Credit: EllesPlanet
Dear Broo Executives,
To be honest, I never thought I’d be writing an open letter to you. When I joined your site 5 years ago I was a plucky girl with a dream of becoming a writer. I wanted to make people laugh, network with other writers, and read well-written work; your site offered all of that and more.
Somewhere in the last few years, things went awry. People that I really admired started leaving, and the ones who stayed were writing less often. I also eventually left; some of it for personal reasons, but mostly because it stopped being a fun place to hang out.
Fast forward a couple of years, and a few dedicated friends (both old and new) were able to convince me to come back and write regularly. I was given my own column, and I was eager to take my writing more seriously. Then it all unraveled.
I started hearing murmurings of dissatisfaction with those running the site. At first they were about minor things- articles not being published on time, favoritism, and messages going unanswered. Then I started hearing accusations that were much more serious- censorship issues, personal attacks, and people being banned from the site for expressing their opinions.
I’m not a confrontational person, but I’m also not the type of person who stands idly by when I see a train wreck about to happen. So I voiced my concerns, and after a few escalated arguments, was told I was a “troll” and a “troublemaker.” Eventually, you threatened to ban me from the site.
I guess I misunderstood the Letter from the Editor which states, “It’s also a place to be open with the team behind Broo.” I’m not trying to be nitpicky, but don’t you think you should change that? It should actually say something along the lines of, “You don’t like it? Who cares! We’ll run this site the way we see fit, even if the direction we’re taking it is straight into the ground.” A little honesty goes a long way, and who knows, I may have stuck around with a shovel to help you dig your grave.
The problem really lies in the fact that you know nothing about this site and its writers. You know nothing of honesty and integrity. You know nothing of loyalty and community. You know nothing of Marketing and Social Media. You know nothing of transparency and a collaborative effort. You know nothing of the impact one writer’s resignation can make on everyone else who was already thinking about throwing in the towel.
I want you to know that Broo has not succeeded because of you, it has succeeded in spite of you. You were lucky enough to purchase a site which already had talented writers on it. Everyone knew the value of self-promotion as well as cross-promotion. They understood that it takes a village to raise a writer, and did everything they could to help a person find his/her voice. Everyone understood that success has way more to do with hard work than with an auto-tweet which is sandwiched between other auto-tweets.
I didn’t ask to have my account deleted from the site out of spite; in fact, the thought of no longer being a part of the “Broo family” saddened me. I weighed the pros and cons of staying, and decided that it was in my best interest to make my departure. Simply put, I cannot have my name as a writer associated with people whose practices are shady at best.
The thing I realized in all of this is that I have been writing the next chapter in my life for some time now. I have cultivated relationships with people from the site that have turned into full-fledged friendships. I built a blog which I’m confident will take me (and my writing) to the next level. I’ve been taking notes on the things I learn at work which can be adapted to help me as a writer. I have finally recognized that my writing is valuable to people outside of Broo.
There you have it, my final goodbye letter to you. I carry no grudge, and hope that you’re able to recruit new people who can rebuild everything you have managed to undo. It would be a shame if another plucky writer stumbled upon the site, and didn’t have the same opportunity to expose his/her work that I once did. I sincerely wish you the best luck in the future because, truthfully, you’re going to need it.
Sincerely,
The Tonic
Like this:
Tags: breakups, citizen journalism, friendship, integrity, loyalty, Open Letters, psycho toddlers, writing
Hey! So you finally did leave?
Not good. BUT know that here you have a good friend and loyal reader ;p I do hope you reach success with your blog, which it’s amazing to say the least!
Love you tons! xoxo
Maylin G.
http://inkedlabyrinth.com
Thanks, Maylin! I had no doubt we’d still maintain contact
xo
Jen
No doubt
It’s a shame that old habits die hard in the blogging community. You seem to have all the tools you’ll need to continue this successful site and captivate future readers with your witty and insightful taste. I wish you the best out there, Jen.
I’m really grateful for all of the people I met, and they definitely make me feel confidently about this next step. Glad to have you on my side!
Pleased you made friends on there. Good luck with your future endeavors. I wish you nothing but the best. You’re a talented writer and if you make intelligent decision you have a bright future ahead of you.
Thanks, Tony.
Well put, my friend. I so am lucky to have crossed paths with you on Broo. I will follow you where ever you go, and I honestly feel you will go far…very far. I am a HUGE fan of your writing, philosophies about life and your ability to stand you for yourself. Not many women have the courage to be as open and honest about life nor as funny. Can’t wait to sip some more Jen & Tonic on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Write away, sweetie! I’ll be here – always!
Your friend,
Katy
I am lucky as well! I’m so happy you want to stick around on this crazy train….
I think Jen’s line sums it up perfectly, “You don’t like it? Who cares! We’ll run this site the way we see fit, even if the direction we’re taking it is straight into the ground.”
The rumors of favoritism didn’t bother me until it became evident that this favoritism was leading to other long-term writers who, when rightfully refuting ‘facts’ in certain writer’s articles were being threatened with being banned from the site if they continued to do so. To allow a writer to present certain information to the world as factual when the writing is in fact misinformed and unbalanced opinion is one thing, that’s freedom of speech, but then to ban another writer from refuting those facts is basically saying to the writers and the readers, “this site has no credibility whatsoever.” The favoritism turned into censorship and that is what pissed me off the most.
If a writer, even a voluntary writers decides to speak up about their concerns about the way a website is heading and is basically smacked down by the ‘louder voice’, the owner, and is called a troll and a troublemaker, it doesn’t make the owner right it simply shows the owner has a lack of understanding and a disregard of the opinions of the people who are actually providing the blood of the site.
As Tony says, this is a private site, he owns it and is free to do whatever he wants with it and that’s fine. Some people will just say, yeah the owners can do whatever they want and if we stay on here we have to just suck it up. But others will just say, screw this, I’m not wasting the time or effort writing for a site that doesn’t give a toss for our opinions and simply sees the writers as monkeys banging the keys to bring in more content.
Tony is about making money, nothing wrong with that but that is not what inspires writers to write for a website or readers to read it, that simply inspires business people. There is nothing creative about making or constantly chasing money even though the money men like to think of themselves as being creative. Wal-Mart makes a shit load of money but I wouldn’t want to shop or work there. The same goes for Broowaha.
“There’s a new sheriff in town,” – Sam Zell (business man and real estate mogul) when taking over The Tribune.
When Sam Zell and Randy Michaels arrived …“They threw out what Tribune had stood for, quality journalism and a real brand integrity, and in just a year, pushed it down into mud and bankruptcy,” said Ken Doctor, a newspaper analyst with Outsell Inc., a consulting firm. “And it’s been wallowing there for the last 20 months with no end in sight.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/business/media/06tribune.html?src=tptw
I think so many corporations have been taken down by the narrow thinking of a few people. The crazy thing is, if they had just asked, people would have been willing to save [insert company] by offering solutions.
My favorite part of the article you posted:
“Mr. Zell has acknowledged that the deal has not turned out how he hoped.”
Uh, YEAH.
Jen, you certainly are “plucky” and completely endearing. Broo, which was once my love, became my heartache, as I recently said to someone. The writers there were creative, diversified, and “edgy.” After months of working to implement columns, I learned all that work was for naught. Let’s call it creative differences. Hours and hours of work went spiraling down the drain, taking me with them. I was sad beyond measure. But the upside is that you, and perhaps others, will continue your calling and write on! I am a better person for knowing you, and even better for having you as my friend. You light up every room you enter and your journey has just begun. See you on the other side—-sans Broo.
I am SO SO SO happy to have met you through the site. Whatever happened in the past, whatever happens in the future, your friendship (and enduring support) is one of the things that made being there worth it. You’re one of my biggest cheerleaders, and I’m grateful for that!
Jen,
Although I don’t know much about your situation at Broo, I am still nevertheless really happy that you have a forum here to share your writing talents with us. I hope that the freedom you now have will serve as the springboard into bigger and better things and that you have your talent recognised at a professional level. And as ever, you will have my full-throated support. Up and at ‘em.
You are such a good friend to me! I’m glad to have you on Team Tonic
Oh, and I know I owe you an e-mail. I just read your last one, and screamed with happiness.
It’s sad to see how things are going now and I’ve only been there since May/June this year. So I can’t imagine how it must be for all of you who’ve been there for many years. I’m just glad that I’ve met you and the other writers there ^_^. Your writing is definitely valuable to me and a LOT of others. This will never change.
Ciao!!
I am also really thankful to have met everyone there- I would NEVER take it back. Thanks for all of your support <3