# What if the SDMB goes dark? Should we make a contingency plan?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-sdmb-goes-dark-should-we-make-a-contingency-plan/1024934>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 17, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-sdmb-goes-dark-should-we-make-a-contingency-plan/1024934 "2025-11-17T21:57:10Z")\
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**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-sdmb-goes-dark-should-we-make-a-contingency-plan/1024934/24 "2025-11-18T01:12:40Z")

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I self host a small Discourse instance, and it is very easy to setup and manage, _for someone who knows how to do similar things_. It all runs in Docker containers, and setup is much more complicated than just editing a `docker-compose.yml` file, but the necessary documentation exists, and is easy enough to follow the instructions.

It works fine behind a reverse proxy, and seems to play well with others. Mine has it’s own hostname, and is hosted on a server that hosts web stuff, too.

> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Are Discourse instances portable? Of course. Given admin rights to pull the data.

The data is trivially portable. I’ve not yet had to restore my site, but it does make automated backups, which can be restored.

The technical aspects of recreating the board are very easy. It is only the legal aspects.

It would also be pretty easy to restore the board, and then strip the SDMB branding. So getting permission to use the content could be separated from using the trademarks.

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