@Steve Brooks

Sir, I am glad that you are still here and that the Café is back online. As many have said, it's a great community and resource for research and comparing notes.

I would agree it was incorrect for certain characters to dance with repercussionless glee upon the supposèd grave of TMC; HOWEVER (and I know this is a common human occurrence), it seems you yourself did not quite seek or maintain the higher ground when an opportunity to send a few barbs of your own presented itself:



Er, anyway . . .

My sympathies and commiserations.

Also: @Gene -- Please charge him double for your recent IT work. <joking!>

Kevin,

I felt my response was more than warranted given all the rhetoric from the mouths of idiots. Further, when people on Facebook (and otherwise) send me private messages or call my private residence telling me they hope my wife dies....that's a problem.
In that light, I hope you see that I have been more than polite. If I am not allowed to defend my family and I on my own website, what the hell?

Further, unlike the conspiracy theories and outright fabrications from these folks, I have spoken nothing but the truth.
I have nothing to feel sorry for whatsoever.

As an aside, you need to know that had these folks spoken to me in person in the matter that they do online I fear I would not have been so polite. Just saying.

Thanks for your continued support.

---

Steve,

Sorry to learn about what you have written.

Please try to remain as noble as you can.

Best wishes,
Kevin

I agree - thank you.

---

Steve,

I am so very happy you're back!

I have been an avid fan of the Café for just a couple of years, but this is my first post. I really appreciate who you are. How you handle situations, and the Café, is a 100% class act. I wish you all the best.

Be safe,
Carbon

Thank you sooooo much.

Steve, I'm glad the Magic Café exists, and that it's back on line. I know how difficult it is to keep a resource of this magnitude going.

Kudos to you and yours.

Bill Palmer, M.I.M.C.

Thank you Bill.

My experience exactly. I was starting to go through withdrawals. I really don't understand the criticism.

So I must chime in. Thanks Steve for your continued support of Magic and Magicians. I lurk here. I learn here. Keep on doing what you do the best Steve and we will continue reading, writing, fighting, ****ing each other off and sharing our Magical lives, stories, products, ideas, love and hate. It's a Magical life my friends. The Magic Café is a very important part of it. I'll see you all here and there. My Best. - Bro. Paul

I'm happy it's back. I don't post much, but I'm always here.

Very glad The Café is back - such a valuable resource! Thank you, Steve, for all you do!

Very glad to see things are up and running again, thanks so much for all your efforts over the years!

Hi Steve, Thank you for this important Cafè. Thanks for your efforts. You did an awsome work!

Didn't realise how much I'd miss the Café until it was . . gone!
Thank goodness you're back. I'll never take you and all the hard work that goes into maintaining this site for granted again.
I'll also keep notes of all the really good suggestions and ideas that gets posted. . . just in case!

The magic Café is the best hands down , I will always be grateful for it .

Steve,
I'd like to echo all the sentiments above. I'd like to thank you and your team for all the effort you have expended over the years to
create this environment. I've spent hours of enjoyment, research and friendship here. And it hasn't cost me a dime, except for that which I chose to donate, which I hope anyone who uses the Café does.
But, I would like to offer a piece of constructive criticism, proposed in the spirit of some simple advice from a sometimes active member;
Please consider a more open line of communication with the members of the community. I have seen over the years that a source
of consternation here is a lack of communication from management. As you said, running an endeavor as large, complicated,
personal, and technically challenging as The Café is not easy. I get it and agree. But by definition it also inevitably generates "situations".
Hearing managements take, positions and information on "those situations" as well as issues or items of broad concern I believe would be a source of 'goodwill' and would quell gossip, rumors and potential distrust. I get that The Café is yours to run and the decisions are yours to make, as it should be, and I do not aim to question those choices. But for what it's worth, I do believe that "information is the resolution of uncertainty." No, I'm not talking about responding to trolls, hostility, idiots, whiners and cranks (et al).
I sincerely hope you can see it is not my intent to overstep here and I do hope you recognize the spirit that this suggestion is offered; in good faith and the wish for a friendly and welcoming forum for everyone involved.
Regards, thanks for sharing the OP, and thanks for The Café.
Ed Shernoff
edshern

Steve, thank you for the effort. Very grateful that such a place exists.

I can not tell you how much of an education I have had by reading old Café posts. It is such a wonderful resource. Thank you!

Many thanks!