Dear Ben, AI program, or Person who has been landed with today’s post
I am writing to you to see whether I can get a sensible answer to the fate of the member’s comments to articles published on your website. I have contacted DW technical support and have prefaced my enquiry by saying that I am quite prepared to hear that I have/haven’t done something at my end to enable me to see the posts. (As an aside, I am that person that the remote IT person asks whether I have my PC switched on and can I see the red light.)
If it turns out that I am not the only one who cannot see the Member’s comments, I can only come to two conclusions. The first is that you need to take a serious look at the competency of your IT people. The second is that you are trying to quietly phase out these communications from your members. I really hope that it isn’t the latter. So which is it or, is there a third option? I have likened the DW level of communication, on this subject, as similar to that coming from the British Rail School of customer care. If you have never experienced this, I can assure you that it is a very low bar to clear. Do I have to put my conspiracy tin hat on with the DW?
Why is this matter worthy of my using up my last two Christmas stamps? I enjoy the sense of being with a like-minded community. Also, sometimes the comments are more interesting and witty than the article that they relate to. The other reason is that I get a sense that the DW is somewhat adrift. When I first started listening to the DW, you and a few others were, ‘The voice crying in the wilderness.’ Now there is an army of conservative voices competing for the same audience. This together with your expansion into razors, chocolates, children’s programs, films etc seems to have taken some of the energy and purpose from your messaging. Don’t misunderstand me, I applaud all of these ventures but this is not the time to reduce contact with the base, your loyal members. Perhaps you can differentiate yourself from the others by instead of just giving people reasons not to vote for the Democrats, give them everyday examples as to why they should vote for Republicans.
Well done if you have managed to make it this far. There is no need to respond, especially if you either fix the problem or, be honest with your members as to why you have made another decision. Just a suggestion. Do something very local and relevant to a local community which ordinary people, either side of the divide, can relate to. That having been said, keep up the good work in 2024.