We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated first responders who prioritized launching our fundraiser with remarkable urgency. Your swift contributions enabled us to reach our initial target for IT essentials in just over 24 hours. Your response was so rapid that the thermometer on Katiebird’s page doesn’t yet reflect our current progress.
Currently, we have raised $2,510 towards our second goal, which focuses on enhancing the comments section. Additionally, we’ve received 159 donations on our way to a target of 1,100 contributors.
Your generous donations highlight your commitment to this community and your desire for more meaningful discussions and an improved society. By choosing to support Naked Capitalism, you are investing in our mission to become an even more powerful voice for you. If you haven’t yet had a chance to contribute, please visit our Tip Jar to lend your support. Every amount counts, whether it’s $10 or $1,000, enabling us to deliver in-depth news summaries, insightful commentary, astute analyses, and even heartwarming animal pictures, as well as a digital space where like-minded individuals can connect.
In 2021, we expanded Naked Capitalism’s offerings with the introduction of a monthly newsletter, funded from the “commentariat” budget. While we cherish your daily presence here, we understand life can get busy, making it easy to miss updates. This year, we’ve increased the frequency to twice a month to help you stay current. Kudos to Katiebird, our moderator, who oversees the newsletter and manages our fundraising efforts.
We’ve received wonderful messages from readers expressing appreciation for the comments section. Here’s one from Jess H:
“I am such a fan of Naked Capitalism. I feel informed about current events without the bias or propaganda found elsewhere. The comments add personal and local perspectives. I’ve sent $100 as a donation and support monthly. Keep up the great work; you’re needed now more than ever! 😊🇨🇦”
And from Ben Panga:
“NC is a sanctuary of reason in a landscape awash with misinformation. I greatly appreciate Yves and the other writers. Often, a post emerges that provides comprehensive analysis of topics I’m eager to explore.”
“The comments section here is the only online space where I actively engage. Despite discussing difficult subjects, NC remains a hopeful environment where many strive for a better world, engaging respectfully.”
“Thank you, everyone!”
Joe Murphy commented:
“Thanks to NC and all involved! I recently calculated the number of comments I’ve read over the years, and it’s astounding. I’ve only now realized how much work a moderated comment section requires.”
Our first donor in this fundraiser, Pete W, stated:
“The contribution I made is just a small fraction of the value I receive. Authentic, principled commentary with no hidden agendas is becoming increasingly rare.”
John M added:
“Happy to contribute! I’ve been a reader since around 2008, and I’m pleased to see the site continue to thrive!”
“Looking forward to more engaging content!”
Thanks to Katiebird and Semper Loquitur (who also manages our new Sunday movie feature) for their hard work, comments are now processed much quicker than before. The moderators play a pivotal role in evaluating comments, often discussing cases among site administrators. They also verify links and intervene when necessary. Katiebird maintains a spreadsheet detailing users’ statuses, which is incredibly useful when we revisit cases. As mentioned, she not only prepares our twice-monthly newsletter but also handles essential administrative tasks.
With algorithm-driven polarization intensifying, particularly as Trump pursues his rapid counter-revolution, many clear-minded discussions are drowned out by simplistic slogans and rampant anger online. It requires considerable effort to keep Naked Capitalism as a beacon of sanity and civility in these turbulent times.
If you recognize the value of the comments at Naked Capitalism, feel free to skip ahead and head straight to the Tip Jar, where you can learn how to contribute via check, credit, or debit card. Your support fosters stimulating, vigorous, and insightful discussions among our commenters.
Managing comments inevitably incurs costs. Lambert and I previously handled moderation ourselves, which detracted from research and posting efforts. We strive for a light-touch approach, but with understandable collective anxieties often leading to hasty reactions, it requires substantial effort. The cost of moderation has risen because we have had to implement stricter rules, which, sadly, leads to more comments entering moderation. Therefore, timely processing is more crucial than ever.
Moderation involves more than just managing a queue and refining rules (which sometimes, as you’re all too familiar with, can behave unpredictably despite our best intentions). It includes reading comments multiple times a day, intervening to de-escalate discussions when necessary, and clarifying misunderstandings about the posts or readers’ statements.
We also invest considerable time addressing borderline comments.
This collective oversight is time-intensive but essential to maintain the overall quality of our discussions. Our efforts ensure readers feel comfortable expressing their views and sharing valuable information, provided they adhere to guidelines promoting accuracy and rigor.
The success of this approach is demonstrated by the vibrant community at Naked Capitalism, where diverse voices are heard, despite the widely acknowledged decline in quality discourse elsewhere on the web. Naked Capitalism is even referenced in journalism courses as an example of the engaged audience that major media outlets aspire to have—but could realistically achieve if they stopped catering to powerful advertisers and elite interests. To support these initiatives, please donate now. Whether it’s $5, $50, or $5,000, every contribution helps us reach our goals.
Our target for this fundraiser is $26,000, which only partially covers the total costs associated with comment moderation and the newsletter. Therefore, please do your part and contribute promptly! The Tip Jar contains details on how to donate via check, credit, or debit card. If you are mailing a check, please notify us by emailing yves@nakedcapitalism.com with “Check is in the mail” in the subject line so we can add it to our tally.
Once again, we urge you to invest in our community! This objective benefits us all!
