Two years ago, Kalima, KQuark and I came together with the desire to create a website that represented the things we valued most in a blog. Real freedom of expression, thoughtful and substantive discussions on important issues and a community where people treated each other like the fellow human beings they were, especially when they disagreed. A site where the focus was on the people whose presence and participation made the site what it was and the heavy hand of moderation and the power of the site’s Administration were next to invisible.

PlanetPOV officially began its orbit in August of 2009. We had high hopes for The Planet but we kept our expectations modest. What resulted, in the quality and character of the community that grew and continues to grow here, humbles and amazes us. As some of the emails we receive reflect, the degree of intelligence, conscience and wit that’s reflected in the articles and comments here really wow our readership.

So, as we begin our third year, we want to first thank everyone, past and present, who have helped build PlanetPOV into the site it’s become. And to that point, here are some fun facts about The Planet:

  • PlanetPOV has members and readers each month from 132 countries, the top 20 this month are the United States, Japan, Canada, Philippines, United Kingdom, India, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, Indonesia, France, Turkey, Russia, Malaysia, New Zealand and China.
  • This year, PlanetPOV will have over half a million visits.
  • Sites that have linked to PlanetPOV already this month include Crooks & Liars, Talking Points Memo, The Peoples View and DailyKos.

We’d also like to remind our members of all the regular features that members like you provide here at PlanetPOV:

  • Come quakes, tsunami or floods, Kalima determinedly brings you insights into the ongoing situation in Japan and the latest and most important international events each day on Morning Blog.
  • Bito stays up to the minute on news and events you want to know about (with the cooperation of the entire membership) on Time Out for Off Topic.
  • Chernynkaya breaks down and smartly presents the most meaningful news of the day including what you can do to take action in each comprehensive, daily edition of The Daily Planet.
  • Khirad covers the ongoing historic and complex events unfolding in the Middle East in his insightful Middle East Update.
  • Bito manages our Twitter account which, as displayed in our Twitter Widget, brings the best of other sharp thinkers and other great blogs from around the web to The Planet, while sharing the wit and wisdom of our community with a greater audience via Twitter.
  • Each Friday night, I moderate our weekly live chat on the week’s events (and a chance to kick back and have a fun evening with your fellow Planeteers), Vox Populi.

As our members know, PlanetPOV is people-powered. Our articles, comments, support and operating budget come from our community. There are no hedge funds or internet behemoths that own any part of The Planet, we’re independent and proud of it.

Additionally, we have chosen not to use the standard advertising services that could provide us with revenue at the expense of promoting things that we and the community would philosophically oppose.

So, we rely upon you, our community, to keep The Planet in orbit. And thanks to your generosity, PlanetPOV continues into its third and possibly most exciting year so far.

On the occasion of our 2nd Anniversary, we ask of you, our fellow Planeteers, to help out however you can to help us defray our expenses of operating the site. If you have already donated or subscribed this year (thank you so much!!!), if you could make an additional contribution, no matter how small, it would help to make a big difference.

There are two ways you can contribute, by subscribing to The Planet or by making a single donation.

If you subscribe, which is a monthly donation of $5/month, you will not only be helping to keep The Planet spinning but as a bonus for subscribing for at least a year, you will receive your choice of a PlanetPOV mousepad, a Morning Blog mug or a package of a PlanetPOV button AND two Bumper Stickers. If you make a one time donation of $60 or more, you’re also entitled to the your choice of any of these bonuses:

  Gift A                            Gift B

Gift C

button

+

bumper

+

bumper2

For subscriptions, bonuses will be sent following your first three months of your twelve month subscription. Even if you can’t subscribe or make a donation at the bonus level, any donation you can make to The Planet would be very valuable and helpful.

To Subscribe to PlanetPOV, click the button below:

To make a one-time donation to PlanetPOV, click the button below:

If you don’t have or don’t want to use a PayPal account, you can still click on either button and you will see a link at the bottom of the PayPal page that says “Don’t have a PayPal account? Click here”, clicking on it allows you to donate directly from your credit card or your bank account by using your ATM card.

We’re also taking this occasion to ask our members to help us spread the word about the community here at The Planet and invite friends and acquaintances to join us. Whether by  email, posts at other websites, Facebook, Twitter, etc., any and all efforts to bring more principled folks out there to our community would be rewarding all the way around. As Huffington Post is a unique case, you can share any of the links below in comments to friends there to avoid moderation (using a new or disposable account there to do so is recommended):

http://go.to/theplanet.com

http://go.to/the.planet.com

http://go.to/theplanet.pov.com

Once again, from all of us, a huge thank you for all of your support of The Planet over the last two years and keeping PlanetPOV orbiting the blogosphere with more and more gravity each year!

Cheers and a happy anniversary to you!

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Caru
Member

Gah, I’m sorry that I can’t contribute at the moment. I haven’t got anything set up that I could transfer money with. But, I should have something up within the next two months or so.

Expect something then. 🙂

Chernynkaya
Member

KQ said (on DP):

Compare the technology of progressive and conservative web sites. The differences are astounding. Progressive sites look much better and are technologically superior. Drudge for example is far inferior even to PlanetPOV in appearance and technology for the user. Of course I’m biased but I think the Planet has a phenomenal look. FYI AdLib and the rest ofus chose green not only for it’s appearance but also as a statement. Another example is DailyKOS, even though I find the colors difficult to read has incredible capabilities for the users.

I don’t think it’s coincidence that progressive sites are simply more advanced technically. I think it shows progressives are just more technically astute and we seek progress in the way we interact with one another as well.

Just a few thoughts on this, because it’s a really good point! This site is actually amazing, technically. I read a lot of blogs, the famous ones, like Kos, and the small, personal ones, and the Planet is in a whole other category. Kos is really primitive. The comments are unreadable–and I mean on a technical level too. The only other site that has very good commenting software is that unspeakable one. IMO, it’s what made that site popular–nothing else.

And the Planet looks terrific! It’s really such an attractive site. Whenever I show this site to anyone–including my son and his hipster friends– that’s the first thing they say: “What a cool looking site.”

And in addition to looking beautiful, it has so many useful features: The Twitter and News widgets, the archives, the ease of finding the featured articles, the ease of finding current comments and older ones in the comment bar at the top of the page, to name a few. And then there’s the scope of the articles–NO site has all of that. None that I’ve found anywhere. Honestly, and objectively (well, maybe not completely objectively) I think PlanetPOV is a real undiscovered gem. I just wish more people–people like we members –knew we were here. Although bito is helping that happen.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Cheers Cher!

Objectively speaking as well the Planet is a pretty slick website. I think some of the bells and whistle we don’t have like badges and stuff are not necessary anyway and we have incredible flexibility in what multi-media you can put in posts and even replies.

AdLib certainly did a great job with the logo and icons as well.

Bito’s done a marvelous job of really integrating other messaging technologies for sure.

But most of all I think we have great content and that’s a tribute to all the members.

Ironically since this post is about the site, one of my favorite parts of the planet is that we don’t talk about the site itself much. This post is an understandable exception but some intimate blogs end up being nothing but glorified mini social networks. Sure we have more personal interaction than the megasites for example but it’s not overbearing and claustrophobic IMO.

KillgoreTrout
Member

I for one am glad we do not have “badges” here.

bito
Member

Cher, KQ, all that and more!! Another thing is that with a small donation, not required, where can one write an article or lengthy comment and and have the potential to have so many thinking readers- and then be able to discuss the post? Our guidelines and terms of use are very simple and liberal and any moderating that has been done is close to 0.01%. This has a lot to do with our membership, not that we aren’t always keeping an eye out for the occasional troll.
Yes, I pushing for donations, I want to use the corporate jet next week to take to our corporate condo in Hawaii next week 😉

AlphaBitch
Member
AlphaBitch

Bito: Just sent in a “donation” – last time it was for a mug, this time I’m holding out for the corporate jet/corporate condo in Hawaii with YOU!!

(Not to say that AdLib is pimping you out or anything……)

KQµårk 死神
Member

Cheers and just great to see you AB but alas we’re not politicians so we really are broke.

bito
Member

Hey, AB!! Great to see you! Are you back home from your travels? Plenty of room on the jet and in the condo for you! 😆

AlphaBitch
Member
AlphaBitch

Hmmm…you say of course I can go to Hawaii w/ you, KQ says “no”. Now, let’s see…your response is dated two minutes later than KQ’s, so of course it is the most up to date one….

Nice to see you guys. We’ve been on vaca for a while; back home, trying to catch up w/ bills and work. Fun, fun….

Maybe someday I’ll get back to orbit here…..-AB

KQµårk 死神
Member

bito trumps me for sure. 🙂

bito
Member

Sort of like winning to get to chose the color of the unicorn. 🙂

KillgoreTrout
Member

Birthday greetings to the Planet and mucho thanks to Kalima, KQ and AdLib for getting this ball rolling. This place is an oasis in the midst of a desert of ennui!

Artist50
Member
Artist50

I haven’t been around much lately – it’s been a busy summer and now I’m preparing the house for almost 100 girls this weekend since school starts next week. (For those of you that don’t know me, I’m a sorority house mom at a small university) I do sneak in late at night and try to catch up on some reading. I appreciate so much how hard you all work to keep the knowledge flowing and the atmosphere like a friendly neighborhood bar. I still don’t know how to use WordPress – I see that KT is gaining some crazy knowledge! Once school starts maybe I can improve my skills! Thanks for all you do.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Great to see you and don’t be shy. I’ve been here from the beginning and Kalima still has to clean up my posts.

Kalima
Admin

😆 😆 😆 Not true!

KQµårk 死神
Member

True you saved me from epic feature image fail on my last two posts. 😎

KillgoreTrout
Member

Good to see Artist. Thanks for the shout out!

javaz
Member

Aw.

I feel badly reading this, as I like to think that I was one of the original members!

I’m not active anymore, but I have been checking in lately, and I’ll tell you why.

I signed off from blogging, as it became so very depressing.

Last February, I signed back in, but on DailyKos, and let me tell you, that things went from depressing to hell.

Does anyone here read DailyKos?

It’s a right-wing site under the guise of Liberal or Democrat imho, so I’d like to come back here, and be an active blogger.

I just do not know how, since this site has changed, and would I be welcome here?

Khirad
Member

Of course, we Arizonans got to stick together.

And I’m on board with you about Kos, a firebagger affiliate.

choicelady
Member

Well, of COURSE we want you! Welcome back!

ADONAI
Member

[imgcomment image[/img]

KQµårk 死神
Member

Brilliant graphic!

Kalima
Admin

I’m just up, don’t expect me to make much sense, but my sincere thanks to all of you who continue to make The Planet what it is with your caring, your brilliant insights, your compassion, and some of the most amazing posts and comments I have ever read. A special thank you to those of you who understand what we are about and what, with your help through the past two years, we have tried to achieve.

We started The Planet yes, but you, the wonderful membership, have contributed so much to our success, and we thank you sincerely for that, and for any help in keeping our Planet spinning.

I don’t get to say it very often, but thank you to Cher for her very informative DP, to Khirad for his great updates and insights of the ME, and to bito who has done amazing things with our Twitter account in such a short time and contributes many great story links on his TO/OT post. Cheers to all of you.

Thank you Planeteers, you are the very best.

Now back to trying to wake up.

Chernynkaya
Member
foodchain
Member
foodchain

Cher, smiles!!!!

Khirad
Member

I want to get high with you.

Chernynkaya
Member

Khirad, nicest thing you’ve ever told me!

KQµårk 死神
Member

WOOOOOOOT!

Where and when?

Chernynkaya
Member

I’m trippin’!!

KQµårk 死神
Member

I should say I wish. 🙁

Emerald1943
Member

PlanetPOV is the bright spot in my day! I consider each one of you to be my friend and I am grateful for all that I have learned and continue to learn from you each day!

Congratulations, PPOV! Many, many happy returns!

Kalima
Admin

Thank you Emerald, it’s so nice to have you back. 🙂

Emerald1943
Member

No, thank you Kalima! It’s great to be back! I can’t wait in the morning to get my first cup and get my laptop up and going. The first place I go to is the Planet to see what you guys have been up to while I slept! I am never disappointed as I know that one of you will have posted something fascinating…or been up to “no good”! 🙂

What a team! What a site! What an amazing two years! I am so fortunate to be a small part of it!

foodchain
Member
foodchain

Emerald1943, I agree and I look forward to talking more with you!

Mightywoof
Member

Happy Birthday to you!!
Happy Birthday to you!!
Happy Birthday dear Planet/AdLib/Kalima/KQuark/Bito and Cher

*gasp*

Happy Birthday to you!!

I haven’t been around much (house reno’s, getting ready to move, dealing with a sick dog – who passed away two days ago) but I pop in each day to catch up on what my favourite people are a-doing.

This has to be the most unique place on the interwebs and I hope Year 3 is even bigger and better – Many Congrats all ’round

KQµårk 死神
Member

Thanks for dropping by and I hear ya I had to move last year and didn’t have much time for the Planet either. Sometimes that real life stuff is a pain.

foodchain
Member
foodchain

KQ, boy is it! Trying to take the time to read this great stuff, even if I don’t have time to respond, is so valuable.

Kalima
Admin

It’s great to see you again Mw, I’m so very sorry about your loss. Thank you for popping in today, we miss you and hope to see you here again when things are more settled in your life. Take care and all the best.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Oh those little four footed furry creatures just have a sneaky way to becoming part of the family don’t they.

Kalima
Admin

They do KQ and we both had our own losses not so long ago. I’m still missing Coco, and sometimes find myself calling her name. 🙂

Emerald1943
Member

Hi Mighty!

We have not met, but any friend of a doggie is certainly a friend of mine! I hope we’ll have a chance to get to know each other at some point.

I am truly sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how that must feel. My two little critters are like my children.

Hope to see you again soon! 🙂

kesmarn
Admin

Woof! It’s so good to see you here. You have been missed, believe me.
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your pup, but I hope that there’s some consolation in knowing that you have sympathetic friends here.

As Kalima said, I look forward to seeing you again when life settles down a bit.

foodchain
Member
foodchain

Greetings MightyWoof. We’ve lost a string in the last few years and just adopted a 5 month pup. In fact, an article by Adonai tossed me over the edge into puppydom. A heartfelt thought for those last days. I hope to spend more time here as my puppy responsibilities settle. This is a great place to be.

KQµårk 死神
Member

I was just bopping along the blog roll and noticed AdLib’s “All the President’s Men” video from PlanetPOV is getting kudos on the blog W. E. E. See You.

http://weeseeyou.com/2009/12/28/planetpov-exposes-arianna-huffpos-headline-surge-and-content/

Back at ya W. E. E.

bito
Member

That is great, and thanks for the heads up KQ!
And we may have a small blog roll, but a good one!

funksands
Member

I just thought of something: What do I have to donate to get “bold” or “italics” or “

comment boxes

“?

That would be worth a lot to me….:-)

How ya like that edit?

funksands
Member

Oooooh…..that is cruel indeed…:-(

KQµårk 死神
Member

I hope the next post makes it up for you. :mrgreen:

funksands
Member

KQ, I am sitting here with tears of joy in my eyes. Thanks for doing that…..

KQµårk 死神
Member

Seriously you can do it with a couple HTML tricks ask Adlib if he can add the capabilities to the comment box itself.

< i > italics < b > bold < blockquote > comment box < sub > subscript < sup > superscript. All without spaces of course and you end the effects with < / i,b,sub or sub > depending on the text variant you started.

funksands
Member

Bold?

KQµårk 死神
Member
funksands
Member

Some TextThanksKQ!

Emerald1943
Member

Show-off! 🙂

Khirad
Member

Oh, no fair!

funksands
Member

italics?

funksands
Member

Comment Box?

bito
Member

funk, go to our FAQ http://planetpov.com/faq/
and you will see an example on how to do blockquotes, the same method is used for bold by using a b or i for italics

3. ADDING A QUOTE IN A POST OR COMMENT

funksands
Member

Half a million? That’s it? “Cat playing piano” over on YouTube has 40 billion hits.

Seriously though. I know this is a labor of love and it shows. All of the people that make the planet turn are first class.

Well done!

Let me rummage through my couch cushions and see what I can come up with…..

KQµårk 死神
Member

😆 and McDonald’s sold 10 billion hamburgers but at least the Planet won’t give you a muffin top.

funksands
Member

“PlanetPov: A fat-free blog-site”

I smell a bumper-sticker!! 🙂

KQµårk 死神
Member

I’d buy it.

KQµårk 死神
Member

KQµårk 死神
Member

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

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