The Nexus is by far the best modding site I've ever come across, the amount of work, dedication and pure passion that is displayed by everyone is genuinely heart warming. It really makes me feel like the gaming industry hasn't quite yet become just a shallow money harvesting machine *cough* EA *cough*. I totally agree with the monetization of modding being a bad thing for the community, it will simply stifle creativity in the long run and damage the strong sense of community. If the Nexus were to go down...I think it would be one of the final nails in the coffin for my enjoyment of gaming (I am also 26 and getting rather cynical in my "old" age). I can't thank you enough for running the site, you are literally a hero.
