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December 1, 2008
Hard Times
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
Many of you noticed that John and Jen have not posted recently. CarDomain has been suffering along with everyone else in this crappy economy, and we made some significant staff cutbacks last month. Sadly, John and Jen were part of those cuts.
Times are tough. Advertising dollars have been drying up, and many automotive web sites and magazines have shut down completely. Turbo, Sport Compact and Modified Luxury & Exotic are gone. ForbesAutos is gone. RiceBoyTV and CarJunkieTV are gone, too. I’m sure the list will grow.
But thanks to you guys, CarDomain is still strong. Our staff may be smaller, but the CarDomain community gets bigger every day. So right now we’re just gonna hunker down and focus on making this the best place to document your ride. You will see more new features for members in the coming weeks and months—bulk image upload is just around the corner. And keep the feedback coming. We’re always looking for ways to improve the site.
Still, it’s pretty damn lonely around the office right now. I started the CarDomain Blog with John back in September 2006. In the first few weeks, I wrote about Jen’s Escort. Jen and I started e-mailing, and soon she was blogging for us. And then last year we hired her. I had a total blast working with those guys. They are my best friends, and I really miss having them here. I’m hoping I can convince them to write for us again soon, and I’m determined to have them join me at SEMA next year. But right now, it just kind of sucks. And the gloomy Seattle weather isn’t helping.
Comments
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Devo
Dec 5, 2008 at 6:01 am
Best of luck to both John and Jen. They were my two favorite bloggers
And I’m definitly on board with Stewart’s comment, well said stewart
Chris
Dec 3, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Wow, this is truly sad news.
Stewart
Dec 3, 2008 at 4:31 pm
.
I have been down sick for a week,
and I come back to THIS?!?!?!
.
.
Rob, I gotta tell ya…
.
John and Jen WERE the BLOG!
.
.
There were three people whose
posts were entertaining AND
interesting and REAL.
.
Heck, anyone can post links to other
news posts. Look at todays posts.
Give me a break! Like I need the
Cardomain Blog to give me a link
to GM and Ford’s business plan.
.
Those are WEAK posts.
.
.
J & J kept it real.
.
They are interesting people.
.
.
Now all we have is mostly
bloggers who are legends in
their own minds…
.
Who think EVERYONE (or anyone)
even cares what they are doing…
.
All the Blog needs is another
pompous and arrogant blogger…
.
What am I going to look forward
to?
.
Another Mike Musto post?
.
I think NOT!
.
The guy’s a big spoiled kid,
and not a very good writer to
boot!
.
.
Katherine Heletaq (sp?).
.
Her posts are dryer
than burnt toast!
.
Who the hell wants
dry burnt toast?
.
B-O-R-I-N-G!!!
.
(Sorry Katherine, you
are probably a nice person,
but your posts are not
interesting.
.
I just skip them…
.
It’s like reading the
glove box manual:
Sure, you can read
it, but do you REALLY
WANT to?
.
Nope.
.
.
J & J kept the focus real,
for the “average Joe” who
doesn’t have gazillions to
spend on their rides.
.
They are also funny!
.
They have personalities!
(something truly lacking
in almost all of the Blog
posters, Rob excluded)
.
.
I understand that business
is business.
.
.
That said, this just may
be a bad business decision.
.
.
(If I want to go on line
to see a rich guy with cars,
Jay Leno is a mouse click
away…}
.
.
.
The other change I’ve noticed
is that the pop-up ads are
getting really intrusive &
quite frankly annoying as hell.
.
.
I started building a new CD page
on my new rod project two weeks ago
.
.
I ended up deleting it, and
started a my own web page for it..
.
.
The pop up ad in the top right
of the page was simply relentless…
.
I just gave up…
.
.
I might have to do the same
for my RoadMonster’s page.
Create my own page and kill
the CD page. That would be
a shame after 4 years and
almost 200K hits…
.
.
Is this really a GOOD
business plan?
.
.
I think not.
.
.
I know I won’t be here
daily anymore. I know in
the grand scheme of things,
one person may not seem like
a lot, but I check CD at least
6-10 times a day, every day.
.
I am very active, & have almost
a dozen CarDomain t-shirts
to prove it!
.
.
I am taking the time to tell
you what I think. How many
will just leave and not
say a word.
.
I’d bet there are a lot.
.
.
John and Jen, I just want
to say a sincere “thank you”
for all the the fun posts!
.
You two brought me a lot
of happiness! I found
you both to be people of
integrity, whom I would
gladly consider “friends”.
(And I choose my friends
very carefully.)
I truly wish you both
the best.
.
If either of you are
ever in the Salem area,
and if you need anything,
ever, just let me know.
.
.
Godspeed CarDomain!
.
Stewart
GTwildfire
Dec 3, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I don’t know… I think it’s kinda insulting to say ya won’t use the blog as much or this or that even if it’s true. Kinda impolite and yeah I know… who the hell am I to be pointing out impoliteness?… It’s like Satan telling kids to go to Bible School. Still, seems wrong though.
James
Dec 3, 2008 at 12:02 am
man, Jen was my favorite too! Hopefully she’ll make some Guest Posts? Her stuff was always interesting, at least.
Casey
Dec 2, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Jen was my Favorite Blogger! Mike second. John third.
I will never leave Cardomain, but you can bet I wont read the blog as often.
Casey
GTwildfire
Dec 2, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Rob:
-
It’s understandable that CD couldn’t afford to keep them on the formal payroll, but I hope their departure was on good or decent terms.
-
Might be able to toss a bone their way sometimes and have ‘em contribute at least?
-
I feel like I’m going through my parents’ divorce all over again. We need visitation rights.
oldscoob
Dec 2, 2008 at 5:38 pm
..oh, btw, this place really is good, it is a daily visit like a daily newspaper, best of luck in the trying times. I believe there is too much reality to stop cardomain…regardless of events.
oldscoob
Dec 2, 2008 at 5:31 pm
No! not Jen! It is the first blogger I ever yelled at with a keyboard. Escorts are still satan! SATAN! and I am not a mountain man with an old scoob! Good Day!
Anonymous
Dec 2, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Now the end is really near!!!!
Bullrun Jeep SRT8
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:19 pm
JOOOOHHHNNN!!! Who’s going to ride with us this year?!?!?!? John was an excellent blogger as well as Jen – she was a gearhead and we enjoyed reading their blogs. We are saddened by this news. BRING THEM BACK!
i_luv_dusty
Dec 2, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I wish Jen and John the best of luck.
.
And for what it’s worth, I apologize to John for all the grief I gave him in his blog comments!!!
atomicalex
Dec 2, 2008 at 1:44 pm
From inside of the auto industry on the manufacturing side, it’s tough all over. Right now, Detroit is kind of post-apocalypse. I’m very sorry to see Jen and John no longer on the formal payroll – Jen’s a total inspiration to me. She’s got tons of talent for spotting stories and getting them out to readers.
The rest of us will do our best to keep you in the know. We have big shoes to fill.
-k
Maffew
Dec 2, 2008 at 1:29 pm
wow, sorry to hear about John and Jen… as long as Musto keeps guest bloggin, I’ll still be happy.
Oh, and I can’t believe that Sport Compact Car mag went under, that was the only import rag that halfway matters (although the new “project car” mag is grabbing my attention. I’m gonna miss Dave Coleman! Rob, you need to get him a guest blogger spot!
Martin
Dec 2, 2008 at 8:52 am
Why did you fire the good bloggers?
OttoVP
Dec 2, 2008 at 8:31 am
“oh great the one chick who knows bout cars get kicked”
best comment ever….:)
@Rob:
Rob i can hardly understand ur decision because u kicked 2 of the best bloggers of this site…Jen was a “girl” who understand a man’s car world…and u fire her???????? U MUST BE CRAZY! She was one of a gazillion gals…
She was blogging NORMAL people world who scrubs pull a part places, has a NORMAL car who is cared by herself….
We don’t need macho men with muscle claiming 1000000+ horse powers when they haven’t change a damn spark plug in their life…
Real people make real world….THINK about it.
Btw an obvious solution was splitting in half ur and other staff members wage as we used to do in hard times….Cutting crew members is the worst thing to do…lowers moral and everyone think to leave the s(T)inking ship like mouses…
This blog isn’t worth looking anymore….
cheers
Otto
from Italy
GTwildfire
Dec 2, 2008 at 8:03 am
I never met them in person but I’m really bummed about this.
-
just hoping that CarDomain continues to keep going no matter what.
-
would be an unbelieveable waste for well over 600,000 ride pages and their owners to suddenly go poof, but I guess that’s CarDomain’s greatest strength… strength in numbers.
-
Let’s all hope that with this economy we don’t see urban American mule cart races become a regular thing in the blog someday.
MoparRob07
Dec 2, 2008 at 6:55 am
This sucks about John and Jen! Lord willing, opportunities will come quickly to them both. Hang in there Rob!
uʍop ǝpısdn sı ¡sǝu
Dec 2, 2008 at 6:12 am
Wait I just realised that if John is gone that also means no more “This just in: new on the net” blogs???? OOOOOOOOH god!!!! That was my favorite John blog EVER!!! I always looked forward for that blog. Whenever you guys [cardomain] get a chance you should bring both back!
Steve
Dec 2, 2008 at 5:32 am
Best of luck to John and Jen both.
I hope you guys can keep in touch, and I know I’ll miss them both.
Gary Faules
Dec 2, 2008 at 5:01 am
Rob,
Having been in business many years I know not only the stress that accompanies any successful business but I also live in a real world that knows that from time to time when things get rough we have to take off the friendship hat and put on the one that is best for business. Anyone who is a true friend and respects the decisions we sometimes have to make when times are less than great realizes good businessmen have to do what’s best for the business and not what’s best for a friendship. A true friendship will not allow any business decision to interfere at any cost. The end result is sacrifices have to be made to make a business a better place for those who use the service. Sorry to see anyone have to leave but things in the automotive world are going to get a lot worse for they get better and that’s just business. It’s easy for people that have little or no business experience not to sympathize or understand but those of us who do appreciate the sacrifices you have been forced to make albeit not fault of yours. Long live CarDomain.com.
Gary Faules
CEO California’s Best Inc
Charlie Swartz
Dec 2, 2008 at 4:37 am
Bring Them Back!!! I was wondering why the blog was sucking lately. If you made staff cuts, why did you cut two of the best bloggers? I have been apart of this site since november of 2006 and been reading the blog since then too. For the past year a day hasnt gone by that i dont check to see whats new in the blog. I’m sad to say that I dont think I will anymore as protest. AutoBlog here i come…
---JON FROM NJ
Dec 2, 2008 at 4:37 am
DAMN! Im going to miss the escort WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKENDs now. Eh, I just hope the site stays up as well because 4 of my cars on on here….
Don
Dec 2, 2008 at 4:02 am
Somehow, Jen’s recent choice as Showoff of the Week hardly seems a sufficient send-off. Hard times are hitting everywhere.
Anonymous
Dec 2, 2008 at 3:59 am
Jen, you are beautiful and i hope you get another job soon
John, keep skating and drinking.
cknarf
Dec 2, 2008 at 3:02 am
I love how my favorite bloggers were the ones who got canned!
Lucky me!
James
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:52 am
I was wondering what the hell happened… no blogs lately…
to be honest, I don’t mind Jen gone… I never liked her blogs…
John was great on the other hand… he promised me some swag when I send in the caption contest photo that was used but he never sent it…
Either way, I don’t wanna see this site go down. Maybe someone could start a little PayPal donation link to cardomain?
shamal
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:32 am
itz really sad to see jen and john go…wish them the best of luck for the future…hope u keep contact through ur ride pages…
UDMan
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:25 am
This is really sad news. Jenn was the one who asked me to become a Guest Blogger. I wish things would just go back to normal.
Kunal
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:22 am
I never really became a member of cardomain but I have read the blog for the past few years. Its really sad that you guys will no longer have Jen and her Escort and John to blog for you. I didn’t even realize a company like cardomain would also be hit by the financial crisis. Anyways, I wish them and Cardomain the best.
DanielleB
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:18 am
Sorry to hear Jen and John are gone! They had some amazing input on this site! Jen & John, you will be missed!!!!!
7urtle
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:04 am
o great the one chick who knows bout cars get kicked
7urtle
Dec 2, 2008 at 2:04 am
o great the one chick who knows bout cars get kicked
Phil
Dec 2, 2008 at 1:53 am
God damn it.Jen was my favorite blogger.Any chance she can still blog for you guys?
Russ
Dec 2, 2008 at 12:53 am
That is unfortunate that talented individuals such as Jen and John had to suffer the conseqeunces of our poor economy, sadly…there is alot of it going around.
I certainly will miss their blogs, the entire CarDomain Community has lost some very special members and they will be sorely missed!
I wish Jen and John well…Good Luck in all your future endeavors!
CarDomain is a very special Automotive Website, I hope it continues to receive the awesome support it has enjoyed for many years.
Adam
Dec 2, 2008 at 12:15 am
Sorry to hear about John and Jen. The whole automotive industry including us that work in the aftermarket industry are getting hit hard. I was not aware that so many publications had closed up shop already. I know alot of shops were canceling subscriptions for a while now. I visit a lot of shops and see that all the mags are from 2007. This goes beyond “print being dead.” Sad to see CD feeling the pressure of this whole mess.
uʍop ǝpısdn sı ¡sǝu
Dec 2, 2008 at 12:11 am
So no more cool Jen blogs???!!!!
Chris J in da house
Dec 2, 2008 at 12:06 am
:’(