We may be all here but are we all there?

[pen] Don't we get 28 days to reconsider? Don't think I want the old year back anyway, but Statues have rights... or something...

[bllamelewis] Try sending it back, see what happens? (I'm just going to hold my nose and go forward...)

I'm still dealing with this major contractor fraud and the fact that she put rodents all into my walls and ceiling . . . and they have scratched their way out. It's so bad that they are ALL OVER my bedroom every evening, even jumping on me.

[pen] Looks like we're stuck with this year then...

[blamelewis] Hold on a mo... sun's out today! Politics is a bit too gripping for my liking though.

In Belgium we have a national government, only 234 days after the elections and only 1593 days till the next ones. What's gripping in Dutch politics?

Bit nippy out there. Have I missed much?

Anyone else having trouble reaching MCiOS?

Stand down, no one panic! NO ONE PANIC!!

Hello. You've probably seen the note on the front page. After much contemplation and careful reading of the documentation, I have decided that remaining open for play after the UK's Online Safety Act kicks in is more trouble than it's worth. I would appreciate it if you could play out all the games by then - no new games can be started as these ones close. Those with unguessable winning moves, or are otherwise unwinnable, will be won with the standard move. Thanks for all the fun. I will refrain from any political commentary, other than a general comment that it rarely ends well when governments get interested in technology.

(Not that I wish to imply that I have the wisdom and intellect of a dolphin)

Thanks, rab, for building and maintaining this site for so long.

Thanks, Rab, it's been a great place to be. I shall miss it.

Sincere thanks, Rab. I will miss this site.

A quarter century is a good run. I'm extremely grateful too. Shall we try... Discord or somewhere?

This has been a splendid place. It will be missed. Thank you Rab.

Aw darn. Has it been 25 years? Thanks so much rab for all the efforts. The place will indeed be missed.

22 it is.

Still think of this as the new place! :)

If Rab hadn't said 22 I would have pegged the site at 25. I started posting to OMC in '99 and could swear MC5 was "a thing" then. Another win for Mr Brain.

The law of unexpected consequences strikes again. It was nice while it lasted.

[rab] Thank you for all the years of fun.

[rab] I've not been a great contributor to this site sticking mainly to MCiOS and before that Orange but have occasionally posted here. Regardless of that, it's a damned shame that you feel forced to shut the site due to the Act, and I am sorry to see that the site will close.
So, we'll just be left with MCiOS - let's hope we can avoid that having a similar fate.

Let me agree with Blob that this is not just a tragedy. It is a catastrophe.

Given that the last day of operation is the ides of March, Maybe we could try writing a Julius Caesar parody to bid it farewell?

Yon Online Safety Act has a lean and hungry look...

The online safety act may look like a nuisance, but it might do some good here. Many liberals have been arguing for years for better pun controls.

[rab] Thanks so much for hosting this place! I will miss coming here to play games! I've not found any other places like this.

Thanks all for your kindness and understanding. I remind you that MCiOS will remain in orbit, so plenty of fun still to be had. At least, for now.

[rab] Mmm, I'm still considering that. I've been following certain analysts and commentators on the subject of the UK OSA for a while, and I've already made a few changes to help limit abuse potential, against the possibility of remaining online -- for example, IMG tags are now no longer supported, though ones posted in the past will still work. Yes, my exposure is less than yours, as A) it's not hosted in the UK, but that carries little weight: in practice, entire European governments are hosted largely in the US; and B) I am not a UK subject. Nevertheless it's not a simple matter and I'm still watching the issue closely before deciding which way to jump. I'll have more to say over there in due course as the picture develops, but I thought I ought to respond to you there.

Thanks Dan. I agree with your comments particularly around the lack of technical solutions for proactive automated moderation.

[rab] MCiOS? Google thinks I want MCIPS or Military Criminal Investigative Organizations.

[rab] Darn, I can't get past the Spam filter despite putting answers in the little field under the main one.