# ...the JREF Forums will shortly no longer associated with the Randi Foundation. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 7, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001 "2014-08-07T02:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/1 "2014-08-07T02:53:07Z")
…just thought I’d mention this here, as I know there are a few Randi Forum members on the dope, and this whole thing has played out so fast and so quietly that I’m sure that many haven’t heard. Announcement here: > **[Regarding the JREF Forum status](http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/2384-regarding-the-jref-forum-status.html)** > > James Randi Educational Foundation ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/2 "2014-08-07T20:15:50Z")
A new Facebook group has been created. (JREFUGEES) > **[JREFUGEES (JREF Forum Refugees) | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/675829479176079/)** > > Since the JREF is going to be letting go of the JREF Forum, this group was formed as a way of allowing current and former Forumites to connect and stay in touch. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/3 "2014-08-07T21:06:02Z")
Yeah, it’s rather confusing over there right now as to what exactly is going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/4 "2014-08-07T21:36:34Z")
So why did this happen? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/5 "2014-08-07T21:38:09Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So why did this happen? They wouldn’t change the smilies. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/6 "2014-08-07T22:12:44Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So why did this happen? …I think this statement sums it up: its the closest to an official statement that we are going to get: > [@](#): > > But it was not news that the forum was funded by the JREF who was not involved much in day to day moderation or care of it. It was left to its own devices for years. It has turned into a large database that contains a huge amount of content that is unrelated to skepticism or education or the purpose of the org. It makes no sense to continue in this fashion when it needs greater attention to function technically. [http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=10154146#post10154146](http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=10154146#post10154146) This is speculation based on what I can figure out. To summarise: the forums were getting sluggish. Then after someone tried to fix it they almost completely broke. (Apparently the forums have never ever been backed up!) I suspect that someone asked for money to fix the forums. The JREF took a look at the forums for the first time in a decade: and promptly had a heart attack after seeing what people were actually talking about. So rather than fix the forums, the JREF decided to simply close them. A rescue effort was formulated. Thread started, volunteers stepped up, emergency plan enabled. JREF agreed to instead of closing the forums, to let them go. This was all done without notifying the Forum Admins and Moderators at all, who were completely left out of the loop, and were rightly miffed. And thats where we are at the moment. The guy who has stepped up to take over the technical running of the boards is a staunch defender of Amway and a borderline conspiracy theorist. But the admins and the people who have been dealing with him have vouched for his integrity, so I’m not in the position to really make judgement there. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/7 "2014-08-07T23:54:19Z")
Sounds a bit like the old Fido SCIENCE forum, which was moderated by a devout Mormon who never, ever let his beliefs get in the way of rational moderation. **cough** ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/8 "2014-08-08T02:52:29Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > This is speculation based on what I can figure out. > > To summarise: the forums were getting sluggish. Then after someone tried to fix it they almost completely broke. (Apparently the forums have never ever been backed up!) I suspect that someone asked for money to fix the forums. The JREF took a look at the forums for the first time in a decade: and promptly had a heart attack after seeing what people were actually talking about. > > So rather than fix the forums, the JREF decided to simply close them. A rescue effort was formulated. Thread started, volunteers stepped up, emergency plan enabled. JREF agreed to instead of closing the forums, to let them go. This was all done without notifying the Forum Admins and Moderators at all, who were completely left out of the loop, and were rightly miffed. This sounds suspiciously like how I envision the death spiral for this board. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jref-forums-will-shortly-no-longer-associated-with-the-randi-foundation/695001/9 "2014-08-09T13:17:03Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > They wouldn’t change the smilies. Funny.