How long will this site last?

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

I wonder how long (short) this site will last ...

Until two years ago (man, time goes by fast), BF was kind of the forum for this stuff.
But then suddenly it went down for financial reasons, despite the fact that it "has always been there".
(Just a short time after I discovered that site ...)

I am scared that something like that will happen to this site as well and I just want to be told differently I guess...
I know that nobody can guarantee anything, but imagine if you are getting a new home you would also first have a look to see if it will collapse at any moment or if it is actually properly built, right?

And I just don't want to "get invested" here, only to have this site "taken away from me" after a short time ...

 

[Stutensindwunderbar]

Damn... that's deep man. I'm a skrub so I ain't got no idea how it is to have a place you can be yourself without judgement, stripped away from you. Stay strong brother

 

[dog-friendly]

You said it yourself. Bf was able to achieve the status of THE forum for zoo stuff and all things related. that means this one can too. And nothing lasts forever. This isn't going to be the next Google or Facebook so it will last as long as it can. Then it will either shut down or morph into something else just like anything else on the internet. Then we will go to the next site that pops up in its place. Not trying to be rude or pessimistic. just pointing out that you are worrying about the naturally occurring cycle of life on the internet. just enjoy it here while it lasts. or don't. your choice.

 

[Katelyn]

It lasts as long as people are contributing and you don't have to worry about the other stuff.

If you are too scared to commit because you think it might end in failure, you aren't going to get anything.

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

Yeah, I know ...
But the concepts of the "internet" and "nothing lasts forever" somehow contradict themselves (for me).

Digital data storage and networking feel more "permanent" for me then things like "personal relations" or other things in life.
Beause I have learned that "personal relations" can end very rapidly. And there is no "backup" for "real life".
That's why I am obsessed with concepts like "backups" or "risk reduction", so that I at least have SOMETHING permanent in my life.

And no, I never "commit" to anything (that I don't fully control) ever, because that's a good way to get dissapointed / bring vulnerability.
(I don't like depending on things I can't control)

I didn't mean this to be negative or pessimistic.
It's just "if you never expect anything, you will always be positively surprised".

And I guess it's also that I hate to things I like get "ruined" for seemingly "pointless" reasons like money or greed.

I know, I have problems, and this doesn't really belong here, but I just felt the urge to ask this ...
Sorry for any inconvinience / the negativity ...

 

[pes]

It will not last forever. Simply because zoo will never be accepted and thus you can realistically expect people to attempt to take this site down once in a while and one day they might succeed. Your best bet is that it will last long enough for you to loose interest in it.

 

[ZTHorse]

You can donate to Zooville and keep it running for starters. We don't sell anything and are non-profit.

You can get a cool philanthropist title if you do donate over 50$.

 

[JazzyJerk]

Nothing is guaranteed in life, except that yours will end eventually.

 

[Pillar]

And no, I never "commit" to anything (that I don't fully control) ever, because that's a good way to get dissapointed / bring vulnerability.
(I don't like depending on things I can't control)

Can you explain what you mean by vulnerability? And what does control have to do with this?

 

[Pillar]

Nothing is guaranteed in life, except that yours will end eventually.

If we live long enough technology might end up being a game changer.

 

[INmale]

I wonder how long (short) this site will last ...

Until two years ago (man, time goes by fast), BF was kind of the forum for this stuff.
But then suddenly it went down for financial reasons, despite the fact that it "has always been there".
(Just a short time after I discovered that site ...)

I am scared that something like that will happen to this site as well and I just want to be told differently I guess...
I know that nobody can guarantee anything, but imagine if you are getting a new home you would also first have a look to see if it will collapse at any moment or if it is actually properly built, right?

And I just don't want to "get invested" here, only to have this site "taken away from me" after a short time ...

I do miss the old BF days. Welcome by the way!

Sorry I made your other post a mess by stirring up the old assholes. I can't say how long this one will last (hopefully forever) but I will say I've used my time on here to virtually meet people and move conversations into smaller groups with like minded folks using apps like Telegram, etc. That way I'll kind of always have a group to discuss with. Just some food for the thought.

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

Can you explain what you mean by vulnerability? And what does control have to do with this?

Ok, here's what I mean by that:
If I get invested in something and that (for whatever reason) gets "taken away" from me, there is now a void in my life.
And that is a something that will trigger depression.
And I want to avoid that at all costs!

So I only "get invested" in things that can't easily be taken away from me / that I can activley prevent from beeing "taken away from me".

Yes, I know I will miss out on lots of things in life that way, but I don't care!
I am happy the way things are for me right now!

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

I do miss the old BF days. Welcome by the way!

I don't!

That place just felt like a huge "money grab" with the very restricted download scheme.
And the whole "please thank the uploader for uploading their stuff" that was just to increase the number of posts -> more "traffic" -> better ad - money - thing.
And the annoying small file size limit!
And the pointless section for "site recommendations" in which every post that mentioned a site that could possible "take away" users $ from BF got immediatley removed.

I could go on forever ...

I think it was just "the" forum because there were no great alternatives.
Kind of like YouTube is "the" video site, because there is no (free) alternative, sadly ...

This site seems so much more "open" and "user friendly".
That's why I was so skeptical at first.
Because it is not what I am used to.
It felt "too good to be true".

Maybe I am just too skeptical and pessimistic to accept the existance of "nice things" ...

 

[INmale]

I don't!

That place just felt like a huge "money grab" with the very restricted download scheme.
And the whole "please thank the uploader for uploading their stuff" that was just to increase the number of posts -> more "traffic" -> better ad - money - thing.
And the annoying small file size limit!
And the pointless section for "site recommendations" in which every post that mentioned a site that could possible "take away" users $ from BF got immediatley removed.

I could go on forever ...

I think it was just "the" forum because there were no great alternatives.
Kind of like YouTube is "the" video site, because there is no (free) alternative, sadly ...

This site seems so much more "open" and "user friendly".
That's why I was so skeptical at first.
Because it is not what I am used to.
It felt "too good to be true".

Maybe I am just too skeptical and pessimistic to accept the existance of "nice things" ...

Honestly you've laid out some great points I completely forgot about with BF but also probably reasons why I liked it because the paywalls kept the trolls away lol

Either way welcome and definitely no catch here! You'll very much enjoy it.

 

[Spawn86]

Ok, here's what I mean by that:
If I get invested in something and that (for whatever reason) gets "taken away" from me, there is now a void in my life.
And that is a something that will trigger depression.
And I want to avoid that at all costs!

So I only "get invested" in things that can't easily be taken away from me / that I can activley prevent from beeing "taken away from me".

Yes, I know I will miss out on lots of things in life that way, but I don't care!
I am happy the way things are for me right now!

Everything changes, dies and disappears.
This is the natural order of life.
The only way to avoid being upset with this is not getting too attached to things.
If you're not strongly attached to anything, losing it won't matter.

Buddhism is big on that.

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

Everything changes, dies and disappears.
This is the natural order of life.
The only way to avoid being upset with this is not getting too attached to things.
If you're not strongly attached to anything, losing it won't matter.

Buddhism is big on that.

I am not a very religious or spiritual person (I "can't" really "believe" in anything, I know that sounds weird, but I am a bit autistic, maybe it has to do with that ...) but yeah, that sounds like my "life philosophy" ...

 

[Pillar]

Ok, here's what I mean by that:
If I get invested in something and that (for whatever reason) gets "taken away" from me, there is now a void in my life.
And that is a something that will trigger depression.
And I want to avoid that at all costs!

So I only "get invested" in things that can't easily be taken away from me / that I can activley prevent from beeing "taken away from me".

Yes, I know I will miss out on lots of things in life that way, but I don't care!
I am happy the way things are for me right now!

What would you miss out on?

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

What would you miss out on?

Everything that has to do with other people (relationships!)!

I only ever had one girlfriend and when she broke up with me, it deeply broke me.
I had issues with depression from there on, but I have kind of learned to live with it.
Ever since then I also had "trust - issues" and started to become more and more "pessimistic".

I just don't want that experience to ever repeat itself again!

(I think I never told this to anybody other then my parents an my therapist ...)

 

[Pillar]

Everything that has to do with other people (relationships!)!

I only ever had one girlfriend and when she broke up with me, it deeply broke me.
I had issues with depression from there on, but I have kind of learned to live with it.
Ever since then I also had "trust - issues" and started to become more and more "pessimistic".

I just don't want that experience to ever repeat itself again!

(I think I never told this to anybody other then my parents an my therapist ...)

I almost want to troll you ATM but I won't.

Hope that sh*t gets better soon.

 

[Lover of Centaurides]

Everything that has to do with other people (relationships!)!

I only ever had one girlfriend and when she broke up with me, it deeply broke me.
I had issues with depression from there on, but I have kind of learned to live with it.
Ever since then I also had "trust - issues" and started to become more and more "pessimistic".

I just don't want that experience to ever repeat itself again!

(I think I never told this to anybody other then my parents an my therapist ...)

Sounds like you and I are cut from the same cloth, essentially; well...almost.

I never quite healed from the breakup with my first ex, and that carried over for almost a decade. I've lost some friends over that 10 year span, accusing me of being "immature" and "not wanting to move forward" and to just (callously) "get over it." I've even attempted suicide, but couldn't follow through with it. There have been moments where I did come close to death, and I lamented that I didn't die right then and there; a bullet grazed in Afghanistan, a mortar shell detonated within the camp at the same base, and I dropped my bike when I was back in Japan but survived because I was wearing a helmet.
Even during those 10 years, I've been to Mental Health to see a therapist on multiple occasions; god I've lost count as to how many times I was sent there to see a counselor. In 2013, I was officially given a diagnosis: Schizotypal Personality Disorder. I feel it explains why I never got over my first breakup nearly a decade after. Since then, I've had 2 more relationships...but they all ended up leaving me.
I've never been as happy as those days when I was officially in a relationship to this day; even the most recent breakup 3 years ago feels the same as the breakup with my first ex from the decade past. To get to the point: all those years of being told to "grow up" and "get over it;" turns out it was due to having a disorder.
I just hope you're not feeling the same sting from the pseudo-friends telling you the same venom; bashing you for being "mopey" when there could be a serious underlying issue.

 

[Dudebon]

I to suffer from horrible depression for 40 plus years and I know it's wrong for me to hide inside my apartment here but it's because of websites like this that I'm kinda able to be me without having to feel shame. I lost the lady I loved the most to drugs 7 years ago so I to have trust issues.

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

I just hope you're not feeling the same sting from the pseudo-friends telling you the same venom; bashing you for being "mopey" when there could be a serious underlying issue.

Well, since I don't have any friends, I don't have problems like that
I always say to people who think they know what's "best for me": "How can you possibly know what is best for me when I don't even know that myself?!"

When I was younger I had some friends, but ever since I "grew up" I had issues with "small talk" and things like that.
I am too "direct" do form any friendships. When I set something "as my goal" I do everything I can do "reach it", I give 110%.
While that is really great for things like work or personal projects, you can't form friendships with that method, because people think that you are "pushy".

I also have a form of autism, that's probably the reason why "social stuff" and concepts like trust are difficult for me.
But oh well .... this is getting off-topic, sorry ...

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

I to suffer from horrible depression for 40 plus years and I know it's wrong for me to hide inside my apartment here but it's because of websites like this that I'm kinda able to be me without having to feel shame. I lost the lady I loved the most to drugs 7 years ago so I to have trust issues.

No, if you think it is the best thing to "hide in your apartment", then do that!
Everyboy should do what they feel is "the right thing to do" for them.
Everybody needs a "safe place" where they can "hide"!
A place to call "home", where nobody and nothing can hurt you, where you can be yourself without having to worry!

 

[Lover of Centaurides]

No, if you think it is the best thing to "hide in your apartment", then do that!
Everyboy should do what they feel is "the right thing to do" for them.
Everybody needs a "safe place" where they can "hide"!
A place to call "home", where nobody and nothing can hurt you, where you can be yourself without having to worry!

I agree with you: "home," where nobody and nothing can hurt you; where you can be yourself without having to worry.

 

[Michioliphant]

Yeah, I know ...
But the concepts of the "internet" and "nothing lasts forever" somehow contradict themselves (for me).

Digital data storage and networking feel more "permanent" for me then things like "personal relations" or other things in life.
Beause I have learned that "personal relations" can end very rapidly. And there is no "backup" for "real life".
That's why I am obsessed with concepts like "backups" or "risk reduction", so that I at least have SOMETHING permanent in my life.

And no, I never "commit" to anything (that I don't fully control) ever, because that's a good way to get dissapointed / bring vulnerability.
(I don't like depending on things I can't control)

I didn't mean this to be negative or pessimistic.
It's just "if you never expect anything, you will always be positively surprised".

And I guess it's also that I hate to things I like get "ruined" for seemingly "pointless" reasons like money or greed.

I know, I have problems, and this doesn't really belong here, but I just felt the urge to ask this ...
Sorry for any inconvinience / the negativity ...

Uhm... you do realize your digital backups, storage, all that has a limited shelf life and will shortly be no more? Right? Just truth brother. Bend your head. There is no permanent! There is no past. There is no future. There is the present.

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

Uhm... you do realize your digital backups, storage, all that has a limited shelf life and will shortly be no more?

Shortly?
What do you mean by that?
Do you know of something that I don't?
Is the possession of harddrives becomming illegal, or what?
I am getting a bit scared ...

I know that the crappy "consumer grade" harddrives only live for a few years, that's why I periodically "renew" them.
Tape drives is where it's at!
They have huge storage capacity and can last for really long times (if stored properly).
But they are a bit annoying to "interface with", so that's why I am still using ordinary HDDs.

 

[ryirkil]

Shortly?
What do you mean by that?
Do you know of something that I don't?
Is the possession of harddrives becomming illegal, or what?
I am getting a bit scared ...

I think he just meant the lifespan of the storage medium and "shortly" is relative, don't worry.

When I was younger I had some friends, but ever since I "grew up" I had issues with "small talk" and things like that.
I am too "direct" do form any friendships.

High five! I don't get the "small talk" at all too! (notice I'm almost always replying to someone and try being meaningful) But that didn't stop me from having a few good friends. Relationship with parents degraded a lot though. You just have to find friends with common interests who don't mind you being blunt. If you don't know what to talk about, search for a problem to solve or a theory to discuss. If you both like the subject, it should go smoothly.

When I set something "as my goal" I do everything I can do "reach it", I give 110%.
While that is really great for things like work or personal projects, you can't form friendships with that method, because people think that you are "pushy".

Nah, not everyone. My friends simply respond less when I'm too worked up about something and wait until I calm down or change the subject. Usually they also say it's too much for them to process. At that point I can treat them like a rubber duck, they understand how it works and are fine with that. You don't get fixed on just one thing for months, right?

But the concepts of the "internet" and "nothing lasts forever" somehow contradict themselves (for me).
[...]
That's why I am obsessed with concepts like "backups" or "risk reduction", so that I at least have SOMETHING permanent in my life.

Yup, if you want something permanent, you need a mechanism to correct the damage from a god damn entropy. This site will be gone eventually, like the predecessors. I personally miss reddit.com/r/zoophilia, it had some nice people. But the zoo community will not go away. You can kill us all in this instant, we will be back in another generation. And we have looking for like minded people engraved in our DNA. So some method of communication is bound to be made. Get attached to talking among us, sharing ideas, discussing things, etc. That is way more permanent and can be brought back easier after some witch hunt, the site is just a tool.

 

[TheMostRandomUsernameEver]

I think he just meant the lifespan of the storage medium and "shortly" is relative, don't worry.

Phew...
I was worried for a second there ...
But yes, compared to the lifetime of an average person, yes a few years is a short time!

Get attached to talking among us, sharing ideas, discussing things, etc. That is way more permanent and can be brought back easier after some witch hunt, the site is just a tool.

I would never have thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense and is comforting!
A "concept" like "communicating with likeminded people" can't be "destroyed", "go away" or be "taken offline".
It can get easier or more difficult, yes, but it can never be destroyed!

Thanks for sharing that "point of view", it really helps make me feel better!

 

[Pillar]

Sounds like you and I are cut from the same cloth, essentially; well...almost.

I never quite healed from the breakup with my first ex, and that carried over for almost a decade. I've lost some friends over that 10 year span, accusing me of being "immature" and "not wanting to move forward" and to just (callously) "get over it." I've even attempted suicide, but couldn't follow through with it. There have been moments where I did come close to death, and I lamented that I didn't die right then and there; a bullet grazed in Afghanistan, a mortar shell detonated within the camp at the same base, and I dropped my bike when I was back in Japan but survived because I was wearing a helmet.
Even during those 10 years, I've been to Mental Health to see a therapist on multiple occasions; god I've lost count as to how many times I was sent there to see a counselor. In 2013, I was officially given a diagnosis: Schizotypal Personality Disorder. I feel it explains why I never got over my first breakup nearly a decade after. Since then, I've had 2 more relationships...but they all ended up leaving me.
I've never been as happy as those days when I was officially in a relationship to this day; even the most recent breakup 3 years ago feels the same as the breakup with my first ex from the decade past. To get to the point: all those years of being told to "grow up" and "get over it;" turns out it was due to having a disorder.
I just hope you're not feeling the same sting from the pseudo-friends telling you the same venom; bashing you for being "mopey" when there could be a serious underlying issue.

There are attachment issues with your exes, sure, but to claim "Immaturity"... I gotta ask, why would heartbreak be considered an "immature" thing? Broken hearts take time to heal (sometimes years), being an asshole about it doesn't help... I hate people like that, hurting someone even more who is already hurt. Some "friends" they are.

I hope your condition can be treated properly with patience, openness and understanding. Good luck to you buddy.

 

[Bloodwolf]

Well I hope it’s here as long as it can be. Fo better or worse. I’ve made connections here and am gland for it. As long as I don’t lose contact all’s well.
Let it live it’s life.