As a previous discussion has revealed, in my "Blogs Are Common, Conversation Is Not", there is much dissatisfaction and no illumination concerning the problems that persist here. Several of our contributors, such as Tankard and Pseudocyants, have shot down the software bug excuse, I am personally astonished that TPM would let hard drives carrying their archives go somewhere else, and we have only received disclaimers and pleas for sypmpathy from Andrew and Josh.

At this point, another "we're working on it" is likely to generate ridicule. At first I was sympathetic, but I am growing suspicious that there has been a lawsuit-level screwup. It may be that  Josh can't say anything to avoid compromising a case. If so, let's hear it; surely there is no non-disclosure requirement like an FBI national security letter.

But if the vendors screwed up, let's embarrass them in public. And if TPM blew it, just 'fess up and apologize. We'll get over it.

There is a show-biz proverb: "Be careful who you step on while on the way up; you may need them on the way down."

Josh's comments are interesting to read, his contributors also, most of the time, and there are plenty of pithy comments, as well as some fun snark and comedy. But there was a time...

Yeah, there was a time when we could actually talk. This is something I can't find anywhere, now. TPM used to be different, now it is only distinguished by unmoderated comments. And these are so slow to post that they feel moderated. It's a combination of the missing feedback of timeliness and the poor quality control of wide-open posting. (Car loan ads, student-loan consolidation, recently.) Then there are those lost posts...

There also used to be a huge archive of great writing and commentary. There also used to be topics other than Hillary and Obama. There also used to be a section of freelance discussion topics, moderated by users.

Blogs like here and others are not news sites. They may get one story, once in a while, that no one else was emphasizing. That is a great thing, that someone can keep an issue alive this way. But I can't check the Dow, or the weather, or sports news here. Why show up? Simply to vent?

I should answer my own question: Why am I still here? I'm optimistic by nature, and hope things will improve. Besides, like Richard Gere's character in "An Officer and a Gentleman", I got nowhere else to go.

See Elliot Klug's post:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/fix-tpm-for-gods-sake.php
My previous on the subject:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/goal-one-million-donors-for-tp.php