keep my eyes and ears out for ya….
Hi Anna
Thanks so much for this, I will look for you there. I am so devastated about this. I has affected me far more than I expected. I loved reading your loooooong take on SPN issues.
Karen
OH Alice!! How devistating this is for you and all the admins we have all come to love and looked forward to the postings. I hope upon all hope that you find a way to get it all back. The WFB was the only site that I cared to give the time of day to and made some great friends along the way. Please keep us informed of any progress and if you need anything all you have to do is ask.
Alice
I woke up to my coffee without WFB for the 2nd day today!!! I really am in shock that this has happened, and I am thinking about you all the time and I don’t even know you (the internet go figure).
Alice goodness knows how much this must have cost you in time effort and emotion. I can only imagine how devastating it must be to lose something you clearly cared about so much, there is just so much heart, so much heart in what you do. Your passion just shone through in every aspect of the site. Your code of ethics, the type of articles you created, the type of ppl you attracted, the love for the show, I can just go on and on. The testimonies above show how much your effort meant to so many people across the globe, not too many people get to achieve that Alice!!!. You touched lives and connected people, really I am choking up right now!!! Please don’t underestimate the value of what this little site can do and does in so many ways than just talking about SPN ! In our country we have a Zulu saying which is Ubuntu. It means ‘a person is a person because of other people’, it is about WHAT MAKES US HUMAN. WFB had this in bucket loads. Alice if you do nothing else I truly want to thank you for that, really I mean it. I wish I could hug you. I wish I could look you in the eye and say that your journey took us all to beautiful places, places I would not have seen if it weren’t for you and your team. Ok now OPT has just fallen. You have asked us to let you time out for a while and I respect that. It seems from your twitter (I created an account just to follow you eh eh) that you have some serious decisions to make. Judging from your website, you will be awesome in whatever you decide.
I just wanted to come on to say thank you Alice for all you have achieved with WFB. You touched lives, no archive or database can take that away. Never forget that, because I for one won’t. I salute you and will miss you
Karen
That was lovely Kaz (Karen). 🙂
I agree. Beautiful.
Leah
I am so SAD about this. I love reading what you eilf E St50 Nappi nate amy kelly and so many others have to say. It was my regular little fix. We need to find a way to stay in touch if things go south permanently.
Thanks Kaz, you sure put me in some good company! Alice has some encouraging news below so things are definitely looking brighter!
completely agree with everything you have said.
Thank you Kaz, that was absolutely beautiful. You put into words what we are all feeling. Goes to show you what that little website brought together. 🙂
Oh Alice, I’m so sorry this has happened. I know you are reeling now. If there is anything I can do to help once you make your decisions, let me know. Thank you for the site and all the wonderful articles and information you have given us in the past.
Here I am again. When I posted the first time I was so immersed in emotion and didn’t think of saying big thank you to all the participants of the best site ever. So thank you Alice, Sweetondean, Bardicvoice, FarAwayEyes, and other brilliant writers! Your articles were just great, and I simply can’t imagine my day without reading your thoughtful, inspirational reviews. Yes, there are other sites, but TWFB is unique. All this love can’t be in vain!
I just want to say all of these messages mean so much to me! This has been a very difficult 28 hours and I can’t believe the outpouring of support and encouragement I’ve gotten from everyone. I’m so touched and I feel so lucky to be part of this SPN family. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I’ve had an encouraging evening. We managed to get our full system copied from A2 Hosting. That’s the database and everything. There are definitely problems with it. I’ve been working all evening to fix those problems, and so far the changes are working (fingers crossed!).
We still have an account with our old provider (Bluehost) on the old server. That’s the one this TVFTROU site is running on now! We have no choice right now but to go back to the old server and load the WFB site there. That means the site will be slower, several features will have to be disabled, but it will be running.
My biggest fear is overloading this server too, and since it’s a server with less capacity, so it’s important I fix all the issues that took the site down before we go live. I’m testing out every page and working in applications that use less memory and load times. You might notice the differences, but you might not.
Here’s the good news – best case we’ll be running at some capacity later tomorrow. I’ll definitely know more tomorrow and will keep you all informed.
I’m so grateful for my network engineer hubby, who was able after a lot of effort today to get the whole site and to restore it all on another server intact. That saved me a TON of rebuild I was afraid I’d have to do. I’m also grateful that because of this second site of mine we have a backup provider, even if the circumstances are less than ideal. Running is running! Half of the battle is already done, we have switched the WFB IPs back to the Bluehost server. All we need now is a working site.
Thanks again everyone for all the moral support, and rest assured I’m working my ass off to get you back to enjoying and socializing on the WFB. It’s the least I can do for you all!
That is such good news Alice. I am so happy that encouraging things are happening. Good luck!! Kudos to hubby! Yay!!
Holding both thumbs tightly. I don’t care what shape it’s in I just want my WFB back
Dean restored the Impala – twice! So you are in good company! =D
“Listen to me, Bobby. If there’s only one working part, that’s enough. We’re not just going to give up on…
“Okay. You got it.”
You know it! And so did Sam once. That Impala just won’t be taken down
That is good news indeed Alice. I have my fingers crossed and am holding my breath! I hope every goes well for you and thus for us. Thank you so much for everything that you do, and a big thank you to your hubby. 🙂
o/ That is awesome news. o/
Many thanks to you (and your wonderful hubby) for the perseverance! I think maybe there’s Winchester blood in your family somewhere – the odds are against you but you just won’t quit because what you do matters to others! 😆
And lovely analogy TeresaPezzino – very true!
I’m so glad to hear this!!!! Hugs all around!
I came running here as soon as my kids were out of the door this morning (okay, so they might be waiting on the bus stop a bit longer than usual this morning…I was rather impatient to get here 😆 ) to see if there were any updates. I can’t go through a day without checking into this site. This, along with the Sam thread at Supernatural TV (hi nappi/annan *waves* – I’m Daisy) are my daily fixes. 😆
To get a rambling story short – I am SO happy to read your post, Alice. Thank you and your husband for all your hard work.
Oh Alice what a devastating news!!! Hopefully everything will work it out, or any other solution will come. I wish I knew more about the cyber world to be helpful, I can only offer good vibes and positive thinking, but, if you come out with a new idea… just give the orders and I will follow.
Chin up! We are behind you for anything you need!
Big big Hugs for you Alice. All my thoughts are for you. I share your pain and your devastation.
hey everyone,
alice, just want you to know how happy i am to read about your encouraging news. i also want to let you know that i have complete faith that this site will prevail.
the wfb is alot like the winchesters….no matter what, if they work together, they can get through anything. well i think i can say the same thing about this fandom. we are strong, & we are faithful.
again, whatever you need, i’m there.
hope to see you all again very soon.
my best,
anna 😆
chin up…if sam and dean can finally get to where they are now….alice can certainly kick a computer’s ass 😛 😀
Alice, what wonderful news! Thank you so much for all your hard work and your technological chops! Just these few days without my morning Supernatural fix have been torture! WFB will prevail! 😆
Alice (and all WFB Family)
I know it’s been tough, (and as I read over everything that happened I can’t even imagine how difficult), but I am here, as are so many others. I hope we can get the site up and running in any capacity and if we must bring our patience to bear upon it as we navigate it when it goes live once more—and it WILL—we will do it.
I know I am honored to write for the WFB now going into my third season writing. I can’t wait to do that for season 9. I know there’s no other site I’d like to do that for than WFB.
You’ve got my support, Alice!
Oh Alice, this is such a sad news. What am i gonna do without WFB! I am feeling so bad and sad and sorry about this. But as u said there’s still hope to get it up and running. So fingers crossed. Thank God u wer able to retrieve old database nd everything from them. There are some amazing articles and photos and videos in there. Thank God! Anyway, best of luck to u. I hope u ‘ll be able to bring the site back in any shape(i don’t much care about dat) and as soon as possible. Love u, Alice.
Three cheers for Alice and her helpful husband!
Hip hip hurrah! Hip hip………
(OK, how about a gazillion cheers! 😆 )
This is indeed fabulous news, Alice. I’ll be so happy to be back on the WFB, and so thankful not to worry about crashing this site on you!
I’ll definitely be drinking a toast to you tonight (in DALLAS! Woohoo!)
HURAAH!!!
Alice, words can’t express how sorry I am to hear this horrendous news, I have a lump in my throat from the whole situation. 😥 Just know that we are all here for you through this difficult time, and as Charlie told Dean, “There is nothing the Winchesters can’t do when they work together”. Same goes with the fans of your wonderful website.
As you stated, you’ve survived so many problems, your a trooper and you’ll get through this also. Even if you do start from scratch, we will be there for you every step of the way.
Virtual hug. 🙄
Alice, I’m devastated to hear this. I know that WFB was your child, and you loved and nurtured it with your heart and soul. I’m so very sorry. I will contribute to SPN wherever you are when the new season starts. Robin’s Rambles won’t be as lengthy as they used to be because my back surgery hasn’t been as successful as I had hoped, but I will contribute something every week. I love th show–and you–more than ever, and think the fans are the best in the world. Love, Robin
Alice: Reading your message was like a physical blow – I gasped out loud and immediately felt bereft! The Winchester Family Business is like a home for me, and as you have read all of the above comments I hope you realize how many others feel that same way. Your constant work and diligence cannot be measured in quantitative ways because it has left its mark on the hearts of all of your followers.
We ache for you. We love you. We are here for you. I wish I could be there to give you a huge SPN hug.
YAY! So happy for you and of course me. Thanks for all your hard work. I know it couldn’t have been easy.
It’s great news, Alice! Even if you don’t have a new site right away, it’s a big relief that you have all your material from the old site. We’ll all be here when the new site is ready! Thanks to you and your hubby for all your hard work and dedication. I know it was a big set-back for you, but WFB will be back. It will be better than ever to celebrate the new site AND the new season! Hugs.
Hi Alice.
I was so devastated to read this letter of yours, I could see your own devastation in the words alone. I’ve been following your articles for quite a long while now, from the earlier jesterz.net site to TWFB site and it has and still is the only site that I go to because I feel at home there. I’ve met some incredible friends there, read some mind blowing and drool inducing articles that have made my day on more times than I can count. A big “Thank You”, doesn’t just seem to cut it 🙂
A big reason for our site’s popularity and success comes from you, Alice. Your love for the Show and the site shines through like a beacon. And I know that we all appreciate and respect you very, very much. You share our mad passion for the Greatest Show on Earth. And you gave us a playground where to meet like minded people and to talk and drool (and drool some more) and chat and drool and participate and be charitable and and and…
There aren’t words enough, Alice, of my own personal gratitude and feelings of awesomeness that you inspire in me. You are a true inspiration in so many ways!
I hope you will be able to get us our home back, so we can return to celebrate our Show and our fandom. And you. Because you are awesome.
Thank you, for everything, Alice.
With much love, Super
Such good news Alice. Now you can go and enjoy Dallas. We will wait patiently until you got everything settled
Doin’ the happy dance to hear about your alternate plans and waiting patiently for WFB to be back up and running…. OK, maybe not so patiently, but very thankfully. We really do appreciate the hard work you put into creating a first class website for us all to feed our addiction to everything Supernatural on. You bring the whole SPN family a little closer with your efforts and that makes the whole experience better for all of us. So thank you again!!!
Whew! So glad to see you are feeling a mite better now and more hopeful. God bless your wonderful hubby!
Will be so very happy to get the site back in any shape or form. The despair I felt at the loss of your wonderful site was mighty depressing.
Chin up Alice, you are doing wonderfully, and my deepest thanks and admiration for all that you do for our pleasure. This is the only site I interact on in the internet world. It made me welcome and brave enough to post some of my thoughts. Missing out on the Winchesters and their struggles is not an option, so I would have followed you wherever you ended up at.
On top of the world right now with your good news! 🙂
Hey, Alice, hoping for the best, here. I guess a lot of us don’t realize how much technical stuff goes into a website. We should consider ourselves lucky, in that no matter how many struggles you’ve had with servers, we still had access to all the articles and lovely (and funny) pictures.
If you are feeling apologetic about the site being slow in future (note, I have no doubt you’ll get it up and running), I want to tell you, when I first found your site, I was on dialup, and would wait 10 minutes and more to read one of your reviews.
We all appreciate your hard work on WFB site, and look forward to more of the same, in what ever incarnation we find it.
Hi Alice,
I was so sorry to hear about the loss of all your hard work!
I’m missing the site terribly. It’s great, though, to see how many of most consistent posters came here to wish you well.
Hang in there, Alice! Your work and willingness to go the extra mile are greatly appreciated.
nooooooooooooooo 😥 😥 😥 not u guys
Well it looks like you have enough fans to help you get up an running. Set up a place for donations and see what happens. Its not begging its letting us help.
[i]Well it looks like you have enough fans to help you get up an running. Set up a place for donations and see what happens. Its not begging its letting us help.[/i]
What Shirley Lockhart said!
You know, in all the excitement of getting the site back up running, piece by piece, I never thanked you all here. Thanks again so much from the bottom of my heart!
Your calls for donations are very kind, but we’ve got it covered. I setup both these sites with an ad revenue supporting model. We make enough revenue in various ways to keep the sites running. The expensive upgrade wasn’t necessary and it felt like we were being bullied into paying more money rather than being given a chance to fix the problems. If we ever do an expensive upgrade, it’ll be because our traffic and ad revenue make it necessary.
I never feel right taking funds from fans unless it’s on behalf of a charity that needs it. So, if you would like to take those dollars (or pounds or euros etc) and give those to one of our supported WFB charities or just any charity in general, that would be the best gesture possible. They can be found on the WFB fandom page:
http://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/wfb-fandom-page
Thank you all again for all your support during our down time. I’m still amazed it only took two days. I’m grateful we were able to use the TV For The Rest of Us server, otherwise we’d still be down. I’m very thankful for catching breaks like this.
This is great news. I love this web site. And in all honesty I love it more now. In this day when people get offered money not alot turn it down. For you to suggest giving it to a charity is awsome. In the future if you have to upgrade I will love to help. Thank you for your honesty and your website. You haveit up in time for season 9.