Claire wrote: Fri Oct 09, 2026 10:47 pm
@obik I have a copy of RavishU's database. And even me owning it is somewhat questionable as Lois, the owner of RavishU, is probably the only one who has full rights over that database.
Even if I were to share this database, you'd have to import it into a Simple Machines Forum, the forum software that RavishU used, to properly read it. Or import it into a MyBB forum installation which can import SMF databases. The file is also something like 20GB large.
That being said: That database also includes e-mails adresses, passwords, and private messages for over 20,000 RavishU accounts. Even if I wanted to share the stories, I'd have to somehow export the story threads from the database to disentangle them from all the private user information which I simply don't know how to do.
I have this backup of the database imported into a MyBB forum installation on my laptop. And in the past, I've used that backup to recover stories for authors who had no copy of their own stories after RavishU went offline. But I've stopped doing that a while ago.
The simple truth is: I told the members of this community over and over again that sites like this won't last or flourish if they don't engage with the stories posted here. Now, what I've warned people about has come to past. Even if I could somehow solve all the privacy issues about the backup and even if I were willing to ignore that I don't know what the authors of those stories want, I still wouldn't feel inclined to help enable the passive consumption of stories that has destroyed this forum. If the people wanting to read these stories cared enough to support the authors writing them with their engagement, they had every chance to do so here. They chose not to. And if they don't do that, then they shouldn't be surprised to see places like this disappear and the stories with them. It is as simple that.
Thank you for the detailed reply, Claire, and I understand your point of view. I have been member of many such sites and seen them all disappear overnight without warning, eg rapedesires, vicious-board, ravishy, rapecage, theblackvan etc. I've replied to plenty of threads, exchanged pm's etc with many authors, had requests fulfilled, submitted ideas etc. the fact is many people don't exchange personal emails, the site is the place to interact, also not everyone wants to share any personal details, as you pointed out.
I completely agree with your assessment that sites stay alive with user engagement, but for niche sites like this topic, I personally feel that the engagement does exist, but likely not enough to provide any monetary basis to run the site.
You are perfectly justified in not wanting to share something with personal info. however I do feel that the contents posted, such as stories, should be accessible. Nowdays we have AI that can very easily extract content that was visible to members, such as stories, pm's etc. this would be quite an easy task to ask AI to take the db dumb and create a static site with such content only. I can help with that too.
Finally I have saved a bunch of content from these sites for myself. at first I did it because my Internet was slow, costly and unreliable, then like you said because nothing is permanent. I would be quite happy to share that with people, post them in the new site etc.
I was username 'Obiwan' on ravishu, you can see my involvement in your db if you wish.. I would very much like to have access to my pm's I exchanged, stories, emails of authors who are now unreachable and lost forever. I dont know of a way to contact Lois. I would very much like to have an archive of ravishu's forum.
Let me know what you feel about this.
