new thread
Hi Guys,
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about my hair history site. I've only updated it once in the last six months and just don't have as much interest in it anymore as my hair's growth has slowed a lot. It has grown some since my last trim in July and I'll post an update at some point but the month to month excitement of posting new photos has disappeared.
I'm also not thrilled with paying a monthly fee to maintain a site I'm not updating much. I have gotten considerable feedback over the years, mostly positive, about the site and how it's helped motivate both men and women on their long hair journeys. I've certainly enjoyed maintaining it over the years. It's been a very long journey dating back to 2001 when I first created it and had a couple of growth journeys to only long bangs instead of long hair everywhere. My current journey started in January 2004 and I haven't looked back.
It's currently paid through the end of next month so I won't close it for at least a couple of weeks if any are interested in looking through it again before it is closed. Thanks a lot guys for your interest and support over the years!
Here is the link to it:
My Site
Hi Jason,
I hope all is well with you two.
Your site has been a great inspiration to others I'm sure and of course our resident braiding expert. Still could not find any other free sites to host it and save paying for it.
It can't be long before the big day it.
Cheers,
John.B
Hi John,
Thanks for the kind words. Free sites aren't around that hold the volume of information I currently have on it and I wouldn't know how to move it all anyway other than to manually do it all. If I could somehow move all the info and have it be low cost somewhere, I would do it.
Yes, less than 4 months now!
Jason
Hi Jason,
Well it's kind of sad to see a piece of history disappear but like you mentioned economics came into play.Isn't that always the case with most things in life.Even though you weren't updating your site much anymore, one has to wonder how many guys were inspired to grow our their hair because of it.Thanks for letting us know as otherwise it would have been gone and some might have wondered what happened.Hope your having an excellent weekend my friend.Cheers
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the supportive words. Yeah, it's a mixture of economics and lack of interest in it. It was fun though and I'm glad it could help others in their journeys.
Best,
Jason
Hey Jason - how much does it cost you each month to keep the site managed?
Have you considered opening a Face Book account?
John (longhairguys1) Kansas
Hi John,
It costs $7/month to keep. I have a facebook account but only add those I know well.
Jason
Your hair site is wonderful, Jason. It would be sad to see it vanish. Have you thought about a My Space account? It is free and the advertising is not all that distracting. Give it some thought.
Scott
Thanks, Scott.
I don't really like MySpace and it wouldn't be in the same format that I currently have. I'm glad we can be facebook friends though.
Jason
There's quite a bit on my own personal site which I've lost interest in, but I've left it there because it appears others may still have interest and find it useful. All of us have new exciting interests that later wane over time. That is natural. Sometimes we truly lose interest in an activity altogether, while other times we master something and still live it, but it becomes old hat, and we just don't care to think much about it anymore. Growing long hair is that way for many of us. I could say I don't have much interest now in what's in my FAQ On Being A Longhair, for example, but I know others who are new to growing out their hair do find it useful, so I have no thought of removing it.
The web has been around now for fifteen years, and that's a long time - a quarter of a lifetime for the older guys here, and more for the younger guys. A few years ago I had to confront the question, "Do I want my web site to just reflect what I am now, or do I want it to also include things I've done before that others are today finding interesting or useful?" I've had a web site so long now that a large part of it is in the "used to do that" category, but I've left it where I've felt it had value. Think of the times you wanted to find out something, and how happy you were when you found someone had it on his web site!
One thing you can do (I did) is to let readers know you're not interested in communicating about the stuff you're no longer into, and you can mention on appropriate pages that they are no longer updated or maintained. Then you can just forget the stuff is there.
A lot of people we all know have enjoyed your pages and found them inspirational. I'd say, give some thought before just throwing something that valuable away!
Bill
If I could keep it for $12 a year, I definitely would! None of it is HTML though as it was all created using the Yahoo pagebuilding tools. I wouldn't know how to move it anywhere.
I appreciate your thoughts about my site and your experience with yours. Countless guys have benefited from your "On Being A Longhair" treatise. I know I definitely did. I admit that I feel like I'm losing a part of myself by discontinuing the site but, like you said, I feel like I've "graduated" and just have other interests now. Keeping my long hair now just seems natural. If it was still growing at reasonable rate, I would feel motivated to keep updating.
I have given this a lot of thought. I first began contemplating not keeping it towards the end of last year. When I saw that last $21 charged to my credit card for this three months, I pretty much knew that the end had to come.
def inspired me to grow, love the site man! but if you want a free one try the link above ive posted of my new hair site
Hey Mark,
I'm glad it inspired you! I'm loving the look of your new site. Unfortunately I wouldn't know how to move my present one there and I don't think that hosting company would be able to hold its immensity anyway.
Jason
Perhaps "your" site will evolve into an "our" site as you start a new phase of your life.....your extraordinary hair photos could be incorporated there.
Four months ! Gasp ! Jitters??
Still waiting for that invitation ! Ha!
Walter
Maybe some day I will start an entirely new site on a different them - perhaps another form of photography.
101 days to go!!
Your site has indeed been an inspiration - it certainly helped me to commit to growing 5-years ago as we discussed at the time.
I can however understand your reluctance to pay for something that has done its duty and is now somewhat superfluous to your present needs. I will be sorry to see it closed but understand the move: However please keep in touch via MLHHB - your story of the adversity and ultimate triumph of your personal wishes versus the obvious soul searching is one which should never be forgotten and is certainly more distinct that the more usual parental/work/other reasons why not.
Thanks for maintianing is so long - it has given pleasure and above all inspiration and will be missed.
Don't lose touch with the community though please.
Duncan
Thanks Duncan! I'll definitely stay in touch with MLHH. I'm gratifying to hear that it has provided inspiration.
All things eventually come to an end and it served it's purpose
now your ready to move on. It was a great site you did a
really nice job on it. The others have said pretty much what I
would say so I won't repeat it.
Thanks for maintaining it all these years it helped a lot of
people.
Kevin
Hi Jason,
Of course I will be saddened to see your site go, since organized it so well, and it provided an inspirational place for guys who were embarking on mew long hair growing journeys of their own. Of course, I understand your perspective from an economic standpoint, however.
Take care,
David
Thanks David for your kind words. I'm glad the site could serve to help inspire others. I feel like I've just moved past it at this time in my life.
I can't tell you how much of an inspiration your site has been. I am just about a year on the road, and I keep looking to your site for benchmarks. Thanks so much for sharing.
I've visited your site a couple times. I enjoyed looking through your longhair growth journey. You have awesome hair Jason, definitely inspirational.
It'll be sad to see your site go, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
Take care man.
Luke.
Hi Jason. I have been to your site several times in the past two years and it had not changed much since your hair is getting close to terminal. Yes, when your hair does not change as much, you tend to lose interest sharing it. When I was early in my hair growing journey, I posted monthly updates on MLHH. Then as my hair got longer, and the length does not show up as much, I reduced my updates to once every six months to show a bigger length difference with each update.
Reading your message, it looks like you are going to retire your site. You can use MySpace or FaceBook for free, and still show your hair progress photos there. Try it.
In case you had not found out, I have a girlfriend Kaydee, and she is quite similar to me in many aspects.
Matthew
Thanks for all your work with the site, it has helped me a lot during the growing out of my hair.
Hey Jason
What a shame to see your site go, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that Bills suggestion might just work for you with this. Some of the photos with the beautiful scenery are just so magnificent!
Take care and I hope that you will be able to keep the site on.
Justin~
Thanks Justin! It appears that the grave is being dug as we speak though!
Great, Jason, I hope I'll be welcome :-D
Why, of course, you're welcome Nikola!
Hi Jason,
I'm so glad you posted about terminating your web site soon, as it gave me another chance to look it over more thoroughly this time. I remember checking it out a couple of years ago, but this time I learned some things that I don't remember reading about you before, like: you were born in South Africa! I also got a big kick out of your braided bangs pics -- hilarious, I LOVED them!!!
There were some pages, though, that had a notice that read, "Sorry, the GeoCities web site you were trying to reach is no longer available"... WOW, going already? I guess I got there just in time to see a few pages, at least!!
I also signed your guest book.
GREAT job on that web site, Jason. I'm sorry to hear about it disappearing soon; but I certainly understand the need to simply "move on" to other things that are of more current interest. It's all a part of our growth as human beings. It's almost as if once we've accomplished our own individual hair growth journeys, we've succeeded at getting an important part of ourselves in order to feel complete; and then after the dust settles about that, we're more ready to move onto other things of a completely different nature -- just inner growth stuff, as well as just moving forward in life in general. As Bill calls it, "you've graduated!"
Thanks again for all the time it took for you to share the many pics and writings you did on that web site!
- Ken
Hi Ken,
Thanks a lot for your comments. I appreciate the kind words. I do feel exactly like I've graduated and it's on to different endeavors at this point.
Jason
Thanks for your website, Jason! It really inspired me in some moments of my growing journey! R.I.P =)
Vivien
...about your site going down.
Maybe you can save the material and put it up again some day?
It's just such an inspirational site.
Anyway, I understand and respect your reasoning and thanks for all the years that it was up Jason.