Josh:
 
 I just read your notice that you may shut down the Cafe. 

 On the one hand, I would be among the first to acknowledge that you have provided a welcoming resource for left-minded, armchair policy makers. The Cafe has become an important place for many of us for a variety of reasons: a venue in which to freely express political opinions; a venue in which to read and learn from the opinions of others -- many of whom prove to be more informed that we ourselves are; and a venue that does, in fact, provide a sense of reality-tested community - if a virtual one -- in a world that has seemingly gone mad. 

 These are not insignificant gifts you have given to hundreds/thousands of people. And for them, we are genuinely grateful. 

I am also personally grateful to you that, when I carelessly named names of two real life people, you and Versha IMMEDIATELY responded to my email requesting deletion from your files and archives of that blog. Other emails of enquiry and/or complaint that I have occasionally sent you, or Versha, have gone unanswered. But THAT one -- the one that did matter -- you acted on without a moment's hesitation. Which I truly appreciated, because it was my mistake, not yours, yet you did the right thing, expeditiously. 

So don't think for a minute that I am not aware and thankful to you, personally, for that. 

None of the aforementioned means, however, that you went about this switch in systems in a thoughtful way - if thoughtful can be construed as people, rather than systems oriented. For example:
 
A timely notice to us last week of what you intended to do and when you intended to do it would have permitted each of us to consider the changes and make relevant personal decisions: 

1) Am I, or am I not, willing to participate at TPM Cafe if that participation requires linking my various accounts together through Facebook or, worse (in my opinion) through my primary email? 

2) I have devoted "x" number of hours/days/weeks/months to reading and commenting on the blogs of others, or writing my own .... which I have not printed or saved - counting on the archives of TPM itself. Now, if major changes are being made, should I - before the changes are implemented, just to be safe - take a day to print out all those files from however many years? 

3) The following is not relevant to me, personally, because I blog and comment under my own name, but  ....  If am a person for whom the "O" program login is imperative as a means of insuring my ID privacy because I am one who cannot afford for my real life name to be disclosed if logging in thru Facebook, etc. -- but I understand that TPM is going to implement the major changes before they add on the "O" sign-in, then what steps should I take to protect my own privacy, before that happens? 

These are relevant objections and considerations, Josh - not whining, not vitriol. People have exposed themselves here, based on your assurance of their ID protection. Did you give that thought in your order of incremental change? It's hard to think that you did, or the "O" option would have been available at the same time you changed over to the Facebook et all sign-in. Unfortunately, using Facebook, etc., many people signing in have discovered, to their dismay, that their real names were revealed.

That, Josh, is inexcusable. That has real life repercussions for real people of real value.That you cannot blow off or dismiss as "whining" or "vitriol." 

May I offer you a few words of wisdom? 

One of the things it took me a long time to learn in my life was the obligation to admit my own oversights and/or mistakes. And what I learned, when I finally started doing it, is that such acknowledgment does not diminish me; rather, it humanizes me... bringing me closer to those I deal with rather than alienating them. 

 Imho, Josh, you have achieved a great deal and are to be lauded for same. But this - this acknowledgement of human error - is something you still resist. That's OK if it is just you it negatively affects. But if it is someone else? Many others? Therefore, whether you maintain the Café, or shut it down, please - for your sake as well as theirs - apologize for "outing" people.

It is only fair.  
 
As it is only fair for me to tell you that the Cafe has enriched my life and made bearable a transitional phase in my life that might well have felled me, without this forum.

*Note to fellow cafe members: I am not ignoring your comments on this thread; rather, as of this morning (Monday), when I hit "reply" on this or any other blog, nothing happens, even though I am logged-in  via Moveable Type.  Since I am unwilling to log in through Facebook, etc. I will look forward to the "O" platform connection. -;)