People talk…
Today is Day Three of our week-long fundraiser at Eclectablog. We’re asking those of you who get some value from what we do here to contribute just a small amount back to help us keep the lights on and buy us the occasional beer.
I have asked some friends of the blog to share why they think what we do here is worth supporting and the response was phenomenal. Today, I’d like to share them with you.
First, a bit of an overview of our reach. Since we changed over to the new WordPress format in March, we’ve had almost 2,200,000 pageviews. In September, we hit a new monthly record of almost 437,000 pageviews. Our growth has come at some cost and a few days we’ve crashed the servers we were on causing us to move to a new system. Even since then we’ve had some seriously high-traffic days that have slowed down the site. However, recent changes should make things much smoother the next time we hit Reddit or some other site big time and the site gets slammed.
These upgrades cost money. So does the photography equipment that Anne uses to bring us the photos that are found only on Eclectablog. So does the travel that we do to cover stories and events. So do our recording devices, laptops, and other electronic equipment we use on a daily basis. So, we come to you, hat in hand, and ask you for a small contribution to help us keep this going. If just one percent of the third of a million visitors we get each month would kick in $10, we’d be set.
Please consider making a contribution. To sweeten the pot, we are going to do a drawing for five sets of signed photomosaic posters of Barack Obama. These are original creations by our own Anne C. Savage and are nothing short of stunning. Make a donation of $25 or more and be entered into a drawing for one of five two-poster sets. Here’s the 2012 edition. Click the image to go to a page where you can see the faces up close.
You can make your donation using this handy Paypal link (you can change the amount if you wish):
[donateplus]
If you would prefer to send a check and need our address, send an email to me at eclectablog at gmail period com.
Now, here are some testimonials about Eclectablog from folks who read us on a regular basis. My warmest thanks to all of them for their kind words.
Leslie Sobel – Michigan artist
“Eclectablog is my go-to source for progressive blogging in Michigan. Chris has paid more attention to the terrible emergency manager bill than anyone in the main stream media – and he’s funny! What more could a good progressive ask for?!”
Linsey Pecikonis, Communications Director, Democracy for America
“Eclectablog gives it to you straight. There’s no spin or propping up facts. They write about progressives who should be receiving your vote or issues that are actually important to Michigan and our Nation – and this is coming from a BUCKEYE fan. Plus, Chris will go after Republicans,Tea Party extremists, and bone-headed policies that dismantle the very core of our democracy. It’s a must read every morning.”
Michigan Nurses Association
“Chris Savage is an ally we have counted on as we stand up to those in Michigan who are waging war on women and workers. Like nurses advocate for our patients when they are in need, Eclectablog gives voice to, and empowers, those being silenced by corporate special interests and the politicians they control. Chris Savage is invaluable to us and others working to hold elected officials accountable and challenge the status quo.”
I was almost as proud of this as I was the honorary vagina they awarded me last summer:
@eclectablog We hereby award you an honorary vagina!!!
— MI Nurses Assoc. (@minurses) June 18, 2012
Tony Trupiano, radio host, First Shift with Tony Trupiano
“What Chris Savage has successfully accomplished with Eclectablog.com is not just another source for information but an essential example of critical topics that meet responsible and thoughtful journalism. Chris has forced, in the best possible way, a return to journalistic traditions that honor truth above all else and elevates each story he writes into something that demands your attention. As someone who needs real stories and truthful reporting, Eclectablog.com delivers every time he writes and there are few, if any sources, that can say that these days. At a time when the line between news and opinion has blurred, Chris Savage has singlehandedly resurrected old-time reporting to the art that it once was.”
Brit Satchwell, former President, Ann Arbor Education Association
“Where does one go for the whole scoop, background details and fair analysis in context included? Mainstream media? The cable networks? The local newspaper? Wonky shouting pundits on the left or the right? No, none of these. The Fourth Estate, a cornerstone of our democracy (warts included) is crumbling. Rather than serve as reliable watchdogs, they too often serve only as an echo chamber of non or misinformation. But a few bloggers have stepped into that growing informational void to uphold the traditions of investigative journalism that stand as the bulwark of our democracy. Bloggers such as Chris Savage – Eclectablog – who preserve the standards of professional journalism by collecting the dots and assembling them into a coherent practical narrative. Make no mistake, folks, it’s gonna get worse before it gets better in America, and the only hope we have of turning the tide back to a true responsive democracy is for the Eclectablogs of the world to thrive and help us cut through the fog coming from the ideological Right. Our country’s virulently extreme right wing has become the equivalent of an American Corporatist Taliban, and we need to support Chris and his Eclectablogic efforts to keep truth and unvarnished information flowing. Knowledge is power; let’s preserve ours by supporting him.”
ZacK Pohl, Executive Director, Progress Michigan
“Eclectablog is an indispensable source of news, commentary, and effective activism for Michigan progressives. Now more than ever, we need dedicated bloggers who are willing to hold politicians accountable and stand up to powerful special interests. I’m proud to support Eclectablog, and I hope you will too.”
David Holtz, former Executive Director, Progress Michigan
“Eclectablog’s an indispensable part of my day; my eyes and ears on Michigan politics and a vortex of progressive thought. When Chris throws a spotlight on something it shines a bright light for all of us.”
Rochelle Noel, Livonia teacher/counselor
“Eclectablog is my go-to source for all the latest news in Michigan and national politics. As a native Michigander, Eclectablog is the only local news source I can count on to cover political events in my southeastern Michigan backyard as well as events on the national level. Chris Savage covers things the mainstream media overlooks and then some. It’s one-stop shopping to satisfy all my political curiosities!
As if it couldn’t get any better, Chris took Eclectablog to the next level when he teamed up with LOLGOP and photographer, Anne Savage. Chris’ witty blog accompanied by Anne’s stunning political photography makes Eclectablog the Mitten’s vital news source. Thanks Chris Savage!”
UPDATE: Michigan State Representative Barb Byrum:
“Electablog is an important source of news for an amazing community of individuals with shared passions. The latest news and information is always important, what makes Electablog stand out is the detail put into stories. Join me in supporting Electablog so that we may continue receiving the most up to date Michigan news and political commentary.”
Thanks again to everyone who has already contributed and to the folks that have sent along endorsements of what we do here. Feel free to add your own in the comments!
– Chris, Anne, and LOLGOP
