LFGSS and Microcosm shutting down 16th March 2025 (the day before the Online Safety Act is enforced)

Have you got a paper bag you can breathe in and out of?

#mashtonisthrowingawhitey

Does Ofcom have a London office?

How many lactose intolerant people do we have on the forum? Asking for a friend...

A few years back I actually tried to get the ball rolling to nominate you for an MBE. I dropped that ball and now I regret it whole heartedly.

Me too. Started the nomiunation for OBE or MBE or something. Dropped the ball too. Also contacted a couple of VB's mates for references.
I have the form and refs still on my computer.

Will dig out and see where I got to

ah! a good reason to avoid Discord then.

F..k, not the new I wanted to hear, that'll put a dumper on my big 6 zero celebrations couple of days later🙄. Not sure gov will ever try to pursue forums as this one, what with their not existent support team for anything, let alone something a bit more complicated like website.

But it is his decision as already mentioned ^ Ethereally grateful to @Velocio and the rest of the members, it was - and still is - an amazing journey into a rabbit hole of everything cycling.

@skydancer grat minds. If only we had collaborated I reckon we would have made it happen.

Ironic...

Do they have a front lawn, and does anyone have any frozen sausages?

(not sure if that reference ever made it out of the bastard neighbours thread or not, actually....)

Is this affecting other websites? Feels like we'll see more of this, but @Velocio is probably ahead of the curve on understanding the implications of the new Act?

TruFax
It may be too late now
Iconic...

Just when you think, na, can’t get much more shit, then this
Huge hug-n-thanks to everyone on here who helped make this a go-to for so many things and the biggest of fuck-offs to the cnuts who shoved a stick in the spokes

Oh yes it did, don't worry. It predates that thread. (re frozen sausages)

Christ, I sometimes feel like an archivist for this place, although the reality is that there are vast swathes of lore and culture that I have never grazed.

All these memories will be lost like .... tears in the rain. (as so often, Star Wars has the appropriate quote)

I just mentioned this to my boss (I write about tech for New Scientist magazine) and he's game for a story if I can find another couple of examples of websites shuttering because of the Act. And if I do that I'll be approaching Gov and Ofcom for their side of things...

Not saying that this could solve anything, change the Act, or stop LFGSS having to shut, but you never know.

Isn't that from Star Trek?

Time for a rebrand to Tynan's Anti-Ofcom Paste?

Great work, Sparky.

You can probably fairly accurately summarise any given members join date and general interests just by the forum bingo card phrases they regularly use.

I think it says a lot that Im sure im not the only one who refers to this place IRL as just 'the forum'. Definitely one of the last corners of the internet that actually felt like a genuine community, relatively unspoilt by bullshittery. Sad times.

Very upset about this - been a big fan of the forum since I was introduced by bike shop colleagues - it's seen me through a couple builds, lots of sales and purchases, and many many hours of procrastination. Particularly upset It will end as I start my long awaited 3 month tour - where will I share my ride for approval?
Will be sorely missed if it does indeed go :(

The episode with Keanu in?

All these memories will be lost like .... tears in the rain. (as so often, Star Wars has the appropriate quote)

Sums up everything lufgus means

Is he the one with the pointy ears?

"Beware the Rides of March"

Not sure gov will ever try to pursue forums as this one

You've got to put this into context... I too doubt they would ever pursue a site like this.

But I've received multiple death threats, had stalkers, and so on... from people who were moderated against precisely because they were threatening and a risk to others.

What this Act does is weaponise OfCom for use by those people who I would happily ban or moderate again... it gives an extremely powerful weapon to those people to seek revenge for having been banned... and that risk is carried by myself, individually, and totally.

There is a tiny risk enforcement would cover us... except for the fact that these are internet forums and those who I moderated and who have confronted me in real life, etc... those will now have the means to do something... they just need to complain to OfCom.

Anyone recall that time when I got sued by the BNP? Under this Act that would have succeeded and it would have ruined my life.

I've too much experience here to shrug it off as hypothetical when it is not.

@Velocio If we could raise the fees for you to go through all the legal loopholes would you consider keeping it alive?

I think people might be able to do it considering the amount of users here.

Or just ask the golf club thread....

the post immediately before you carries the real fears... even if we did the dance, raised the monies, got pricey legal involved... it doesn't change the risk to me.