A personal post
Two bits of personal info to share with the community.
* * *
The first is that this summer my family and I are moving to Vancouver, BC.
As some recall, we spent last summer in Vancouver. Dorota and I fell in love with the city. I was born in Montreal, making my kids and I dual US/Canadian citizens, but I haven't lived in Canada since I was wee. I've always thought about it — though I grew up in California, I took hockey lessons in grade school and studied French rather than Spanish in high school — but it never seemed like the right time.
After this summer we decided that if this is something we want to do we need to just do it, so we began the immigration process last fall. We've now cleared enough of those hurdles that we are preparing to relocate there soon. We are super excited about it, though quite nervous, since it is still unclear precisely where we'll live, where and how much work I'll find, where my kids will go to school, pretty much everything about what our new life will look like. We have leads for some of these, but still this is a big step into the unknown for us. Wish us luck!
* * *
The second bit is that recently I was approached by a suitor wanting to buy The Fresh Loaf. This happens from time-to-time, but this was the most credible, substantial offer I've received. After much thought and many conversations, I turned the offer down.
The suitor currently owns a number of other websites and online forums. They purchase web properties with high Google PageRank and good growth potential, both in terms of traffic and advertising revenue. "Online value investing" is the way I think of it. TFL is a good candidate for that kind of portfolio.
I declined the offer because I wasn't convinced that this company's management would continue to prioritize the well-being of the community. Mind you, I don't believe they would intentionally do it harm - among other things, they offered to include in the contract the hiring of a professional moderation service (I didn't know such a thing existed either) to help keep things civil here. But I wasn't sufficiently convinced that their approach to site management would foster a thriving community. Increasing the amount of anonymous traffic and ad views here is clearly the easiest way to monetize the site and there is plenty of good content on the site already to sustain traffic growth for many years, even if the community disappeared tomorrow. The financial incentives to maximize the one type of traffic at the expense of the other are high and seem nearly irresistable to anyone not passionate about the community side of this site.
So I let the opportunity pass. That was hard, given the uncertainty of our near future. Vancouver is one of the least affordable cities in North America — if not the world — and we are not wealthy. I work for non-profits, rewarding work but not terribly lucrative. That money would certainly have made our transition to Vancouver easier. But still I think I made the right decision.
Maybe it is just my ego, but I feel like there is more to this site than what's captured in the traffic stats. It isn't just another website or message board, it is different: it's a tight-knit community, a community of folks who share a passion and try to treat each other with support, courtesy, and respect whether they are baking newbies, serious amateurs, or professionals and regardless of age or country of origin. That makes it really special to me and, I think, a lot of other folks too. I don't want to see that get messed up.
* * *
Through this period I've reflected a lot about the future of TFL, what TFL means to me and what I mean to the community, and what would be be best for both my family and for the TFL community.
Without question, I am an imperfect manager of this site. I am not a terribly advanced baker, and I personally don't have the capacity or capital to put as much energy into improving this site as I think it deserves. There is a lot of cool stuff that could be done here, things like making the site easier to use on mobile devices and better integrated with social and multimedia, and that is just on the technical side. There are tons of cool things, editorial and content-wise, that could be done here. Or I could imagine getting more involved helping organize community get-togethers like Lumos did recently. The possibilities seem endless.
Amazingly, despite my recent negligence due to all of my other commitments (two jobs, two kids, the immigration process), site traffic continues to grow.
My plan is to chip away at some of these projects this summer, after my family's transition to Vancouver. Let me rephrase that: my hope is to chip away at some of these projects this summer. I can't offer a plan or a promise until my family is well-situated and provided for in our new home. But, that said, if you or someone you know is looking for an interesting business opportunity and has the time, energy, interest, and capital to do it right, by all means, get in touch with me. Were the conditions right, I would not be adverse to passing on the baton to another individual or company. You wouldn't need to convince me that you'd steward the site exactly as I have, only that you'd continue to keep the well-being of the community foremost in your mind as you carried on.
-Floyd
Comments
Thanks, Floyd!
Good luck with your move and I appreciate your decision. I consider this the epitome of what on-line sites can be and do. It is clearly IMO the best "user" driven site and the quality of the population is outstanding. While the site would not be what it is without us, I am confident that it would not be what it is without you! Your insights, efforts and sacrifices to create and maintain this site are at the heart of what The Fresh Loaf!
Vancouver is a great city. Hope to see you there someday and buy you a beer or glass of wine to say thank you for all you have done!
Jay
Thanks, Jay!
-Floyd
has been said that I will add only a little bit more. We have never thanked you enough for providing this site and it has been a great addition to my baking life.
Good luck to you and our family as you undertake this new adventure.
Pat
Thanks, Pat.
-Floyd
You have created something wonderful in TFL! Yes, it is a community but one that couldn't exist without your fantastic maintenance of this site. Bells and whistles and links to whatever the lastest social media are don't make a site. A dedicated siteowner with a vision for a community site and the dedication to see it through are what creates the magic that is TFL. We don't thank you often enough.
I hope your move is the smoothest of all moves! What a wonderful place to move to!
Sincerely,
Heidi
Thanks for your support, Heidi!
-Floyd
what an eloquent group we are...not many people would have prompted such a surge of gratitude and emotion. I share all the grateful comments and agree with David and Ananda that there might be some way we could all contribute so that you felt able to justify staying with us. very best luck with the move. and thank you. candis
Thanks, Candis.
-Floyd
Please permit me to add my voice to the chorus of gratitude for the energy you have put into making this site a community. I have been mostly a lurker over the years, learning so much from others who shared their experience. My bread is certainly the better for it!
I am a fellow Oregonian, but I love BC and Vancouver is one of my favorite cities. I wish you and your family well in this new adventure.
I would happily contribute or subscribe to make this a more sustainable venture for you.
Cheers,
Tracy
Thanks, Tracy!
-Floyd
Floyd,
I would be happy to put my money where my mouth is as Tracy and others have suggested in order for this to work out for you and your family in the future.
I would happily offer to organize something along these lines but, alas, I am a lousy organizer. I am a good follower for the right causes though so hopefully somebody with talents in this department will emerge and then who knows what will happen....I sense possibility :-)
Take Care,
Janet
The quality of the information you have offered the bread baking community around the world is unmeasurable. Your sites offer recipes, education, and frank discussion and controversy, sometimes resolved and sometimes not. Thank you for thinking of the quality of the blog and for the quality of the information offered to the members.
Thanks, Stuart.
-Floyd
Floyd, I've been awol for a while, but I logged on especially to say that I think you did the right thing and that I am as grateful for it as all the others in this community.
Yes, TFL may be attractive to investors, but it also has a homespun quality that is very attractive just as it is.
I'd be glad to be a subscriber if that would help, even if you've never put one of my loaves on the front page...
Thank you, Louie.
-Floyd
I bet if you put up an annual membership badge, I bet lots of us would buy it. You wouldn't even need to entice us with any members-only goodies. hh
Heh. It could certainly be an option at some point.
-Floyd
I agree and would wear a badge or tee shirt or simply nothing except make a contribution.
Best wishes to you and your family. I am hoping for an easy and safe trip, and adjustment. Many nice things have been said, I add my heartfelt thanks. Ray
Thank you, Ray.
-Floyd
Well, I am late to wish you all the best in your upcoming adventure, and in thanking you for keeping the site the way it is....
I just want to add that I've moved countries three times - Brazil to USA, and back. Brazil to France. Finally, France to USA.
In two of the moves, my idea was not to move back - when I went to France I had the intention of staying there permanently, but ended up in the US and now I am a naturalized American.
It can be very stressful. My most difficult move was from Brazil to France. I separated from my first husband, left a wonderful house behind, and left with two suitcases and nothing else, all by myself. Those first 4 months were the toughest of my life, maybe, but looking back, I am so glad I did it.
CHange is good, and you are going with your family, which is already a great emotional support, it is the type of experience that will make a solid relationship even more so.
thanks for all the energy and effort you put in this site, that definitely helped me become a much better baker (not that I am all the way there, mind you..... until I master croissants, I will be around complaining and pouting ;-)
GOOD LUCK!
Thanks, Sally. This should be a less dramatic change that what you've done, but indeed it is still a big change. We are excited though.
Regards,
Floyd
Hi Floyd,
A warm welcome to you and your family from a life long British Columbian! Hope your move is an easy one and as stress free as moving to a new city can ever be, but once that's out of the way I think you'll be glad you made the decision to live in Vancouver. I lived there for the first 40 years of my life and if not for opportunities on Vancouver Island presenting themselves, I'd still be living there.
I have yet to run across another site, baking related or not, that functions on so many levels as well as this one. This didn't happen by accident, it happened because of your care, attention, and hard work. The result is exceptional. I truly hope that when the time comes you decide to sell the site that you can name your minimum price and the buyers line up to outbid each other. Until that time comes I'll be thankful for every day that the site remains under your stewardship, user pay or not. Thank you Floyd and Dorota!
Wishing you and yours the very best for your future in B.C.
Franko
This afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting Txfarmer who moved to Seattle recently. I made lunch, which included Hanseata's German Brochten, and Txfarmer brought her amazing croissants. It was a delightful meeting and one made possible only through TFL. Two days ago, I posted a plea for help when I couldn't figure out how to get good results from my new gas oven, and I immediately got advice and encouragement from TFL members.
These are just two recent examples of the wonderful service TFL provides. There is a spirit of generosity and care on this site that is unique, and you deserve credit and thanks for creating the container in which that spirit can flourish.
So thank you! Enjoy Vancouver - and be sure to have dinner at Vij's.
Glad to hear you are making connections through this site, bnom, and thanks for your support.
-Floyd
Thanks, Franko. I definitely hope to get over to Victoria and meet you some time.
-Floyd
I gravitate to The Fresh Loaf the way I would gravitate to a favorite coffeehouse or café, where I can linger a while with a cup of good coffee, do some reading, maybe run into a friend or strike up an interesting conversation with a stranger. I wholeheartedly agree with everything that’s been said so elegantly already. I’m grateful to you for what you’ve created and for the friendly tone you’ve set as a standard for the site. It has welcomed all of us over the years and invited us back again and again. We share a passion for bread, but we end up sharing so much more. There are often times during the day when I think about a remark or a formula or a life story that I’ve connected to through The Fresh Loaf; it is woven into my life now! I have learned so much, and not just about bread.
I wish all good things for you and your family in your move to Vancouver. I've heard it's a very special place. Thank you for the remarkable commitment you have to this site and this community, Floyd. I love being a part of it.
With warm regards, Janie
Glad to hear you enjoy spending time here, Janie, and thanks for your support.
-Floyd
I am poor, but could donate a few dollars to keep TFL going and help you out with your move. Incorporate a non-profit that can raise money to pay a salary, or even create an endowment?
That is very kind, Felila. I will certainly take your suggestion into consideration.
-Floyd
Hi Floyd,
I've just arrived back from a month backpacking in Thailand and Malaysia, during which we kept meeting up with people with similar values to ours. Since it has been suggested to me by some long-term friends that I am anachronistic - a 60s/70s throwback, if you will - in my enduring stance against the sort of rampant consumerism and materialism that seems so pervasive today, it was comforting and affirming of my core beliefs and values to encounter so many like-minded folk of all ages. It is similarly gratifying to open up The Fresh Loaf and find this post of yours on my first day back.
Of course, it is essential to look after your family and yourself by creating a liveable income, and given the substantial time and energy commitment that TFL doubtless demands, it is just and proper that you be appropriately remunerated for the fantastic service you provide to bread bakers of all levels and nationalities with this terrific site. I have expressed to you before that in my experience TFL is far and away the best bread baking community on the web. The reasons could be broken down into aspects such as the superb design of the site and your moderation, but really, it can all be neatly summed up thus: TFL - we - have flourished because of your vision.
I am relieved - somewhat selfishly, I guess - that for now you have decided to continue on in your current capacity. If in the future you decide to pass on the baton to someone else - which would be absolutely fair enough - it's great to have the assurance that the new party will share the values and vision that has made this site such a wonderful resource for us all.
Thank you for everything you put into TFL. Thank you for your integrity. May the ripple effect be profound. And all the very best for your move to Vancouver. As someone who has been contemplating, but only contemplating, a move away from my home city for some years now, I salute you for your courage in throwing your hat over the fence. May the other side be all you dream it will be, and more.
Cheers
Ross
Welcome back, Ross! Thanks for the encouragement.
-Floyd
Dear Floyd--
Your inspiring leadership of this site is what brings these nice comments from your international crew of baking friends and what makes TFL so inviting. As for me, TFL is a major factor in making me passionate about baking.
I've participated in a few "on-line communities" centered around my hobbies--cooking, cigars, coffee, guitars. All were either dull or contentious, or both. TFL is a vibrant community that provides both incomparable guidance and a warm family feel. It attracts the best of bakers and of people. Your moderating is never heavy-handed, always kind and always right on target. It's hard to imagine the same sort of leadership coming from a company that's in it as an investment.
So, thanks for giving TFL's continued well-being such a high priority.
We haven't met in person, but I consider you a friend. I wish you and your family happiness and fulfillment in BC. I am sure if you embrace the adventure, it will embrace you back.
Best wishes,
Glenn
Thank you, Glenn. You are very kind.
-Floyd
Welcome to BC - I feel like I'm welcoming friends who are coming to live close by ! Moving to another country is very exciting ....we moved to Canada from England w/four small children intending to stay three years - that was thirtysix years ago ! We recently moved from Alberta (where the winters are REALLY COLD ) to Armstrong and often visit our children and grandchildren in Vancouver. It's a truly beautiful city ( with wonderful restaurants !) All the very best with your move.
Kindest Regards,
Merlie.
Thanks, Merlie!
-Floyd
When I returned to my island home after nursing my mother for the two years before she died, I didn't find it easy fitting back into life here. Discovering TFL at that time provided me with nourishment beyond good bread. Thank you Floyd, for creating such a welcoming environment and for all the encouragement.
The decision you have made in relation to the latest proposal, comes as no surprise reflecting the love and care, apparent to us all, which you have put into the site over the years. When the right proposal does come along, I do hope you will be ready to accept it.
My very best wishes to you in seizing all the opportunites which await you and your family in Vancouver.
Robyn
Thank you so much, Robyn.
-Floyd
Good luck in your new life, Floyd. Thank you for keeping TFL. You are a very special and respected person and I appreciate everything you do for this comunity.
Best wishes,
codruta
Thanks, codruta!
-Floyd
Floyd,
As I read all of the comments here, I wonder if it would be feasible to make TFL a paid subscription site either in part or whole. I can envision all of the problems with this idea, not the least of which is is the possible unintended exclusion of many potential future members, but it could possibly provide you with at least a partial income. Just an idea and I would be more than happy to pay to be a member of a site like this. If nothing else you could set up a donation system for TFL that is totally voluntary.
Jeff
It certainly could be an option. I've always tried to avoid creating different classes of members here (senior vs. junior, paid vs. unpaid) because I like keeping things as egalitarian as possible, but... yeah, if I were to take a break from my "day jobs" for a bit and need a way to make ends meet so I could focus on TFL for a bit, I could definitely imagine doing something like that.
-Floyd
I'm the poster that requested the list of home countries of all TFL posters and it is a truly amazing list. Floyd you are so gracious and modest. Let's put the power of this wonderful site to use. I'm putting out a call for Floyd:
Any "Loafers" in Vancouver BC,Canada for Floyd to network with for housing, jobs, schools?
I want to add my feelings to the mix above but I think I'll "bullet" them because otherwise it will be a really long post.
1. I visit this site every day-even on vacation. When it's been down for maintenance, I have been panicked that I will lose such a wonderful experience. A nice addition is that I eat delicious bread. It is more than a recipe site to me. Great people and great life lessons here.
2.I believe you are TRULY a world ambassador and you have brought all the people on this forum together from all over the world to have civil interaction and enjoyment on a common topic. It is good practice for all people to have those skills well-honed for when they become necessary in other situations not related to bread. YOU are one of the people in this world that are never in the news but why we, as a planet, don't go "Poof" and destroy ourselves. I am truly grateful for all the ambassadors of the world whether they are religious,political or just good people. A significant number of them have come together on this site. They share and we all grow.
3. This site is about a lot more than bread. Look at all the comments above. Everyone enjoys the interactions even more than the recipes. You've done good! I am exceedingly grateful for you.
4.It takes courage to build the life you want to have. Uncertainty often prevails. Make good decisions for you and your family with a good heart and it will all work out. I have no doubt whatsoever. It's all about the journey.
So any Vancouver City, British Columbia Loafers that can step forward? Maybe you can make a difference for a guy that has made a difference for you.
Thank you, clazar123. I've actually been in touch w/ a (former?) TFLer who helped me get in touch with a good immigration lawyer and has been giving us pointers relating to where to find a place to live. But certainly if there are other folks with good connections or tips, feel free to drop me a line.
-Floyd
People come and go on the site according to their location in the world. Give all the members a chance to see your post.
Thank you, clazar123, but I'd much prefer to keep it somewhat discrete. Those folks who spent a lot of time here know where to find it and have been tremendously supportive. Folks who are newer here or just want to talk bread should still be able to do so w/o worrying about my personal problems.
-Floyd
Floyd, There is nothing new that I could add to the great comments above, so I will simply say, "Thanks for the creation of TFL and for your moderation of it over the years." What you started perhaps as a blog has become an international community, with members at all skill and experience levels, but united in their interest in baking bread and willing to help and advise others. This is not something one finds everyday and it is thanks to you that is exists. Well done.
I wish you and the family the best with your coming relocation to Vancouver. I trust all will work out for the best.
Bob
Thanks, Bob.
-Floyd
and so much more that my words cannot alone express my heartfelt thanks. Thank You, Floyd!
Sylvia
Thank you, Sylvia.
-Floyd
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