Active Users:350 Time:08/12/2024 12:18:52 AM
An Ending Nebhead Send a noteboard - 07/01/2024 02:23:58 PM

Hi all,

It's time to bring RAFO's journey to a conclusion. I have been putting off this decision for several years now, but its increasingly hard to justify keeping the lights on here. I don't have a definitive end date yet, but it'll be in the next 3-6 months.

While RAFO was created primarily as a refuge for the community of wotmania after that site's closure, we had high hopes that it might eventually also stand on its own feet as a destination for Sci-fi & Fantasy discussion. That reality never materialised, and the community itself has also dissipated over time. It'd be easy to lay the blame for both of these at the trend toward consolidation of online discourse in a handful of large social media platforms, and that's undoubtedly part of the picture, but its also the case that RAFO wasn't kept up to date with the technology needed to attract and retain users (especially in terms of mobile-responsive design and forum/message board UX).

Regardless of the reasons why, it's still the case that the site is a shell of what it once was, and there's no practical route back that does not require a significant investment of time and resources - both things that I'm increasingly short of.

Still, it's been a blast and I remain proud of having been able to create and sustain RAFO, especially over the first few years of its existence.

I'll post again once I have a firm closure date.


Thanks to you all for your support over the last ~15 years - RAFO wouldn't have existed in the first place without you.


It's all my fault...
Vegas Aug 17-18 - A Night to Remember

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Spoony made this aaaages ago for me. Never got to use it though... until now!
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An Ending - 07/01/2024 02:23:58 PM 3353 Views
Well, thanks - 07/01/2024 04:19:19 PM 403 Views
I can't say I'm surprised - 07/01/2024 07:18:39 PM 287 Views
I’ll be sorry to see it go, but I completely understand. - 08/01/2024 12:04:07 AM 267 Views
Hell yeah! One last push to end on a high note. *NM* - 10/02/2024 03:35:09 AM 137 Views
Like Tom, I'm not surprised. - 10/01/2024 08:41:04 PM 266 Views
...has it really been fifteen years? Lord. I suppose it has been, hasn't it? - 11/01/2024 08:22:17 AM 263 Views
This is something I will be looking at - 11/01/2024 02:06:07 PM 294 Views
Any cloud options? - 10/02/2024 03:36:52 AM 214 Views
Any epiphanies yet? - 18/06/2024 11:18:02 AM 144 Views
Re: ...has it really been fifteen years? Lord. I suppose it has been, hasn't it? - 24/05/2024 02:18:15 PM 160 Views
Thank You - 11/01/2024 04:51:29 PM 265 Views
THANK YOU! RAFO has been wonderful over the years..... - 10/02/2024 03:33:34 AM 262 Views
Thank you for your devoting time and energy to RAFO - 24/05/2024 02:16:45 PM 148 Views
An Old Friend - 28/06/2024 07:07:48 PM 137 Views
Thanks for every thing - 22/07/2024 07:23:53 PM 109 Views
This is still happening, I just need to find the time to do something... - 13/08/2024 08:50:10 AM 141 Views
That's a great idea. Maybe..... - 18/08/2024 02:27:47 AM 117 Views
Re: An Ending - 18/10/2024 01:49:44 AM 67 Views
I wondered if this place was still going - 23/10/2024 04:12:27 AM 58 Views
This place and wotmania..... - 23/10/2024 01:44:08 PM 73 Views

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