Well, as most Mixxers know by now…the classic Mixx we’ve come to know and love so well will soon be ending. Like many of you I was disappointed. However, I wasn’t really shocked; this is the technology business, after all; things change quickly, and some things become obsolete practically the minute they’re introduced. Look at any facet of technology—cell phones are the easiest example here—and you’ll see what I mean. Such are the times in which we live.
What I did find surprising were some of the comments from long-time Mixx users regarding this upcoming change. I see phrases like “so it was all for nothing?”, “I’ll remember to remove any back-links to Mixx”, “how could Mixx do this to us?”…and on and on in the same vein.
This kind of talk disappointed me worse than the news that Mixx would be changing. The reason why is because in my opinion, the best thing about Mixx.com was the community. I’ve made more friends than I can count on this one website. Mixx.com wasn’t snobbish, and maybe that’s because they were smaller than the “Digg’s” of the internet landscape. This suited me just fine, frankly. Being just a bit smaller allowed the community to grow, to discuss the issues of the day, to communicate freely…and to have a big heart, considering this is the internet we’re talking about here.
However, all businesses must make a profit, or at least break even; otherwise, why go into business at all? That’s right; websites are, in most cases, a business. What I’m about to say might be breaking it down a little too simply for some folks, but for those who question why “Mixx sold out”… (Yeah, the “Mixx sold out our community” is the main complaint that gets me)…well, here’s your explanation:
Let’s say you own an awesome bakery in a really small town; to top that, you give away all the goodies for free. “FREE” is the main word here. For a while you get a few investors to believe in your bakery and how awesome your cakes are; a community builds and supports you. After a while, that community starts thinking they “own” part of your bakery and can tell you to change the recipes, try their recipes, and they even let you advertise for free in their bakery; pretty soon, that community even suggests that certain people be banned from visiting the bakery, because, well, those people’s opinions are different from everyone else’s opinions in the bakery, and suddenly the cakes and coffee don’t taste as good. In the meantime, the incredibly small staff of said bakery is working themselves to the bone trying to please everyone, and all the while, they’re still not making a profit. Are you following me here, folks?
So, at some point, let’s say the “Mixx Bakery” had to show a profit, or else they had to change. (Remember those investors in the bakery at the beginning?) Since they let part of their staff go over the last few months, I’d say they did everything they could to keep it up and running, but it just wasn’t possible to please all the people all the time. Therefore, they did what they had to do.
Now…there is what appears to be a wonderful alternative on the horizon—MixxingBowl.com—which will keep the same basic designs as the old Mixx.com. In addition, there will be a new Mixx.com soon.
So my questions, to all the “loyal Mixxers” out there, are this:
Will you support the new Mixx.com and the MixxingBowl.com, or will you bail out at the first sign of change?
For those of you disappointed at the loss of your “work”, your “awards”, your “karma points”, etc…well, please keep in mind that the original staff of Mixx.com was very small, less than a dozen people if memory serves correctly. They were not a “faceless corporation”. They worked their butts off to keep us, the community, happy. They fielded countless myriad requests, complaints, and suggestions, all with good grace. (Many of those suggestions were put into use, by the way; perhaps too many, because they wanted to keep the members happy.) So, is this the best we can do to thank them for their efforts, their hard work, their long hours, their sacrifices? Most of all, is this how we thank them for letting us into “the bakery” for free all these years?
I think not.
So buck up, people. Although I’ll hate to see it go, I was a Mixxer, a SuperMixxer, a Mixx Ambassador, and although I didn’t burn up the “karma points” scale, hey, I loved it. Now…it’s time to move on, folks. Throw some love to the upcoming New Mixx.com and to the MixxingBowl.com. Because the community that made Mixx so unique…well, we’re still here, aren’t we?
I know I am.
Sincerely,
Kat136
Lunaticofthenorth added these pithy words on 