Just as the header says, this is a head's up that the site will shortly be going offline, hopefully temporarily. I've tried repeatedly to find someone with PhpBB expertise to help sort it out, but to no avail, which means my server will revert to the latest PHP version at the end of Dec 31st, which will once again break the forum.

I was hoping to have moved it before this deadline but the host I was considering hasn't come back to me as it's still closed for the holiday break, so we're back at square one.

My hope is that it'll return after that, but right now there are no guarantees. SHHF is a huge, ageing place that's got more and more unstable as it's gone on. At almost 18 years old, it holds so much information, but although I've perservered with managing the costs myself, as you can imagine, it's incredibly expensive to run just because of the size of it. If I need to spend even more to get it up to code and back online, I will have to consider if I can afford it anymore.

I'm not saying this to guilt anyone into donating - I'll keep doing it for as long as I can just as I always have! - but I want to be as transparent as possible as I weigh up the options and prepare you for downtime which may extend into several days.

Edit: To keep up to date, keep an eye on the Discord (https://discord.gg/GENQ9xg) and Twitter (@silenthillheavn).

Donations have always been open but maybe there's some larger crowdfunding push we can make. I know I've seen other websites with donation bars and transparent goals. Though admittedly there's so few of us left that come here regularly that might be a fruitless effort.

If the forum ends, it'll be incredibly sad, but I think most of us would understand. Forums as a medium have been dying out for almost a decade now. It's an inevitability that I'd prefer pushed back as much as possible, but it's still an inevitability. It can't stay up forever.

So, I know there was mention of a discord. Is everyone there? If not, everyone should go there. Just in case things aren't able to come back up, yeah? I forgot my old discord login so I'll have to make a new one to join.

I really hope it doesn't go down forever. One year ago today I came back to the forum as a regular and I've loved my time back, even if there are way fewer faces around here than there used to be.

This place is so special to me. I sincerely would be very sad for it to go away forever. The Facebook Group is a poor imitation of the community feeling a forum like this has, even at reduced member activity.

Just wanted to drop in and say goodbye to the place just in case it shuts down. I haven't been super active in a long time, but I'll miss it all the same.

It isn't over until it's over! Keep checking back!

I already told our Facebook group, but I spent about two hours tonight copying/pasting some of my old threads into Google Docs so I could still have them. Should the worst happen, know that this place will always hold an immensely special place in my stupid, black heart. I apologize for being a dick in my younger years—I’m really not that in real life, promise.

Whatever happens, I’ll miss you all (to varying degrees).

Kidding.

...still (tentatively) here! Suspect it's because it's a holiday, but make the most of it whilst we're still here! Hoping to move hosts first week of January.

Goodbye everyone
Hopefully it's not forever.

Vixx, please do not feel the need to explain you don't want to "guilt" anyone into donating. I've been pleased in the past to pay the small fee for the cult subscription, and I would totally be willing to either do a one-time larger donation if that would be helpful in you getting the help you need to migrate and update the forum, or even to begin paying a monthly subscription for the forum itself. You have kept our Silent Hill home alive for many years, and we are grateful! I bet there are some of us who would be willing to contribute to help with the financial burden. Please don't hesitate to put the wheels in motion for something like this. I wouldn't pay out of guilt; I'd pay out of a true gratefulness for how you've maintained the forum and a gladness to contribute to its future. I don't think it would be unreasonable at all for us to start helping more with the costs if they grow to an unreasonable cost for you to manage.

Whatever happens, thank you for your dedication to this place for all these years -- and for your efforts to preserve it now! You're the best!

Note to everyone: if you're not in the Silent Hill Heaven Facebook group, join! And please feel free to add me on Facebook if we're not already FB friends! I'd like to stay in touch with the SHHF family. I'm gonna check my profile here on SHHF to add a link to my Facebook if it's not already there.

I love you all. I promise I’ll keep trying to save us. Got jabbed yesterday with the vaccine we helped make, as part of the UW researchers directly working with SARS-CoV-2 second wave. Various papers of ours are coming out as we learn more. We’re trying. Stay alive, okay? You are all loved. Thank you so much, Vixx. You’re amazing, and we’re so lucky to have you. Love.

Still here! Yay! *fingers crossed*

Good news for now!

So far the only thing I've noticed is there's like a 10% chance the theme will break when loading into a section. It'll persist through that visit, but leaving and reopening the website fixes it.

I wonder if that's all that will happen or if we're still due to vanish in a day or two...

I think we're still at risk, things just haven't been reverted back by the host yet.

Yup, I think they've either forgotten their threat to move me back on Jan 1st, or they're offering a grace period. Either way, we're on borrowed time, but am talking to new hosting provider on Monday hopefully!

Excellent! Fingers crossed. Keep us posted Vixx!

Best wishes, Vixx. Hope you don't encounter too much trouble or headache through this process.

Thank you for everything Vixx... either if the site can stay with us longer or if it gets eventually lost I always will be grateful for the good times I had reading stuff here... I can't believe I have been here almost 20 years!! And my english still sucks XD

I've only officially been a member of the site for a relatively short time but I've spent many years browsing and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent apart of it and I felt welcome. Thank you for everything Vixx no matter what happens.

We're glad to have you on board, Red! It's nice to pick up new members even in this day and age when the golden age of internet message boards has passed.