A Friday Sidebar: The Latest TNOCS Site News

Two things to talk about today:

I’ll need to be quick, because I’m in the middle of my Friday household chore ritual.

Go ahead. Laugh.
But someone’s cupboard is down to only three mismatches.

Pressing Item 1 of 2:

First, how about that Nostradamus?

He foresaw the fall of empires, the rise of darkness, and the end of days.

But the fatal bug in Round Two of Chuck Small’s “The TNOCS 2025 Summer Song Bracket Spectacular?”

‘Damus, my dude?

No warning?
Not even a lousy little cryptic quatrain?

Yeesh. Candidly, I didn’t see it coming, either.

Without boring you all to death with the myriad, arcane and tedious coding conflict issues, I’ll provide a brief and time-tested explanation. In official techgeekspeak:

The code had a meltdown, took the bracket down with it, and flipped me the digital bird.

Seriously, it was a disappointing fail.

I tried about a dozen approaches, but the patient didn’t make it. I was sweating it out, not for myself, but for all of the readers, lurkers, and voters. And especially: for the contest’s author, who had worked very hard on the project. I try to be methodical and thorough, but this one got away from me.

But Chuck being Chuck:

He assured me that that it was all OK, and a time “to breathe.”

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a Chuck Small Pep Talk™, well, then you know. He laughed it off and was impossibly kind about the whole disaster.

Thanks, Chuck, and thanks, reader-voter-lurkers. I’m going to take another stab at fixing the bracket contest, but at the very least wanted to explain what was going on.

Pressing Item 2 of 2:

We’ve been doing whatever this is for 40 months, now.

March 16, 2022.

And in that time, we’ve grown into something I had really hoped for: a place that’s alive, every single day, with strong voices and thoughtful readers.

We’ve welcomed Contributing Authors who pour their hearts into their work.
We’ve seen regular readers return, post comments, and stir up conversation.
And we’ve silently nodded to the lurkers who show up, scroll through, and never say a word — but are very much part of this, too.

And for all of you? I want it to be better. That’s why, starting this Sunday:

I’m pulling the plug on all of the in-article advertising.

Why? You know why:

Because the ads became ugly. Distracting. Awkwardly shoved between paragraphs. I had no control over the content, as they are placed randomly and automatically. Which means, statistically, that you all have been pitched for products and services that you would never likely ever want.

No judgement if you use something like this.
But I’m sure I just heard a collective “eww”.

And more importantly: Because they interrupted the work. The rhythm and flow. The words our passionate authors take the time to craft. And the time that our loyal readers spend here.

Though it was never my intent, the advertising glurge was disrespectful to all.

I’m fond of an old saying:

“If you’re in a hole?”

“Stop digging.”

I really want to continue to grow, evolve, and improve. So goodbye, in-article solicitations.

But I still have server and hosting bills to pay. So beginning sometime later this month, I’ll be experimenting with something else to keep the lights on:

A direct sponsorship-supported model. One company or service per article, with a spiffy “Brought to You By” type message at the top and bottom of the content. And that’s it.

Open to just about anyone willing to come on board.

Um, I mean, well, … OK, sure. Why not?

No clutter. No nonsense. Just the support of brands we actually choose and respect, and who want to support what this little magazine-website-thing has become.