Hi Pamela. I agree with everything you said. Have you considered saying what you've said to Serotek directly?
Sent from my iPhone > On Nov 24, 2014, at 3:30 AM, Pamela Francis <[email protected]> wrote: > > Revving Up for the Road Ahead > > > > Serotek is undergoing some changes to better meet your needs as a digital > consumer. The assistive technology industry has been shifting for a while > now, and it would be foolish to believe yesterday’s formula will continue to > work in today’s age of wearable technology, smart homes, and interconnected > media. > > Understandably, there may be questions about the longevity of the products > and services you have come to rely on. For years Serotek has thought outside > the box to deliver the most affordable solutions with the best customer and > product support, and there are no plans to reverse this pattern of innovation > to meet you where you need us. > > You may also be wondering about the future of the SeroTalk Podcast Network, > arguably one of the leading content providers on all things technology. There > is a time to cover headlines, and there is a time to create them. As long as > the community remains interested, SPN will evolve alongside its parent > company. For now, we have to deal with the reality of blunt, but truthful, > comments such as that left by one loyal customer who wondered if we were > finally going to stop socializing on the podcasts and finally get back to > product development. > > Given the number of conflicting rumors surrounding the popular platform, the > story is this: Ownership of SPN was offered to Joe Steinkamp and Ricky Enger > under a highly attractive earn-out formula. Serotek offered to continue > financing the website, podcast, and production and platform hosting required > to maintain a consistent user experience. Serotek is aware of the value they > provided to the community. Unfortunately, they elected not to accept this > offer. The Serotek team has no doubt Joe and Ricky will be a valuable asset > to the community in other capacities and wish them all the best in their new > endeavors. > > Our goals were not to eliminate people, but rather, to realign the company > structure and shift company functions that are hindering growth, steps that > were required to keep Serotek from becoming one more casualty of the new > landscape. It is unfortunate that three other teammates abruptly opted to > follow other directions, but we respect their choices and also wish them the > absolute best in whatever they pursue. > > Change is sometimes a scary prospect. Yet change moved us away from the cell > phone to the smart phone, from the TV to the tablet, and from yesterday’s > computer to today’s cloud. We’re working hard to keep you in the middle of > it, where you belong. Contrary to competing rumors, Serotek is not down for > the count. We’re squarely in your corner and ready to meet the next phase > with the same fervor we’re well known for. > > Stay tuned. The best is on its way, and you are going to be a part of it. > > > > Understandably, one's business model must change with the evolution of > technology. However, dissemination of information and resources through your > many podcasts came to be a staple in the lives of many people within the > blind community. given the national and international listenership you had, I > cannot believe there would not be someone or a group to form a partnership > that would've taken ownership of that network in order to keep that resource > alive. Not everyone who listened to the podcasts were home, collecting a > check. Per your blog, Joe and Ricky were offered ownership of the network. > Why was it strictly limited to Joe and Ricky? What you have to realize, is > that within those podcasts kept your product name alive among consumers. why > keep Iblink radio? The majority of what is on Iblink radio can be found > within other services. if it is only going to serve as a vehicle to > distribute material I can get elsewhere, it's not worth taking the space on > my phone, my Mac, or my iPad. I personally since the inception of the monthly > subscription service have wanted to sign up for it, however it is not > available for Mac. I refuse to pull out my windows machine for one program. > from everything I was told, one cannot participate in Samnet chat via Mac. > however, given the way this specific change was handled, even if you made it > for Mac I'm afraid to sign up for it. How would I know the rug wouldn't be > pulled out from under me without notice? Any reputable corporation gives its > customer base notice of its changes. we as participants, listeners, and/or > consumers of your product were at least owed a thank you from your podcast > team for our support of the network. I personally, do not have to know the > backstory of everyone's business. However, if I am a regular > contributor/supporter, at least I want to know, if the service ends, I'm > appreciated. that is why I see your blog post as nothing more than saving > face. Who, in their right mind, is going to be able to trust you developing > any future services having had the type of shakeup you had with no notice to > the community? If in fact this happened the way you say it did with Joe and > Ricky having been offered ownership of the network, turning it down, > subsequently the three other team members leaving at the same time shows an > extreme amount of commraderey You won't find anywhere else. my guess is, it > had more to do with no funds to pay them. However, that is neither here nor > there. You were at one time a very promising company. At this point, all I > can say is RIP > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
