The Update You Never Wanted in Site Updates

:-( Thank you for creating this website. I'll miss it much.

This site, as it is right now, is better than Open Diary is currently or in the distant past. I hope this is an April Fool's thing? C'mon now.

Well hell, it was a good run! The simple fact that anonymous can't be monetized is the site killer. I'm still not going back to OD! Good luck to you man!

PLEASE tell me this is a week early.

I appreciate your honesty. Very sad day.

This might sound totally over-the-top but why not join forces with Bruce and merge sites. Double the workforce, experience, etc. ProseDiary, OpenBox (also my porn name...) Bruce couldn't sustain his site for a long period and now you are facing the same difficulties. Why not partner and be stronger together?

I can't believe you...

I have no idea what to even say right now. Sigh.

April fools?

Wow. Well thanks for the effort. This place kicked ass compared to OD (not to mention (Faceplant).

And April Fools Day is still 4 days away :(

Thankyou for all you've done. In OpenDiary's demise, you gave me a place to still vent and I thankyou. Take some much needed time off xo.

How unprofitable are we talking? I mean, if -- hypothetically -- you had, say, a Patreon for it, and a hundred patrons, each donating $5 a month, so $500/month, would that even start to cover it? Just spitballing, or as it's also known, the Bargain With God stage.

Anyway. That "had to try" moment aside, I respect your decision. I don't LIKE it, obviously, I mean, it would be weird if I did, right? I'm sure it's the last thing you wanted to have to do, too. But yeah. This is very sad news indeed.

Thank God I happen to check into Prosebox more recently.
I will be out of the state and country most of April mostly on business and I would have lost everything. I really need to try and back this up this week.
I do appreciate all of what you have done here.
Much respect for you.
I have to ask any consideration with investments into Prosebox? I asked Open Diary the same question with no response. Maybe we can all chip in if possible.

This was a place to vent for me and it is priceless. I could not thank you enough for giving me a personal space to do this.

xxx

NO!

Well, I came here when opendiary went down, and I have enjoyed connecting with the people I met here. I have been back on opendiary to retrieve my diary, but now I may have to see about staying with it. Sad.

I was happy here. I guess my on-line diary days are done. Thank you for the length of time we had Prosebox.

I was happy here. I guess my on-line diary days are done. Thank you for the length of time we had Prosebox.

Shit. This blows

i think, if its being shut down, having it up until the end of april is ideal... it gives everyone time to export their diaries. i dont have much to save, but i want to save my dads story.... and need time to do that...

i think, if its being shut down, having it up until the end of april is ideal... it gives everyone time to export their diaries. i dont have much to save, but i want to save my dads story.... and need time to do that...

You made a commitment that you don't feel like keeping.

That's what this entry says.

But, hey...you're human. Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. Sometimes we get burned out. I get it, and I won't chastise you for it.

Just give me a week to export my diary. I'd appreciate that. Take care of you.

I'm sorry too; I am really surprised that I like the organization and simplicity of this site more than OD which i once adored. I'll certainly try to download my books late night/early morning. I shall miss the people I meet here almost daily, especially the ones not on FB or Open Diary. I have all of my thoughts from the period before my husband died, and then my journey afterward here under a different name. I hope I can download those easily.

I can help you with the performance issues if you want, I'm pretty good at that sort of thing. (Linux, query optimizations/indexing, load balancing, code optimization, I'm more of a NodeJS guy but I can adapt)

How much does it cost to keep the site running? Have you considered a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to keep it going / work on the problems? I'm sure many of us would rather give our money to you than to Bruce. Perhaps a Patreon for people who want to support the site directly with pay-what-you-can subscriptions? You have a sizeable community here - it would really be a shame to give it up to OD which is REALLY poorly engineered compared to what you've got here.

PM me if you want to chat ideas. I don't think you've considered every possible angle. (You sound fed up, I totally get it)

A tiny gut punch, but if ya can't, ya can't.

Thanks for keeping the it going as long as you could, man.

So you did this as a hobby and no longer “feel” like it?

Awesome. It’s a super good thing thousands of people weren’t counting on you for anything.... oh wait...

WHAT?????????? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :(
Happy to contribute financially if someone can help with/take over running the site?

As I scrolled down these notes, I found myself being grateful for your simple layout. There were/are a lot of things here that were very nice - the note replies - the ease of the site's operation, the clean look of it.
I wish life lasted forever - or at least parts of it. I mourn OD, the oddness of Photobucket, the craziness going on at FB, and now this place is ending too.

NO.....PLEASE NO! Say it isn't so. I've lost so many friends from opendiary and now this? Please find a way to continue this awesome site you've created. PLEASE???

Am I totally opposed to passing the torch on to someone else with the proper qualifications? No, I’m open to discussions.

Then why post an entry like this? If you're willing to explore other options, then do so, and hold off on posting stuff like this until you've exhausted those options.

The tone in this entry doesn't sound like you at all. I hope you are ok.

Oh, balls.

Very sad to hear this news, but I understand how life can happen. Appreciate you creating this site, and for all of the work you have put into it.

Well shit :(

Mr. SimpleMind thanks very much for what you did.

Thank you for running this site for years. It has been a real help to me through some difficult times. I met friends here and it has been a good part of my life. So sorry you have to let it go like this (as opposed to selling for a profit). Best wishes in your new ventures. I never expected being the volunteer website operator for all these years would be a life sentence to you. Go on and enjoy your life.

Thank you for being here for us. I would also totally be up for the few/several month's outtage required to fix it all. Just so you know.

Ah bummer. Hope you're alright. Good luck with whatever you're doing.

See you space cowboy... :(

😭

It's all open diaries fault!!

Anyways, I found a cool site called Goodnight Journal. Looks pretty but the white hurts my old eyes.

Ok. It’s a shame but I’ll be back where I started. OpenDiary.

Ok. It’s a shame but I’ll be back where I started. OpenDiary.

Hey, I'm a software engineer and while I don't think i could manage the site on my own, do let me know if i could help a team maintain it.

I'm sad :( :(
But I want to say thank you to Simple Mind. You've given us a home for the last few years, without us paying anything in return. Thank you <3

I genuinely got a cold chill reading this.

I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for everything. This place has been an absolute lifeline for me during some of the hardest times of my life. I've been able to do a lot of healing here. More than you could possibly know. It's been my voice and platform when I couldn't speak (figuratively and literally).

Thank you, you really saved me.

I'm so sad to read this - I totally appreciate the hard work that goes into running a membership site but people have been saying for years that we don't mind paying and that helps you to want to continue.

What you created was a very good site populated by a real community.

I'd love to see someone take over, and I would be happy to put some cash behind it...

Thank you for creating this home for us when our other home went away. Thank you for being such a great DM. Thank you for being an all round brilliant person. xXx

Interesting how OD ( which I love) comes back and all of a sudden this place is dissolving

Interesting how OD ( which I love) comes back and all of a sudden this place is dissolving.

Interesting how OD ( which I love) comes back and all of a sudden this place is dissolving.

Interesting how OD ( which I love) comes back and all of a sudden this place is dissolving.

Sell the site on somewhere like Flippa.com or outsource the maintenance. You've done such a good job of building this site it seems sad to let it go.

Thank you for this place. It’s been a godsend. I’m sorry you feel you need to let it go, but I understand xx

I love this place so much, I've carried over a lot of friends from OD and made a lot of new friends too. I would be gutted to lose some or even all of them. I'm halfway through documenting my pregnancy and would hate to have to leave before the baby is born! I don't have any technical skills, but I echo the sentiments of the people who have said they would be happy to pay if it would help at all. I see a few people have offered their technical skills to help run the site, I hope this can work out.

Thank you for giving us a haven when OD blew up, thanks for everything you’ve done over the years to keep this site going. Fingers crossed someone feels able to take over because the new OD doesn’t cut it.

Not fun, but understandable. Best wishes to you in the future!

Thanks Bruce.

i came from The Open Diary. After needing a place to spill my guts for so long, a friend told me about this place. I've been here, 3 years. Wow, this is sad. Sorry that you've not been able to work out what the issue is. It was fun while it lasted.

It seems there are many options you have other than just shutting the place down. There are several people here that offered help financially and with running the site. Hopefully you consider these options.

Thanks so much for giving us a soft place to land after OD left us adrift & bereft! It was so nice to find a cozy home here. It will be missed. 🖤

Hey, I want to thank you for everything you've done. You saved my community when open diary went down. Fully understand this decision.

I feel pretty confident that he made a deal with Bruce to shut down. After all, where is everyone go to jump to? OD of course. It's our first thought and surprise surprise it's up and running again. If SM does not take any offers for donations or help from those who can run PB... that confirms it for me. Because you wouldn't put this much time and money into this place just to let it fall away like nothing.

I wish you all the best. You made a great site here and a lot of people have enjoyed using it. I loosely view OD, PB and EED as part of the same blogging community, as we all have a lot of the same uses at one time or another. Best to you and all you do. :)

Wow, it's such a coinky-dink, with the return of OD!

Is the value of human connection really taken so lightly? So disappointing.

Soooo sad.
You did such an amazing job; this place is such a sweet community.

Please please let someone here take the reigns.

If it were just about money I'm sure we could all work something out, but it's really about the time, isn't it? My concern is that even if someone else does step up and take over, they will all eventually hit the same wall, realizing that maintaining a site like this is way too much work for a side gig. You still have a life you need to live. The only way I could see it working is if there was a group of people working together so that no one person was overburdened, but if it's hard to find one person with the skills and the time, what are the odds of finding several?

Thanks for trying! I wasn't ready to give up diarying yet when OD closed but I think now maybe it's time.

Thanks for creating this site. I'll go back to OD...tho frankly I didn't want to. Your life will be much easier. Hugs at ya.

Must say that this is the most graceful shutting down a site letter I've ever read.

I realize that you are being bombarded with messages ranging from the severely angry to the heartfelt appreciative and I don't expect my one voice to be differentiated from the crowd. But upon looking at other Journal Sites, none of them... none of them... are structured as brilliantly and as thoughtfully as this is. This site was able to take people fleeing from Open Diary and show them that, not only was there a BETTER site, but a more welcoming home. Removing this home, after so many of us felt that we found a better place to be, is painful and upsetting. Especially since no other site currently provides anything but a pale shadow of this place.

If there are people willing to help, let them help. If this simply takes too much of your time and you are bored, don't punish the users. Most importantly: people have been so burned by Open Diary that they are willing to pay money to keep this site running. Don't simply throw your hands up and walk away. You built something good. All wise leaders and creators know that when your creation gets too big to handle you can either (1) destroy it; or (2) get help. Often, the creators that destroy do so to protect their ego. Those who get help can discover something profitable and worthy.

I wonder how much Bruce paid you to shut this down. I can't really blame you for taking the money and running though, I can tell this site became a pain in the ass to run. But there's no doubt in my mind that the fact that this happens right when OD returns, and all of a sudden the same customer base has nowhere else to go... is no coincidence. I'm thankful you gave us a place to go after Bruce abandoned us, but ultimately, shame on you both. I think OD will fail once again and I feel sorry for those who have chosen to trust him with their hearts once more.

People are offering help. Hell, some want to take over. Listen to them. Take their help. This place may be something you are willing to move on from, but for others, it has become their safe refuge from the hardships of their real lives.

You are literally doing exactly what Bruce did. Give us two weeks notice of a shutdown and not take any help from people for months saying they would help you with the site. My mind is boggled. Did we learn nothing from OD? Seriously?

...Or are you Bruce in disguise?

Bruce rears his ugly head again, and suddenly you bail. I'm sure you can understand how many of us don't think that's a coincidence. Can you confirm or deny, or is it not worth your time, sir?

I am elaine2 at https://www.goodnightjournal.com.
I refuse to speculate about why the owner of this site has made the decision to shut it down. I appreciate the hard work and time that went into the site, but I can also leave without any sour taste in my mouth. Thank you to the diary master.

I'm making an entry of list of other options we have, anyone care to add any information, please feel free:

https://www.prosebox.net/entry/684778/alternative-methods-to-pb/

Looks like most of the community has found their supply of pitchforks and conspiracy theories.

Hells bells, Dan, what you did here was great, and I'm surprised you kept it up as long as you did. Thank you for that.

Thank you for PB. I hope someone steps up to help take over - I’d rather not lose the community we have here.

Just wondering if the content of the site - our entries - will be saved as they were at OD. Is there a possibility of them 'coming back' at a future date? Downloads are all well and good but they are not as good as content saved on the 'net.

Hoping all is well with you & yours, SM. & thank you for this place. Well done, and you should be proud of what you’ve built—even more so if you can find someone to take it from here. Take care☀️🌷

yeah you dont sound like yourself. :( i hope everything is ok.

Aloha nui loa...
Mahalo for allowing me to be part of this wonderful community...
I wish you well...
Aloha oe...

So, if there’s a group working to take over PB, I would be willing to help. I don’t have a lot of web development experience but I have some programming experience and am fairly proficient in a lot of other areas. If anyone would like to include me on those talks or as an admin of the new/saved PB, I would be willing to help.

Thank you for this site and all the work that went into it. It has been invaluable and a real public service. I hope someone can continue it.

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Saved by Grace ⋅ just now
Hi, SimpleMind. I pray that whatever you are experiencing right now, that you are healthy, happy and at peace. I can’t imagine the toll of taking on a project like this which you have offered at the inflated price of NOTHING for several years. I am dismayed by the lack of grace and maturity in the comments made by grown adults in response to this entry. You deserve high praise for your kindness and you have it from me and many people that are able to see the bigger picture. When the closing of a website throws someone into a complete panic-induced tantrum, it’s blatant that that person has limited life experience... It would be nice to continue the site for a fee, but if it isn’t your passion, go and do what makes you happy! I pray you will find someone capable and pass the torch but if not, thank you for the time and effort you have invested into this project. It was a great place that came at the most opportune time, and you’ve been extremely patient and generous. Thank you.

I have to stop reading comments because some are pissing me off. Thank you for giving us somewhere to go when OD died. I really appreciate the work you did and that you let us crash here for free for so long. I hope maybe there is a way for you to pass stewardship on to someone else, but I realise that may be tricky. It is true you don't sound like yourself-- I don't know if it just because of the crappiness of the situation, or the backlash, or something else-- but I wish you well. Take care.

Am I the only person who recalls the fact that paying Bruce money to keep Open Diary running didn't stop Bruce from shutting down Open Diary anyway?? Lesson learned there: anyone looking to profit off of my emotions isn't looking out for my best interest.

Thank you for all that you did.
Sad to hear this, I guess all good things eventually come to an end.

Thank you for all that you did.
Sad to hear this, I guess all good things eventually come to an end.

Thank you for all that you did.
Sad to hear this, I guess all good things eventually come to an end.

Now I tried to export my diary and I did what you said and now it's not even going through...?? THIS IS A DAMN NIGHTMARE.

huggles-of-gratitude-and-squish

Thank you for taking care of us all and for keeping this site going for as long as you have.

Thank you for the years you've provided this site to us. It's been a lifesaver at times. You've done a really good job here. I hope your quality of life and work-life balance improves after this. I know how stressful working too much can be. I wish you the best. If you plan to be writing anywhere, let us know so we can support you on your journey <3

I'm saddened to see this. Most important is you, of course.

I believe there's a home for both spots in the ecosystem of online journaling, and it'd be sad to lose one (or both).

This really sucks
.I thank you for giving me this site to write.
I definately learned after this and the od fiasco not to emotionally invest so much and to back up my entries another way.
This is honestly really hard for me. I have no one i can talk to and here I do. Its also one of my only outlets. So sad and upsetting.

I am not going back to od though. To keep my journal entries only to start up and try to charge me for my life is just messed. He lost my trust. So i hope when ypu decide to stop this website you stop for good.

I think you should have also provided alternative sites for people after dropping that bomb.

I think you should have also provided alternative sites for people after dropping that bomb.

This is most unfortunate
But the fact of the matter was we were all living on borrowed time here
For a hobby, this one was pretty stellar in my opinion and I'm glad you were able to share it with so many people the way you did

Even if the site can't be handed off and shuts down forever, I'm definitely grateful for the years I had here to write and talk things out, as well as connect with a few folks
Sad that sort of behavior is so rare these days

Take care, and thanks again

You know, this is kind of poetic for me. I wrote many of my entries embroiled in an abusive relationship; I chronicled being engaged to a woman, and then coming out and learning to love myself. I wrote about the pain of losing my mother, which happened shortly after I found this site.

Prosebox has been integral to processing my grief in so many ways, and I've chosen not to export those entries because it seems so natural to let go.

Thank you, SM. From the bottom of my shriveled, trashcan heart.

I just joined so this is unfortunate. You're amazing to have come up with this. THANK YOU.

I am shocked at the anger and theorizing I am seeing. I can't do anything but thank Simple Mind for providing this service for free and keeping it running virtually trouble free for so long. I started wondering when we had some shut downs recently, because I've never had that problem with PB. This site has been wonderly consistent. Anyway, we all need to take a step back and realize that we have no idea what is going on in Simple Mind's life right now, and why he made this choice. He never promised anything, and delivered so much for so long. I can only be grateful for the time here. I had largely stopped posting but enjoyed reading long time favorites. I will miss it. And I wish Simple Mind the best.

Thank you for a wonderful five years. I wish you the very best.

Thanks for giving us an alternative when Open Diary shut down.

Hi
I appreciate you for creating and maintaining the site. I'll miss it much.