OK, I'm going to chime in since I'm somebody about whom you're directly talking. That is, I am somebody who searched "Rio Pearl," then joined this forum for no other reasons than:
1. It seemed like the best place to keep up on "pearl's" status
2. The people posting here seemed like a most excellent community. (Hell, a clear majority here not only punctuate, but also spellcheck posts. That's more than "chodes" do to resumes and marriage licenses.)

As an aside, 'though I don't own an empeg/Rio Car unit (*yet*), it's got a near-mythical reputation among people like me, as you know. So methinks some "Karma people" will know just what they're getting themselves into.

So, here are the points I'd like to make. First, the site is already a resource and can be found via web searches, so that cat is out of the bag already. Don't know if "hiding" Karma forums until after login solves that or not (e.g., are you going to scrub the existing forums for any passing reference to pearl or karma?).

Secondly, I saw RioWorld.org and disagree with robricc that it's somewhat successful. 1144 lifetime forum users for *all* Rio handhelds vs. your twice as many for just empegs? Say what? Then I read a few. Seems like an awfully high s/n ratio. I came to the same conclusion as loren: not so good. Of course, that's not your fault, and that's clearly the proper place today for Rio handheld stuff. So, the question is what to do about the fact that this existing audience would be underserved if you choose not to establish Karmatalk here. The answer indeed may be yet another, separate board (Hey, I've got it: RioKar.org or is that scary?)

I tend to think genixia has the right balanced view.
He said: I hate being cliquey.
But here's what's funny about that: I consider the Internet the greatest communication tool of the 20th century (counting phones as 19th c.) precisely because of how it has helped people erase national/international boundaries that separated them from participating in open, shared communities. Y'know, precisely like the one whose integrity you are so jealously (and absolutely rightfully) trying to guard here.

So good luck. I'll keep coming back until I'm banned!