I use Aweber to send my newsletters. I have a love/hate thing with them.
On the love side, they are reliable. I’ve been using them for nearly ten years. They’ve only had one significant outage during that time frame, due to an attack. Outside of that, they’ve never had a failure of any kind. On the hate side, their editor is ridiculous.
I mean it. It’s horrible, terrible, rotten and not only that, it is bad. There is nothing worse anywhere, that I can think of. This is a great hindrance that has been unsolvable for years.
I call them and vent my frustration every couple years to no end. I made one of these calls a couple weeks ago. This time, I got a very patient young man on the phone. He admitted there were significant defects with the editor and that I was by no stretch the only person who thought so. He said they were going to roll out a new editor in a few weeks. They are hoping to address these concerns. In the meantime, he offered to help me find a work-around.
The new format of my newsletter is a result of our collaboration. It was not easy to do, partly because I was bitching the whole time. The new letter is made up of modules because there is no other way to add a picture to text. It’s not like any other editor I know of. In whatever case, I sent out the new letter and I’ve gotten a lot of feedback. It is almost all positive. I’ve had three complaints and about fifty compliments. Two of the complaints were technical in nature. But one of them really blew my mind.
The gal warned me, essentially, that she was not going to like me if I became “full of myself”. I just about fainted. That’s me right there in the picture. I am still like that today, believe me. MOWGLI, stumblin’ on into town. I can barely stand to wear shoes.
The gal has mailed me twice. I will listen to feedback colors if makes something being hard to read but I don’t like being threatened.
I’d also say that she is the one, “full of herself”, since she shared with me her knowledge of why I changed the letter. It makes it harder to “plagiarize”? The thought never crossed my mind. I guess she doesn’t know that being plagiarized launched my blog into the stratosphere in 2010.
There was more she had to say. None of it relevant to me or accurate as to how and why the change came about.
This is meant to illustrate how far off from reality a person can be; even when they’re completely sure they’re right. If you have Neptune conjunct your midheaven as I do, this is par for the course.
As I’ve mentioned to some who have written, I am experimenting with my letter at this time. This is my prerogative with Uranus is in Taurus (art). It is a work in progress,
I have the next four letters written – this is good. I am motivated. I have explained things in them, here or there.
The letter is not finalized because the new editor will be introduced soon. I expect it to make things easier but for now, the new look is invigorating to me. If it is draining to you, there is a link to unsubscribe. No need to tell me who you think I am, lol. Or guide me back onto the right path!!
Have you checked your projections lately?
”The gal warned me, essentially, that she was not going to like me if I became “full of myself”.”
This made me laugh!
I’ve got a saturn/neptune effect in my chart, too. They’re in mutual reception. Saturn is conjunct the Asc, Neptune in the 11th. I don’t have big problems with projections. I just present people who I am, basically my sun and moon. And keep the rest hidden.
But I did have some odd, rare experiences, where the other person was waaaay off of their perception of me.
Oh, Elsa. I can see why you said you hate snobs in a thread once. People will assume things, without facts. Assume and presume things, then have the audacity to call you arrogant when they are being arrogant themselves?
They will also sometimes kick you down when you’re already suffering. I hope in another life, or in heaven, you get a reward for all the help you’ve done to hundreds to people. Or at least get your cross off your back.
Say what?!? LOL! People are ridiculous. I’d be so embarrassed to send an email like that to someone that sends advice for free. Oy Vey!
I have a Pisces midheaven. Is that kind of the same as neptune midheaven?. People think I’m someone other than who I am all the time. But I figured that was their problem and not mine.
Even after all these years I find it hard believe that someone would criticize someone who offers free content. If you don’t like it, then unsubscribe! But to tell the person who’s doing it, how to do it? The unmitigated gall.
I appreciate your newsletters and site, it’s one of the few places left without trackers, an abundance of ads and over moderation. Thank you!
My email reader is set to display plain text only, no images, no color. I wonder what that says about me. But really, it’s because I have a slow and low bandwidth Internet plan. Just trying to get the message in the most efficient manner until I can afford better.
Clearly this woman hasn’t been following your website for any length of time, because you are in no way “full of yourself”.
And since she thinks you’re making it harder to plagiarize this site, well it seems that’s what she wants to do!
Thank you.
I don’t think people realize what it takes to create content for nearly 20 years, running. Never mind, keep the back end of the site running and pay for it all.
Anything that inspires me is good…and this has inspired me, thanks to Ben. I put that in an upcoming letter. First the young man helped me, then Ben stepped in. Yesterday a young woman encouraged me onto Instagram. @elsaelsaastro
Not sure what I’m going to do there, but trying new things and definitely don’t appreciate people who want to throw a chock in my wheels, when I’m ready to move.
As my husband would say, “I am a free motherfucker”. 🙂
I never got that phrase. And what exactly are you supposed to be full of, if not yourself? Nothing?
Say someone is full of themselves, in a genuine sense, just fine with who they are and what they created in life. They are not going to care if someone feels superior to them. They are not going to affected either way. And it is lower maintenance for other people. No gaping void to fill.
I don’t necessarily embody this state myself, but it is something I aspire to. I do get the your full of yourself comment on occasion, and I am always just like yes, I am. I worked hard on my life. Would you rather me feel bad about this for your comfort? It completely takes them aback.
I saw the new format and assumed it was a new design that had cooked for some time or that is was a new format as a result of some problem solving.
It’s different, a bit too bold for my eyes yet hey, it’s still great and I’ll get used to the change (Scorpio rising, I’m slow to change.)
The woman was definitely projecting with such a strong reaction/narcissistic attack on you.
Patience and self-protection
My focus is on content, not the wrapping. I saw the change and thought little of it, other than hoping it wasn’t because of a problem.
It takes a lot of nerve to complain about a FREE newsletter.
The reason I’ve never changed it for all these years is because the editor has been so dysfunctional. I wanted to but the instructions on the site itself, followed precisely, fail. Crazy frustrating so this is a true breakthrough.
Been time-consuming though and there’s been a learning curve involved so it should improve, incrementally, letter by letter until they finalize the new editor.
Thank you for your reliability! I look forward to your newsletters. I appreciate that they are so grounded and full of wisdom. The new colors are pretty fun too 🙂
Thanks. They are meant to be, though I’ve not got this fully figured out. For example I wrote an Apple pie colored letter today (for next week). I didn’t announce this, I just wrote a series, many years ago, called “Apple Pie Mom”.
I was thinking about it, in terms of Cancer and baking.
Basically, it’s expanded my canvass and I’m not going back. It’s nuanced and creative, even if I’m the only one who knows it. And it’s fun!
So what I am really doing is playing and someone is trying to take my fingerpaints for their own comfort and imaginary threat.
The apple pie color is off, but hey! I haven’t got all day. Mars mercury! But when you see it and thing, wtf, now you’ll know that color is what passes for Apple pie in my world. 🙂
love you elsa <3 <3 <3
I like it. Its very clear and easy to read.
I’ve had so many problems with formatting on my blogger blog. Drives me nuts. Good you finally are finding a solution.
I have liked the new look from the get-go!
And it’s your blog and you can do whatever you want – that nut job can go bother someone else. Or better yet, how about complain and DO SOMETHING about something that matters like feeding less fortunate kids.
Sorry for the rant… petty people bug me.
Thank you for all you GIVE us Elsa!!
Sounds like that lady is nuts, as well as arrogant and full of herself or something else.
I’m glad you know how to handle that type of stuff very well!
P.S.
I found the first turquoise didn’t have quite enough depth to make the white text easily readable – but, I have a bit of eye problem & figured who am I to comment, if everyone else can read it well?? The second color worked better, but, true, the first one was prettier!!!
I saw the Apple pie color – it’s great!
It looks like there’s cinnamon in it. HHHmmmm!
I love the new newsletter format Elsa, so pretty, thank you!