Moving Forward

[Big_boy7]

Alright, I understand the past of the site hasn't been nice, but that doesn't mean we should just leave it be as is. I think someone already said it here but just leaving the site to rot like a corpse of the past, because currently that's about all that it is, just isn't something we should be doing and is lazy. I wasn't even an active member of the community nor did I really contribute anything at all, and it HURTS to see the site and community like this, knowing that even as far back as just around 2021 and 2022, there was still life there. Let's not leave this community in this state and try to get it back. Even if it were to be new users, what would it hurt? This site was an important piece of history for over a decade as far as I'm aware for many and the current decisions taken aren't doing it any justice. That's my piece, hope anybody from higher up like actual moderation or even administration sees this.

[Thomkok23]

Probably the only thing I can come up with is contacting Mask of Destiny to open up the forum again, since they are hosting this website now. Vahkiti is supposed to be an admin of this forum and is not responding in his own post. ShadowDraikana is not going to do something about it (ShadowDraikana does not have home internet). Maybe Vahkiti is more open minded.

[JohnnyBricks]

I cannot fully recall everything I've previously read... so if I remember correctly, one issue is expensive hosting costs, whilst another issue is the 'bad past event'.

 

Firstly, the 'bad past event' wasn't the fault of this forum or the community, but a bad individual. I feel everyone can MOVE ON and put this behind us. Secondarily, as for expensive forum costs, I'm not sure how much these are... I would introduce a donation system to help cover them... as well as 'reasonable adds' (not fill the entire forum with them).

This maybe an unpopular opinion... personally, I would archive all the old posts into an 'old section' of the forum... then start again fresh. Try to organize and catalogue everything neatly. Encourage users to do the same. Make navigation to find what you're looking for a charm. There could be a specific MOC category, for instance. Sometimes I browse through tons of pages, passing many things, until the posting which is of relevance is found.

 

I feel this forum topic just gets bigger and bigger with replies, whilst no official answer or solution is given.

[Ben24x7]

On 2/5/2025 at 11:55 PM, CyrodiilWarrior said:

Firstly, the 'bad past event' wasn't the fault of this forum or the community, but a bad individual. I feel everyone can MOVE ON and put this behind us.

 

A. More specifically: The "bad past event" was an Admin refusing to take action against a repeat offender whose presence on the site endangered underage members (ya know, the kind of young audience that a forum about LEGO would naturally attract).

We trusted our moderation team to keep RRU a safe space for everyone, only for the highest ranking member of the moderation team to break that trust.

 

 

 

B. WE have moved on... RRU as a community was dying before the child predator protection stuff came to light, all it really did was give us a reason to finally leave.

And... in my personal opinion, it's the best thing that could've happened to this community.  It helped us split away from the ex-members we disliked while reconnecting with those we found comfort in.

 

I can't speak for all the friend groups or sub-communities that split off from RRU, but nowadays when I talk to my ex-RRU friends they feel refreshed... they're comfortable, empathetic and full of energy. When RRU is brought up, it's either the butt of a joke, or treated like a collective trauma we all went through.

 

 

 

I do not understand why y'all are acting like there's still a "community". We've moved on. Getting the forums running again won't magically bring us back, y'all post-forum-archive newbies are the only "community" that's left.

Yes, some of us miss being part of a forum community, but few of us miss Rock Raiders United.

[Thomkok23]

I understand where you're coming from, and I agree with you on one key point: no one should minimize the severity of what happened. That situation was absolutely a breach of trust, and the people affected by it deserved better from the moderation at the time.

That said, I want to push back on a few things:

1. A community doesn't cease to exist just because some of its veterans have moved on. Communities evolve. People leave, new ones arrive, and the culture shifts over time. That’s not unique to RRU — that’s just how communities work. Just because the current group isn’t made up of the same people as before doesn’t make it any less valid. I always notice the amount of guest accounts and it seems still very high to me.

2. Veteran presence is not a requirement for legitimacy. It’s okay for people to outgrow a space. But it’s equally okay for others — even if they’re “post-forum-archive newbies” — to reclaim that space, rebuild it, and make something new of it. The forum may not be what it was back in the older days, but that doesn't make the current people still wanting to post any less of a community.

3. People are allowed to want to fix or preserve something they cared about. Maybe RRU as it once was is gone — that doesn’t mean people can’t try to shape it into something better. That could mean rebuilding it with lessons learned, including stronger safeguards and a new tone. That effort doesn’t deserve scorn.

4. RRU isn’t just about the past — it’s about possibility. For some, this place was meaningful, creatively inspiring, or a source of belonging. Those feelings can still exist, even if the original group fractured. If some people still want to share builds, mods, or memories here, they’re not clinging to a ghost — they’re creating something of their own.

It’s okay that you and others have moved on. No one is asking you for everyone to come back. But let’s not act like the presence of existing and/or new people, people trying to do something positive to this forum is somehow invalid or misguided. We just want to keep posting on this forum and have proper moderation as it should have been.

[JohnnyBricks]

8 hours ago, Thomkok23 said:

I understand where you're coming from, and I agree with you on one key point: no one should minimize the severity of what happened. That situation was absolutely a breach of trust, and the people affected by it deserved better from the moderation at the time.

That said, I want to push back on a few things:

1. A community doesn't cease to exist just because some of its veterans have moved on. Communities evolve. People leave, new ones arrive, and the culture shifts over time. That’s not unique to RRU — that’s just how communities work. Just because the current group isn’t made up of the same people as before doesn’t make it any less valid. I always notice the amount of guest accounts and it seems still very high to me.

2. Veteran presence is not a requirement for legitimacy. It’s okay for people to outgrow a space. But it’s equally okay for others — even if they’re “post-forum-archive newbies” — to reclaim that space, rebuild it, and make something new of it. The forum may not be what it was back in the older days, but that doesn't make the current people still wanting to post any less of a community.

3. People are allowed to want to fix or preserve something they cared about. Maybe RRU as it once was is gone — that doesn’t mean people can’t try to shape it into something better. That could mean rebuilding it with lessons learned, including stronger safeguards and a new tone. That effort doesn’t deserve scorn.

4. RRU isn’t just about the past — it’s about possibility. For some, this place was meaningful, creatively inspiring, or a source of belonging. Those feelings can still exist, even if the original group fractured. If some people still want to share builds, mods, or memories here, they’re not clinging to a ghost — they’re creating something of their own.

It’s okay that you and others have moved on. No one is asking you for everyone to come back. But let’s not act like the presence of existing and/or new people, people trying to do something positive to this forum is somehow invalid or misguided. We just want to keep posting on this forum and have proper moderation as it should have been.

Lovely put, Thomkok23!

 

Personally, I would love this forum to 'relaunch'. Crystal clear rules & morals. Safeguarding. Whilst many AFOLs love LEGO, so do kids - who need safeguarding. Moderate moderation is needed.

 

I dislike people not being able to post new threads or on existing threads. Stuff like that sees a forum's community die and relocate elsewhere.

On 7/21/2025 at 12:30 PM, Ben24x7 said:

 

A. More specifically: The "bad past event" was an Admin refusing to take action against a repeat offender whose presence on the site endangered underage members (ya know, the kind of young audience that a forum about LEGO would naturally attract).

We trusted our moderation team to keep RRU a safe space for everyone, only for the highest ranking member of the moderation team to break that trust.

 

 

 

B. WE have moved on... RRU as a community was dying before the child predator protection stuff came to light, all it really did was give us a reason to finally leave.

And... in my personal opinion, it's the best thing that could've happened to this community.  It helped us split away from the ex-members we disliked while reconnecting with those we found comfort in.

 

I can't speak for all the friend groups or sub-communities that split off from RRU, but nowadays when I talk to my ex-RRU friends they feel refreshed... they're comfortable, empathetic and full of energy. When RRU is brought up, it's either the butt of a joke, or treated like a collective trauma we all went through.

 

 

 

I do not understand why y'all are acting like there's still a "community". We've moved on. Getting the forums running again won't magically bring us back, y'all post-forum-archive newbies are the only "community" that's left.

Yes, some of us miss being part of a forum community, but few of us miss Rock Raiders United.

 

A - Yes, those actions are absolutely wrong. I don't understand why action wasn't taken. Defiantly an important lesson. If RRU was to 'relaunch', safeguarding from moderators should be a priority!

 

B - I accept people have moved on. I dislike the current state. Whilst I understand currently everything is being 'preserved', a forum should allow users to create threads, post replies on threads, etc.

 

I've enjoyed many threads and gallery photos on here. It was interesting to see a user had recreated all the vehicles from the Lego Racers 2 videogame, for instance. I've somewhat struggled to find LEGO fan sites I enjoy. I've used EuroBricks, but 'specific things' on here made it stand out for me. The 'bad past event' only came to light for me from this 'Moving Forward' thread - I had no idea about it beforehand.

 

If safeguarding and proper moderation could be achieved, I would like to see a relaunch of RRU. A fresh start, proper moderation, proper safeguarding, proper rules.

 

I doubt it would ever affect a fan forum, such as this, but the UK has seen it's age verification law(s) kick into affect. OneID® has been used as a digital ID and age verifier, for instance. Specific websites cannot be accessed without logging in - safeguarding children.

[JohnnyBricks]

If this forum is 'archived' - preventing new threads - where are we meant to post about LEGO Media? This forum had the group of people, passionate about say Lego Racers 2. I have new questions about the game, and other LEGO forums seem to focus more on other areas, rather than old school LEGO games. I haven't found the community which has Lego Racers 2. One question for example, the console version allowed 2 player races with 2 console controllers. On the PC version, is it possible to have 2 player races with 2 console controllers?