Is BlogExplosion Worth 42 Cents?

BlogExplosion users listen up! We want our BlogExplosion back!

As you're probably well aware, the BlogExplosion site has been neglected for some time. The forums are being overrun by spam. Support tickets go unanswered for years. And features that worked great are now dead as a doornail. All in all BlogExplosion appears to be on autopilot just waiting to run out of gas. We want to change that! So, we, the BlogExplosion community need your help.

Can you spare $0.42 (one stamp) in an attempt to improve BlogExplosion.com?

A group of us users are joining together to send snail mail letters to BE's current owners (LiveUniverse). The purpose is to request that they at the very least appoint new volunteer mods to help clear up certain issues. We know it might not work but other than a few stamps, what do we have to lose?

We are posting a form letter along with a list of addresses of LiveUniverse employees. Print a copy of the form letter (below). Pick an employee (or two or three or all) and send out the letter.

But, PLEASE!, take it one step further... Tweet about it, put something on MySpace or FaceBook, or even Digg it! Spread the word in any fashion you know how, because if we don't try, then all the benefit you get from BlogExplosion will probably be gone in months.

We'll keep posting info as we get it in the "CHANGES AT BLOGEXPLOSION" forum.

If we fail, at least we know we tried...

Sincerely, from the BlogExplosion users,

amyaurora
Anji
McSpazz
MJTaylor
thewatchlist

# # #
Links:
- Changes could be good (Spamatizing and burying spam from the BE Forums)
- Info on the BE Approval Queue
- Facebook, MySpace, Digg, or other

# # #

Here are the addresses we've found for the LiveUniverse owners (full list):

LiveUniverse
Attn: Magen Brooks
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1010
West Hollywood, California 90069

LiveUniverse, Inc.
Attn: Farrin Glenn
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1010
West Hollywood, California 90069

LiveUniverse, Inc.
Attn: Kristen Schuh
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1010
West Hollywood, California 90069

LiveUniverse, Inc.
Attn: Customer Relations
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1010
West Hollywood, California 90069

LiveUniverse, Inc.
Attn: BlogExplosion.com
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1010
West Hollywood, California 90069

LiveUniverse, Inc.
Attn: Brad Greenspan
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1010
West Hollywood, California 90069

Also see this thread for address updates: !!Draft Letter - Opinions Please!!

Here is the letter we want you to spend just 42 cents on:

[Put LiveUniverse Address Here]

RE: The death throws of BlogExplosion.com

As a BlogExplosion community member, I am dismayed by the lack of attention that the site receives from its owners/operators. BlogExplosion.com used to be an online community where bloggers could connect with one another. As everyone well knows, the value to everyone of this once flourishing online community has plummeted.

I understand that economics play a big role in how much time and attention gets put into this site by LiveUniverse. I also understand that the site may be up for sale, more reason for LiveUniverse to not want to invest more money into BlogExplosion. But, has LiveUniverse considered other options to hiring a paid staff to run the site?

There is a group of active members who would gladly volunteer their time to help the site return to its previous form. They can not do so without at least some effort on LiveUniverse's part. LiveUniverse at least has to delegate some control to users so they can clean up and maintain the site.

Since the site came back online after the recent server move, a small group of users have been actively working to retake the forums back from the flood of daily spam for unsavory drugs, various products, and worst, pornographic sites with revolting images. We have been burying the spam and it is helping bring users back into the forums. I know there are many other users that would LOVE to see the site become the community it once was.

At this point in time, we have come up with the following issues that we feel need addressed:

Forum Spam and other Forum Issues - Someone needs the ability to erase the accounts of spammers and/or banning their IPs. Also, existing spam needs to be removed, older locked posts need updating, and threads about nonexistent products like BlogCharm need to be locked down.

Blog Approval - There are a few moderators left that are attempting to handle Blog approvals. They are slowly being buried as the few that are left slowly give up and quit. If we could add at least a couple more to get caught up on the backlog, it would improve attraction and retention of new users.

Support Tickets - There needs to be at least a couple people given permission to review and respond to support tickets. Saying "Sorry, but this issue can not be repaired" is better than ignoring people until they finally give up.

Updating Site Content - Some of the site content should be removed because it applies to features that don't exist anymore. Having bad or outdated information on the site implies that the site operators don't care about the customers.

Bringing Back Features - Losing the Shoutbox chat on BlogExplosion definitely had a negative impact on how much time the more active community members spent on the site. Unfortunately it seems that some of the most useful features have been abandoned and are now dead. Features create advertising page views...

Contact at LiveUniverse - Someone at BlogExplosion needs the ability to contact someone at LiveUniverse in case of emergencies. This could also be used to handle banning IPs or reviewing/making content changes if LiveUniverse did not want to give that kind of control to users at BlogExplosion.

By turning over these functions to willing volunteers at BlogExplosion, LiveUniverse wouldn't have to incur any additional support/admin costs like they did in the past. These volunteers want BlogExplosion to thrive for their own sake, which should also help LiveUniverse improve LiveUniverse's revenue and ultimately the sale value for BlogExplosion.

No matter what you decide, please respond in some manner to the BlogExplosion community. No response will only reinforce the notion that BlogExplosion has been left for dead.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR EMAIL]
[YOUR BLOGEXPLOSION ID]
Member Since: [DATE]