User blog comment:MisterWoodhouse/The future of Chat/@comment-27453076-20200806014909

This hit me like a bullet train. The chatroom was the starting point in my Wikia journey. Without it, I doubt I would be here today.

The value of a connected chatting application on a wiki is truly priceless. I don't think this decision is well-thought out, because the chatroom, from my experience, has been the best feature in the entirety of Wikia.

Would there be any way for users like myself to port the chat feature, before it's retired, to separate wikis off of Fandom that use MediaWiki? If Fandom isn't going to continue using it in the next update, I feel as if they should still give those who truly love it a chance to continue using it on their own third party websites / wiki, communities, etc. if they want to, because it brings along so many irreplaceable memories and a great feel to communities all around, that it's just too much of a change for us to bear without something.

The chatroom of the Encyclopedia SpongeBobia was my starting point, and was active throughout my entire time on the wiki, and even after my departure. It enlightened fans, we hosted events, Q/As, trivia, and games, and it made users feel at home.

I am going to miss Wikia Chat. It was such a precious thing while it lasted. At least for people like me who are going to grieve its depreciation, at least perhaps Wikia can offer a way to port the chat somewhere externally, similar to retired wiki skins.

The wiki chat has been the most wonderful and memorable thing in my decade of wiki experience, and thank you for keeping it alive as long as possible.