# Remembering the old days on the Outpost **URL:** \ **Category:** Political Topics\ **Created:** [October 11, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975 "2026-10-11T22:10:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joshua.romanov](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@joshua.romanov](https://community.goactuary.com/u/joshua.romanov)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/1 "2026-10-11T22:10:07Z")
This forum is almost dead, and Cooke is trying to resuscitate it. I was away for many years, and for some reason I thought about the Actuarial Outpost and looked it up. So this is what it’s become. I recognized many usernames — it seems like prolific posters like ‘The Drunken Actuary,’ ‘Tupac Shakur,’ and my favorite, ‘Whiskey,’ are no longer active here. There was also a girl I remembered with so many posts. It appears they all got busy with their lives. Good old days, when I used to spend many hours browsing the various sections. ---
**Author:** ![NerdAlert](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/nerdalert/32/683_2.png) [@NerdAlert](https://community.goactuary.com/u/NerdAlert)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/2 "2026-10-11T22:31:38Z")
Whiskey posts in sports still. He last posted 5 days ago. ---
**Author:** ![SpaceLobster](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/spacelobster/32/38216_2.png) [@SpaceLobster](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SpaceLobster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/3 "2026-10-11T23:02:08Z")
The old AO blew up in one giant bang. It left everyone blowing in the wind. A bunch of people moved to Reddit. A bunch more moved to discord. And a bunch more just…left. A few old timers ended up here. It’s not almost dead, it’s consistently as busy as ever. it’s just not comparable to the AO. It’s too bad. Forums are basically dead, so fair enough, but they really still are the best resource for exams long term. Eh, it is what it is. The days of forums are over. ---
**Author:** ![Breadmaker](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/breadmaker/32/83065_2.png) [@Breadmaker](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Breadmaker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/4 "2026-10-11T23:19:55Z")
Burnt popcorn meme totally goes here. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![Maphistos\_Sidekick](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/maphistos_sidekick/32/84973_2.png) [@Maphistos\_Sidekick](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Maphistos_Sidekick)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/5 "2026-10-11T23:21:51Z")
![image](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/3X/f/9/f9df48391d66f178870b8b175790c1cfd7345c65.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Jasper07734](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/jasper07734/32/24056_2.png) [@Jasper07734](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Jasper07734)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/6 "2026-10-12T00:54:08Z")
> [@SpaceLobster](#): > > The old AO blew up in one giant bang. Was there any one thing that definitively caused the old forum to end the way it did? ---
**Author:** ![dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/dr_t_non-fan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/7 "2026-10-12T01:04:57Z")
DWS decided to end it. It was too high-maintenance, and it did not advance their bottom line. ---
**Author:** ![Cooke](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/cooke/32/15467_2.png) [@Cooke](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Cooke)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/8 "2026-10-12T02:24:12Z")
I avoided Political topics in the AO as the discussions were more toxic than on GoActuary. There was a wider range of political views as well. GoActuary only has a few posters who I would view as “right wing”. Even though I am Canadian, I feel comfortable posting on US political topics on GoActuary as different views are discussed in a respectful manner: that was not the case on the AO. ---
**Author:** ![Rastiln](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/rastiln/32/77682_2.png) [@Rastiln](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Rastiln)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 11:23am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/9 "2026-10-12T11:23:47Z")
> [@dr\_t\_non-fan](#): > > DWS decided to end it. 👍 The chatter I recall, maybe based on something and maybe pure speculation, was that DWS didn’t want to actually moderate the servers, but also didn’t want to be associated with what was sometimes on the provocative/offensive side. Things were moderated and thus kept somewhat “SFW” - in particular I recall cursing being a little more taboo than here on GoA in 2026. But there were definitely unsavory opinions, heated arguments, and occasional flagrant bad behavior that the DWS website might’ve been associated with. That said, it was a really valuable and worthwhile place. GoA is a great replacement, for what it is, but it’s not the centralized location anymore. The exam study threads were especially useful, nontrivial knowledge that’s lost. ---
**Author:** ![now\_samantha](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/now_samantha/32/24815_2.png) [@now\_samantha](https://community.goactuary.com/u/now_samantha)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 11:52am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/10 "2026-10-12T11:52:04Z")
And the exam study threads don’t shift well to reddit or discord, discord because it works better as an active chat rather than a repository of information, reddit because it just isn’t structured well for that either. ---
**Author:** ![quoll](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/quoll/32/81747_2.png) [@quoll](https://community.goactuary.com/u/quoll)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/11 "2026-10-12T17:24:07Z")
> [@joshua.romanov](#): > > There was also a girl I remembered with so many posts. Maybe she grew up to become a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/12 "2026-10-13T12:38:16Z")
> [@Cooke](#): > > Even though I am Canadian, I feel comfortable posting on US political topics on GoActuary as different views are discussed in a respectful manner: that was not the case on the AO. I’m glad to hear this. I think part of the problem with the old AO was that there weren’t any “conservative” type moderators (at least that I was aware of), so that side of the fence often didn’t feel represented. I also think that the moderators on GoA are more diverse and that we also discuss things respectfully before specific actions were taking against any active posters. And I would say that the moderators here have a bit more flexibility and authority to perform actions to help curb disrespectful posting. To their credit, those posters we’ve actively confronted to adjust their posting style was done respectfully and that we gave more explicit feedback on what needed to change (and not just “don’t do that” type guidance). ---
**Author:** ![Lucy](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/lucy/32/8802_2.png) [@Lucy](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Lucy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/13 "2026-10-13T14:06:42Z")
There actually was. Tom, the administrator, was politically conservative. But instead of engaging with conservative posters who were disrespectful of others, he forbade the mostly-liberal moderators from reining them in. That led to offended liberal posters “fighting back”, and there was a general feeling that “if he can say this, i should be allowed to say that”, and it led to a vicious spiral. But I’m sure there was a feeling that moderation was biased liberal. I once asked a conservative poster not to say, “fuck you” to another poster (or something along those lines) and he told me that was liberal bias. I asked if being rude and abrasive were conservative values, and he replied that he felt they were. In my opinion, there are two main differences: 1. the guidance from the administration here is “be respectful” 2. we have many fewer posters, and a lower threshold for banning adversarial posters. ---
**Author:** ![Lucy](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/lucy/32/8802_2.png) [@Lucy](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Lucy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/14 "2026-10-13T14:07:14Z")
But also, @Vorian_Atreides is a terrific moderator. Thanks, VA. ---
**Author:** ![Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/vorian_atreides/32/65623_2.png) [@Vorian\_Atreides](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Vorian_Atreides)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/15 "2026-10-13T14:46:30Z")
Thanks for the added insight, @Lucy. I agree that when a moderator is prevented from engaging in “correction” of posting behavior that it will lead to tremendous problems. I also believe that moderators from the same “political spectrum” should also take a lead in addressing problem behaviors. And I believe that the moderators here on GoA do a good job of presenting discussion points for action and communicating a particular stance on a given action before taking that action. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Actuary](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Fish\_Actuary](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Fish_Actuary)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/16 "2026-10-13T15:05:45Z")
I’ve commented in another thread that I’ve been bothered by the number of guys who see behaving like an asshole is a virtue. ---
**Author:** ![Cooke](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/cooke/32/15467_2.png) [@Cooke](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Cooke)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/17 "2026-10-13T15:32:31Z")
> [@Lucy](#): > > I once asked a conservative poster not to say, “fuck you” to another poster (or something along those lines) and he told me that was liberal bias. I asked if being rude and abrasive were conservative values, and he replied that he felt they were. Mods have a tough job. You are much appreciated. Alan ---
**Author:** ![SpaceLobster](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/spacelobster/32/38216_2.png) [@SpaceLobster](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SpaceLobster)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/18 "2026-10-13T15:37:35Z")
> [@Jasper07734](#): > > Was there any one thing that definitively caused the old forum to end the way it did? Yes. Their DNS/nameservers were hacked and directed the page to some adware. That was like on a Friday IIRC. On Monday, Tom got canned. The website was offline for a long time, and when it came back it was completely wiped. Users/posts, etc. Relevant, at Serena’s guidance, I had contacted DW Simpson a couple of times at about the same time in an attempt to mitigate the problems - we would retake responsibility for moderating the forum, outside of DW’s brand, and offer them outreach and advertising. Their response was tepid at best (like, don’t return phone calls level). Their current stance, the last time I spoke to them, is that the current site is a great resource,being used by aspiring actuaries to connect with each other over exams. Like, wut? Curiously, I’ve got a different opinion on this site. Partly moderation on the hard line conservatices, plus getting rid of one particular poster who caused problems non-stop. There’s almost no real conflict anymore. The only real source of conflict from the old forum might be me, but many years ago I decided that I don’t argue with idiots on the internet anymore. So even I’m not really creating conflict around here lol. In the end, I think we’re just ok keeping this going for a group of a hundred or two old timers to connect, it’s a small community but it is a community, and for now I’m ok with it as is. It’s not the AO, not ever going to be the AO, it’ what we see right now and that seems to be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Cooke](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/cooke/32/15467_2.png) [@Cooke](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Cooke)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/19 "2026-10-13T15:50:28Z")
> [@SpaceLobster](#): > > The website was offline for a long time, and when it came back it was completely wiped. Users/posts, etc. I started a thread on the old AO in 2013 called **“This Year The Seahawks Are For Real”**. The Hawks won the Super Bowl that season. There was a small group of posters that commented vigorously during every game in that exciting season. Other folks joined in for their Super Bowl commentary and into the next season. As a result, that thread had about 10K posts on it when DWS pulled the plug on the AO. I was annoyed when it was destroyed as it would have been nostalgic for me to go back and revisit some of the discussions. The game discussions were like having the Seahawks fans in the tv room with me at game time. Sad that the site was wiped clean but I can understand that DWS might want it that way. ---
**Author:** ![3rookie](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/3/e0b2c6/32.png) [@3rookie](https://community.goactuary.com/u/3rookie)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975/20 "2026-10-13T16:43:08Z")
There were many posts by younger self where I could track the change in my thinking as I aged. I didn’t post anywhere else, so my own legacy was lost. Not to mention I was kicking butt in the NFL contests and could not find where they landed… Also, I really wanted to save off the Len Myers thread and write a screenplay. [Next page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/remembering-the-old-days-on-the-outpost/12975.md?page=2)