Hey Nicsters! 

This is a joint letter from Lula, Bonnie and Mara. We have an important announcement to make. 

As has been largely discussed here, the general feeling among the Nicsters is that we have been left orphans, so to speak, after the closing down of CageFactor, our sister site, which as far back as 1998 was legendary in Nic fandom and has ever since provided us with a background of sorts. It gathered an unparalleled treasure trove of comprehensive Nic info and will be sorely missed. 

We will always be extremely grateful to Colleen, the founder and webmistress, for her dedicated efforts in setting up CageFactor, and for providing us with a cozy environment where we have had Nic-related rollicking fun all these years. After the disappearance of the first and foremost of all Nic sites,TONCAS (The Original Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society), CageFactor became a milestone in its own right, and Colleen is to be thanked for that, along with all the people who have helped with their contributions. The legacy of CageFactor will never be forgotten, nor will the most invaluable gift that this site has given given us all: great friendships that have been made over the years across the world. 

Unfortunately this spin-off CageFactor forum, our current meeting place, is put in a very precarious position. It is feared that a similar blow could strike anytime unexpectedly and deprive us Nicsters of the last cyber-haven of friendliness where we can freely talk all things Nic. Can you possibly imagine that a talented and popular A-lister actor like Nic could be left without his loyal fan following on the Net, simply because people no longer have a place to chat about him? We simply cannot let that happen, folks.

Nic fandom is not a dying breed, but is a community alive and kicking, currently inneed of a space where all Nic fans feel appreciated and valued and have some feeling of connection with the people who run the place. 

There has been some speculation here as to what course of action we could take. Everyone seemed in agreement on starting a new forum, and a few kindly expressed offering a helping hand,  but no one came forward as part of a co-hesive collective effort.  

The three of us then decided that we simply cannot let more Nic sites go off the air just like that and do nothing about it. So we´ve created a space where we hope people will come and contribute and feel like part of a community. We have quickly created a new meeting place, in case the worst happens and this beloved forum of ours goes the cyber-limbo way. 

Since Lula had already set up her own Nic page in Twitter, called Cagealot (inspired by Nic´s affinity with the Arthurian legend), we decided to stick with the castle theme and expand it into a full forum. It seemed like a natural evolution from the Twitter page. We have been working hard all week to get some content established before introducing it to the world and now deem it necessary not to delay things any longer and subject this alternative forum to your consideration. 

Please dont think for a moment that we are in any kind of disagreement or competition with the Cagefactor forum. A very important point we want to get across is that we don´t mean in any way to impose upon anybody or step on anybody´s toes. This is more about cooperation and keeping the flame alive for all Nic fans and providing them with an alternative place in the event that we are left homeless out of the blue.

We set up Cagealot simply because without any administrative access the Cagefactor forum cannot be properly run, and so far we have been unable to get in touch with Colleen in this regard. And we feel we´re running out of time. 

What´s this Cagealot place anyway, you will ask? Well, have a peak here and judge for yourselves: 

http://cagealotcastle.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=136656&p=1 

As you can see, in Cagealot, you will find an original approach to Nic fandom. It is intended to become a place where we can discuss Nic and his movies till our typing fingers ache and our keyboards drip with drool (we Nicsters have a proclivity to swoon haven´t we? LOL!) But we also want it to become a cozy cyber-home where friendships can thrive. That´s always been the Nicsters way, our trademark of sorts: the friendly approach. 

We also want to announce here that, since Cagealot is still in its infancy stages, we are in need of your help to raise the newborn forum. We´re looking for people to contribute to the forum in different capacities, such as someone to herald new Nicnews by googling daily Nic´s name and posting the links over to Cagealot. Also, we´re seeking someone who might enjoy creating Trivia games and such kind of contents. And any other contribution you could think of! There´s a suggestion box on the site for any other ideas that people might like to see included in on the Cagealot site as it is first and foremost a Nicolas Cage fan forum created BY his fans FOR his fans (we can´t stress this enough). 

We invite you  to take a stroll down the halls of Cagealot, Nicsters. And we are looking forward to meeting all of you over there, where we hope you´ll feel most welcome.Please feel free to come over and join us anytime.  

While we´re awaiting your visit, we´ve put a log on the fire, and have high hopes for the first flame that is burning in the hearth. Hopefully, we soon will have a lovely blaze going. Will you help us keep it lit? 

With gratitude, friendship and respect, 

Lula, Bonnie & Mara