Thank you, lchris

Posting here what I just posted on the susan-boyle forum, in case it get deleted

Thank you again, lchris, for so many things, the best of which was becoming my friend, and remaining so through hard times.  The next best was sharing my vision that this site could be a democratic non-profit run by and for fans.  That vision has not been shared by everyone. Even if the former monarch abdicated his throne, there is still the conflict between democracy and aristocracy, which exists everywhere.

Every person on the Board owes her or his position to you.  The non-profit was finally registered during the turmoil immediately following July 18.  We had a very brief window of opportunity to get things moving, so there was no time for elections.  You and I hand-picked every member of the Board, trying to keep our promise to give the majority of seats to the staff (most of whom had abandoned ship at that time), and also individuals from among the members who we thought were unbiased enough to represent all of us.  In order to keep our promise, we included staff members who had publicly called us liars just days before and a general member who has just now called you a liar, after removing your access to  the backup data needed to prove your point..  So if you (the collective you, not lchris) don’t like the Board, blame it on us.

You have tracked & opposed the cyber-bully/cyber-stalker at every point, unearthing his many aliases (24 on this site alone.).  With no further access to the back end, of course you will not be able to warn members against him in the future as you have in the past, That will allow everyone to follow the advice given to the Board by Sony’s legal staff (which PT told us she had solicited) to just ignore him while he goes about his dirty work.  Fortunately you were able to document his prior activities, and turn that data over to the police.  Subsequent attempts to alter that data can’t change the original backups.

Most people will never know what you gave up to keep this site alive and well.  You lost 6 months of your life.  Working here instead of at your own business, missing your bike riding & kayaking, not getting to watch your most favorite sporting event, the World Cup, losing precious time with your international friends on the rare occasions they could

come to see you.  So much, so much.  A perfunctory paragraph of gratitude does not begin to do you justice.  Fortunately, tears on a keyboard don’t do as much damage as they do to paper; otherwise I would have to throw away the sheet & start over again.

So, was it worth it?  Did we accomplish what we set out to do?  No.  Not now.  Maybe someday.  Maybe never.  But you have accomplished other things along the way, and  I know you will continue to do so.  You can rest from the duties you took up to save this site.  Sometimes detours open up wonders the main road would never let us experience.  For all of us here, and on every site for Susan, remember,  “When the world comes in to build a wall between us, you know they won’t win”.