First of all, thank you all for your honesty and passion around our decision to switch commenting platforms. We're glad you did and just want to go through some of those and let you know where things stand.
In our other post, I told you that we weren't sure when we'd make the switch. After reading your comments, talking to Insticator, and thinking through our own capacity, we've decided to hold off on the switch until after Election Day.
Honestly, there's plenty for all of us to do on that day without adding the possibility of any frustration or difficulties. So we'll wait until next Wednesday to make the switch. Please God, let it be a celebration.
I saw other comments about how we're just doing this because we're money-grubbers who wanted to snatch some sweet cookies for fun and profit. Nope. No, no, no. This does NOT mean that we're not looking for ways to pay our bills and keep the lights on. We absolutely always are because, hey you guys, we have to eat too. As much as I know you'd like to think we all write for free and rip those videos at no charge, that's simply not true. And because we've been trying to move to an ad-free subscription model, we've had fewer fundraisers this year than any other. AND because it's an election year and we know you're swamped with asks for money for candidates, we've chosen to wait on any fall/winter subscription drives in order for you to maximize your support for candidates and GOTV efforts.
To the person who suggested C&L was on the auction block, LOL. No. That is not a thing which is happening! We are as independent today as we were 16 years ago when this site started.
But yes, we look for revenue where we can find it. We don't have the same progressive funding infrastructure under us that the right has under them. There are no billionaires eager to direct buy ads on our site or otherwise support us. There are no liberal book publishers lining up to advertise the latest liberal tome in our top ad spot. Those things don't happen, so we look for ways to make money and as a last resort, we ask YOU.
ALSO...I have to say one more time that we never, ever, ever notinamillionyearsever would force you to use Facebook comments. Over my dead cold body. And John's.
So in the next few days, play with the quizzes on the site. They're fun, even if I have gotten more wrong than I have gotten right. There are some fun polls too, and we have more planned. This is supposed to make your time here more fun, not sad, punitive and mean. I promise. We know you have a ton of places you can visit and would like us to be your first stop is all.
On a personal level, I spent years building corporate online communities only to see them killed. AOL killed CNN's (to my eternal anger). The Great Recession killed much of WebMD's. When I came here as a writer, I paid attention to each and every one of you so that I could write articles to inform and occasionally entertain you, the reader, because online community is my first love. I've shared my own health challenges and those of my family with you. We are a community and my goal as Managing Editor is to give you, our community, articles you'll enjoy, curate the news you need, and keep hitting Fox News and the dishonesty of the right wing as hard as we can with the staff we've got. Trust me when I tell you I have no intention of killing off our community with a platform change.
If I didn't believe it would make your experience better, I'd have fought tooth and nail to keep what we've got. I was the one who had to be convinced. And I was.
So after Election Day when we are (hopefully) celebrating victory, we'll do it together with a new platform for it. And you will tell us what you like and what you don't and we will work to make it work for you perfectly.
Deal?
