I feel like the more we discuss it, the less likely the mods are going to reinstate it. From what I have been reading, and I know it really isn't purposefully, but it seems to me that some of the people are arguing with the mods, which was one of the reasons the sb was taken away. I liked being able to put my 2 cents in every now and again when i was watching the conversations. I know i was usually ignored a bunch of times so I didn't really talk all that much but i enjoyed seeing the conversations other people were having. Talking about the game, or talking about their lives. I know it's kinda like eavesdropping in a way, but its nice to know that i'm not the only one who has family issues or that i'm not the only one confused about something in game or that. The friends I have in game, I sometimes only got to talk to in the shoutbox. I don't really look through the forums all that often so i learned of cool new threads and some trades going on through the sb.
Honestly to me, between myVMK and the sb i felt like there was some place i could be where there were no problems, no issues, no arguments, etc. I enjoyed having my time with the shoutbox. I am sad it was taken away but I feel like its given me a better advantage because the sb was taking up a lot of my time. Now that it is gone, I have been able to concentrate more on my family and my schoolwork.
On the other side of that I still do miss it. It was a great place to chat with all the amazing people in game, some of whom i was not friends with.