Thoughts on the darkest day

Heyho,

I don't know about you, but if you happen to live in the northern hemisphere, then today is the day with the shortest time span between sunrise and sundown...
on the positive side, we'll enjoy a bit more daylight starting tomorrow, so, hooray, it won't get any darker than today.

Okay, now, neither you nor me are plants, so, why would it matter?

To me, this annual event somehow serves as a reminder that things always only go down to a certain level, to then return to a different state.
So I'm kind of trying to round up the year and take care of some loose ends, so the new year can come & bring its new lights & delights.

Now that I'm at it, let me get one off those loose ends off my chest, if you allow:

I believe I may have failed to communicate with the wikiloops community overly well this year,
possibly creating the impression that I did not care or could not be bothered for some of you.
I usually "only" apologize when that happens, but today I would like to state a few things that I feel should not remain unsaid.

Maybe you reading this are among the authors of the currently 79 unread messages in my inbox.
I'm not proud about not having gotten around to these, and there is nothing positive to say about it. Room for improvement there is, and sorry if someone felt ignored or let down.

You know, the truth is, working a regular job, raising a son, organizing a jam at the barn 2024 + operating online wikiloops 24/7 (including a prompt answer to every single message) + coding the wikiloops platform is more than a single person can do.
I am aware the majority of people reaching out to me is unaware of that situation,
and expect reliable and prompt "customer service" - rightly so I'd say.

It is not mandatory to know about how wikiloops is being operated to have fun on this website,
but if you want my personal description of the situation, then here it comes:
wikiloops existence is a continued miracle that lasts almost 14 years now.
What keeps it alive is the continued effort of a constantly changing group of people that voluntarily support the project in one or the other way.
Ask someone who knows about online business for a budget estimate to maintain something like wikiloops, then check a recent transparency report... it all comes down to 6 digits worth of voluntary effort each year.
This is not a complaint, I'm just stating the facts, and if you feel money is a good way to measure effort, doing that math will reveal a very rare situation: wikiloops is not driven by revenue expectations, and unlike any "startup" enterprise, no investor money is in the game here.

"You could not make this up", I'd conclude. In a world where AI eats the last bit of trustworthiness in the digital world, here I am telling you this story, aware that it will be eyed skeptically and sound very unlikely. It does happen to be absolutely real on my end of the world of screens, for almost 14 years now.

That being said, I would like to emphasize my gratefulness towards every one of you who helped make it happen, be it by
- contributing inspiring music & positive comments
- sending in bug reports when things don't work, that is very helpful
- showing trust & a bit of patience that things will be resolved instead of spreading doomsday vibes
- taking on a moderation role
- contributing to the codebase or image/video collection
- helping new members get into the groove of things, overcome technical issues & possibly too high expectations
- being a supporting member. Funding does help, and is probably the easiest way to be part of making the miracle happen.

I probably forgot some helpful things (wearing a wikiloops shirt when going to concerts comes to mind).

If you feel you have done any of the above in 2024, then here are my heartfelt thanks to you for making things easier on me.
If someone had reason to doubt I cared, again, I am sorry, maybe my words above can put a different light on things. Maybe I'm asking to look at the achievement rather than the flaws.

One word that crossed my mind while writing is "dedication", as that apparently exists here.
Without a lot of thinking, I'll spontaneously dedicate my contribution to wikiloops in 2024 to:
- the lonely ones out there & those enduring hard times - may music be with you
- those who pass on the culture of music making on real instruments to children

Keep the fire burning & the music playing. It's all about <3, you know.
More light, starting tomorrow please :)


[img]https://wloops2.r.worldssl.net/galleries/1/files/110225350002c8fd8644abc16dc925b2.jpg[/img]

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Never mind that outside is dark if in our soul is bright. Music is what making our day light and bright. <3 :J

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