Members of Salon Personals received this email, reproduced in it’s entirety.
As you’ve probably noticed Salon Personals has undergone some major changes over the past 10 days. We’re going to try and explain what happened, why, and how it will give you the best personals experience on the web.
First, Spring Street Networks, the company which formerly powered Salon Personals, ran out of funding and was recently acquired by Various Inc., which has rechristened it FastCupid. We’ve now completed our initial integration period where we’ve migrated members to the new and supportable platform.
What does this mean for you?
There will be some changes, such as an alternative billing system and added functionality, but fundamentally Salon Personals will remain the same. You’ll still be part of an elite group of people who read Salon or one of the other sites in our network like the Onion, Nerve and the Village Voice, so that you have the best prospects around. You’ll still use a familiar interface, still benefit from a strict privacy policy and, with any luck, you’ll have even better success at finding that perfect someone.
What happened last week?
Due to an unfortunate sequence of events we were forced to change systems before we had all the kinks worked out. We can’t apologize enough for the problems that we’ve caused and are working overtime to fix all the issues and make sure that the new site retains all your information and settings.
We believe that we have resolved most problems but if you’re still experiencing a problem please e-mail our support department at salon@fastcupid.com or use our online form and we’ll resolve your problem as fast as possible. Our Customer Support team is available 24/7 to help you with everything from lost passwords to how to personalize your experience and increase your chances of finding true love (or whatever!). Got a question, suggestion, or problem? We’re here to help… 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What now?
Now that we have most of the issues resolved we plan on customizing the site so that it works better than ever. Since our initial launch, we’ve implemented more than 30 design and functionality customizations resulting directly from member suggestions. Because we’re starting from scratch (the old company ran out of funding and there was no way to upgrade their software), some changes may take a while. Hang in there, and we promise we’ll get there soon!
Unlike before, we now have dozens of programming gurus working overtime to build a better site based on what you (and people like you!) have told us they want. Those changes include:
Richer profiles that give you more opportunities to tell people who you are and find out who they are
A subscription option, in addition to the familiar pay-per-use points system
A way to share private photos , testimonials, and messages with your friends
Blogs and member groups so you can share your thoughts with other members
Bigger photo albums and the ability to make photos private
Free instant messaging and chat rooms
How will the change affect who sees my profile?
We’re not merging the FastCupid database with anything else. The potential dates and mates you hear from are still from the same partner sites as always. And we have a strict privacy policy so your information will not be resold or given away.
How do I know the profiles I’m seeing are real?
Our goal is to ensure that all profiles on the site are legitimate and of actual people. Under the new system, we allow, and even encourage, “flagging” of any profiles you find questionable. If a flagged profile is determined to be phony, it’s promptly deleted.
You’re not going to spam me, are you?
We have a zero-spam policy, both for existing members and for potential members. The only mail you’ll receive from us is totally controlled by you. We send emails to tell you about potential matches, let you know about new messages in your inbox, and share news and updates about the sites. But you control whether you get those messages or not. You can go to your Account Page and change the settings any time.
A Journey Starts with the First Step
We’ve just gotten started. It takes a lot of work to redevelop and re-launch a website. But our strength is using technology to offer new and better ways to connect. We have some things in the pipeline, including video profiles and a faster instant messenger that lets you webcam with other members, plus our team always reviews YOUR ideas on new features. We want FastCupid to stay your favorite way to meet new people online and we will work hard to do it. That’s our commitment to you.
Max Garrone
Salon Media Group
Salon Personals
[tags: fastcupid]
