The short, short version: All of the Tech-related content (even the politically charged stuff) will now be published in one place (Lunduke.Locals.com). One key spot to get all of the Tech stories, of every kind. And we're giving things a bit of a facelift while we're at it.
If you've already got a subscription at Lunduke.Locals.com, you're all set. You'll simply now get more content in one spot... and everything will look a little classier.
The Long, Long Version
The Lunduke Journal has grown a great deal over the last few years, with some signficant successes -- publishing some of the biggest stories in the entire Tech industry... and managing to stay in business without taking a dime from Big Tech or advertisers. No small feat (nobody else has done it).
But, along with those successes, there have been a few missteps along the way.
Because it's always good to learn from our mistakees... Today, we're going to fix those missteps -- to make The Lunduke Journal even more awesome.
Things That Needed Fixing
There are 4 key issues that had to be addressed.
- The rule of not publishing politically charged content directly to Lunduke.Locals.com has resulted in some of the biggest stories of the year (such as the Red Hat leaks) being seen by far fewer people. For a multitude of reasons.
- Having two different sites (Lunduke.Locals.com and ConservativeNerds.Locals.com) with Computer and Computer Industry related content has proven confusing & cumbersome. This needs to be simpler.
- The multittude of subscription options to The Lunduke Journal has been overwhelming and confusing.
- The original Lunduke Journal logo was difficult to read and recognize at smaller sizes. It also lacked the polish that The Lunduke Journal deserves. Likewise, the design of the video productions also needed some love to make them a bit more professional... in The Lunduke Journal style.
I a nutshell: Things need to be simplified. All articles and videos need to be available in one spot, under one brand. And, while we're at it, everything needs a little spit and polish.
The Fixes!
And that, my nerdy friends, is exactly what we're doing today.
Here's the changes you'll see:
- All Tech-related articles & videos, no matter how politically charged the topic, will all be published on the same site (Lunduke.Locals.com).
- Lunduke.Locals.com will remain politics-free... except for instances where the poltics intersects directly with Computers or the Computer industry.
- ConservativeNerds.Locals.com -- which previously hosted all "politically charged" Tech articles & videos -- will continue to exist as a place to discuss politics (without the trolls found in so many other social sites).
- The Lunduke Journal has a new logo, and new look for video productions.
- The options for new subscriptions are being greatly simplified. There will now simply be "Monthly" and "Yearly" subscription options.
All of these changes are being implemented now -- including republishing (to Lunduke.Locals.com) the most critical Tech-related articles which were previously posted only to ConservativeNerds.Locals.com.
The New Lunduke Journal Branding
There were a few key goals with the new branding of The Lunduke Journal:
- Be easy to read when small.
- Be simple and text-focused.
- Be classy and professional, with inspiration from key, past print publications.
- Be destinct and unique.
With that, I present to you... the new Lunduke Journal logo.
The new design for video productions will also debut this week -- with a similar focus on class, while still being unique.
Politics? Mixed with my Tech? Heresy!
While I am a strong believer in keeping Computers and Politics separate -- and, in a perfect world, that would be ideal for The Lunduke Journal -- the reality is a bit more complicated.
Computer companies, foundations, and Open Source projects are implementing extreme, political policies right and left. Policies which dramatically impact hundreds of thousands of people who work in IT (in addition to computer users around the globe). And, since no other Tech News outlets are covering these topics... if The Lunduke Journal doesn't cover them... these stories simply won't get told.
So tell them, we will.
The Lunduke Journal will continue to have a firm "no non-Tech politics" rule.
The Lunduke Journal is not a soap box to spout off about whatever political topic I like. This is a Tech publication. But, when a Big Tech company takes an extreme action... I'm going to follow that story wherever it goes. No matter how messy or politically charged it gets... or how much it upsets a segment of the Tech world.
While most other Tech Journalists steer clear of covering many of these stories -- for fear of backlash from certain political factions -- for me, as they say, that genie is already out of the bottle.
My political views are well known, and regularly yelled about, throughout the Tech and Open Source world. I have, for better or worse, become a bit of a polarizing figure within the Tech industry. And, as such, a certain segment of the population is going to object to -- and often boycott -- my work... no matter how non-Political it is.
At this point, it makes sense to bring the Political (but distinctly Tech related) content into The Lunduke Journal. It makes reading those articles -- which were previously only available on ConservativeNerds.Locals.com -- easier for the largest audience, and gives those pieces the Lunduke Journal stamp of approval.
Not everyone is going to like this change. I get that. But most will. And, regardless, it's for the best.
I am planning on implementing a system where we include a "Politics Warning" label on all politically charged content. That way, should you want to avoid any article or show with even a hint of political content, it will be easy for you to do so.
F.A.Q.
Q: What if I already have a Lifetime or Yearly Triple Pass Subscription?
A: All existing subscriptions -- of every kind -- will always be honored. If you have a Lifetime, you always have a Lifetime. If you have a "Yearly Triple Pass", you still do. So you're good to go. The Lunduke Journal simply won't be offering any new subscriptions of those type going forward.
Q: Wait! I wanted one of those Lifetime Subscriptions!
A: If you grab it by end of day Monday (April 15th), you will be grandfathered in. After that no new Lifetime Subscriptions will be offered.
Q: So I can talk about any political thing I want on Lunduke.Locals.com?!
A: No. No, no, no. Oh, dear heavens, no. Tech related. A computer company does something political? A law is being passed which directly impacts the usage of computers? Go for it. Fair game. But, a politician you don't like said something stupid? Want to talk about gun laws or taxes? Not on Lunduke.Locals.com. Those sort of topics stay over on ConservativeNerds.Locals.com. When in doubt, feel free to ask.
Q: I don't like something about this! You made me grumpy! I'm grumpy now!
A: Deep breath. Give it a chance. Everything is going to be... OK.
Q: Will there still be non-Political articles and shows?
A: Of course! History! Myths! Retro! Linux! Even a few comics! Everything you've come to expect from The Lunduke Journal will continue! There will simply be more content posted to Lunduke.Locals.com than before.
Q: Does this impact NerdyEntertainment.Locals.com?
A: NerdyEntertainment.Locals.com exists purely to talk about and enjoy nerdy culture. Comic books, movies, books, music, and the like. That will continue to exist, as it currently does.
Q: I have more questions!
A: Feel free to ask! Drop questions here in the comments. Or toss me an email at bryan at lunduke.com. (Bear in mind that I get a lot of email. So no guarantees I'll be able to respond immediately.)
