Should the forum (still) be closed on Mondays (2026 repoll)

[Jammies]

Just got here, and my first Monday was a total bummer when I realized the forums were down. But then I started wandering around the site, poking into the other communities, and checking out the surf club. Honestly, it turned things around for me. Instead of just sitting around, I ended up exploring other stuff and getting motivated to work on my own things. I'm definitely on board with keeping Mondays closed. The server puts in the work, so it should get a break!
  

[axolotls_]

The main annoyance I have about the forum being closed on Mondays is that due to time zones it often is closed at times that are not Monday for me. But, that's probably an unavoidable issue and I could resolve it by having a better understanding of time 

[fsr]

Yeah but like, are Mondays even REAL though? Because someone told me it was Monday once and I was like "Really? It sounds so made up, I'm like- 'MONday...'" I'm sceptical, but it's all good though. Like if it was Monday today but my phone says it's Wednesday and I don't believe that either because the phone says Wed Nes Day and everyone ELSE says it's "WENDSday" so obviously one of these is wrong.

[pepper]

I voted yar! I think its good for a web forum to let the mods have a day off each week, and to let the users get a reminder that a forum is not the most important thing around! When I come here on a Monday and see it's closed its a reminder to exist in the real world for a little, maybe go for a walk or something. I tend to get stuck in habits so it's nice to have that reminder.

I also think its just fun and cute! When I introduced the site to a friend once I mentioned the site closes on Mondays and they were like "oh thats so charming omg!". And I agree, it is charming! 

BUT that said I wouldn't mind if it opened, or if it was read only, or whatever. I just like hanging around here from time to time 

(also how do people access the chat on Mondays what sort of hackery is that? <.<)

[Dan Q]

"Closing" a website on a schedule seems weird and quirky, but it's not without precedent.

Companies House is the part of the British government that deals with company registration: using their website, for example, you can look up the registered details of any company or director in the United Kingdom. (Look, here's me for example!)

I remember the first time I used that website, back in the late 1990s or early 2000s. Back then, it exhibited an interesting feature: the Companies House website would only work during business hours: like 9am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday!

That always used to blow my mind. What's happening? Are the database searches being carried out by hand or something? Like: you'd type something into the website and somebody in an office somewhere would look up the information you asked for and type the answer back to you? That'd be absurd!

It probably wasn't that. It was probably just about having lots of scheduled time for maintenance. Or that they thought it would be more-likely to be successfully misused outside of office hours. Or maybe, just maybe, they were ahead of the curve: a cutting-edge website that had a scheduled close period, long before the Melonland Forum brought it back and made it cool!

Anyway: I was reminded of that weird quirk by this discussion.

[TheFrugalGamer]

@DanQ, I currently work with a vendor who periodically closes down for Jewish holidays. Their website is still open, but they make it very clear that you cannot place orders during that time, as they will not be working! I've always thought it was kind of neat, mostly because I enjoy seeing cultural differences like that, and I admire when companies fit their businesses to fit the people, rather than the other way around.

I also like the Monday break like others, and I'm kind of reticent whether or not there should be a read only mode. I do think that if the forums go read only that day, though, it would be neat to make a special theme for it that makes it look like all the lights are out!

[cryptid from the north]

i actually like it. it creates some kind of "routine", and i love having a routine. (<- they're autistic)

and, maybe it sounds silly, but sometimes it helps with my time blindness, lol...