Years ago there was an upheaval of sorts and I found a group of members that formed a Facebook group.  We sent private messages thru here to get it all set up.   
 

it's been dead around here for quite awhile.  Sad.  

Would a private Facebook page work? I much prefer forums to Facebook because it is so easy to miss things on a Facebook page, but it might be an option. I have no idea how secure private groups really are, hopefull one of our more technologically savvy members can be of some help. 

This is so sad!! I totally understand-- but this site and all of you have been a godsend. I don't have social medial as I'm a ferociously private person (hell I delete things after a day of posting here).
 

I don't have the words to express how truly grateful I am for all of you. Your stories, your vulnerability... you saved my sanity and for that I am eternally grateful. If folks are gathering in an alternative spot I'd love to know about it.

member created a small community and invited regulars to join. That community was active for a few years until the founder could no longer maintain it due to advancing age and limited resources.

Undoubtedly something will arrise from someone in the STB former STalker communty.  Just keep an eye out and do an occassional Shmoogle search.  We will eventually find each other.

Before finding STalk I belonged to a small SParent communty.  It had a few dozen members.  It folded at some point.  Years after joining STalk a member of that defunct small SParent communty joined STalk.  We recognized each other immediately.  

The bond is real.

Thanks to all who have been such a big part of my life for17yrs and 2mos.

Live well and be good to you.

Cheers!

Not with the developer or admins. I fully understand finances. Just sad we won't have a place to "gather" any longer. This site has been a God send and I do enjoy trying to help others navigate StepHell. 
 

Years ago, we had a group on CafeMom but that shut down and we moved to Facebook. While it worked great for years, that group eventually dwindled, too. Five of us stayed close and get together once a year. We chat via text now. 
 

I hope someone has ideas. I'd love to stay connected. You ladies and gents have been so kind and understanding. I'm going to miss this group. 

I rarely log in to comment or post as contact with step/s is minimal and I'm lazy to login! But I read every night. I will def not cope with not finding out people are ok. Eg CLove and CastleJJ. And will miss reading all the stories and comments so I feel less insane. 

Yes, I am devastated too! I have been here just over a year but have learned so much and am so appreciative of all who have shared and taught me so much. I feel bereft when I consider there is less than one month of camaraderie and support at our fingertips...any time of the day or night, we can safely post our thoughts. Another poster stated this was the only place where she could vent. How many of us feel the same?

How about a yearly fee? I wonder if that could change things?

I'm working on something. It won't be as sophisticated as this site, but something is better than nothing??

This is such a loss but understand the need to move on. I've appreciated the advice and have become invested in a lot fellow members journeys.

Ill join any group that comes out of this.

This is very sad news that the site is closing - I have been a member for 14 yrs and I often say the site saved my sanity.  Delighted to hear Aniki is on the case - I can donate money and/or my time if needed.  Thanks.  

What a shame. I'm so sad ST is shutting down. This site helped me to process and understand how to cope with the challenges of step-life. Because of everything I learned on ST, I got to a better space in my mind and in my life so much faster than if I had to stumble through the step-experience without the sage advice of ST members.

Early on after joining ST, I had a lightbulb moment that changed everything. I can't remember the exact advice that gave me an epiphany but I think it had something to do with that I needed to disengage and rediscover my own interests, hobbies, passions, friends, family and pursuit of happiness, anything and everything outside of being a SM.

Sometimes the advice was hard to hear but in the end it was exactly what I needed to hear.

I am grateful for the wise advice that I received from step-talkers. 

While my own life has settled somewhat over the last few years, this site was the only thing keeping me sane all those years ago. And more importantly, validating that what I felt at the time wasn't crazy. Better at teaching me where to draw my boundaries than therapists that don't fully understand the dynamics between vengeful BMs and alienated children. I have loved reading the blogs and silently cheering you all on. I will always be grateful. X 

Sad to read this update! I've enjoyed coming here for advice through the years and it truly feels like a community to me. I hope that we figure out a way to keep connected somehow as a group. As others mentioned this is the only place I've felt safe to vent about our unique situations where people truly understand ❤️ and that we don't feel alone in what we're going through. 

I knew aomething was up when i saw a plethora of ads everytime I came to the site

sucks it won't be here too much longer and I'm super grateful for all the peeps that helped me see living with the Disneyland Dad I used to deal with was draining me to the point I needed to leave.....and eventually did

I used to think *I* was the crazy one till I found this site and realized other people had eerily similar experiences 

I'm working on "Step Chat". More to come... 

I'm having my 1st cup of coffee and do my usual check-in on step Talk. I just now saw that the site is closing down at the end of the month. It's a great loss. I joined in March 2021 because I have been in step life for 32 years now And needed some help dealing with the realities of Estrangement. This site has helped so many of us. This is where I learned about PAS Which was very helpful to understand. This site is where I learned it's OK to have boundaries and not have anything to do with adult step kids who will never like you just because you married their dad. This is the place that I learned. I am not alone. I think that was the biggest help knowing that so many other people have step kids that don't like them just because their mom didn't want them to accept and like me. Step life feelings has taken up a majority of my headspace. I remember Rags Tell me not to give them free rent in my head. I would look up blogs about anything that I wanted to know about whether it be what to expect as a step grandparent. I'm nonexistent to them. I've looked up weddings and read so many stories that helped to me after I was so hurt from my stepdaughter's wedding. Now that we are older, I think about what's going to happen when one of us passes and if I should expect the step kids to come And think they deserve the things we work so hard for. I've never met any of you in real life, but the names that we have chosen for our profiles says a lot, and I loved reading each of your stories. I am truly sad that I won't be able to have my morning coffee and just read. I would also read at night time. Please just know that this site has helped me immensely and I will never forget what I have learned. My husband and I have a strong marriage and I have often imparted To him what I have learned. He has been very supportive of me reading the site. Thank you all so much.

As my most recent issue has been so frustrating... no one else could have helped me as much as all of you. I need you and happy to help if needed. 

This sucks. This site was the only place that helped me make sense of the shitshow i found myself dealing with. Helped me get over my "savior complex", disengage, and take my life back. 

I have the 'framework' set up for the new site and am working on fleshing it out.

I've created a private community on Reddit called StepTalkRedeux. I'm not particularly tech savvy, but hope it can be a stopgap while Aniki works on the new site. Membership must be approved, so if anyone is interested in helping over there, please let me know.

Having a group on fb concerns me a bit as fake profiles are common there. I already had to delete a previous account here for fear members of The Coven (my DH's sisters and OSD) were snooping. A fb group would have to be very locked down.

I was afraid this would happen, one day. I don't have a lot to vent about these days but I still log on and read everybody's stories.

Oh my heart! I do understand this, but I'm so sad. What will we all do now? This place has been such a place of support and I wouldn't be here today and have gotten as far as I have without it. I'll support however I can. Please keep us posted. 

Hi everyone

I'm not sure if everyone will be on board, but you can start a discord server if you like? I had one for a while, you can invite people to it, it's easy to set up and you can have different topics in different sections, and it can be private so ppl can't just "discover" you. It's free to very low cost. You can boot ppl off if you need to, as well. 
 

https://discord.com/

https://discord.gg/vdFs9cdG

i started a discord server for you guys, StepTalk2.0 

if you all decide you don't want it, that's ok, but if you click the link it takes you right to it, you can use whatever name and avatar you like for privacy.  

Is there something we can do to keep it going.   Is it money. ?    Are anyone out there who can take it over ?

it it's money maybe we can chip in 

Sad news. I've been absent for awhile because I've been enjoying my freedom from step-parenting. I do check in and read posts from time to time and just happened to login and see this anouncement. Grateful to Aniki for taling over. I found this site just over 3 years ago when my blended family fell apart, and it was exactly what I needed. I am so thankful for everyone on here. You all got me through a devastating time.