Today is SN's birthday - we are 12 years old!
The site published its first discussion on the 12 February 2014 but had to be reset a few days later on 15/16 Feb because of software problems which had not been apparent until the community grew. But after 12 years I won't quibble over a few days difference.
This site would not exist without many people who wrote code, configured hardware, tested software, and squashed bugs. It would not be fair to try to name them - I would surely miss many who have been instrumental in getting us where we are today. We initially had a Board comprising of 'shareholders', but today we have a Board of volunteers. The running costs which once were around $6,000 pa are now almost zero due to the generosity of those who donate free hardware and the essential internet connection. Many others over the years have given freely of their time in various roles to keep this site running. No ads, no sponsorship, no commercial pressure.
But the most important people are you - the community. There are still many accounts active that have been with us from the beginning, but those that have joined sometime over the 12 years are equally important and just as welcome. We hope that you all find something of interest in at least some of the stories that we publish. Please keep commenting in them. And if you can, please make the occasional submissions that are essential for our continued operation.
Thank you - this is your site. So I raise my glass to SoylentNews, to this community and, hopefully, to the next 12 years!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Monday February 16, @01:22AM (4 children)
Does the community consider other social media sites inimical, competitors for SN's participants? The green site, yeah. Reddit is also talked of with disdain, and I suppose that's because it has harsh moderation that is too ban and deletion happy.
But what of Lemmy? And Bluesky? Some sort of alliance with these, would that be good?
There are a plethora of more commercial social media platforms which I do not trust on several issues. Such as, will they be around for the long haul?
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 16, @02:03AM
> Does the community consider other social media sites inimical, competitors for SN's participants?
Seems to me that you are off-topic, but I'll comment anyway--I don't give a rats ass about other discussion sites. I visit a few occasionally (sometimes a friend emails me a link to look at), almost never post on them, and it never occurred to me to compare them to SN.
SN checks a lot of boxes for me and I'm very happy that it's been around for 12 years! Thanks to everyone that makes it possible.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by istartedi on Monday February 16, @07:41AM
I don't think those other well-known sites are enemies or even competition. Soylent isn't trying to get particularly big or make a lot of money. It isn't trying to have a bunch of subcategories. It's a small tech oriented discussion board, an odd survivor of the consolidated Internet, a bit of a throwback. This operation manages to avoid entanglements with The Empire. I don't think the ops are interested in situations where somebody is going to "alter the bargain".
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 3, Disagree) by epitaxial on Monday February 16, @02:07PM
The only people who bitch about reddit are the right wingers because they get modded down over there.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by anubi on Tuesday February 17, @01:44AM
Perfectly good.
This is a special interest site. Appeals to a narrow band of interest. Which correlate strongly with mine.
Here, I find the brightest minds on the planet who have similar interests.
Narrowband filter. I don't get a lot of crap here. People posting here usually have a lot of insight and I learn a lot even if I only lurk, but if I feel I have anything useful, even nothing more than a statistical opinion ( like now ), I will toss it in the ring.
There exist other huge social media sites, none of which I consider worth messing with. Just not my bag.
This site is much like two other special interest sites I frequent:
http://theoildrum.com/special/archives [theoildrum.com]
https://www.oilburners.net [oilburners.net]
I am really not much interested in anything else.
Congratulations and Happy Birthday, S/N! And a big Thank You to all the people behind the scenes who keep this watering hole alive! I will freely admit that I would really miss this place, as I still do for TheOilDrum, should it cease. There are quite a few people here that I have a very deep respect for ( almost everyone ).
I feel honored to be accepted in the presence of those sharing so many pearls of wisdom with me and often feel too ignorant to reciprocate in kind.
I will leave this pearl someone named "Michael" gave me last night at a Wendy's Hamburger restaurant
( California USA ) last night:
" We may not have it all together, but together - we have it all!"
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 5, Funny) by Tomahawk on Monday February 16, @02:01AM
instead of the usual 2 weeks. I'm impressed!
(Score: 5, Interesting) by oregonjohn on Monday February 16, @02:03AM
Thanks Jan and everyone involved. I've been checking in here daily for years now. It's my "see what's happening in science and technology" time.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Snotnose on Monday February 16, @02:27AM
This is one of the few sites I hit at least once a day.
Trump's Grave will be the world's most popular open air toilet.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 16, @02:32AM
Reminds me of the time passing by
(Score: 5, Interesting) by drgibbon on Monday February 16, @03:22AM
Been visiting since the /. days, still got my RSS feed for Soylent in Newsboat in a permanent tmux which I check on pretty much daily. I'm impressed that it's still going, and still quality. Cheers to you all and happy birthday :-)
Certified Soylent Fresh!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by J_Presper_Eckert on Monday February 16, @03:27AM
Praise and gratitude to janrinok & the entire staff. My respect to my fellow members. My contempt to all spammers, trolls & whataboutists. This grand endeavour is nowhere close to being finished, and that's how I like it. Our shared SN experience is like a kaleidoscope without end, and for my part it's an oasis amidst the bleak desert that is the current Web. Thanks.
The average nutritional value of political promises is approximately zero.
(Score: 5, Touché) by MrGuy on Monday February 16, @05:11AM (2 children)
That is all.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by istartedi on Monday February 16, @07:36AM
Getting back to our roots. Love it! And the "fuck beta" ethos extends to more than just sites--I think it's applicable broadly to other changes that get forced on us as "consumers".
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Fnord666 on Monday February 16, @02:34PM
100%. Buck Feta! Próst!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Deep Blue on Monday February 16, @09:13PM (2 children)
Are you lying though? It can't be 12 years, no way man.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 17, @02:40AM (1 child)
> It can't be 12 years, no way man.
I bet you are blocking out several years when The Mighty Buzzard was looking after things(grin).
(Score: 3, Informative) by atwork on Tuesday February 17, @03:58AM
Didn't always agree with TMB but they were always there to help the site. Possibly wouldn't still be here without them.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Tuesday February 17, @02:04PM
12 years old, huh?
Don't let those on Epstein's list know that! Talk about 'Fuck Beta'!
8-)
SoylentNews is people... and a lot of those people do a lot of work and catch a lot of shit from a lot of losers who do a lot of nothing but a lot of bitching.
Keep it up! :) :/
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 3, Funny) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Tuesday February 17, @07:06PM
Enjoy it while you can. Puberty sucks.