The short answer is, I don't know. The long answer is that I gave them my advice on what to do from day one. I was very specific about what I thought was important, and what I felt needed to be done in order to take what we had (a thriving community) and build upon that in great new ways.
It seems unlikely that any of that advice will be taken. That of course is fine, and fully Yusuf's decision. I'll support whatever they do, even if I don't like it.
Having said that I wanted you all to know that I tried. I made every effort to encourage them to "do the right thing." Perhaps they still will. The "Sing" portion of the website hasn't been launched yet and there's no reason why it won't be super-fantastic and everything the old site was and more.
I have once again requested that they communicate their intentions. I was very specific about it in fact. So hopefully a message will be posted soon on YusufIslam.Com with news. However at this point it's really not my business anymore. I'll be happy to assist or give advice if asked, but I will no longer offer it unsolicited.
They have a lot of really good people over there so I'm hopeful that whatever they do will be great. It just may not be great in the way that most of you want. I am absolutely certain that their intentions are good. Whatever they decide to do is what they really think is for the best. A lot of you feel slighted by their lack of communication or the expected loss of the community. I wouldn't take it personally. I really honest and truly believe that their hearts are in the right place. But their priorities just happen to be different than ours. So please try to be understanding of that fact.
Thank you all for your support and kindness. Let's still keep our fingers crossed and especially an open mind and see what happens.
18 responses to What the heck is going to happen to CatStevens.Com?
Thanks for posting in your blog, John...keeping us updated, and showing us great things...
Thanks John for understanding. Your words of comfort mean alot. We know you tried really hard to get us what we hoped for and wanted. Sorry it didn't work out.
Take Good Care,
Kitty
We have what we want here, don't we?
John,
Thank you so much for giving us what information you can. If it weren't for you assuring us that "they have good people" and that "their intentions are good", I would be spewing such vitriolic bile about the faceless "them of the Yusuf camp" on this and other websites that I would make Linda Blair would look like a sunday school girl.
So on a personal level, I thank you for saving me from myself by placing your good name and character into the breach that "they of the Yusuf camp" have created through their silence.
However, come to think of it, I cannot resist twisting the knife in my own back by saying this: Change Management 101 - Grade = Fail. Then again, perhaps the silent but strangely ubiquitous "they" are starting this new era off in exactly the way they intend to continue it. You say it seems their priorities are different to ours. I suspect you are very right there. I can only conclude their priorities have, and never have had, anything to do with a "thriving community".
I am trying very hard to reserve my judgement until I see the new beastie fully formed. Truly, I do hope I end up contrite and with egg on my face. I can console myself by only two thoughts: 1. These feelings are a direct result of no communication of intentions (refer to Change Management 101 above) and 2. John says give them a go, and John is a good guy in my books (refer to trading off John's good name above).
So thanks John, you are a treasure.
Cheers JennyB (JenB)
John, I just wish that David would have contacted you and told you something for us. I never expected YI to say anything, but I thought David might have. Thanks for everything.
MK
I have spoken to David in many months. He's totally out of the picture, at least as far as interacting with me is concerned.
Well I guess that is that. I feel bad for you in many cases because that site was your baby so to speak and you created a wonderful place for those of us with a common interest could gravitate together and express ourselves on many topics. I realize at time we got rowdy and dificult to deal with but our common bond was CAT....and small though it may have been I do think that "Our Community" was part of the spark that rekindled his interest in his secular career. Who knows he may have taken this step even if the site and the fan base had never existed but I doubt it. I wish him well in all of his endeavors and I hope that he would wish us well in ours. I hope I have not overstepped the bounds here.
~~ cheers and love to you and Kirby
MK
Sigh................................... Humph! :-(
I thought CScom community was rather agressivily proud of its distance from Yusuf. So it is no surprise if he doesn't feel connected to the community.
Q did post reassurences. He didn't wave around that he works at MOL and was working with Yusuf on this whole project. But he posted with a certain amount of authority, that many did indeed notice.
Sails right. If the community is what is important, we have that. And we can grump all we want about yusuf too. lol lol
Turan
Turan and Sailaway - I guess you're right.
But gee it felt good to have a spray SOMEWHERE. At the time I wrote the "5 hours later" comment I had just come home from work, sat down with a cup of tea and tried to get onto cs.com. It was the first time I had never succeeded. I'm not known for responding to shock with quiet dignity ;-)
Cheers JenB
Even if this "Q" fellow posted on some site somewhere, that's a heck of a lot different than an official comment posted on catstevens.com, a site they own. My contact was fully aware of the feelings of the community. However that doesn't mean he/she had any influence in the matter. I honestly don't know.
I realize the difference between official and non. Q posted on a couple of threads at CScom in responce to people's voiced concerns. He posted from the position of being someone working on the project not from the position of influence.
I, naturally, don't know either. But I have noticed Yusuf is pretty consistent about his way of dealing with fans since the 60s.
John wrote: "They have a lot of really good people over there so I'm hopeful that whatever they do will be great. It just may not be great in the way that most of you want. I am absolutely certain that their intentions are good. Whatever they decide to do is what they really think is for the best. A lot of you feel slighted by their lack of communication or the expected loss of the community. I wouldn't take it personally. I really honest and truly believe that their hearts are in the right place. But their priorities just happen to be different than ours. So please try to be understanding of that fact. "
My comments are addressed to adding support to this quote.
Ahh, ok. I misunderstood. I must have have missed his posts. In any event I'm still very open minded and am hoping for the best.
I know this has been said a lot already, but I'd like to say it again.. thank you, John, for allowing us to congregate here @ Dashing.com. You didn't have to share this space with us, and I am truly grateful for you (and Kirby!) doing so. I've not been an ostrich sticking my head in the sand about CS.com as we know it going away, but I guess it didn't really hit me till now, now that the actual site we all knew and loved is gone. CS.com was the very first online community I joined and participated in, and my standards for online communities were formed by my participation with and at CS.com; what an awesome place to have set precedence for me, hee. :) I learned some very valuable life lessons within that community, for which I will be forever grateful for. And, with that being said, I'll just say "thank you" again to you and Kirby for building us a new cyber-playground. :) TTFN!!
If Yusuf's reps priorities are to turn the new CS.com into a Muslim oriented website,they are on the wrong track. As a Cat fan from the 70's, I can honestly say religion isn't what hooked me on CS. It was the music. If they hope to cash in on his new release they better not be pushing Muslim propaganda. I know Yusuf has stated he wants to present Muslims in a more positive light,but if he wants to sell CDs,I think he should just leave religion out of it. The old Cat.com was becoming a dumping ground for religious zealots to post and argue that only they embraced the true religion and knew what God or Allah wanted. It was enough to almost make me glad to see it end,although for the most part,with the exception of the religious know-it-alls,and the people who lived to attack other members I loved that site...You built a wonderful site and you are building another wonderful one here. I have to admit in my heart of heartts I want the new Cat.com to be the clone of the old Cat.com before it was sold.
Re: Comment 12.
Out of curiosity Turan, how would you characterise the "pretty consistent" way Yusuf has dealt with his fans since the 60s? Could you elaborate?
I think that perhaps the problem all along has been my expectations.
BTW how lovely it is to see the comments of so many familiar people. Thanks again to John for giving us a new home:)
CHeers JennyB
after having a bit of trouble with my isp the past couple of weeks, i knew the day would come and not be able to see the old site any longer. i must agreee with eebee in my thanks to john and kirby for allowing a new playground for us. CS.COM was my first online community as well.
~~peace~~jewels
Hey John,
It's been years since I was on CS.com and went back to check it out and was shocked that is was gone!!! Can't you put it up under an altered name, like catfans.com or something?
peace
Rafay