If you do write it, I'll try to follow the lead if I have time, It's the least I can do - maybe the sudden increased volume of material will draw some people in. Maybe.





That viewpoint might have to change anyway, since these days unless a message board had a specialized purpose (such as for a specific game, or tech support) you're extremely lucky if you have 8 regulars. Each board at Comicboards has maybe 2 or 3.





I don't know - I think there was a time when people get married and/or a job and give up the internet in exchange, but I don't think this is that time. Instead, I think we're losing to an exchange of time. Facebook and social networks like it are drawing more attention because of the promise of *daily* and centralized entertainment (most of the time here there's nothing to do), and because a lot of people have narcissistic tendencies. They can write something on Facebook or Blogger, and say this is *my* place and *my* audience, and I don't have to share it with anyone. And if people want to see my writing talent, they will have to come here and "friend" me so I can see exactly how many people read my stuff.

I admit it's tempting as a writer, but I personally don't like it as much because the noise-to-signal ratio is high. You post a good story, and nobody cares because a distant relative got a promotion today, or one of your friends started a hotbutton political discussion.

I think people know about the noise-to-signal thing, but don't care because if they have to struggle for attention, they believe it's better to struggle on their own territory. How many people have you seen posting here, or at other message boards, with nothing more than "I posted at my blog/facebook, come read it"?

Alao, ironically, I believe eventually Facebook will get greedy and either start premium subscriptions like Linkedin, and nag you all the time, or they'll use some obnoxious and invasive ads, and then we might see a slight resurgence in message boards. Maybe not this one, but some.





It's hosted in the same space as Powermad Software, Eek! Studio, and a few others, so the cost of maintenance is incrementally small. The software I designed is a little out of date now, but proves to be strong and resilient, and doesn't really need maintenance.





During the long absence of an "offical" path for the PV, I have actually been tempted to restructure the entire Lair Legion and secondary cast, several times, in order to accomodate people who have left and didn't want their names or characters to be used. I didn't complete it because it would have involved adding a lot of characters that need a back-story, and I never got that far. You have seen bits and pieces in alternate stories or similar.

Here was one such crazy idea:

The Lair Legion collapses because Hatman retires, Donar returns home, and CrazySugarFreakBoy has disappeared without explanation (and of course the Librarian is dead). The newer members are heartbroken that it's having to shut down, but they don't really want to give up. Unfortunately, none of them have either the funding nor the skill to take over. Yuki Shiro refuses the leadership role because she's angry about the collapse. Sir Mumphrey provides some counsel, but his age is catching up with him, and his mind is starting to go.

Vinnie and Liu Xi prove themselves to be heroes here. They organize a new group that basically have an intervention at the Psychic Samurai's home and ask her to take over the leadership. They need someone who can find funding, and who is charismatic enough to argue with the authorities, etc.

The new members would have been a strange group, too. A new alien member who's Shen Rae's sister and came just for the purpose of joining; an android similar to Anna, but this time designed specifically for the Lair Legion by Dr. Lia Anne Paul; Vinne and Liu Xi, Visionary, and Yuki as senior members; the entire cast of Juniors as full-time members; Dark Thugos, who lost both his cosmic office and his planet to revolution and democracy; Faite, who is still underage but provides cosmic direction for the team; and Samantha Wilton, who is also underage, but now the Keeper of the Chronometer, and already one of the world's greatest detectives. Lara Night joins the team as a part-time member, still trying to hold back from dedicating herself.

I can turn that into a full writeup if you want. It's short a few more male characters I'd have to develop from scratch though, which is what I meant above about needing some new ones.





I understand why that's so complicated - it's actually having an ending that's difficult. I do have one, just haven't gotten there yet.





See, in Florida I would never put paper items in a ground-floor storage unit. That's just asking for trouble, even from a nasty thunderstorm.