Dear friends,
Wow! Really. Wow! Your response to my Community Brainstorming: I am swimming against a Tsunami post was nothing short of massive, huge. I got more donations then ever before, I got long and very moving letters of support, and I got a lot of very good advice and suggestions. Frankly, I had never expected such an outpouring of support and I am immensely grateful to you all for it.
Truly, it is hard to put in words. I will try though, in the near future. I will call the post “submarines in the desert”. I will explain what I mean by that at that time. All I can say is that I am immensely touched and absolutely amazed by your support. As I said – I will discuss this important topic in a future post (now is not the time).
I also had the time to think, consider all the suggestions you sent and ask for advice. To keep a long story short, here are my conclusions (organized in the usual time and money categories):
Time:
First, as soon as I move to the new blog I will have at least three co-moderators to help me with this extremely time consuming task.
Second, the Saker community is working on the creation of a “pool of webmasters” which would be able to support all the various Saker websites. We have already received applications from some highly skilled volunteers and we hope that once this system is in place the turnaround time to fix any problems or to implement a needed change will be much shorter. If you are interested and if you have time, availability and strong WordPress skills, please email me.
Third, I will keep this (old, blogger) blog indefinitely open as a mirror of the main (new) one although I will eventually close the comments section here. Should anything happen to the main blog, I will always be able to open up comments here. In other words, the blog will have triple-redundancy: new blog, a main (and so far hidden) backup, and the old blog as mirror.
Fourth – the new blog should be back online soon. Again, before that happens I will keep you posted.
Money:
First, the site will, of course, remain 100% free.
Second, if anything at all, I have come to the obvious conclusion that the sudden drop in donation was not due to any lack of desire of anybody to donate, but to a lack of reminders to do so. I do not want to put up ads, I do not want to place a constant reminder, I do not want to have fund-drives, I do not want to place big signs or do any other of the many techniques I have seen used which I personally find obnoxious. However, what I am thinking of doing is post short and unobtrusive reminders about donations about once a month in the form of a post.
Third, I have decided to try out a monthly podcast which I would also make available for free, but which I would also use as a reminder about donations. My idea is for anybody interested to send in questions about any topic and I would read these questions out and reply to them in a recording which I would then make available for download/streaming. In this way, I could communicate with you in an informal way, simply by speaking directly to you (in English) rather than by always writing.
Fourth, I have agreed to write a book based on some topics touched upon in this blog, but organized in a logical way and edited by a professional and a team of volunteers. The book would be available for download along some kind of donations scheme still to be worked out. I will keep you posted.
Other miscellaneous issues
The logo. Again, wow! I did not expect such a massive response :-) Frankly, my main “problem” is that I like almost all of these logos and you seem to like them all. So I am wondering whether there is a way to use them all too. Maybe an animated GIF (though I don’t like this format) or some HTML5 equivalent? Maybe a moving banner? Or maybe I will ask one of my webmasters to write a PHP script rotating the logos every week. The main arguments to have various logos is that seems only appropriate for a very diverse community like ours.
Latin American Saker Blog. It’s happening, I promise. It’s just that this a very big enterprise (possibly the biggest Saker blog) and that the main people organizing it are very busy in *meatspace*. I had hoped to officially launch last Friday, but that was not doable. So I hope for an official launch in the not too distant future, but I cannot say when.
What about an Italian Saker blog? I have a good friend who has a big archive of Saker articles already translated into Italian, and making one more clone of the Saker blog model websites would not be too hard. All I need is a few Italian volunteers to create a small Italian Saker blog team. Is anybody interested? If yes, please email me.
That’s it for now.
Your turn now – what do you think about these ideas?
Thumbs up or thumbs down?
Please let me know.
Kindest regards and tons of thanks,
The Saker
Maybe you should use different logos for the different regional versions.
Dear Saker
This blog is far friendlier, neater and more beautiful than the new one.
Up
Dear Saker,
I like how Philippe Grasset reminds his readers at http://dedefensa.org/ :
– a permanent side bar showing the level of donations for the month
– two reminding posts : the 19th reminder, every 19th of the month and another post at the end of the month.
Thanks for your excellent work. If ever your exemplarity could be followed by just 1% of the MSM journalists, the world could change :)
Yes, since there are so many excellent, inspirational and creative logo/banner ideas out there, it makes perfect sense to revolve or rotate them every week, like revolving screen savers. That would be cool and would please everybody.
There are some very beautiful GIFs that people use on the ‘Find a Grave’ website, if you want ideas on how to tastefully animate some of the logos. It’s not morbid – if you look at the Find a Grave page for JFK, there are thousands of deeply moving, heart-rending, heartfelt messages from the American people made in honor of this beloved martyred president, and the attached GIFs are very creative and inspired. One has never seen Americans pour their hearts out so tenderly.
Sounds like 2015 is going to present our vineyard to more people in more ways in more languages, and this is good.
It is communal. That is good. A global community of volunteers is an amazing force, filled with mutual respect and love.
It seems to follow a natural development like rainwater flowing down a mountain. It is seeking its own natural paths, bringing drink to the thirsty, watering vineyards on all sides of the mountain.
It is not ideological. This is a very global human confluence of spirit, work, philosophies and beliefs.
The spirit is entering souls and igniting these many efforts.
Saker, just manage your time and health in a practical way.
Many hands, many minds is the new rule. It works for the Vineyard.
Excellent news about the podcast and book, will be great to put a voice to the mind. Hope it wont comprise your anonymity though if thats important to you. And really glad the donations and avise have helped you out. You are one of my favourite people on the internet.
-Lonkal.
Re: Logo
Please – no animated or moving banners – they are too distracting.
One alternative would be to randomly display a different logo for every page but that would mean that the logos would all have to be the same size and shape, otherwise weird things may happen to page layouts when someone does a refresh for example.
The Logo Madness
Logo is logos, the word, Lets just keep the writing forget about everything else. To improve what is proven can only break it, perfection is what serves its propose.
Q
I would recommend to select one logo and stick to it. That’s the basic idea of a logo, and there should be good reasons if you consider to change it.
BTW – I fully support the meaning of the St. Georg ribbon – however, I would not take it into your logo. Do you know where the next hassle will take place? Ukraine is a dead end for the empire, which means, look for a new try in another theatre. What about i.e. the arctic polar region or the orbit as battleground? It is the general conflict, not the particular location which is the topic of this site.
I personally think you should have just one single logo, since it will be the face of your blog.
Decisions, decisions: Like the idea of rotating Vineyard designs–I liked all of them!!! Keep it simple is the best policy however so whatever works best for the site.
I like the idea of a podcast—Putin is always more intelligible when he speaks even through a translator’s voice so using the podcast and asking for donations then is a good idea– it humanizes the process all around. I’ve been on podcasts where people can ask questions in “real” time but that will maybe be for later and might be better with a moderator.
I am so grateful for your work and how you foster a sense of critical thinking and an atmosphere of challenging mindsets.
Dear Saker, Dear Bloggers,
thanks for being and let me feel surrounded by beautiful minds and souls.
Warm Wishes and Regards
Emme
Dear saker, I often translate in italian your posts in my blog Volti del Donbass. Do you think we could cohoperate in some way? Hope so. It’d really be an honour. Ilio Barontini
voltideldonbass@gmail.com
Most of you already know, but I’m pleased to inform that Dilma Roussef was reelected as Brasilian president, so, Latin America’s unity and independent stance is preserved.
It’s a round lost for the empire.
totally unrelated but I thought you might like to see this article on supposed back room dealings between Russia and the west/U.S.A.
http://www.rogerannis.com/rabkor-editorial-economic-sanctions-have-russia-seeking-compromise-with-west-over-ukraine/
Aonymous 18:31 makes a very good point about the friendliness and beauty of the original blog site. It is imbued with Saker’s warmth and personality. The new site needs a bit of the Saker’s original touch.
You have written a lot here and I’m working my way through, slowly.
And I would suggest a meter at the side of the blog displaying donations so far.
And, a shameless plug of my own attempt at a blog dedicated to Ukraine (my adventures) Your perusal and any tips on improvement (should you ever find the time) would be, well, wonderful.
http://www.talesfromukraine.eu/
Kind regards,
Danny.
UK.
One logo is the rule.
An entity has only one logo. The Vineyard of the Saker may have many franchises in different countries; the logo should be the same. Same entity and mission.
Think: MacDonalds logo – the Golden Arches is the same worldwide. So is Home Depot, Apple, Samsung, Wallymart. Starbucks, etc.
Dear Saker
It’s great that you got so much support. And it’s also good to hear that you will get help with the moderation and that there will be a “professional” IT-team.
It’s important that the site will remain free. But now we know that you really need money. So please don’t hesitate to remind us to donate.
I like the ideas with the book and the podcast. It will be interesting to hear your voice instead of just reading.
I think you have to select only one logo because a logo is a special sign that serves for identification, for example to connect the various Saker blogs. I still prefer the original bird, but I like also no. 3 or 4. Of course St. George Ribbon is important but should remain separately as it is now because it symbolizes the Ukraine conflict. Even if this is currently the dominant topic, in my opinion the main theme of your blog is the struggle against the AZ Empire, no matter where it just takes place.
Use a random logo from list of accepted logos for each page view.
One logo
Saker asks
Thumbs up or thumbs down?
Some people might like to have a one-click way to agree/disagree. I don’t care either way, as long as
* down is not used for hiding a comment, eg if it gets 5 or more downs… on blogs where this is done, it often turns into a thumbs war, so it is divisive
* up is not used to display in “popularity” order, as the earlier comments always have more thumbs, leading to competition to be first regardless of quality.
There is a developed science around using Up/Down to classify comments. We can dig into that if necessary.
But comments here are not so much for readers’ entertainment than to make everyone think, so leaving them in posted order, with threaded replies, is maybe the best way to go.
Actually more useful would be a way for a commenter to mark their comment as OFF TOPIC or NEW INFO, because everyone hangs out on the current thread so people toss in news or interesting links they’ve found. Might be useful for these to be separately marked.
I think you should use one logo…
I like the new blog better because of the comment section.
I think you should not be too optimistic about donations…its needed every month.
BTW, old blog vs new blog.
I would recomend to leave blogger, apart from being part of big data, some issues are annoying (captcha, on a mobile the blog entry text is a link which often results in reloading the page when scrolling.
The new fomat is fine, only in Opera Mobile there is a large dark blue area at the top which hides the first lines of the first article.
For Italians, I recommend
http://voltideldonbass.wordpress.com/
10For Italians, I recommend
http://voltideldonbass.wordpress.com/
Looking forward to those podcast Saker sounds – screeches – whistles?
As for the amazing logo’s one and all, file them away for future use or put a few in your book or something.
It was amazing fun to do but keep your original with the changes made, it will be perfect.
Community is good, very good, it makes you/one more vulnerable, more visible, and more warm also. Onwards and upwards!
Some advices in all humbleness.
Be carefull with what you alow to be in your blogg, one thing is conflicts, witch are numberous, from the Catalnians to My own people, with is stuck on a queggmyre of the present politics, whom largly is ignoring the misstakes done in the imidiate past, if not solved or handled better, or impovments implyed, this will come back and bite your/our and even Putin and the Dumas, ass, I will promise you that.
Africa, is a playground of voutures and criminals, societys collapsing and infractsucture imploding, and the people scatered and suffering.
By reasons we may not always agrees upon, and certanly not at the present wilde acusations, for now.
This Ebola isnt wurse than before, the numbers of course in everything else, hushed down, but so far, not the size, someone is trying to convince me about, exept that Ebola is dangerous.
Look to Mali, a election held, agree upon as fare, where the local tribes in the north cept a largly atunomus selfdeterminate rule over their indiginous lands and everything was looking good, expt, the French didnt like this new gov. of Mali, and the deals it had made with the Tribes, so they sent in their “al quedas” and made havoc and terror, and so that in the end, the western lands imposed their own puppet, with the help of the western military migth.
Mali is overlooked by weserners, but the truth about Mali is whats been going on for deaceds and now is been ramped up.
And I havent mentioned the Food corps, and the way African lands have been forced to behave after been wisited by World banks, IMFs and so on.
And not all Africans land made it, some have, Africa is bigg, and so is the differences in it.
The way United Fruit did it in and stil do it, in sentral america and the same policy is implemented and driven thrue in Africa, and dumbing oversubsedised foods on Africa, woth so low prices witch the Locals African farmer cant fight.
When Peace and then Poverty is and will be the number one priorety, and when thats been taken cared of, the rest folowes by it self.
Africa awake.
Otherwise, no problems, and the way it seems, progress is made. I hope more people are able to come up with present issues, as mentioned in the beginning, where conflicts are, what people need is guidance and that someone is and will be able to sort this out.
Collect data of it and chew it, and spitt it out.
Opinions, is becomed a rear comodety this days, alternative directions, highlighting alternative paths for solving conflicts, also in the economic feilds.
South America is one.
Even I now weeeery litle, I must admitt, historicly yess, but the present, nada, nothing.
Otherwise, hope to refine peoples abilty to smell turds, when they popp up. A well refined nose, able to smell bullshitt is the tool of an educated mind.
I have expirience with Quality systems, and is used to minimise a text to be about the issue, and nothing else. And as an old teacher, I say the same, if you cant explain it to an child, its because you dont know it all, and if you do, test this on your child.
And the gift, is that your undrstanding is more fundamental when you reach that stage.
And more capable to identify and solve problems.
I know, its like the eye of the storm have just passed, and the second wall is coming, and we are in the storm again.
And remeber this NAFs and every one else out there when the winter setts in, there is no God nor any of our creatores Prophets that will hold this against you, self defence and to protect your land, is not to comitt a crime nor a sin, the sin is to not do anything.
And if you show mercy to the enemys taken prisoners, and helps them, then your soul and hart is clean.
And for the rest of us may the lord have mercy upon us.
peace
I think these ideas are lovely as fulfillment of your desires to always be doing something new and stimulating. None of these activities will decrease the burdens on your time, and I think that you will necessarily be spending less time on the blog. But in the end it’s your life. I came late to the blog and have enjoyed the presentation of your thoughts enormously. Whatever you decide I am in your debt for some of my new intellectual ‘furniture’. I guess if it were up to me I would rather pay for your time to leisurely & fully commit to the blog. I see nothing wrong w charging. –Penelope
Hello!
Good idea to keep all the logos!
You could make it the way that when your site will be accessed, one of the logos will be randomly chosen for display.
Robo_IC
I think that a logo is like an identity card – not an amusement theme, so I would use one logo only. And I feel that the St George Ribbon is not relevant to Ukraine only but represents the idea that humanity’s only hope of liberation is Russia – if Russia falls then humanity is entering a very dark age.
As for your new blog IMO you should not underestimate the importance of $$ for paying for
– the blog design and debugging
– the defense of the blog (legal and technical)
and if any $$ should be left for your personal use I believe that this would be a just reward for your time, energy and dedication – but I don’t believe you’ll become a millionaire that way :-)
Sincere regards
kAT kAN said “
But comments here are not so much for readers’ entertainment than to make everyone think, so leaving them in posted order, with threaded replies, is maybe the best way to go.”
Mmm, yes– threaded replies wd make the interchange of ideas and info so much easier. I’m finding others comments and links really educational. –Penelope
kAT kAN said “
But comments here are not so much for readers’ entertainment than to make everyone think, so leaving them in posted order, with threaded replies, is maybe the best way to go.”
Mmm, yes– threaded replies wd make the interchange of ideas and info so much easier. I’m finding others comments and links really educational. –Penelope
I’m a bit late posting on this but was away for a week or so…. one more thing I would add to raise some funding is “Saker Swag”. Who wouldn’t want to wake up with a cup of coffee (or whatever) with the Saker on it?? T-shirts, Sweatshirts, stickers, magnets – all can be designed at several online sites for fairly cheap prices and good quality. Just a thought..