Corey,
Thank you for taking the time to listen to and address our concerns. I have tremendous respect for you and the work you do -- I'm sure it's no easy task managing a forum this large (among your other responsibilities with The DIS). I've always appreciated your friendliness and humor, and I respect you mightily for listening to what everyone has to say. I sincerely hope you understand that the following is said with the best of intentions from a longtime DISer (though not as long as some around here).
As a Dreams client, longtime DIS Unplugged listener,
Magic Candle Co. purchaser (with code DisneyInfo), and DVCRM buyer, I'm still deeply disappointed in what transpired today. In my time on here, I've never seen something like that happen. While there are certainly many sources for Disney-related info and content, what has consistently brought me to The DIS for the last ten years is the incredible community it cultivates. Whether it be through the DIS Unplugged podcast, the Dreams shows, the News & Rumors board, or any DIS-exclusive trips, the people (the "on-air" personalities, the moderators on the board, and of course, the posters) are what make this place so enjoyable and special.
I know you know how dedicated we all are to helping build the FAQs, info threads, rumor tracking threads, etc... on here. So to log on this afternoon and see all the work this community had built in this one place either closed or scattered all about was disconcerting and really disappointing. For it to be done with little to no acknowledgment by some semi-anonymous user was also upsetting. I can only speak for myself, but I personally felt that this particular community and every contribution I made to it wasn't fully considered in whatever decision-making took place about interim plans for this particular forum. I understand The DIS is a business and that can mean change and certain business needs, but as I'm sure you know, it's a business based on community and, as a member of that community, today's actions didn't make me feel particularly valued or considered.
I absolutely understand the need for a moderator, especially on topics as salient as Coronavirus. The DIS has amongst the best moderator teams out there, and it's definitely a difficult task. While the future of this particular forum may be a work in progress, I'd imagine many would've appreciated if that had been transparently communicated in advance. Given what everyone has gone through over the last eleven months, I hope you can understand why it would upset some so much, without any notice provided. It felt like some unknown individual came through with a blowtorch to all of our work as well as our friends.
I sincerely hope whoever is responsible for that apologizes and the end result is building a happier community for everyone. In the meantime again, thank you for taking the time to read this post and I wish you and your family good health during these turbulent times.
Andy