First and foremost, this is not yet a discussion about changing hosts, but rather a discussion to empower members of the community to represent/negotiate with other hosting providers so we can get all the options on the table. After that's done, a discussion can be held on if we should, though that first step implies that we are willing to change hosts if we decide that we have a better option. There are a few things that should be mentioned up front though:
- Wikia owns the URL until 2013, any move requires us to use another URL. Some have already been acquired, just in case, and others are available.
- Wikia can NOT keep a copy of MA online if the community decides to leave. We hold the copyright for the content, and it's CC-BY-NC, which means a for-profit organization can not use the content. We leave, the content leaves.
- This includes the other languages as well, or at least the ones we want to take, since some of them appare to be dead with only a handful of pages compared to the larger ones. I ask that similar discussions be held on those Memory Alphas as well, since this isn't just an English only issue.
That said, I'm for seeing the options on the table, since I firmly believe MA's and wikia's goals are no longer compatible. I personally have some ideas about hosting, including MA hosting itself, that I would like to, or have another, explore, depending on if we're willing to explore the idea. - Archduk3 12:49, October 14, 2011 (UTC)