I noticed that too, and well...if Herb nuked the forums in celebration of his birthday, it was nothing more than a real-life Blackout. Think about it, the man behind everything, the Guy In Control, suddenly disappears "for the good of the realmprofessionalizing his replies" and a short time later all communication ceases...just like our dear Devlin Stone did, and took the HPG net with him.
This is the Blackout, ladies and gentlemen.