| February 2002 Report |
Dear friend of Progressive Portal:
Okay, I admit it -- even when the glass is 9/10ths empty, I still focus on the 1/10 that's full. Amid the disastrous events of the past four months, we progressives DO have reasons to celebrate.
Sometime recently, a Progressive Portal user wrote the 1.27 millionth letter sent via our site since we launched last May as a convenient one-stop resource for effective activism.
After an eight-month "shakedown cruise," we're moving into high gear, with plans to add a range of resources to Progressive Portal during 2002. Already we've added:
Several other action resources are in the works, to make your efforts even more effective. We'll announce these in future newsletters.
Of course, WE prefer that you fly a peace flag, a
U.N. flag, or an Earth flag. We've added several new designs, as well as a sweatshirt.
Several items are on sale at up to $10.00 off. Proceeds have kept us going,
and have generated hundreds of dollars for the Revolutionary Association of
the Women of Afghanistan and the Central Committee on Conscientious Objectors.
http://www.progressiveportal.org/resources/flags.html
Early the morning of Nov. 15, Progressive Portal began a letter-writing campaign to several officials at the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) regarding Fannie Mae employee Wendell Johns, who sat on the board of Pacifica Radio Network. Later that morning, Progressive Portal's functions began to shut down, until the Web site and my own email and Internet access were gone.
After persistent inquiries, I discovered that Earthlink had shut us down, apparently after receiving pressure from an unnamed party. Although we have never gotten an explanation, it seems evident that someone at Fannie Mae or elsewhere in the government leaned on Earthlink to shut us down.
Of course, it's not that easy to get rid of us. Within two hours, we had the Wendell Johns campaign back online, and within a few days we had moved all of Progressive Portal to a new online home.
Because Earthlink is rapidly gobbling up smaller service providers throughout the Internet, its behavior in our case bodes ill for the future of progressive online activism. We are investigating what remedies may be available.
Express your feelings to Earthlink managers. See:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/general/earthlink.html
Progressive Portal's income during its first eight months has been 10 percent of the break-even level, a very good start. Of course, we can't keep going like this. To continue offering easy, convenient, and effective online activism, we need 365 people to each cover the cost of one day's online activism.
Sponsoring a day is surprisingly affordable. Because we operate frugally and rely on a great group of talented volunteers, if you pledge just $31.25/month for a year, you will cover the cost of one day of Progressive Portal. (Special offer: If you sign up by Feb. 28, we'll give you two days for the price of one.)
Every day that isn't sponsored brings us closer to
running out of money, so I hope you'll sign up soon. See:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/feedback/sponsor.html
It has been a phenomenal honor, and very fun, to work with you, with the dozens of Progressive Portal volunteers and donors, and with the thousands of dedicated activists for the betterment of our world. I look forward to strengthening our ties -- and our impact -- in the months ahead.
Peace,
Steve Freedkin
Publisher
Our team: http://www.progressiveportal.org/general/credits-index.html
Comments: http://www.progressiveportal.org/feedback/
Volunteer: http://www.progressiveportal.org/feedback/volunteer-index.html
Latest
updates: http://www.progressiveportal.org/
Please sponsor one day of
Progressive Portal online activism:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/feedback/sponsor.html