Yahoo Groups Shutting Down - Dec 14, 2019 (UPDATED)

[morgandawn]

(Updated Oct 25, 2019)

Starting Oct 28, 2019 no new files (photos, documents, etc) will be allowed to be uploaded. Starting Dec 14, 2019, Yahoo Groups will be limited to emails only - functions like digest will be eliminated and all files and photos will be deleted. Admins will have limited tools and all groups will be invite only. And archives of existing messages will not longer be accessible.

What To Do?

I have a step by step guide here. The short version

1. Admins - back up your Groups and decide whether and where to move
2. Members - back up your Groups - don't leave this to the admins.
3. Everyone - consider documenting Yahoo Groups on Fanlore, help spread the word

The OTW has made an announcement. Their Open Doors preservation program is open to  providing storage of Yahoo Groups backups that are assembled by moderators and non-moderators alike. Details here.

Fans are gathering on a Discord Channel to chat and ask for and give help:  https://discord.gg/ek2xFyJ (updated invite)

Please follow the Yahoo Group Rescue Tumblr for updates

 

Comments

Re: The Great Purge

[doranwen]

I've got something like that started, but realized I had a lot of questions about what it should contain.

For instance, do we just link them to the OTW post? Or should we have something like this:

- If you want to preserve the data yourself, go here: *link to instructions on software to do that*

- If you'd like someone else to preserve the data for you, go here: *link to... something?* (don't currently have anywhere to say "go here and ask for someone to join your group so they can back things up, but it's more likely that they've got multiple people asking for membership to do just that - and if they're touchy about the data getting all over the 'net, how do they know that the individual person is going to be honest about it? I mean, if I tell them "I will not post it publicly", I mean it - I never lie about what I will or won't do - but others may not be as honest)

Also, I'd think they ought to be linked to the list of "we need these groups backed up" - and if that is the case, should the message go out to all members of locked groups instead? Because as long as someone's a member, they can do the backup, even if they can't get mod permission to share it.

And should they be linked to the list of already-archived groups? So many questions I have. If I get some answers to those, I can work on crafting a simple, straightforward message. (Which I can do if I work at it, lol, I just have to fight my temptation to over-explain and over-share.)

The Great Purge

[mabregina]

It's all right. I was going to share your questions with the Discord but someone already wrote a public tumblr post:

https://yahoo-geddon.tumblr.com/post/188528746979/yahoo-groups-will-be-shutting-down-what-each-of