IS THIS THE END OF ONE CITIZEN SPEAKING?
I am continuing to experience issues with my blog hosting platform provider…
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They have denied access to an RPC (remote procedure call) server they have supported for years. When questioned, they claim they do not support third-party software, even though the issue is on their end and has been accessible in the past few weeks.
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They suggest the use of their internal editor to compose blog content. This demands online access, and given the intermittently unstable nature of the platform, this appears to be a sub-optimal solution. Likewise, there are issues with uploading graphics and having graphics display properly.
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Their RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, which connects blog content with my email provider, has suddenly failed, making it impossible to send content to my email list automatically.
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Their customer service announcements are simply platitudes like “we are working on it” and lack specificity regarding the issue and a resolution time frame.
Considerations…
The hosting company started as a well-respected platform hosting many Fortune 500 companies. However, it has been sold several times. It is now controlled by a hosting company offering several competing services, itself owned by a private equity firm, probably seeking a restructuring and integration with its other entities.
If you try to create an account, you are greeted with a disturbing message which portends changes afoot.
Bottom line…
After sixteen years and many thousands of posts, I must ask myself, “Is this the end of One Citizen Speaking, or maybe this the start of a new beginning?
Is this a case of "sunk costs" where I am attempting to save previous content?
Do I want to invest the time, effort, and money to transition some of my content to another blog platform, or discontinue the effort and move on to something else?
This is the way of the world, where formerly great companies have fallen prey to cost-cutting money manipulators who treat companies and brands as pieces on a Monopoly board.
It is also a cautionary tale to those who rely on long-term service providers in these mutable times.
We are so screwed.
-- Steve
“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw
“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”
“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius “A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell “Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar “Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS