The BALPA comms revamp has been really badly handled by the NEC. Possibly for the reasons you suggest, however the old VS forums are still working, it’s just the BA ones and the ‘general discussion’ boards that have closed. New website is crap though.
0/0 yeah I hear you. My 700hrs is all 2-pilot/no crew rest, and 4-5 trips a month (guess the fleet
). So fewer hours but still flat out, maybe just (slightly) shorter flights perhaps.