New from BC Design and

It’s Nancy, filling in for Peter, who is coming along at the rehab center with his new hip. We have some news for you that we think you’ll like.

BlackCommentator is launching a new BC website (although with the same web address) with this upcoming Issue #1102, and we want to thank you for all your support through the years with a free BC Lifetime Membership.

Membership? Yes. For a long time, we have been trying to solve two problems:

1. enable readers to comment and discuss commentaries, and

2. find a way for BC to support itself, and the community, now and into the future.

The re-imagined website is how it all happens while still remaining free for anyone to read the content.

Years ago, we did a test of having a comments section attached to each commentary; does anyone remember? It led to appalling remarks, along with ads for dating sites, ED pills and what-not. BC readers shouldn’t have to encounter that, and so we took it all down.

Then, last winter, the thought hit that if we created memberships, we could design it so that only Members could post comments. You get to comment and discuss commentaries, cartoons and art while keeping SPAM and the rest of it off the site. And you can comment with any name you choose.

BC will still remain free to read for everybody. Non-members will have access to the full site and Archives, and will even be able to read the conversation – but not take part in it.

To activate your free membership, please follow these two steps:

STEP 1. Go to BlackCommentator.com and follow the prompts to become a Member.

A. Enter the email address where you receive BC notices.

[IMPORTANT] If you now used a different email address than where we are sending you publication notices, Please contact us at [email protected]. Please put BC address in the Subject line so we can find it. We will get your email address corrected so that you are never asked to pay.

B. Enter the password: Hello12@

(keep this handy; you may need it again.)

C. If you use a private computer, check the Remember Me box.

When you are finished, click to save or update.

STEP 2. Create your ScreenName

A. you will be taken to your profile page where you designate your ScreenName, (it could be your own name if you’d like) – whatever you want to appear on all your comments.

B. You can also change your ScreenName at any time from this screen in Member Account.

Click Update, and you’re finished!

If you want some help, please contact us at [email protected]. Please put “BC Help” in the Subject so we can find your email. If you leave a phone number, I can call you, text or email – your choice; just let me know.

Thank you. If you have to stop reading and get back to what you were doing, thanks for setting up your account, and for being such a good friend to BC. Come back later and read the rest!

《《《 》》》

BUT – if you’re curious to know more about the plan from here, read on –

As you and I both know, BlackCommentator has had Peter’s nearly undivided attention for almost 25 years and over 1100 issues. And except for a brief period in which we had Paid Subscribers – in the very early days of online subscriptions, and a nightmare of conflicting custom software – except for that period, we have been financially supporting the site ourselves, with help from some very special readers. Now, each month we spend more of our retirement funds in order to keep publishing. It’s getting to be too much of a dent in our budgets. So read on – I think we’ve come up with some good ideas.

For now, when other readers sign up to become Members, they will pay $30/yearly, $3/monthly as an introductory rate. That is under $1/issue. Memberships will allow BC to function as a business, that is, bring in revenue, spend some of it on production costs and business expenses, pay off some debts and do something good with a meaningful portion of what’s left. We think that is a business model with which we can all happily live. Here are two ideas to give you a sample of what Memberships can do:

Idea #1 – What if we asked Members to nominate organizations and programs they would like BC to support? Members could rank choice them to determine the top 10-15, and BC would give accordingly on the 4th day of Kwanzaa.

Idea #2 – Create an app to make it easier to read BC on your phone.

And here’s a pitch – if you have an idea of how else BC can support Social Justice, Economic Justice, and Peace, please write to us at: [email protected]. We would love to hear from you. Please mention “BC Ideas” in the Subject so we’re sure to see it.