Very well put and clear, though I would venture to say that very few here ever took ET for granted.  I'll bet the large majority of folks here recognize the amount of work and dedication it takes to keep ET up and running at its high level.  But we probably weren't vocal enough about it, and I do think the appropriate method of respecting the effort is posting news and "stuff" of your own.

One of the great media personalities in San Francisco over the past decades was alternative newscaster Scoop Nisker, who'd sign off his broadcasts with:
     "If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own."

Aside, I'd like to second an increase in diarying from countries seemingly under-represented on ET to date.  That kind of information is particularly fascinating to me, and hopefully many of us, attempting to get a handle on current Europe.  ET is a microcosm, after all.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin