I understand that nothing on the internet is permanent

That being said, there are better ways of handling things.

Example: VOX, yet another SixApart blogging service that many went to when they were mucking up Livejournal (then they abandoned that, and we know what the led to). With little warning (two weeks to be exact, 10days of that I was away) we get notified that they are shutting down. That as of Sept 15th, you could no longer post or edit, but access it. By Sept 30th, it will be going *poof* into the ether.

They do offer yet another SixApart blogging service, but I wonder how long they will keep that one running before they abandon that one too?

Also, they have you go to a place that will make your blog a book, for the tidy sum of $300+ AUD. And no, that isn't a typo. And after looking at the proof, half the images missing, or screwed up, makes me wonder if they are in bed with that service too.

WordPress has stepped up and offered Vox users a place to import their blogs, also, but it's not all peaches and cream. Some one post spammers have already taken the names I typically use blogging, and this was done a few years ago, with no activity since.

Most of the people who were on my friends/neighborhood list on VOX I never personally met, but textually developed friendships, offered advice, was given advice, and just enjoyed gossip.

The way SixApart handled this is piss poor.