On Jul 26, 2022, Steve Brooks wrote:
Hey gang,

I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one you for your continued support of The Magic Café®.
We have been thru a few bumps these last few weeks and you have all been very patient and supportive in your phone calls, emails, private messages and even a few donations along the way. I sincerely thank you all. Yooz da best!

Over the last twenty plus years since The Magic Café® has been online both the magic community and the world around us have been thru many changes. That is life and the way of things. Technology has come a long way and society can barely keep up it would seem.

When The Magic Café® first began the Internet was a much different entity. There was no Facebook or Twitter. In fact, social media as we know it now really didn't exist. I was living in the boontoolies and had a dial-up connection. Its hard to believe but it's true. Wow, how the times have changed.

Although the world has advanced with high-speed Internet access, advanced tech gadgets such as so-called smart phones, tablets, big screen televisions, electronic watches and the like - people themselves really haven't changed all that much. Though the tech has advanced and made life simpler the thing that makes us human is still with as it always has been - passion and emotion. That is the one thing we all have in common. That said, it should not surprise any of us that a hobby such as magic can sometimes invite serious debate and disagreements amongst those who are heavily engaged with it.

In that light, you can only imagine what it must be like bringing thousands of magicians together in a single setting. Odds are there is going to be trouble. It really doesn't matter whether it's here on the Café, the Genii Forum, facebook groups or anyplace else on the Internet for that matter. People just can't help themselves. Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I would like to believe that most folks are good hearted and mean well in their conversations with others online. Sadly that is not always the case.

Case in point would be these past few weeks. While my tech team and I were busy dealing with unforeseen circumstances beyond our control and doing our very best to get the Café up and running again, the magic community was full of some of the craziest bits of dis-information, gossip and mean spirited ramblings beyond even my own imagination. People who apparently have a deep repugnance and hatred towards our Café community and myself crawled out of their slimy holes and showed everyone just how angry and miserable they must really be in their own pathetic little lives. It is apparent (at least to me) that these people are prime examples of narcissists who are obviously unaware of their own blatant insecurities. At any rate, these folks are extremely unhappy and bitter and as most of you are aware - misery loves company. How unfortunate.

Having said all of that, I must admit I was sorely tempted to respond to these naysayers. But then I realized this would only pull me down to the level of their conversation. I think it’s obvious that most of the criticism is self-hate because they didn’t come up with the idea which became The Magic Café® and that this community gives the average Joe a platform for his or her thoughts. It’s a community and as such they don’t feel like they belong. In the end the Café was the first to market and became the biggest - so all eyes are immediately upon it! For a website nobody likes they can't seem to stop talking about us, amusing really.

I will say this; we have been thru a lot over the years, but thanks to your enthusiasm, participation and continued support we remain as ever. You should never forget that behind all the code and tech are human beings. As such we are far from perfect and we sometimes make mistakes - keep that in mind. Finally, always remember that The Magic Café® is and always has been a work in progress. Many of you got your start in magic here, made friends and were given many opportunities in magic you may not of otherwise had. For that I am grateful and ever thankful that we are a community and share the love of magic together. Thanks again for taking this journey with me.

As ever - Steve Brooks

---