R.I.P. Skeptiko forum

So, here is a bit of sad news: recently, Skeptiko forum has finally ceased to exist.

If you to skeptiko-forum.com now, you are redirected to Alex's new Substack blog https://whyaiquestion.substack.com/ instead.

Well, Skeptiko forum was in a decline lately, with less and less posts, let alone threads, appearing there day by day. Yet, it is still disappointing to see it gone fully and completely. Especially after all these years I spent there...

Rest in peace, Skeptiko forum. Despite all your faults and failings, you will still be fondly remembered. By me, at least.

[Laird]

Moved to Other Topics as it's not strictly a question, suggestion, or announcement about this forum.

So, here is a bit of sad news: recently, Skeptiko forum has finally ceased to exist.

If you to skeptiko-forum.com now, you are redirected to Alex's new Substack blog https://whyaiquestion.substack.com/ instead.

I'd noticed that a week or two back, and, in an odd synchronicity, had been contemplating posting about it myself in the next hour or two. Your post was quite a surprise in that respect.

Curiously, if you go to any URL under skeptiko-forum.com, it times out after a long delay, so it took me some time to realise that the forums were gone for good rather than just experiencing technical difficulties.

I'd wondered whether any announcement had been posted, whether there'd been any discussion in advance, or whether the forums had simply one day vanished - *poof* - with no advance warning and everybody just shaking themselves off, shrugging, and saying, "Well, uh, there goes that, I guess."

Well, Skeptiko forum was in a decline lately, with less and less posts, let alone threads, appearing there day by day. Yet, it is still disappointing to see it gone fully and completely. Especially after all these years I spent there...

Rest in peace, Skeptiko forum. Despite all your faults and failings, you will still be fondly remembered. By me, at least.

I share your sentiments.

I also think that this outcome validates the primary motivation for the founding of Psience Quest.

Moved to Other Topics as it's not strictly a question, suggestion, or announcement about this forum.


I'd noticed that a week or two back, and, in an odd synchronicity, had been contemplating posting about it myself in the next hour or two. Your post was quite a surprise in that respect.

Curiously, if you go to any URL under skeptiko-forum.com, it times out after a long delay, so it took me some time to realise that the forums were gone for good rather than just experiencing technical difficulties.

I'd wondered whether any announcement had been posted, whether there'd been any discussion in advance, or whether the forums had simply one day vanished - *poof* - with no advance warning and everybody just shaking themselves off, shrugging, and saying, "Well, uh, there goes that, I guess."


I share your sentiments.

I also think that this outcome validates the primary motivation for the founding of Psience Quest.

Yes, it was a bit of a mistake of mine to post it in the forum announcements. I just thought, since this is about... let's call it so... progenitor forum in relation to ours, it would be suitable to inform about its ultimate demise in this section.

But yes, "Other Topics" suit it better.

And - it's good that Psience Quest is here to act as a Skeptiko heir - as it, in its own turn, once acted as a heir to the Mind-Energy (remember that old forum? like it was a whole epoch ago...).

[Laird]

Mind-Energy (remember that old forum? like it was a whole epoch ago...).

It was before my time, but I did read a few threads there before its forums disappeared, as Skeptiko's have now done. It seems that the entire mind-energy.net domain is no longer online.

It was before my time, but I did read a few threads there before its forums disappeared, as Skeptiko's have now done. It seems that the entire mind-energy.net domain is no longer online.

Yes, it is gone, too - even if it did continue to exist for some time more after Skeptiko moved to a new forum. Yet, now it is only memory.

It was before my time, but I did read a few threads there before its forums disappeared, as Skeptiko's have now done. It seems that the entire mind-energy.net domain is no longer online.

I remember the Mind-Energy forums and was active there back then, but not as active as David and a number of vocal skeptics, some of whom also post on this forum from time to time. Back then, there were a large number of active posters. I wonder what has changed.

I remember the Mind-Energy forums and was active there back then, but not as active as David and a number of vocal skeptics, some of whom also post on this forum from time to time. Back then, there were a large number of active posters. I wonder what has changed.

Mostly, it's the online world in general which has changed. Lots of short-attention-span social media sites, some open, others private, visible to members only, have altered the landscape in which people engage on any topic.

I do recall the days of Mind-Energy.net though I was a relatively late arrival there. Things were already in full swing and very busy when I signed up. The move away from there to Alex's own Skeptiko forum felt a bit of a jolt, there were already signs that we were gathered in a place that could change at the whim of one person. It did start out at least somewhat community-led.

Still, as I say, it isn't so much what happened there - or here for that matter - which has changed, so much as habits of the rest of the world.

I noticed there is still an echo of MindEnergyNet on twitter,
but nothing has been posted since 2018 it appears.
https://x.com/mindenergynet

Mostly, it's the online world in general which has changed. Lots of short-attention-span social media sites, some open, other private, visible to members only, have altered the landscape in which people engage on any topic.

I do recall the days of Mind-Energy.net though I was a relatively late arrival there. Things were already in full swing and very busy when I signed up. The move away from there to Alex's own Skeptiko forum felt a bit of a jolt, there were already signs that we were gathered in a place that could change at the whim of one person. It did start out at least somewhat community-led.

Still, as I say, it isn't so much what happened there - or here for that matter - which has changed, so much as habits of the rest of the world.

I have fallen behind on the latest trends in the online world. In particular I never got into the format of “Twitter” as a way of messaging.

Thanks Vortex,

In a way, I am glad to see Skeptiko go - rather as one might see a well-loved pet put down at the end of its life.

I'd love to know the back-story as to what happened over there.

I do wonder if Alex's extensive interest in the dark side of psi somehow disturbed him. I wish him well.

David