I’ve updated the tip jar system so that you can enter any amount you want in $1 increments. Please don’t overtip; if you’re still getting value from the site in a few months, you can always drop in more.
My thanks to everyone who chipped in yesterday. I’m humbled by the show of support, and I’ll do my best to be worthy of it. Shout-outs to David, April, Kristen, Sheila, Andrea, Ginette, Arne, Teresa, Janet, Deb, Stephanie, Laura, Amy, Holly, Sonia, Sarah, Julie, Kathleen, Ray, Eve, Lisa, Annie, Christine, Elizabeth, Carolyn, a completely different Sarah, Margaret, Tamara, Faye, Megan, Miriam, and last but not least Mary, who sent me something before I could even put the tip jar up.
Yay, NTMTOM!!! My favorite CO dude! I’m so glad you’ve given us something fine and funny to look forward to each day, so I will add a tip to the jar! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In somewhat reduced hopes I had been keeping an eye on CO and it appears they are back up and running. I also saw a comment on NTMTOM’s FB page that apparently Brinke is now showing as associated with CO again in his Linkdin profile, but still no one knows what happened over there. Oh, well. I’m glad CO is up, but my faith is shaken and I am never going to forget who stepped up to take care of all us cute-junkies “the day the CT died”. I can click two sites now, get twice the cute and have way more fun commenting here, which I never seemed to be able to do on CO. NTMTOM totally ROCKS!
I couldn’t agree more with Beemoused. I feel terribly uneasy about the whole CO ordeal – no explanations, no reassurances. I doubt I will ever feel as comfortable at CO as I used to. NTMTOM is my new hero. 🙂
Ditto
I don’t know what happened at CO but the lack of explanation is off-putting. CO is now a supplement to this site. I’m glad NTMTOM cared.
They have posted the same Maru video that we saw here. And there have been so many posts in the last 24 hours that the photos containing our weeping conversations have fallen to the 3rd page. How bizarre!
I’m totally with you on that. Pretending nothing had happened made me lose interest.
Total agreement with Mr Max and Beemoused. Thank you, NTMTOM.
In agreement, you bet! Are we ever going to find out from them what happened over there? Or will it remain one of life’s great mysteries. Like StoneHenge.
Or the popularity of disco?
Yes! Ugh! Those were dark days.
I actually admire Mike for staying silent on the details. It’s the classy thing to do, rather than potentially say damaging or hurtful things about people he has worked with/for. The Silicon Valley is a very small world and everyboy knows everybody. I love CO and now the new NOMTOM websites, and I have to remind myself that they are both a business venture for the people who create them. Their time, talents, and energies go into this work and they should be fairly compensated. My personal theory is that Brinke was the head writer over at CO and had skillfully guided the website to become an even more popular site. He may have been re-negotiating his salary or cut of the website proceeds, and perhaps Meg was holding out. I think when they saw massive meltdown of the CO fans in the comments, followed by a very successful rollout of NOMTOM’s new site and the migration of CO’s long-time fans, Meg may have realized that by holding out on Brinke, the market/advertizing value of CO would take a major dive. Sadly, the wonderful CO brand has really been damaged by the way in which the CO audience was treated in all of this. It felt to alot of us like we were being disrespected. CO is a collaborative website with a very loyal base. That has been damaged and will take time to repair, if it even can be. I do realize that Meg is a young mother with twins, and an employee of Apple. Having lived/worked in the Silicon Valley, (and also being a mom with my own business) I imagine she may too busy to attend personally to the website and explain what’s been going on. But this is one time when it would be helpful and healing (and benefit the financial bottom line of CO) if she would write a brief, kind, explanatory note to the CO audience, and apologize. This would go a long way towards re-building the trust of her site’s audience. This has been a fascinating lesson in the still-new world of damage-control and managing a website and its’ audience as a real business entity. Finally, out of chaos are new life and new creations born. Thus NOMTOM!!! Mike, this whole thing may be your new path, and you could actually build this site and its corollary attractions into a business that can support you. What a wondeful venture this will be for you! You have a built-in, loyal fan base, exceptional gifts of creativity, and from what I’ve seen through your handling of this latest drama, you are a decent, ethical person: a recipe for great things to come. I’m really excited to see how NOMTOM the website evolves and I predict advertizing dollars for you in the near future, my friend. Next request from a fan: we would love a Page-A-Day calendar!!! Is it too late to ask for that for Christmas?
It’s definitely not Mike’s place to say anything, as he so eloquently stated on his FB page last week. But I am so impressed with how he birthed this new site so quickly and I am thrilled for him. It certainly is a new path and a great start!
Hi gang, it was I who left the comment about Brinke being back. I also pm’d MF on her FB page asking her to visit CO and view all the comments. She got back to me a day later saying simply “Thanks for the message, the cute is resumed.” Nothing else, so I guess we’re not going to get any love there. Are we “owed” an explanation? I don’t know. We’re certainly a community, a “cyber-family” if you will, and some mutual respect is always appreciated.
Nonetheless, NTMTOM has stepped up and been wonderful in filling the void with this site and I’m happy to support him in his efforts, via PayPal and word of mouth. (Is there any chance you’ll at least hint at what happened, sir?)
Personally I’m glad CO is back but as others have stated, I feel a bit uneasy about them now, like a friend who vanishes and then comes back but won’t tell you where they went. Ahh well, first world problem for sure…
Vive la Cute!
As they say: Class always tells. Especially when you don’t tell, then class always wins. I don’t need an explanation. However, I will trust my instincts and gut reaction toward the off putting vibe at CO. Vs. the demonstration of community here.