Nairaland, the buzzing online forum and Nigeria’s seventh most popular website, is back online after a two-day blackout triggered by Cloudflare, its American content delivery host. Founder Seun Osewa announced the temporary restoration in a statement today, promising a “long way to go” before complete normalcy resumes.
“We brought Nairaland back on a temporary host, a time-consuming feat,” Osewa declared. “Most features are up, but additional downtime is possible. Don’t be alarmed!” he assured the forum’s three million-strong community.
Going into focus mode to get this thing done.
Going back to 100% focus on Nairaland after.
— Seun Osewa ?? (@seunosewa) December 19, 2023Initial tweets on Monday attributed the shutdown to an “unscheduled maintenance operation” by Cloudflare. However, the story took a turn the next day when Osewa revealed a two-week-old abuse report, overlooked at first, had triggered the takedown.
This incident reignited speculation about content moderation changes on Nairaland, a vibrant platform where users create content around everything from news and politics to entertainment and technology. Calls for a revamped design, untouched since the forum’s launch in 2005, also resurfaced.
Osewa himself hinted at potential updates, acknowledging the need for evolution and adjustments to both moderation practices and the interface. Media experts and users, however, cautioned that any changes should respect the platform’s core identity and the close-knit community it fosters.
Please drop your comments on Nairaland:https://t.co/FvzQgsNSBH pic.twitter.com/zgWEE1V2b8
— Seun Osewa ?? (@seunosewa) December 21, 2023