Alright, let's be honest here. The whole "closing down" thing was a decision made after about 5 minutes of arguing between our two admins. It's also become obvious that a lot of people really cared about this site, even though they weren't that active. It makes me and the rest of the staff feel kind of bad for putting everybody through this, especially since most of us didn't have a say in this.

A lot can be done to save the site from the Hell to which it was heading. We just never got together and thought it out. Thus, we did just that. A few days ago, we had a full staff meeting. Both our admins, myself, and all of the lower staff (with the exception of slip, although his absence is completely understandable) attended. There, we reviewed all of the reasons for the site to close and all of the problems that ultimately led to it. Pretty much all of us had a viewpoint of wanting the site to remain open. I know a lot of people are sad to SZ go. I am too, and so are almost all of the entire staff.

After a bit of arguing and throwing of the suggestions and stuff, we've worked out an outline for a re-opening plan. Basically, we're going to re-organize the staff and do a little cleaning to the forum. v3 is out of the question, at this point. As a result, we may spice up the current skins or at least do something to signify some kind of difference. I won't release all of the details of said "plan" since it's all just a rough outline, at this point. However, if things go as we believe them to, it is very possible that we can fully revive this site and bring it back to the glory that it used to be.

At this point, I'd like to open the floor to questions. Try to avoid asking specific things like "Who's going to be the new coding mod?" or "About what time of day can we expect this re-opening?". We can't release those details at this point. Not only do you not know them, we don't know them either. I'll start with just answering a few possible questions you may have, though.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you the one announcing this and not an admin?
Chris didn't want to do this. He also didn't seem to care who announced it. Me being the highest below Chris & Kay, I decided to do it instead. As long the public is notified of what's going on, who cares who announced it, right?

When can we expect this to happen?
It should probably take about a week. That's not a definite guess, though. It could take shorter or longer. We just don't know.

Why announce this if it's not even certain this will happen?
We don't want to leave our members believing that SZ is doomed forever. There is still hope, but our current public statements make it seem that we're completely shot.

Will version 3 ever happen?
No. Well, at least not the one you were expecting. Chris & Josh have both officially given up on it. We are planning to rework at least one of the skins, though. We're not sure who or how to do it yet, but it is planned.

I want to help, what can I do?
Just help us spread the word. It's already spread that SZ is closed. We need to help people know that SZ is trying to recover. A site that's lasted this long has enough of a reputation and member-base to get back up from a fall this big. Help us by letting everybody know that. Oh, and if you could help promote the re-opening as much as you can, that would be awesome.

I have a suggestion. Want to hear it?
Hell yes. We need all the help we can get. If it's something you're comfortable with sharing with everybody, feel free to post it in this thread. If it's more of a private matter, just drop Chris, Kay, or me a private message. I'd recommend messaging me, though. I'll get it to the rest of the staff fastest.

I don't think SZ can re-open. Should I tell you why?
Again, hell yes. If you have noticed any potential reasons that would prevent this from happening, please let us know about them. We're trying to solve every problem we can and get SZ back to it's place as the best damn forum on the Internet, a title it's rightfully deserved for years. We want this release to go as smoothly as possible. Any and all obstacles need to be pointed out and eliminated.

Alright, I'm out of things to say. Please give us your suggestions and offers of help. This will be very uneasy. Closing a site is hella easier than restoring it, especially when it's already been closed. Please don't give up on SZ as easily as we did at first. There is still a chance, and we're going to take it, damnit!