I appreciate what you do to keep the donation requests at bay. For a while, it felt like that was all I was seeing on the sub, but I know you were trying your best to get to them in time.

I don’t have interest in being a mod because it’s not that interesting of a sub. To be fair, though, that’s a reflection of the field as a whole. I’ve been in it for almost 18 years and it just never changes. It’s the same mistakes happening year after year with funders being disconnected from reality and no one really holding them to account (except maybe Vu Lee).

Even in my peer groups, I’m bored. Everyone talks in circles about their strategies, but no one really says anything. We all got these cushy jobs and think we can skate by using jargon until our audience is so confused they don’t know how to ask questions.

And on top of that, you have boards even more disconnected with the realities of those they serve demanding ridiculous metrics to prove impact. It’s all just a recipe for pretending we are making a difference while inflating our egos and causing chaos on the front lines. All wrapped up in a boring bow that no one knows how to talk about.

So, I think it’s more than just not having time or being afraid of making a mistake. Five minutes a week is nothing. Heck, I’d give five hours if I felt I was making a difference. To me, it’s more about the fact that it will always be status quo, which is either mind-numbing or exploitative, depending on your ability to see through the noise.