PrimePage retiring in 2023

[TimSorbet]

I noticed a message on PrimePage, I assume from Chris Caldwell that reads

Note 2023 is the last year that I will maintain this site--there is currently no plan to continue it after that.

I'm thankful for the work he's put into the https://primes.utm.edu/ site, and will be sad to see it go.

Does anyone have thoughts on if this will hurt prime search projects like GIMPS and NPLB? And if it's worth it for someone else to continue a "Top [x]" list (whether officially linked to the old one or not)?

[paulunderwood]

Originally Posted by Mini-Geek

I noticed a message on PrimePage, I assume from Chris Caldwell that reads

I'm thankful for the work he's put into the https://primes.utm.edu/ site, and will be sad to see it go.

Does anyone have thoughts on if this will hurt prime search projects like GIMPS and NPLB? And if it's worth it for someone else to continue a "Top [x]" list (whether officially linked to the old one or not)?

The day will come when CC will need to retire. I have been using, linking to and reading The Prime Pages for nearly 25 years, back when GIMPS had not yet found a mega-prime. I really hope some entity takes on this great resource after CC retires. It would be a big loss if it disappeared from The Net. Let's all thank CC for his great work, not least for the maintenance of the Top5000, various Top20s, the glossary etc. and for dealing with the many requests from us, "The Titans", over the years.

[kriesel]

The web archive copies (at least the October one I tried a bit on) seems pretty functional. Some links in it don't work. https://web.archive.org/web/20221029...rimes.utm.edu/ The GIMPS reference info collection links to various prime.utm.edu pages.

(Perhaps a younger UTM faculty member could be persuaded to continue or at least host it?)

[paulunderwood]

Originally Posted by kriesel

The web archive copies (at least the October one I tried a bit on) seems pretty functional. Some links in it don't work. https://web.archive.org/web/20221029...rimes.utm.edu/ The GIMPS reference info collection links to various prime.utm.edu pages.

(Perhaps a younger UTM faculty member could be persuaded to continue or at least host it?)

Thanks for the web.archive.org link, but there is nothing like a live site with a database behind it, one which evolves hour by hour. I pray it stays alive after CC retires. Where else is there such an authority on huge primes, theory etc?

Hosting it is easy with a redirect from https://primes.utm.edu The hard part is the maintenance of the database and changing information.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by paulunderwood

Hosting it is easy with a redirect from https://primes.utm.edu The hard part is the maintenance of the database and changing information.

Exactly.

Sadly, I no longer have the bandwidth. I hope someone more dynamic than I will step into the bleach.

[rogue]

Is he looking for a volunteer to take over? I am not offering to volunteer.

[Batalov]

I asked CC the same when I first saw the banner.
But I have not heard back.

[bur]

Originally Posted by xilman

Exactly.

Sadly, I no longer have the bandwidth. I hope someone more dynamic than I will step into the bleach.

I don't know how much bandwidth it requires but I'd certainly be willing to donate regularly to keep it running. But as Paul Underwood said, I guess the biggest issue will not be hosting the status quo, but finding someone to maintain the database. Validation of the submitted primes in a somewhat decent time frame being part of that. I'm hoping Prof Caldwell can hand it over to someone else in the department.

Without a public database, finding yet another Proth prime looses some of its allure...

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by xilman

Exactly.
Sadly, I no longer have the bandwidth. I hope someone more dynamic than I will step into the bleach.

Nobody suggested you. They said "younger"

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by LaurV

Nobody suggested you. They said "younger"

Could I please suggest a crazy idea...?

Get some donated cloud compute and storage. Transfer the current knowledge.

Form an advisory board that trains up some undergrads in how things are actually done. Keep the system working (in modern architecture).

I would be willing to donate some of my time for this. Knowledge is an awful thing to lose. That whole entropy thing...

[paulunderwood]

The only problem with relocations is that there are tens of thousands of links to the domain primes.utm.edu. I doubt UTM would like to lose control of content if they put a redirect to a new host. Therefore I think it needs to stay with reputable academic institution.