Comment on: CoS Forums Closure

[MinervasCat]

Too sad for words right now. Will miss so many of you..

[ccollinsmith]

To Matt and all the Mods,

Thank you for all you have done to make this site a big part of my life. I came late to the Harry party. I read all 7 books of the HP series during the last couple of decent months in the life of my 18-year-old cat. I've always said that I read the series to find out what was up with Snape, but I think it was also to give myself a chance to stretch out on the couch next to my beloved dying cat and give us one last happy memory together. That was during Nov.-Dec. 2009.

I found CoS soon after because I just had to talk about the series. So I got involved in a lot of stimulating (and sometimes hair-tearing!) discussions... and found a bunch of unexpected friends. This site exposed me to a lot of TV shows I might not have discovered otherwise, and it even taught me that I do not have to limit myself to writing nonfiction.

I could see the numbers declining, so the decision to close is not a surprise... but the closing is still sad. I haven't had much time to post on CoS in recent months, but I still stop by pretty nearly every day just to see what's going on.

I guess I'll be here when you turn the lights out because it's really about the people for me now. Thanks for all the great times.

[GingerCat1]

COuld you if possible save the entire forum so if you want to start it up again at some point (perhaps JKR announces another series of books) you can simply start this forum from where it has been left off?

[asdfasdf17]

Aw I feel so sad But it was a fun experience. Thank you everyone!

[flimseycauldron]

I still say that Snape was a traitor! :P Thank you, Morgoth, for not just providing a great place for discussing Harry but going out of your way to add different elements and topics to the forums to keep us all engaged.

I can see the site declining in members but it's important to remember that Harry Potter will go on to be a favorite to our children and our children's children. My only regret is that they will not have had the advantage of a site like this at the very beginning.

[Schlubalybub]

Just...no words. I'm crying my eyes out.

[TheShley]

Oh no! I've been a member of this forum for years, but have only just gotten (semi) active on it because I was too scared to comment because everyone seemed so clever. Ha! I feel sad that it has to close, and I never even made it into Hosgmead! Devo'ed.
I always tell anyone who may be interested that this is the best Potter forum out there... *sadface*

[Willz]

Very sad, where will we go to discuss HP now

[Verena]

I'll miss CoS Forum. I'll miss you.

[JJFinch]

Really sorry to hear this, but completely understand the reasoning. It's been a fantastic run and saw out the best HP times.

The magic will live on!!


(I feel really teary! I've not even been on here for ages - I must have had a premonition or something...)

[Rew]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

I just came across the news on Facebook,

Wait a second, COS has a Facebook page? Does anyone have a link?

[Alastor]

Do we? I'm not aware of any such page. Which may be due to the fact that I've never yet visited fb. But I think many enough of our members use facebook to spread the news there anyway.

[lil_snuffles]

I am so sad to see this place close. So many memories and so many friends. I know I have been absent for quite a while, been so busy with life's crazy adventures. But I will definitely miss this site

[ccollinsmith]

Originally Posted by Rew

Wait a second, COS has a Facebook page? Does anyone have a link?

CoS does not have an official FB page. There is, however, a network of Hogsmeade members on FB. I don't know about non-HM members, but I'm sure it's possible to set up a CoS FB group for anyone who wants one.

Originally Posted by Alastor

Do we? I'm not aware of any such page. Which may be due to the fact that I've never yet visited fb. But I think many enough of our members use facebook to spread the news there anyway.

Yes, it spread through the FB grapevine.

[Wimsey]

Well, that's a bit of a bummer, but it's hardly too surprising, either. Crazy though it is to say, the forum seemed to take it's biggest hit after Half-Blood Prince: the Harmonians turned up for a group howl, and then either never came back or got banned (and thus never came back). The "who loves who" stuff was like a sort of bad parody of a bar-room brawl that spills over into 15 different rooms: one wrong comment in a "Is Harry carrying Voldemort's soul on his forehead" thread and it became: "NOTHING LIKE THAT COULD BE TRUE BECAUSE HARRY TRULY LOVES HERMIONE/GINNY/LUNA/A POTTED PLANT!!!!!!!", followed be rebuttals and the mods having to sweep out the place.

Things then took a bigger hit after Hallows: it seemed like the Snape haters, Harrycrux haters, Harry has to return to Hogwarts crowd and RAB ≠ Regulus people didn't even bother to come back and howl!


COS had a good run: too bad I won't get a 10th anniversary post! (I don't think that I ever did get around to writing up the final analysis of the box office patterns, either. Oh well!)

[purplehawk]

Not all the Snape haters left!

[Fawkesfan1]

Damn! I'm very sad to see this place go . It's one of the few forums that I actually gave a dang about. I'll miss coming on here so much. Wish there was some way to save it. Guess I'll have to owl some of my friends here to try and stay in contact.

Thanks for the memories, everyone.

*Would you mind if we got on Ellen Degeneres's site to see if she could help out in any way? There's a spot on her site where she asks people what they need help with. And she does help people out. It can be an avenue we could try to pursue financially. It's worth a shot . If more than one of us sends e-mails and pics in, maybe we might have a chance to get some help.

We need to let her know that it provides an outlet and connections for those who may not be as adept socializing in person and it helps others as well in terms making connections and friendships.


link to her site

Disclaimer: from ellentv.com
*

Originally Posted by Schlubalybub

Just...no words. I'm crying my eyes out.

That's me too. *sniffling while writing this post* I have other places to post in, but none of them are as inclusive and welcoming as this forum is.

[Lucybird]

I too heard the news on facebook. Although I occasionally pop my head in I haven't visited this year at all. I'm very sad to see the site go, it hold so many happy memories for me.

I understand though.

Thank you for everything Matt, and all the staff, and everyone I've met here. I am so glad I got to be a part of this place.

[Morning_Star]

I'm so sad to hear this. I understand the reasons, and I want to thank everyone who has worked on making it such a great place. I have visited many different forums and communities on the internet, but this is, by far, the friendliest place I've come across. People are nice, tolerant, including, don't attack each other for the tiniest things, and they are helpful and friendly. There are, of course, exceptions, but that happens when you discuss things.

CoS is my internet home. I came here in my early (or mid? not sure) teens, and have done a lot of growing up here. I met people with the same interests as me, and it's been a great help to me to have somewhere to go to find others interested in not only Harry Potter, but also Lord of the Rings, fantasy, or just reading in general. I've never had many people around me in real life who also enjoy reading.

This is a Harry Potter forum, but it's also so much more. I've made friends here, I've found new books, new music, new TV series and films. I've gotten help here when I needed it, help I couldn't get from my family, and I had no friends to ask. A lot of people here have helped, some intentionally, and others by just being here and posting and brightening my day with witty, friendly or well-written posts.

I'm sad it will be over. (Not yet! We still have a few months left!) Everything ends, but I want you, everyone who has contributed to making this place so great, and especially Morgoth and the staff, to know how much CoS has meant to me. It's been a huge part of my life the years I've been here, and even though I've moved on a bit and don't come here as often, I still come here.

This is my internet home, the one place I could never leave completely, and I will miss it after it's gone.

[Fawkesfan1]

Originally Posted by Morning_Star

I'm so sad to hear this. I understand the reasons, and I want to thank everyone who has worked on making it such a great place. I have visited many different forums and communities on the internet, but this is, by far, the friendliest place I've come across. People are nice, tolerant, including, don't attack each other for the tiniest things, and they are helpful and friendly. There are, of course, exceptions, but that happens when you discuss things.

CoS is my internet home. I came here in my early (or mid? not sure) teens, and have done a lot of growing up here. I met people with the same interests as me, and it's been a great help to me to have somewhere to go to find others interested in not only Harry Potter, but also Lord of the Rings, fantasy, or just reading in general. I've never had many people around me in real life who also enjoy reading.

This is a Harry Potter forum, but it's also so much more. I've made friends here, I've found new books, new music, new TV series and films. I've gotten help here when I needed it, help I couldn't get from my family, and I had no friends to ask. A lot of people here have helped, some intentionally, and others by just being here and posting and brightening my day with witty, friendly or well-written posts.

I'm sad it will be over. (Not yet! We still have a few months left!) Everything ends, but I want you, everyone who has contributed to making this place so great, and especially Morgoth and the staff, to know how much CoS has meant to me. It's been a huge part of my life the years I've been here, and even though I've moved on a bit and don't come here as often, I still come here.

This is my internet home, the one place I could never leave completely, and I will miss it after it's gone.

Well said morning_star! I feel the same way about this place too. It's my home away from home . Made quite a few friends here, and it's been a real joy coming on here and posting every now and then.

Big HUGE thanks again to the staff (Morgoth esp.) for putting up with all of us and for keeping this place running for as long as they have.

The internet won't be the same. Loved coming on here when I have a cruddy day or if I need to cheer up. There never was a time when I didn't come across something that would make me laugh and/or smile.