Dear readers,
I would like to start this letter by thanking our readership for their continued support. We are overwhelmed by the genuine, positive encouragement that has come from all corners of the city. Ab would be nothing without our readers; though we are the ones doing the writing, it is you that gives our work any level of credence. You are very important to each of our contributors– so thank you.
As you have most likely seen, we have been working hard to be better. Our writers have been toiling day and night to make sure they are posting the best pieces for you. They have each put their heart and souls into the articles that they post, and we hope that you have gained knowledge, insight or at the very least, entertainment from their hard work.
With all that being said, I think I should clear a few things up.
1. Ab has always believed in freedom of expression. This in very simple terms means that you - the reader - have the right to express your opinions without censorship, restraint, or legal penalty from us. You can speak as freely as you want, use what language you wish, and we as an establishment will in no way try to limit you. You can post whatever you want, just keep it in the right area, and be aware that just as we won’t limit your speech, we will also not limit the speech of those who disagree with you unless either side breaks one of the rules that by now you should have read. (In case you haven’t, the Rules are here.)
2. We do not delete accounts. This has been brought to us by a few people and I would like to very simply state that this is not an option. There are two reasons for this: Firstly, if later you return to us, it would be a lot of effort to make sure all your posts are put under your name again. Secondly, indexing posts by deleted users is a hassle. Now, this does not mean that you are required to stay – you aren’t. If you wish not to read Ab, then you are welcome to stop logging in and reading.
When Ab was launched mid-2015, it was with the goal of being a place that everyone could have their voices heard, and I think somewhere along the line that got confused with something else. Ab is a platform for you to speak freely – but it is also an open platform, so that means just as you are free to say your piece so are the people who disagree with you. As an establishment we will not take sides in an argument, it is not our place to police you or those you are debating with. We will continue to work on improving our policies and on remaining as transparent as possible, and we ask that you please keep in mind that while we are bound to make mistakes, but we are trying.
The next order of business I have is to welcome our two new interns. We are very proud of our intern program. It is something that we thought hard about before unveiling and to see it in use now has made us all very happy. So, without further ado, welcome to our newest additions, Rosa and Lilou.
Rosa will be learning from our Event staff, and it is our hope that she will flourish and become a full member of the team. She is a dedicated young woman who has so much to offer the city as a whole – we are truly thankful that she accepted a position with us.
Lilou is a very new addition to our small team, she will be taught by the columnists here at Ab. We are happy to have her with us and we hope that we can help her find her own talents.
We are still accepting applications to join our team. If you feel you having something to say, or something to offer – then we encourage you to apply with us by emailing (PM) either Dae or Church your application.
Now, finally I would like to say that we as a paper will be working towards our own goals for next year, which we will share with all of you before the end of January.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We hope you have had a wonderful holiday season, and a successful start of 2018.
Posted on behalf of Dae Hyun and the editorial staff of AB Antiquo.
