Could you imagine if Saint did this?!?

[shardian]

http://www.lost-theories.com/

Just in case it changes, here is a quote of the message from the site admin:

LOST-theories.com is no more.

I got tired of babysitting this site (trolls, whining e-mails to me, complaints, demands to ban so-and-so, and the like). It’s been fun. Go play somewhere else. — Jeff

That is THE site for discussing theories on the TV show Lost. There was a MASSIVE database there of everything the fans had put together. I woke up just now and couldn't sleep, so I went there to pass the time and was greeted with that message. All I can say is, WTF is up with that selfish piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---? He could have locked the forums down and left it available to view the database of theories.

If Saint got a wild hair and did that here, years and years of collective research would be down the drain.

[shmokes]

I bet he could extort a tidy sum of money out of some of the members though . . .   

[danny_galaga]

Saint, we like you (",)

so please dont pull a stunt like that!

[saint]

If I ever get sick of the place I will pass it on to someone, or multiple someone's. I've even discussed passing the site on with my wife in case of my untimely death.

Now, everyone send me $20 or I'm shutting the place down.

Oops.

[patrickl]

I cannot find the donate page mentioned on the main site anymore. I found http://arcadecontrols.com/donations.php on Google, but does it still work?

[CheffoJeffo]

I cannot find the donate page mentioned on the main site anymore. I found http://arcadecontrols.com/donations.php on Google, but does it still work?

Yep ... is actually linked to in the News bar periodically.

EDIT: Thanks for the reminder ... I need to get another of Frosticillus' shirts ...

[Zero_Hour]

All I can say is, WTF is up with that selfish piece of ---Cleveland steamer---? He could have locked the forums down and left it available to view the database of theories.

Sure he could have, but it's not his responsibility to do so. 

OK that sounds a bit harsh, and I do sympathize. There's nothing more disappointing than a much enjoyed site closing shop. I think sometimes people forget that the sites where these communities develop are not owned by the users, and any site can disappear on any given day. I've lost count of how many of my 'favorite sites' have vanished over the years.

[shmokes]

I think it is his responsibility to do so.  Obviously not a legal responsibility . . . but he has an ethical responsibility to the community to which he is a member, just like you have a responsibility to call the police if you see someone breaking into your neighbor's house.  It's just the right thing to do. 

He appears to just be on a power trip.  From the sound of it (having only read the OP) he could easily have just divorced himself of the thing and turned it over to someone who cared.  But he appears to be deriving satisfaction out of the fact that he has the power to hurt people.  That's lame, and everybody has a responsibility to avoid hurting others.  An Olympic swimmer can legally sit by a swimming pool and smoke a cigarette while watching a child drown, so long as he didn't cause the kid to fall in the pool.  That doesn't mean that he has no responsibility to help the kid.  It just means he has no legal duty to help him.  Those are two different things.

[CheffoJeffo]

Perhaps this thread would be better used to appreciate what saint does and puts up with (I know that I'm grateful -- he hasn't banned me ... yet), as opposed to being pissed about someone who had his users push him too far. I would bet that those users didn't show him much appreciation for him to feel as he did.

Nobody owes you anything ... if they give you something, particularly something valuable, be sure to let them know that you appreciate it.

 

[SavannahLion]

I think it is his responsibility to do so.  Obviously not a legal responsibility . . . but he has an ethical responsibility to the community to which he is a member, just like you have a responsibility to call the police if you see someone breaking into your neighbor's house.  It's just the right thing to do. 

He appears to just be on a power trip.  From the sound of it (having only read the OP) he could easily have just divorced himself of the thing and turned it over to someone who cared.  But he appears to be deriving satisfaction out of the fact that he has the power to hurt people.  That's lame, and everybody has a responsibility to avoid hurting others.  An Olympic swimmer can legally sit by a swimming pool and smoke a cigarette while watching a child drown, so long as he didn't cause the kid to fall in the pool.  That doesn't mean that he has no responsibility to help the kid.  It just means he has no legal duty to help him.  Those are two different things.

Shmokes, you have an excellent point. However, let's send in the Devil's Advocate and look at it from his point of view. Users of any forum have a certain amount of responsibility to show some measure of responsibility towards the owner and (if any) staff of a particular forum. Sounds to me that, if this guy is on the up and up, he's sick of the crap he receives and is tired of babying a bunch of thirty-somethings who still live in their mother's basements. To take your swimmers example, what if that kid was the same kid who would piss/---Cleveland steamer--- in the pool, spray graffiti in the showers and destroyed the arcade cabs in the rec room? The Olympic swimmer may have an ethical responsibility to save the kid, but since the kid didn't exactly keep his end of the ethical responsibility, it doesn't give the swimmer a whole lot of incentive to save the kid, does it?

I've been involved in all aspects of forum life, from owning one, moderating, even right down to daily technical maintenance of a forum. Nothing sucks worse than setting down a reasonable collection of rules and having people ---Cleveland steamer--- all over them. Or having some idiot  skript kiddie make numerous attempts at compromising your forum. Or having members of your forum declare "war" against another forum causing both forums to be brought down in a DDOS attack from both sides, never mind that both forums were running on the same server. I've seen so much stupidity that I've been tempted, numerous times, to kill any forum I ran, just like this guy

Saint is very fortunate. He has cultured a community here that respects him (for the most part), his forum and his work here while establishing a delicate balancing act of fairness and openness. Not every forum, no matter how good the owner and moderators are, can make this kind of claim.

I'm not arguing this guy is right, your points are very legitimate. I'm appalled that a great resource of information (as it were) is now lost. I'm saying that I see it from the owners side and I can't really blame him.

[Guaranos]

I think it is his responsibility to do so.  Obviously not a legal responsibility . . . but he has an ethical responsibility to the community to which he is a member, just like you have a responsibility to call the police if you see someone breaking into your neighbor's house.  It's just the right thing to do. 

He appears to just be on a power trip.  From the sound of it (having only read the OP) he could easily have just divorced himself of the thing and turned it over to someone who cared.  But he appears to be deriving satisfaction out of the fact that he has the power to hurt people.  That's lame, and everybody has a responsibility to avoid hurting others.  An Olympic swimmer can legally sit by a swimming pool and smoke a cigarette while watching a child drown, so long as he didn't cause the kid to fall in the pool.  That doesn't mean that he has no responsibility to help the kid.  It just means he has no legal duty to help him.  Those are two different things.

Dude, it's a website.  It's not a kid's life in danger, it's not a crime in progress, and nobody's life is going to be significantly impacted by the disappearance of a website.  If the guy wants to shut down his website, which he presumably pays the bandwidth bills for and spends his time maintaining, he has no ethical obligation to do otherwise.

So a few internet geeks won't be able to read about their TV show rumors.  Who cares?  They might whine about it for a week or two, but they'll get over it.  They'll just move on to the next website, or maybe take a break, look around the room, and realize that they have real people in their house that they can talk to about their TV show.  If they don't get over it, then they have issues that they need to work out on their own or with the help of a professional.

I mean, as much as I like this website, if it closed tomorrow I'd thank Saint for his time and move on.  I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of people on here would do the same.

[CheffoJeffo]

I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of people on here would do the same.

Thanks -- I needed that laugh this morning !

 

[shardian]

heh, I realize the guy owned the site, payed the bills, etc. He could have definitely handed over the whole operation - could have even sold it for a profit. That place was a fully cross referenced encyclopedia of the show. I wouldn't be surprised if the creators of the show used it for a reference. Just to throw something like that away is crazy.

[saint]

Here's my perspective on this issue as it regards BYOAC. I created, run, and pay for this site. However, the evolution of this site to the community and resource it is today is almost entirely due to the efforts of the users who frequent and contribute to it. I feel an obligation to them to make sure this resource doesn't disappear if I am no longer able or willing to continue to oversee it. If that happens, I will follow the lead of Kevin of Retroblast and Kelsey of OscarControls. I'll give at least a couple of folks a DVD (or some other media actually as we're hitting 13 gigs here now) of the entire site, forum, wiki, and mirrors, and turn over operation of the site to whomever the likely interested candidate is at the time. Ideally someone would mirror the original (like we do for the original Retroblast http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/ and OscarControls http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/OscarControls/) for posterity while the new owner took the site in whatever direction they thought was appropriate (as they've done with the new RetroBlast! http://www.retroblast.com/).  Kind of an open-source approach.

[CheffoJeffo]

How much of the 13Gigs does Post Hell take up ?

 

[Hoopz]

How much of the 13Gigs does Post Hell take up ?

 

I'm sure people would pay good money to see all those threads again....   

May be another revenue stream to consider!

[CheffoJeffo]

I would gladly pay for a subscription to Post Hell ... as long as they're not the citrus celebrations that somebody has already tried (with success) to pass off as PH.

[Dartful Dodger]

The lost-theories guy was paid off by the Lost guys to shut down the site.

That's my theory anyway.

[shardian]

The lost-theories guy was paid off by the Lost guys to shut down the site.

That's my theory anyway.

Wouldn't surprise me after a member there recognized the thing Keamy strapped to his arm was a frikkin digital metronome. I have one of the exact same model at home.

[AtomSmasher]

Did anyone ever figure out why did the statue only had three toes?  Seems like theres still a ton of stuff from the first season that was never explained and I get the feeling they're never going to explain most of it (they'll just answer questions brought up in later seasons).

[shardian]

Did anyone ever figure out why did the statue only had three toes?  Seems like theres still a ton of stuff from the first season that was never explained and I get the feeling they're never going to explain most of it (they'll just answer questions brought up in later seasons).

No, they have not. There are two certain characters on the show that I bet would only have 4 toes if they took off their shoes though.

The producers claim that everything will tie in once the show is done. They also say that there is a blatant clue as to what the island is/how the show will end in the first ever episode.

[CCM]

My wife and I love the show, we can't wait for the new episode each week.  Now, that being said, I can't believe how much people over-analyze the show.  Damn, all the websites with theories, pictures, slow-mo vid caps, etc...  are just overkill!

[massive88]

The producers claim that everything will tie in once the show is done. They also say that there is a blatant clue as to what the island is/how the show will end in the first ever episode.

The description of the sound of the black monster?  I always thought that was more important that it was ever given credit.

Not answering (or even addressing) the questions brought up in the first, and best, season is why I stopped really liking the show.  I keep watching it, but I feel like its empty now.  Whole episodes go by where nothing really happens, and the old questions remain untouched.

I keep watching it cause my wife likes it though, shes less picky than I.

[shardian]

There aren't many BIG questions left, so what exactly from the first season do you want answered?

They've never explained Walt or Aaron very well at all. The Walt thing has been especially annoying. The producers have said Walt will be explained in full at some point.

As to the smoke monster, they actually used NYC subway sound bites when designing the sounds. I don't think it is too important really. Mostly Rose heard subway sounds because that is what she wanted to hear and was familiar with.

[HaRuMaN]

... as long as they're not the citrus celebrations that somebody has already tried (with success) to pass off as PH.

Yeah, that was mean.  

[shardian]

I would pay a nominal fee to peruse post hell. 

[saint]

Hmm....

* saint imagines a bidding war, top bidder gets to peruse Post Hell.

[shardian]

Hmm....

* saint imagines a bidding war, top bidder gets to peruse Post Hell.

I would win, and then sell access time on my account to others.

[CheffoJeffo]

... as long as they're not the citrus celebrations that somebody has already tried (with success) to pass off as PH.

Yeah, that was mean. 

Canadian Realtor mean.

[massive88]

There aren't many BIG questions left, so what exactly from the first season do you want answered?

They've never explained Walt or Aaron very well at all. The Walt thing has been especially annoying. The producers have said Walt will be explained in full at some point.

As to the smoke monster, they actually used NYC subway sound bites when designing the sounds. I don't think it is too important really. Mostly Rose heard subway sounds because that is what she wanted to hear and was familiar with.

Are you kidding?  What big question has been answered?  Any thing that you learn about just brings up more questions.

Stuff that hasn't been answered:
1) Walt and all of his business.  Was the polar bear his creation?  Sawyer was in a bear cage, but was that really where the bear came from?  Or was a manifestation from the comic book like the bird in his flashback?
2) 3 Toed statue, that was pretty significant, and forgotten about.
3) The black fog monster, still don't know what it is.
4) Healing power of the island?
5) The button?  The number code?  Any resolution there?
6) The interlinking of all the main characters, they are all a few degrees from knowing each other.
7) The Dharma Initiative... what why when?
8) Its been a while, but Im pretty sure Ethan was like, super human.  What became of that?

And the new stuff, really, how many hours would you spend with cooky physicist and creepy redhead without beating out of them what their true purpose in coming to the island was?  Its been stretched out to like 6 episodes!

[shardian]

Are you kidding?  What big question has been answered?  Any thing that you learn about just brings up more questions.

Stuff that hasn't been answered:
1) Walt and all of his business.  Was the polar bear his creation?  Sawyer was in a bear cage, but was that really where the bear came from?  Or was a manifestation from the comic book like the bird in his flashback?
2) 3 Toed statue, that was pretty significant, and forgotten about.
3) The black fog monster, still don't know what it is.
4) Healing power of the island?
5) The button?  The number code?  Any resolution there?
6) The interlinking of all the main characters, they are all a few degrees from knowing each other.
7) The Dharma Initiative... what why when?
Its been a while, but Im pretty sure Ethan was like, super human.  What became of that?

And the new stuff, really, how many hours would you spend with cooky physicist and creepy redhead without beating out of them what their true purpose in coming to the island was?  Its been stretched out to like 6 episodes!

hehe, all of the known facts and highly intelligent theories for ALL of those questions was on the deleted site.

1) Dharma definitely was doing animal testing and the like on the island. As we have seen in this season, someone on the island was tinkering with time travel AND teleportation ( Polar Bear skelton in the sahara, Ben in the Sahara)
With Walt, who knows. I think the whole Walt thing was never planned out for a long run, but you'll never hear the producers admit it.
2) The statue will most likely be explained next season. The way they are expanding on the ageless Richard Mittelos, I think we will be finding out about the original inhabitants sooner than later. (I think that guy only has 3 toes if you must know)
3) There is alot of info on the black smoke monster. My personal opinion that most share - smokie IS jacob. The crazies have gleaned from high res screens and such that smokie has 'flashes' within it when it meets someone. These flashes on closer inspection are flashes from said persons life. So basically, smokie is 'downloading' the person's memories. Producers have also confirmed that smokie does in fact take the shape of people/animals and such - as in the case of Eko's brother, Yemi. And when Ben called the monster a few episodes ago, high res screens showed that when it came over the wall it had a defined animalistic face.
4) who knows. Odds are the island is alive or something. Some people cite the magnetic properties of the island.
5) I doubt you will ever get an answer to the button or the number thing. The numbers haven't been mentioned since, and they dropped the hatch subject like a bad habit when it imploded. Don't forget the purple sky, and others. These are more from the 2nd season though, not the 1st season.
6) Not all of the people are important to the island. They just happened to be there. Don't forget all the kids and passengers that the others captured. They never explained those, and they even had that odd scene last season when they were all standing outside Sawyers cage.
7)I think the Dharma initiative will be tied to Mr. Widmore somehow. What I am more interested in is WTF happend to bringing the Hanso foundation into the actual show. Was that whole immersive game thing pointless or what?
8)Yeah, and that still irritates me. What irritates me more though is the fact that Juliet was a mousy nobody in real life, she has only been on the island 3 years, there has been NO indication of special training for her, and SHE has superpowers and is a fighting/arms expert.

[patrickl]

Holy cow, you really take your TV viewing seriously 

[ahofle]

LOL no wonder he doesn't have time for his cabs! 

[shardian]

hehe, I really haven't spent that much time reading lost theories and stuff. After I watch an episode, I spend a few minutes seeing how the 'crazies' interpreted things, and also what stuff I didn't catch.

For instance, in the ep we found out Jin died, his date of death was very interesting - it was listed as the day the plane crashed. I would have never known that without checking.

Another interesting tidbit is that the forest whispers are actually relevant voices played backwards.

[AtomSmasher]

Looks like theres a lot of theories about stuff from the first season, but not a lot of stuff actually answered.  There are a number of other things from the first season that either didn't make sense or hasn't been explained yet, but theres no real point getting into it here.  The numbers thing really annoys me though, they made a huge deal about the numbers, about how they are somehow evil and magical or something, and then they completely stopped talking about them.

[Daniel270]

6) Not all of the people are important to the island. They just happened to be there. Don't forget all the kids and passengers that the others captured. They never explained those, and they even had that odd scene last season when they were all standing outside Sawyers cage.

Might've been the cage Sawyer was in originally, but it was Jack they came to see....

[DaveMMR]

6) Not all of the people are important to the island. They just happened to be there. Don't forget all the kids and passengers that the others captured. They never explained those, and they even had that odd scene last season when they were all standing outside Sawyers cage.

Might've been the cage Sawyer was in originally, but it was Jack they came to see....

Don't they have some sort of dedicated message board to discuss these things?
 

[Daniel270]

6) Not all of the people are important to the island. They just happened to be there. Don't forget all the kids and passengers that the others captured. They never explained those, and they even had that odd scene last season when they were all standing outside Sawyers cage.

Might've been the cage Sawyer was in originally, but it was Jack they came to see....

Don't they have some sort of dedicated message board to discuss these things?
 

Possibly, but then where would we hold discussions about all that wild bacon they ate during the first season, before the Hatch was discovered?

[Singapura]

There's three sites I post very regularly on (this one included) and a slew of others I visit now and again. One of them went offline for a few weeks earlier this year and yes, it was a nuisance for some time but then I forgot all about it. Now it's back but I don't post that often anymore.  It's like a favorite bar that closes, you need to move on pretty fast. Then again, Saint good work! This site is unique on the interweb.