Introductions

Hi all,

So we’ve survived two weeks; what do you think? Submissions are coming in, although at a moderate pace. I’m a perfectionist, so that makes me worry. Are people not interested? Has the Internets evolved past a site like this? There are so many niche sites (many in which I also happily participate), but a site with only one photo and one essay per day? I don’t know. I unfortunately don’t get a lot of feedback. Which is good if you’re going to be an asshole about it, frankly, but bad because I know that I need you (and you and you and the person over there and those other people you know) to help the site survive. It’s not even about donations at this point, although a buck or two will be met with an application for your best friendship. It’s about the word-of-mouth.

Our entire existence depends on whether people know we exist. It depends on the type of person that knows, the amount of people who know and those people actually moving forth and submitting. And these are the people you know, that you talk to everyday, who you read regularly, email, Twitter. These are the folks who will come into the community and bring in more and then more after that and so forth. My hope is that we can be a community, that people feel comfortable submitting and, on the other end, feel comfortable contacting the author or artist of a piece that really struck home or was well written or just someone that maybe sounds like he or she could use some encouragement.

So, that’s how you can help me and I hope you do. Follow II on Twitter, ReTweet posts you like, Tweet about the site, let someone know that you loved his or her piece, Facebook it, or do any other number of techie crap I don’t even know about. Let’s just work together to make this a community of which we can be proud and to reach out more. We should always reach out more anyway because why not? What’s to lose?

And because any plea for help should bring with it some incentive, I have a giveaway for you. If you pimp the site in a non-half-assed way (particularly posting about it or being a regular Tweeter and ReTweeter, etc) and you email me that you’ve done so (and hopefully will continue), I will put your name into the drawing for a Kate Spade messenger bag. Mens, I know it’s not the most awesome thing for your gender, but it is unisex and isn’t a man-bag or lady-bag. I use mine for work and sometimes school. If nothing else, I guarantee there is a lady in your life who would be stoked. So, hopefully this giveaway coupled with your believing in the mission of the site will help bring in more and more. You can find out more about the giveaway at my personal blog, Jürgen Nation . Com.

Thank you to all who have submitted thus far and, as always, I would love to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to contact me through any of the following:
Twitter; Facebook, my personal blog, II’s Twitter, II’s Facebook Page, submit your photos here or through our Flickr Group, or email. Please remember that I’m here for you and you are the reason the site exists.

So, pretty please, with an effing cherry on top – TWO cherries, even – submit something you’re proud of and let’s get pimpin’. A famous man once said succinctly, “Pimpin’ ain’t easy,” and I get that. But let’s work together and kick a little ass, mmkay?