Saturday, May 09, 2009

A Plea for Understanding

Folks, I'm working my tail off. I even have to go to the library today to do some research. I have two book reviews in the queue (meaning I have to find the time to read them first), a ton of marketing effort to do for my column, and literally hundreds of emails I process every day--I read them all and try to reply when I can, although of late I must apologize for not being able to.

In short, I am forced to make a decision between:
a. Working on the priorities on my overflowing plate
b. Processing and responding to every news tip I get (many of which are repeats)
c. Having a life, which includes a wife, two sons and a yard and house screaming for attention, not to mention my other professional commitments.

Please, please understand if I don't feature your tip or even reply. It does not mean I don't appreciate your interest, and I apologize if you think it's rude.

There is only one of me, and I'm doing the best that I can. I don't even plan to post on WarOnGuns any more today because of that afore-mentioned library trip, which I hope will result in a pay-off I can share with you soon.

Thank you in advance for understanding and not attributing non-responsiveness to not caring.

Oh, and if you do understand and want to help, share my Examiner column links. Page views help keep meager gruel in feral sons Uday and Qusay's bowls. I've heard some intentionally won't link to my GRE columns because of that.

18 comments:

Z@X said...

Gots to put family first, and you need to come up for air once in a while.

Appreciate all that you do. Hang in there.

Thirdpower said...

Sorry David. If you can't handle those things, you need to work harder. I question your commitment.






Kidding just kidding. :)

zach said...

The Library? Just pay for online university databases.

John Higgins said...

Your civility is appreciated, but you ought to expose anyone who would deliberately avoid your GRE columns for such a reason. We ought to know what sort of people we're dealing with.

Peter said...

No problem David. Do what you can when you can.

jon said...

i suspect it would be advantageous to grow from just blogging into other, more rewarding pursuits. if this is so, then it is only rational for you to do so.

we may initially lose the cohesiveness of reading material, however, this would inspire readers who submit articles to perhaps go out on a limb and blog, themselves. without the aforementioned growth on your part, we might never have the opportunity to cherish the latent talents of these article submitting fellows.

this is the division of labor in action -- the free market prevails again!

The Trainer said...

You don't have to justify yourself to anyone, bro.

Especially those who are so needy for acknowledgment that they believ they're "the only ones" you hear from.

For the ones who won't link because of your schedule, well, there's an old saying, "F*&k 'em all but six, and save them for pallbearers!"

the pistolero said...

Those who would begrudge you a life away from the computer screen aren't worth your time, David. Do what you have to do and I for one will still be here when everything else is taken care of. I am sure I am not alone. Incidentally though, I agree with John Higgins. Shine some light on those cockroaches.

Crustyrusty said...

Family first, bro.

I'm putting your Examiner link on my page; hopefully it will draw some meager traffic there....

Anonymous said...

David,

For all that you do for us, that ANYONE would complain is just unfathomable. Unfortunately, there are jerks in every crowd.

Best wishes, thanks again,

Scott
Phx, AZ

TJP said...

It wasn't me, that's for sure!

Rev. Paul said...

I'm adding a link on my blog, too - may only be a half-dozen people a day, for all I know, but I hope it helps.

AlanDP said...

Let me get this straight. Some people won't link to you because you get paid for these articles? I guess they expect you to do all this work and spend all this time researching and writing for nothing? They sound like socialists to me.

David Codrea said...

Please allow me to clarify:

No one who is a contributor has complained and I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I feel bad because so many take time out of their lives to send me tips and I don't want them to think I am snubbing them or am ungrateful. I want them to understand I get to what I can when I can, and many times, I just have to let something worthwhile go, just because I've maxed out.

In re not linking, I base it on a few comments I have seen on other sites from critics that essentially maintain someone who is not supportive of "Threepers" is not going to "reward" my efforts, because that will only give me incentive to keep on keepin' on. I make no specific accusations for "outing," which is why I worded it the way I did.

I don't expect them to, either, in all fairness--they are entitled to their opinions, and I don't promote their stuff either. I bring it up not to attack them, as I believe in freedom of choice, but to appeal to those who perceive value from my efforts to share them with people they think will also be interested. My hope is that people who this work resonates with will understand why promoting it is in their interest too.

So my intent for bringing it up is not to disparage people who disagree with me--it is to encourage those who agree.

Ted said...

Do what ya can, it's good stuff everyday. Rock on!

j said...

Hey brother - all of us who read you regularly are behind you all the way; whatever you do or don't do, we're with you. And soon as I figure out a classy way, will put links to your Examiner pages on both of my blogs, the 'normal' one and the 'demented' one.
All the best to you and your gruel-munching horde!

MamaLiberty said...

David, thanks again for all you do. :)I'm always astonished at how much material you generate every day.

I'd suggest just taking at least one or two days completely OFF to do the other things that make life worth living.

And please, don't worry about responding to any tips I send. I have been astonished that you do that. Only the ego driven would demand it.

Please use that time for more important things... like playing with the boys.

Kevin Wilmeth said...

Echoing pretty much everyone's sentiments here. Time is so precious, and you give of yours copiously. I don't know how you do it either. :-)