Christina & Bob, I am sorry to learn that you haven't reconsidered your decision to close the forum at this time. Hopefully, you will come back in the not too distant future. As I've stated numerous times in various forums, I'm very pleased with all of my REKAT products and look forward to buying more in the future. (In fact, I have a new one inbound right now.)
An Internet presence is a double-edged sword for companies and it is an unfortunate fact of human nature that an unhappy minority always makes much more noise than a happy majority. A discussion forum provides a venue for the disgruntled to publicly air their complaints. In addition, the semi-anonymous nature of the medium can embolden some people to act out in ways that they never would in real-time, person-to-person, communications. It also facilitates a mob mentality as others, with nothing new or positive to add, can easily "pile on" with negative "me too" statements just to have something to say.
On the positive side, it gives companies an opportunity to both communicate & actually collaborate with their most dedicated & knowledgeable customers. However, it takes effort in order for it to be a success. A quick story: Many folks cite Spyderco as an example of a company that "got it right" with regard to their Internet presence. However, and I don't know how many people will remember this, it did not start off on a positive note. A couple of years back, before the Spyderco forums existed, there was quite an uproar over Spyderco's MAAP, what some people perceived to be a price fixing policy. Well, in trying to address these concerns, a Spyderco representative used the marketing term "ELU" (end-line-user) when referring to their customers. This was a poor choice of words and actually did more harm than good. People were more upset than ever, feeling that "ELU" somehow objectified them. Rather than hide from the issue, Sal addressed it directly and patiently and a bad situation was ultimately diffused. Today, many folks even use ELU when referring to themselves. This positive turn of events didn't just happen. It took commitment & effort on Spyderco's part. IMO, this is a very important lesson.
Communication takes two parties. Providing a discussion forum for customers without being willing or able to participate on a regular basis is an invitation to disaster. Regardless of how good a product line and customer service may be, when customer questions go unanswered, frustration grows. Frustration, in turn, can lead to anger & that can quickly poison a forum's atmosphere.
As I said at the onset, I hope to see a REKAT presence return to these forums. However, without a commitment to make it work, it's probably better not to have one. Stepping down from my soapbox, I wish you nothing but the very best of luck & I am looking forward to seeing your new models.
Now, about the release date for that light weight Carnie...
a VERY sad day..in forum land. I still think that it's a bad mistake in company policy for REKAT to remove the forum, but ok. Wish you guys the best. 
