Tried logging onto Galaxy2, a Tor-based social networking site I’ve participated in since its inception in early 2015. It’s been down for a while, and like many Dark Web sites, it looks like it’s gone for good. We get a rare note about its closure, though, with a note from its founder, Lameth (see below).

Galaxy2 started after Galaxy, another Dark Web social networking site (one I’ve written about) shut down in late 2014. Lameth and a bunch of “Galaxy Castaways” met up on another DWSN, Visibility.i2p, and decided to start anew.

I feel very privileged to have seen these migrations and even participating in them. I’m very saddened by the end of this site. These days, social networking on an anonymizing network sounds bizarre, but of course connecting with other people via a pseudonym is as old as the Internet itself. Moreover, Lameth ran a very civil site. There were moments of discord, but overall, Galaxy2 (like Galaxy before it) belied the reputation of the Dark Web as solely comprised of criminals and pornographers.

I have documented much of Galaxy2 (as much as I could anyway) for my forthcoming book, Weaving the Dark Web, and I know other researchers have paid attention to the site. So it will not totally fade from the public record, at least.

And, perhaps someone will take Lameth’s lead and make a Galaxy3…

Lameth’s Message

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Hash: SHA256

So, it finally happened. The server broke down and your terrible host here (me, not the current host, mind you!) hadn’t been keeping regular backups off the server… I’m trying to see what I can salvage, but to be honest with you guys, then I’m not very optimistic.

The admins and a few other users has for a long time now been privy to my plans about either handing over G2 for someone else to run, or shutting down G2 completely. Seems like the server got tired of waiting for me to get my shit together and took the decision for me.

Why? Well, a couple of reasons, really, but the major one being purely selfish. I knew I was doing a shit job hosting G2, and as it grew more and more popular, so did my guilt and stress about not being a proper host and a proper admin. I couldn’t dedicate the time for running and managing G2 that I felt it deserved. So at some point I came to a conclusion; I think the mature decision was to give it up and hand it over to someone more capable, for the sake of the community. Turns out I also have a terrible habit of never actually doing the stuff I intend to do, so even the process of handing over the reigns to another host never really got further than me putting out a few feelers and questions to a few people.

So now we’re here. G2 seems to be done, although I try and find time to see if I can manage to salvage something that might make the admins and the new host capable of continuing G2.

I’d like to encourage people to migrate out to other Tor Hidden social Services, regardless of whether G2 can be recovered or not. I hope other social sites will pop up (Galaxy3, anyone?), but I believe there are still some of the “older” chat services around. They might be a good place to reconnect with other G2 users.

Even if G2 is recovered and continues, then this is the end of the road for me. I have little time to spare for this or any online community due to family and work stuff. It’s a bittersweet farewell for me. One one hand, it lifts a burden from my shoulders that I don’t care to carry around any longer; on the other hand I really did enjoy being a part of this community, of being part of the beginning and an integral part of its long existence. Three years (almost) feels like a lifetime for a Tor Hidden Service.

I might be reachable on the following mails, but please forgive my response times…:
Lameth@torbox3uiot6wchz.onion
Lameth@protonmail.com

Please use PGP to encrypt messages to me. The key below will expire soonish, but ask me for a new key once this one no longer works.

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