BIG CHANGE: Announcing FREE ACCESS for THE AFIB REPORT!

Dear Subscribers to The AFIB Report and Afibbers.org website/forum community,

I’ve decided to at least temporarily suspend the subscription requirement for access to The AFIB Report, including all past archived issues. Thus, making the newsletter a free resource for all afibbers allowing everyone to access all past and future issues … for the time being and perhaps indefinitely.

This is something I had originally planned to do once the website revamp was complete and a more robust design and SEO (search engine optimization) structure was in place that should significantly increase the traffic and numbers of afibbers from around the world who can find our resource. Once the new website is up and running the plan is to morph much of the AFIB Report content into an online newsletter/blog format with text and multimedia presentations that can be undated more regularly and with smaller bites at a time.

However, over the last two months, it has become increasingly obvious that with the many balls I am currently juggling as the one-man band in charge of each aspect of the website, forum and newsletter research, creation and publication, there is simple no way for me to both keep up with the current full size newsletter format and catch-up with past issues, while at the same time taking care of the most intensive phase of the website revamp effort which is now required of me.

It’s the classic catch-22. Not only does the revamp effort require my focused attention now, but the need to update older existing website content as well as create new content and begin our video catalog will make catching-up at the same time with full-sized past AFIB Report issues, an impossible task during this revamp process.

New Way to Access Current and Past issues of The AFIB Report

So from this point (and until further notice) everyone can freely access the current issue 141 and all 140 past issues of The AFIB Report by simply clicking on the ‘Current Issue’ link found in the blue rectangular box list along the left side of our homepage. All past issues can be found directly below the Current Issue link in the blue link box titled ‘Archives’. (note: there may be a 48hr delay in access via these blue links).

Another way to immediately access both current and past issues is by clicking in the red text link at the top center of our homepage titled:

Click Here for Free Issues to The AFIB Report

You can then click the red text: ‘Current Issue’ link at the top left of the dialog box on the new page that appears or click: ‘Archives’ link at the top right of the same dialog box to directly access all past issues, same as before with the original archive set up.

I will also attempt to continue releasing new issues of The AFIB Report during this period though they will be smaller at five pages or so length, yet only when time allows between major pushes to get the website redesign and forum platform migration accomplished as our first priority.

New website revenue model

Even though I now have editorial, managerial and ownership duties over the website, forum and newsletter, I’ve always considered this oasis of an AFIB online resource to be a community treasure that belongs to all of us afibbers who have found it so valuable. As such, I mainly view my role as it’s caretaker for the time being.

If all of us who value the site understand that this is ‘our’ collective resource and all those who can do so without any hardship can donate a modest amount annually. I recommend $30.00/year, as a benchmark, with those wishing to contribute more it is much appreciated, and those who can’t afford that much I’ll gratefully accept whatever amount is comfortable. Those facing financial hardship of any kind should not worry at all about donating and just enjoy the site and contribute by adding your share of insights and experiences to our great community spirit of friendship.

This coming next nine months to a year will be a trial period to see if we can raise enough consistent income via donations alone to continue on with making all of our resources freely available to all.

I’ve been impressed and very grateful for the many donations we have received so far toward the website revamp. If we can keep this up and include more of our reader’s making annual contributions, it is my hope that we won’t have to reinstate an advanced features subscription section, and I would also like to avoid having to solicit sponsorship contributions to keep the lights on. I certainly will avoid any sponsorships that might come with any editorial expectations or strings attached.

So let’s see how it goes over the next number of months of wrapping up the website, and for a period of time after that, to see if the donations are consistent enough to keep the ball rolling on its own.

Options for Recent New or Renewal Subscribers

If you have recently subscribed for the first time, or recently renewed an existing $29.00 annual subscription to the newsletter, I see two options to choose from. You can request by email to: editor@afibbers.org a refund prorated based how many of the 6 annual issues you have received. (If you wish a refund please allow up to two weeks to process)

The second option is to simply consider your current subscription fee as your donation for this year toward helping with the revamp and keeping the website solvent. Keep in mind that I will make every effort to send out a shorter version of The AFIB Report when time allows during the remainder of the website redesign period.

However, I certainly do not want anyone to feel they are being coerced into a donation they did not intend, or would not gladly want to make, so if you would rather request a refund for any remaining prorated portion based on issues you have received to-date on your current active subscription, then just email me and I’ll gladly refund you via PayPal.

Many thanks for everyone’s understanding and help in our collective project here. I’m really looking forward to the big push now in realizing our new home!

Best wishes,
Shannon – editor@afibbers.org

Shannon,

Thank you for all you do - truly a labor of love!!!

George

Wholeheartedly agree! Thanks for all you do, Shannon! Greatly appreciated!

Ken

For those who are subscribed to the newsletter and have paid, it would be helpful if you could let one know that the year was up as a way of knowing that the $29 donation is due. Or maybe an annual fund drive. Just a suggestion.

Many thanks George, Ken and Betty,

And yes, Betty, that is a very good idea that I've already plugged into my 'to do' list going forward starting later this month. I will send out notices as before to each group of current subscribers when their subscriptions ordinarily would have been due for renewal, but making it clear it's a reminder for any donations that they wish to contribute rather than as a required fee in order to access the newsletters.

I debated with myself about including a 'Donation' link within the initial notification posted above a couple weeks ago, and also sent to all subscribers, announcing the dropping of subscription status for The AFIB Report for the foreseeable time being.

I decided to send out such a Donation link to all current and former Subscribers in a separate email campaign later in August as I was concerned that were I to include a donation link within the initial announcement notice that subscriptions were being suspended, it might well confuse a lot of folks thinking that a donation might be required as simply a subscription fee by another name.

Hopefully, by giving a month gap between the announcement and a separate email giving everyone a direct link to our donation page by either PayPal or by check, I can reinforce the fact that the donations are indeed voluntary yet very much appreciated as now our only source of income to keep the lights on here.

After the mass mailing with the donation link, I will continue over the next year at least to send out reminders to former subscribers on their previous due dates that we are now totally dependent on such donations, and every person who can afford to pitch to please do so, if they wish.

Once the new website is up and has a chance to begin impacting our search engine status in a positive way, and for the first time exposing our very existence to a much larger number of new afibbers who are actively seeking guidance about their AFIB, I'm hoping we will be able to increase the donations enough too to keep a robust and very high quality resource open to future generations of afibbers.

That's the plan, and as really all of ours community resource, we all just need to take to heart the value this site has played in each of our AFIB experience.

All proceeds that have been accured over the past year and a half since I took over full control, including ownership and financial control, I have not taken any money at all for myself, outside of just flight and hotel fees needed to attend several AFIB conferences in order to keep us relevant in the EP world and to share with you all the latest information on AFIB and its treatment from the front lines of the field.

The bulk of what money's we have collected from kind donations and subscription renewal fees since January 2015 when I took over the bank book, and starting from zero, have been set aside and earmarked to help finish this big website redesign effort.

The first year of 2014 after Hans and Judi announced their well-earned retirement and I first took over management of the website, forum and newsletter production, 100% of the proceeds collected by subscriptions and donations that year went towards the purchase of these resources to keep them going forward.

At some point not too distant in the future, I hope to bring in a younger dedicated Afibber who wishes to take the ball and run with it as part of their career. As such, there may well be salary requirements at that time as well, but no doubt we will have a much larger pool of contributors by then as well to cover continued improvements in our offerings here.

And rest assured, even after I have been able to pass the torch to a younger, yet very well informed and dedicated Afibber, I still plan to remain very active here on the forum and in one on one discussions among friends looking for feedback and guidance in their own AFIB journeys as I, and so many of us old timers have for years now.

Magdalena and I are moving into our mid to late 60's this year and have other plans as well for our golden years and hope to be able to engage more in those plans once the website revamp is all done and has had enough time to grow and stabilize and when the time is right for a younger generation Afibber to take the ball and run with it.

That's the big picture long range plan, and as really a community resource belonging to all of us, we all just need to take to heart the value this site has played in each of our AFIB experiences.

Finally, for those of you who have recently asked me for a link to our existing Donations page on the website, here it is directly below:

Donations Link for ongoing website, forum and newsletter support

Many thanks to all of you!

Be well,
Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2016 07:21AM by Shannon.