Potara In recent months, users of Kemono.su, a popular site for sharing paywalled content, have noticed a significant decline in the frequency of updates. Questions about the site's status—whether it's dead, broken, or undergoing maintenance—have been circulating, especially with the lack of new content from certain platforms like Patreon. This has left many wondering about the site's future and whether alternatives might emerge.
Kemono.su, since its inception, has been a valuable resource for those looking to access content from platforms such as Patreon, Fanbox, and SubscribeStar without paying for it. However, as of late, the site has experienced a series of technical and administrative challenges that have sparked concern within its user base.
Recent Decline in Updates
One of the primary issues reported by users is the lack of updates for certain platforms, particularly Patreon. Many users, such as WerkinAndDerpin, have noticed that content from Patreon creators they follow has not been updated since late August 2024. This has led to speculation that the Patreon importer, a tool used by the site to scrape content from paywalled platforms, may no longer be functioning properly.
However, not all users are experiencing the same issues. As skiveman pointed out, some creators still have updates, but this may depend on whether users are following particular content creators whose new material has yet to be uploaded by other contributors. It seems the problem is platform-specific, with some importers working while others remain broken or unreliable.
Technical Challenges and Staffing Issues
The root of Kemono's issues appears to stem from a lack of development resources. According to dan6664, there is currently only one admin left managing the site, and they are struggling to find experienced developers to fix the broken importers. Without a full team of developers, maintaining and updating the site's infrastructure has become increasingly difficult.
Arakan28 elaborated on this, explaining that while the Discord and Patreon importers are still functional, other importers, such as those for Fanbox, Afdian, Boosty, DLsite, Fantia, Gumroad, and SubscribeStar, have been broken for months. The dev team has already announced they won't bother fixing the broken importers due to the lack of resources. The site is essentially being kept alive by one or two functioning importers, making it feel like a project on life support.
This decline in functionality has led many to question whether Kemono.su will survive in the long run. Despite the admin's best efforts to keep the site operational, the lack of experienced developers and the mounting technical issues suggest that without additional help, the future of the site looks uncertain.
Is the Site "Dead"?
While Kemono.su is facing significant challenges, it would be inaccurate to say the site is entirely dead. Many users, such as WhiteMilk_, argue that while the site is not dead, it is certainly broken. The functionality that users have come to rely on has been severely impacted, and only select services are still being updated regularly. However, content is still accessible at reasonable speeds, and as Ewing_Klipspringer noted, Discord server rips are still being updated to the site.
On the flip side, there are users like thingyy_is_back who express frustration with the current state of the Patreon importer. They report that neither their personal imports nor updates for the creators they follow have worked since late August. This sentiment is echoed by many others who have experienced similar problems, contributing to the perception that the site may be nearing its end.
Nevertheless, some users remain optimistic. For instance, chetizii remarked that Kemono.su has gone through similar downtimes in the past and has always bounced back after a month or two. Others, like RageQuittingNoob54, have pointed out that discussions about the site's potential demise are nothing new and seem to surface on a monthly basis, even when the site is functioning.
The Future of Kemono.su
Given the current state of Kemono.su, its future remains uncertain. The site's admin has indicated that they would be willing to give away the site's database if they need to shut it down, which would at least allow users to preserve some of the site's content. However, without additional developers to maintain and update the site's infrastructure, it's unclear how much longer the project can continue in its current form.
The lack of developer support has also led to discussions about potential alternatives. Users like Proof-Indication-316 have begun asking whether there are other active sites that could fill the void if Kemono.su were to shut down. So far, no clear alternatives have emerged, but the growing demand for a reliable platform to share paywalled content suggests that someone may eventually step up to fill the gap.
Kemono.su is not entirely dead, but it's certainly struggling. The site remains operational, with some importers still working, but it is plagued by technical issues and a lack of developers to maintain it. For now, users can still access content, but the site's long-term viability is in question. Unless the admin can find experienced developers to fix the broken importers and stabilize the site, it's possible that Kemono.su may eventually shut down.
In the meantime, the community remains hopeful that the site will recover, as it has done in the past. But with each passing month, the calls for alternatives grow louder, and it remains to be seen whether another platform will rise to take Kemono's place if it eventually falls.