News from RUAdventures and the wider forum world
Dear Member,
We only tend to send a newsletter every year or two, as most of you know. The last was in the summer. However, events over the last week or so in the wider forum ecosystem have prompted this one.
RWD goes dark with a peevish whimper
As some of you may already know, Russian Women Discussion (RWD) was another long-running forum that covered Russia, Ukraine and the old “mail order bride” scene. Many of our members were active there at various points.
After more than twenty years online, RWD recently announced its closure on 1 January.
However, it looks as though they have closed prematurely. We posted a topic there to let the remaining members know they would be welcome here at RUA. It was removed, and the board was shortly afterwards put into “maintenance mode”. At the time of writing, it is offline altogether.
As a result, RWD has gone dark. Members were given no proper notice, no chance to download their own trip reports, and no indication of where they could continue the discussion.
We consider that a peevish and petty way to end a twenty-year-old community. If a sense of responsibility prevailed and the forum were briefly reopened until 1 January, it would at least allow members access to their own posts and trip reports before everything is lost.
If you had trip reports, photo threads or other material on RWD that you want to save, your only remaining option may be the Wayback Machine. Much content is accessible there, and if you are able to retrieve anything, you are welcome to republish it on RUA.
RUA today
Moving on from all that, we are already seeing familiar names from RWD arriving here, and the community is regrouping despite the circumstances.
Most of the old forums that once covered Russia, Ukraine and the old “mail order bride” scene vanished years ago. RWG, RMP, Red Tape, Real Russia and Go Gabber are all history. With RWD now effectively closed, RUA stands alone as the last surviving forum of this type.
With the rest of the old ecosystem gone, RUA is now where the wider discussion continues.
The forum continues to evolve. We still have the relationship stories, trip reports, travel threads and cultural discussions, but there is now far more debate on world affairs, sanctions, and the conflict in Ukraine. It reflects the times we live in and the readership we have. Activity remains healthy and the community continues to adapt rather than quietly switching the lights off.
Some forum highlights
Lord of the Dance posted an excellent trip report about his visit to Prague to meet a lady. It is very well written and well worth reading if you enjoy old-school trip reports done properly.
Farewell to RWD and a Welcome to Their Members
There is a topic discussing the closure of RWD, both for our own members and for those arriving from over there. It has generated lively discussion.
The stocks and shares debate is now past page 28. Sell Nvidia or hold? Is the AI bubble about to burst? What have you bought or sold this week?
And of course, Ukraine
As you would expect, the conflict in Ukraine remains a major topic across the forum, as it has since 2014, when it really started. Zelensky and his inner circle have been mired in corruption recently, from suitcases full of euros and dollars found in cars to gold-plated toilets. Many of his inner circle have now fled. With the US attempting to hammer out a settlement with Russia over Donbass, it looks as if Zelensky will be gone soon. Whatever your viewpoint, you will find plenty of debate on the subject.
A few notes on the forum itself
While other forums are quietly collapsing or being locked without warning, we have put serious effort into keeping RUA up to date and moving forward. We upgraded to the latest generation of SMF software, placed the site behind Cloudflare to deal with abusive traffic, and migrated to a high-end hosting platform in October.
The aim is simple: to ensure RUA stays fast, stable and online.
Dating in Russia and Ukraine is still alive
Although much of the old “mail order bride” industry has faded, dating in the region does continue, and a few reputable agencies remain active. If you are still interested in that side of things, we continue to recommend the Love Me website.
Here is a profile some of you may like: Daria in Kiev
If you have not logged in for a while
If it has been some time since your last visit, now is a good moment to drop by. Your account is still there and the conversations remain lively. You will find familiar faces, new names, and plenty of topics to get stuck into.
We welcome those arriving from RWD who want to continue the conversation somewhere that is still open and still alive.
Kind regards,
The folks @ RUAdventures.com
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