I read a comment left by Missy Caulk yesterday that has had a profound impact on me.
"I kept having dreams ( seriously ) about AR selling to Homegain. Now anything with r dot com, et all.....is a nightmare !"
AR has always been significant and deeply meaningful to me, as it is the culmination of much of my life's work (and likewise for Matt). I knew (and have greatly hoped) people like AR, I just didn't grasp until more recently how significant it is to them.
Jonathan,
I'm glad the acquisition was not successful. I guess people felt threatened by a new show coming to town. I don't blame anyone. You see...this has been a big part of my life over the last year. Can you believe that in just a few days it will be my 1 yr anniversary? Heck if you told me this when I joined that it would have grown this big and I was still participating..I still wouldn't believe it. I never did any business through R.com and had paid for the service. I have done more here as well as actually meeting and becoming friends with real human beings. The other felt more like working with a robot company. We shouldn't feel bad about what happened because it just shows you how committed the members here are and how disappointed they would have been if the show closed down.
Jonathan: This is an incredible community that you have built. While I can only speak for myself (and I am sure there are many others like me out there,) You have enriched my business by allowing me to grow and save money (by not having to attend so many seminars) and brought in a generous income string (by having great search engine results.)
All I can say is thank you and the awards you have brought to me (and perhaps others) will be tenfold in the end. I hope that you find a swift solution other than the kick in the pants you received from the "other" place. We all deal with garbage when we run businesses. Knives in the back, so to speak!
Jonathan, now that you have a better idea of what AR really means to most of us, I trust you and Matt completely to do the right thing...
Being Canadian, I don't know much about R.com, however I trust my 'family's' opinion of them and where my AR family goes, I'll follow.... hopefully we can all stay here and continue on to make this beautiful structure you've created even more beautiful as time goes by...
I have faith in you and in AR and in all of the friends I've made here...
Jo
Jonathan,
It really does mean a lot to all of us. Thanks for listening, thanks for sharing.
Jonathan,
All we can say to you guys is "THANK YOU" but it seems so inadequate. We only hope you all know how very much you have brought to us and how wonderfully connected we now feel to this huge World we live in. You've allowed us to live in another time zone and reap more than just the rewards that come from the bonds we all share here in the Rain. Learning and growing has been a rewarding experience that you provided for over 50,000 people and that must feel really, really good to you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you........................................................................................................ (no end) :)
I'm new to AR but in just 4 days I have read so much and enjoyed it all. I too hate R.com put can't aford not to be there. I have found that point2agent out of Canada is competing with R.com and doing well. I really appreciate all the info that comes through AR. It is the first thing I do in the morning and last at night, not counting how often I look at it during the day.
Sharon
Of course ActiveRain is important to us. There were no other platforms like this when you came along. And there are still no other sites that have the family feel (sometimes high school but that is everywhere) and professional feel that AR has. All that for FREE??? Realtors are not used to getting anything meaningful for free. We pay for everything in our businesses. You all came forward with a toll to make us money and cost us nothing but time and effort. Give and take.
We appreciate everything AR has done for us. I know there are other folks who have said they would not sell the platform for "any amount of money." Honestly, if you fellas can make $33M for the effort of Active Rain then you are fully entitled and welcome to make some money!! You have earned it!
Wow....sob...it nice to know you really see now..how much AR means to all of us....thank you. (and like Laurie said...we are a dysfunctional family at times...but this is normal right?)
Jonathan -
I'm about 900 miles to the north of you, in a small town off the main road system. Getting continuing education here is difficult and expensive. Interacting with others in the business, who are not my direct competitors, is very difficult. Learning what is currently going on in the business is time consuming.
Active Rain changed all that. I've learned more here than I did even when taking GRI or any CRS class. I can "talk" with others in the business who are going through similar problems. I can learn from their mistakes. I can get great ideas. And, thankfully, they "digest" industry news making it much easier to read between the lines and see what is going on.
On top of that I can BLOG. I didn't even know what this was a year ago. I can give my listings more exposure. I can learn what others are doing to promote their business and their listings. I can learn how others are handling a change in the market, and I can "vent" to people who really do understand, and people that really care.
Active Rain means so much to me. I know it means a lot to you as well. This is your baby. You are entitled to do with it what you want and never work again a day in your life. I really hope you can find a way to make this continue to be a special place, without selling out to some corporate giant that will just find another way to gouge us.
PS: When I heard about the "new" blogging platform rolled out by r.com I just knew something was stinky. That was long before I heard about the lawsuit.
Jonathan, I just posted this comment on my last post but feel it is fitting here as well. Does it count as plagiarism if I'm just moving it over? :)
The last few days has truly shown the value of AR. That value by far is in the members. We are a very loyal bunch of folks. It truly shows the power of a social network like AR. The point system, with all of its flaws, was genius!!! Enticing salespeople to join a network where we couldcompete and earn a reward(points) was truly the "golden carrot" that got us all started. Then we got roped in by the awesome SEO power from our combined forces THEN to top it off we connected with many members on a very personal level. We started to love this place.
These members are my friends. Matt is my friend. When people are critical of this network I take it personal. Right or wrong it pisses me off. Imagine how Matt and the guys feel being so close to a major deal only to have it collapse at the last minute. Whether I agree with who they were selling to or not my heart hurts when I think about the stress and let down this entire affair has caused Matt and the guys. They are my friends. How could I feel any other way? I have deals kick all the time but nothing that would affect the rest of my life if it went through. Can you even imagine having 33mil almost in your pocket only to disappear? I can't.
Can you imagine laying in bed at night dreaming of your future and knowing all of your hard work is getting ready to pay off in a huge way. Then it's gone.
No matter how we feel about the failed transaction we have to remember there are real people behind all of this. And they are my friends.
No matter how this all unfolds AR has made me a better broker and has enhanced my business and my personal life immensely. And for that I will be forever thankful.
Here are my 2cents of plagiarism. Broker Bryant, you hit the nail on the head:
"These members are my friends. Matt is my friend. When people are critical of this network I take it personal. Right or wrong it pisses me off."
Bryant - you wrote so beautifully some of what I've been thinking the last few days, and especially the part that Mariana highlighted in her comment just above me about friends. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have your dreams about your hard work so close to paying off and then, poof, gone......
Like many others have written, this is my home-away-from-home, too, and I love being part of this big family/network. I start my day here and usually end it here as well, computer in my lap on the couch.
I am very thankful for all AR has brought to me - knowledge, education, friends all over the country, business, and so much more. My hat's off to all of you who've made AR into what it is, and may your dreams really come true, and in a way that positively effects all of us as members, too.
Ann
Ditto BB's sentiments. Could not say it better, so won't try. Move, whether we wanted them or not, hurt themselves badly with many of us here. Class acts you are, of which they are not.
best
Jonathan, what can be done about these weird spammers? I do not understand their purpose. Random nonsense from around the world.
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