A Thank You To The Open Road

...Well, this is the second time I have to discuss the closure of a forum connected to Queensryche...and, sadly, it is the very same forum that was formed by ex-members of The Breakdown Room after that closed down.

Earlier today, I had realised that I hadn't visited The Open Road for about a week (in my defence, I was in Scotland for most of that time), so I opted to go back to it. I hadn't really said anything on the forum for a while, but I found it a very enjoyable place to visit and was looking forward to getting back to chatting with some of the old members.

The first thing I noticed was a small announcement in the upper right corner of the screen saying that the forum would be closing. Somewhat concerned, I took a read of the announcement and, well...yeah, the forum will be closing on the 1st of October. Not only that, but it will not even be archived, so every comment on the forum will be wiped from the internet on the 1st of October.

While it feels like a huge shame that the forum has only lasted about six months, I can truly sympathise with the mods of the forum about the difficulty of keeping a forum running (lord knows, whenever I have a bit of writer's block, I feel like crap because I know I'm letting everyone down who reads my blog through being unable to provide regular content) and the decision to close a forum, while never a decision made lightly, is ultimately a decision which I will respect far more than keeping a forum open for far longer than it has any right to even exist for. And The Open Road, while not really fulfilling a role beyond being a new home for the old folks from The Breakdown Room, was a wonderful forum to visit, with some excellent discussions being had on the forum and, while I will say that I found the moderating a bit on the strict side at times, it was ultimately a very good forum to visit. With the end of the forum, however, comes the official end of The Breakdown Room and the vibrant community that that forum provided. While most people on the forum will no doubt have the email addresses of the members they wish to keep in contact with, I feel that the end of The Open Road is also the end of the chance for the vibrant community of Queensryche fans to get together and talk properly.

So, to all members of The Open Road, whether formerly of The Breakdown Room or purely new to The Open Road, I must say a thank you for being a great bunch of people to chat to! You guys are all awesome and I only wish I'd spent more time chatting with you guys over the course of the last six months.