Read to the end for a post about ironic paywalls.
January is, to me, one of the quickest months of the year. It's a weird recovery period from the December holiday season, many get two days off and before you know it, February is here. The month is already half over, which is crazy.
I don't do New Year's resolutions. Personally I don't think they work for me. I try to have general goals I set whenever I need for whenever I feel like I want to accomplish something. Everyone is different, so I don't judge anyone who starts something new on 1/1. If that's your jam, then awesome.
I've generally worked to keep my health in check as a goal the past year-plus. That'll extended into this year and I'm making sure to get ahead of some niggling things that cropped up last year. More related to this here newsletter, I'm looking to put some serious time and effort into writing amazing pieces for you.
Here's what's in the hopper:
A limited return of The Longform editions. What's The Longform? In the early days of TimeMachiner I was going deep on a single topic and sending those out bi-weekly. I've written about people who still use pagers, the effort to save the 90s series Sliders, and data hoarding. These were generally about 10-minute reads. My goal for '24 is to do one per quarter, Time Travelers get to vote on which I write next and get early access. Once they're published, as per usual, only the newest will be accessible for everyone. Back editions remain a membership perk.
New Time Traveler membership perk: comments! For all posts this year and going forward, Time Travelers can comment on posts. Simply log in and you'll see a comment box at the bottom of each post. By limiting this to membership, it has the added benefit of keeping the comments sane and avoid unruly behavior. This is live now.
A refreshed homepage. While I've always focused TimeMachiner on being delivered via email, it's always been posted to the web. I spent last weekend working on a new layout and I think it's awesome. TimeTravelers will get to see it first before anyone else.
A focus on growing TimeMachiner's sustainability. My supporters literally help keep this whole thing going and I can't do this without you. I've made two changes that I hope convince anyone reading to consider supporting my work. The changes are around tipping and 2024 membership pricing.
Firstly, I've made it more obvious you can support me with a one-time tip. Then I've lowered Time Traveler membership rates by $1/month $10/year. If you're an existing member and want the lower price, simply cancel before your renewal and re-sign up.
My goal is to hit 10 paid members. I understand there's a ton of subscription fatigue and everyone is in a situation akin to a death by a thousand cuts. So I get it. Supporting my work is as little as $1. Membership is only $2. I kindly ask if you enjoy TimeMachiner to please consider any of these options. You can click here to learn more.
So that's what I've got for 2024. This year will certainly be busy and I am excited to see what it brings. As always, I appreciate you reading my work and being along for the ride.
Thanks for reading. Now, onto the rest of today's issue.
-Aaron