Exciting News About DailyStrength!
Hi DailyStrength friends. I want to be the first let you know about some very exciting news that we're announcing today. DailyStrength has merged with HSW International (HSWI), a leading provider of authoritative content on the Web. HSWI has deep expertise in creating quality, locally relevant content for consumers, and we're excited to merge our wonderful community tools with their excellent content. I bet you're thinking two things: a) "Why?", b) "Now what?" or "How does this affect me?" Let me try to answer both. Why? The inspiration for DailyStrength was, and remains to this day, my cousin Andrew Kirsch, who died of cancer at the age of 20. I wanted to make Andrew proud by helping others on his behalf. With Andrew in mind, I developed a theory which ultimately became DailyStrength. The theory was that I could create a successful for-profit business, but, at the same time, help others in a profound way. I wanted to provide a product or service that improved the lives of the people that used it every day, and I didn't want the people who came for help to have to pay for it. The last 3 years have been a wonderful struggle to prove that theory. Running a business, especially in this economy, has been a challenge, but every time I got down, I'd jump in to one of our communities and see the emotion, the support and the love that you all were offering each other, and I'd be re-energized. Everything we did, from hiring folks to building new features to making money, was done with the view that it must ultimately benefit the folks who come to us for help. HSWI has seen the tremendous value of DS, and wants us to keep doing what we do best. They are offering us the resources to invest heavily in new content and features to improve your experience and bring the power of DailyStrength to others. Now What? How Does This Affect Me? The only effects for you, my friends and fellow DS members, are positive. We can finally throw long-needed resources towards the features and needs of DS. We can expand the reach of communities and content we offer. Most importantly, we can continue to be here in your time of need. In the short term, nothing will be different. Over the coming months, however, you'll start to see both big and small improvements to your DS experience as we offer new and improved services to you, our members. The philosophy will remain the same; we'll just have more folks to help us help you. I can't thank you enough for being a part of DailyStrength and spending your time with us. We look forward to continuing to help improve your life. Doug
Replies
Here\'s a link to HSW....http://www.hswinternational.com/
Hey Doug, I\'m not sanguine about the comming changes. DS has become an important support group for a lot of people, a refuge. I just don\'t trust marketers, they\'ll just try to take advantage of us.
Many of the people on here live on the margins. We\'re vulnerable people, often barely hanging on to financial stability, sanity or life.
High five! I am looking forward to see the nice changes. You have done a great job so far. I really appreciate all the time and effort you have been putting in this community,it is truly a labour of love that I am sure will continue to grow through this merge and in anything else that you think will help. It is wonderful to see your commitment for continuing to do this for the right reasons.
Big hug!
High five! Sending some love and strength your way to continue to do this labour of love. Looking forward to the nice changes. Happy Holidays!
Hugs
hi Doug I am thankful for this site. In so many ways it has helped me get through the last month thanks to all of you .Please help us all to understand the change as it happens .
Hi Doug, I must be missing something, because it does not sound like the world is coming to and end. The changes sound positive. You go boy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please do not become a site I have to pay for!! I love the fact that DS is free and that I am able to access my friends all over the world because of the fact that I pay no money to be a member. In these economic times, I don\'t think anyone has the extra cash to shell out money for memberships. Please Doug, keep this site, free!!!!
Doug, please dont make this site where we have to pay! As it is most of us here dont have the extra money. This site has helped me more than the professonals please dont make me go back in the dark place I was before I found my friends here. I dont know if the \"new changes\" think they have us trapped that we will pay because we have made such good friends here but that would be so wrong. Please give us more info!! Just tell us now straight up Are we going to have to Pay!!!!
To all - I wouldn\'t jump the gun too soon, until we see how things pan out. Maybe it\'ll end up a big disaster, but probably not.
Growing pains always hurt and adjustments need to be made, but eventually everybody finds what works and they settle in.
This is actually the first support site or group I\'ve ever been a part of, and it\'s been good. I don\'t know what other groups are like, apparently worse. So hold your horses, take a deep breath and enjoy what\'s here in the meantime.
I need to fix my previous post and say, \"You can jump the gun later.\" and \"pain usually hurts\" duh.
I should join the \"Can\'t leave a typo alone\" group. Oh well, give me credit - I waited a whole hour to fix it.
So now that you have this great company behind DS WHEN are they going to boost the servers and speed up the site????? And fix the chat? And respond to our requests for help w/in a reasonable amount of time (like 24-72 hrs instead of NEVER)?
Hi Doug,
I\'m so impressed that you started this site because of your brother Andrew\'s vision. You have done a tremendous service to us the consumers of DS. Please do not ever feel badly about selling your business. You worked hard and made this site a success. Good luck to you.
This site is my lifeline. as I know it is for so many others. It is a wonderful site, and the story behind it, as well as its success thus far is inspiring to say the least. Improvements to the site to make it bgger and better are also a wonderful idea, and can be beneficial.
However, making people pay to benefit from this site will be its downfall. Sure, there will be those who can afford it, and will think the slightly faster chat etc will be \'worth it\'... but for the rest of us, it is like you are saying \"you dont deserve to have the help we offer\" simply because we arent in a position to pay for it.
And the people who will be cut off in this area are more than likely the people who need this site the most. Bear that in mind when you decide my life isnt worth it.
Im a full time student. I do the best I can with what money I have and it is already stretched too thin. I will be truly sorry if you cut this opportunity for help from me and so many others.
I hope you enjoy your millions though. You must be living comfortably now.
PS, to those who left because of privacy issues - surely you dont have to use your name, or real photos, even real place of residence, its logic. My profile says I live anywhere where theres good coffee. How much info you choose to put up is up to you and solely you.
Dearest Doug,
I feel bad for you,cuz there has been alot of negativity towards the merge. The fact is people, that this site was started on behalf of Dougs brother and he has had nothing but good intentions! Whatever happened to Innocent until proven guilty! Everyone just take a breath! I know for most of us,we don\'t like change, but remember that this site is free, so someone has had to foot the bill in order for us to use it,so let\'s stop biting the hand that feeds us and concentrate on the real issues! For instance, some of you complain that the chat option never worked for you! I\'m just curious, since this site has grown so fast,just how do you expect doug to keep up with all of this! He had to go to an outside source,he had to go to the bigwigs in order to keep it going!I say bravo! And thank you for caring about us so much that you are doing whatever it takes to keep this site and for making sure that you\'re still apart of it!If it wasn\'t for you,alot of us would probly be dead! Keep up the good work!
And peeps,
let\'s at least give him a chance before we just start judging!If we don\'t like the changes,than we as all the members can speak out then!
Just one opinion,Thanks for reading!
And before anyone says it...I meant his cousin not his brother!