Welcome to the newest version of Smile Politely. It is our fifth redesign that we’ve made over the course of 15 years of publishing, and I would venture to say, the most comprehensive and impactful one thus far.
Over the course of those 15 years, we’ve worked with dozens of editors, hundreds of writers, and published over 40,000 articles, SPlogs, and editorials.
The operation to port all of that content and data from an old, tired and literally obsolete platform to a new, vibrant, and deeply functional one has taken… a lot of time. So, if things seem unfamiliar to you, please know that you aren’t alone in that feeling. We’ve moved into a really nice, new home, and that process is always an exercise in patience.
We began publishing in November 2007, and that very first version was more of a scrolling blog-style site. Almost immediately, founding designer Mason Kessinger began to work on a V2.0 and the following year, in January 2009, we debuted a more traditional online magazine from which to operate.
Of the many things that remain true for us, one in particular stands out: We want to showcase this community through storytelling.
I invite you to join us as we continue to do just that. Whether you are a reader, or a writer, an editor, or a donor (yes, you can now donate to Smile Politely to help us better pay our contributors and growing operational costs) — we hope you will stick and click around as you’ve been doing.
And if you are new here? Welcome. We are always seeking feedback, so please feel free to offer yours, as you see fit: [email protected]
Enjoy!