Gabriel Almeida: While you are right there is no obligation to develop, I wonder what lifetime members feel about the site going on low maintenance. Mind you I doubt too many people have bought black rooks in the last few years if they have been reading the boards.

Justaminute:
At least one person has bought a black rook membership this month. I think all black rook and black knight memberships(active and inactive if possible) should be converted to white rook and knight memberships and they be given a pro-rated refund based on the start date of their black memberships(if active)(and on length of their membership if inactive and they can be contacted of course. At least they should all be contacted (including inactives if possible) and given the refund option. On the other hand no definition of lifetime and or guarantee of time has ever been given (as far as I know)

ketchuplover: I take it to mean that lifetime is for the lifetime of this site.

ketchuplover: I don't understand your post unless you're fencers partner or you're going to buy the site. you're telling fencer how he should go about paying back someone that bought a black rook. I'm sure fencer will know what to do. you are a guest, a lot of us have been playing and paying here since day 1, I would miss this site. I hope fencer can keep it going.. nobody is being forced to play here.

ellieoop: As long as the site is profitable, I will do my best to keep it going, of course. But since the situation can change every year, it would not be fair to claim that BrainKing would be here forever under all circumstances.

Fencer: I hope it continues to be profitable.

ketchuplover: Ha, you have noticed. Actually, I added a special warning to the membership order page a month ago, and the warning shows up above the "Order" button if someone has a lifetime membership in the shopping cart. It clearly states that there is no guarantee that BrainKing will be there forever, so the order is at your own risk and there will be no refunds.

So, I was quite surprised that someone still paid for a black rook and I messaged this person with a question if he really meaned it. I even offered an instant refund, just in case that he didn't understand the warning. Still, he wanted to keep it. Such things happen.

"On the other hand no definition of lifetime and or guarantee of time has ever been given" - of course it has never been given. If I get run down by a bus tomorrow and spend 6 months in a hospital, there would be nobody else to keep an eye on the site. I am not sure if I ever mentioned it but I am the only one who maintains BrainKing since 2008. The other guy (Liquid) had decided to pursue his own projects and does not work with me anymore.

Nothing is for sure except death and taxes.

Fencer: So, the awaited "big announcement" is, actually, nothing we did not know about.

Since it is obvious the site is a burden to you, I will certainly do my best to relieve you of this burden and I hope the other people here will decide to help you as well.
Thus, as it is obvious, I am removing myself from this site as soon as my last game finishes.

Cheers!

ThunderGr: "Hey, I was just thinking about posting some kind of announcement." - where can you see something about "big"? If you don't get what you expect, it's not my fault.
Anyway, problem solved.

ThunderGr: I will be staying as a paid member as I really like this site.

Justaminute: Anyone would think that this site was about to collapse with all this doom and gloom talk.
IYT has not made any improvements since I last played there years ago and still runs okay. To me is looks dated compared to this site.