As part of driving towards profitability, the second half of 2008 was
focused very much on balancing the need to grow with the need to bring costs
down from a “growth focused” level to a “survive the worst economy in recent
memory level”. As part of that, we rebalanced blogger pay, trimmed our
conference and travel budgets, trimmed technical costs such as servers,
froze hiring and a number of other things. In spite of a smaller team than
intended and smaller budgets, we still managed to test a lot of new programs
including ad networks, portals, a new application infrastructure and
pursuing entirely new revenue opportunities such as affiliate programs on
product reviews.

However while we’ve cut many operational costs, capital costs and started
growing entirely new revenue streams, we still needed to balance our
staffing needs, specifically in areas where we had either hired for growth
or where we were getting softer and less revenue-focused benefits. As part
of that evaluation of human costs, we cut our advisory board, cancelled
bonuses, cancelled hires, moved existing team into new positions (and didn’t
fill their old positions), etc.

Sadly, during this process, several of b5media’s full-time team members were
let go. Each of these, including Joey DeVilla, Darren O’Donoghue and Tony
Tramontana, were significant parts of b5media and added very real value -
however when faced with a choice between working with these amazing people
and ensuring the company and community survived we were forced, given the
current climate, to let these people go. It goes without saying that we did
everything we could to ensure each individual was treated more than fairly.

In addition, however, budgetary restrictions around the Content team forced
one further cut, and it is undoubtedly one of the hardest things I’ve ever
had to do: ending Shai’s employment relationship with b5media.

As you undoubtedly know Shai came on as a “founder”, after her AboutWeblogs
network agreed to merge with b5media just weeks after we’d launched. And
ever since she has been a vibrant and heartening part of the b5media
management, staff and community. The decision obviously does not reflect
poorly on Shai, as she is one of the warmest, hardest working people I have
ever had the honour of working with.

Ensuring b5media gets to profitability must be the focus of the business,
which is why we have trimmed these costs, refocused our strategy and why we
are evaluating a whole suite of revenue opportunities. While decisions are
clearly incredibly hard and saddening and we wish we didn’t have to make
them, we remain excited by the community and company that you have helped us
build, by the potential of the business and its vision and by our team
(that’s you!).

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Shai (twitter: @shaicoggins) or any of
the other amazing individuals who have recently left b5. They deserve every
bit of thanks, encouragement and support that can be mustered and we
wouldn’t be where we are without them (clearly and especially Shai).

The year of the Great Recession will not be for the faint of heart. 2009 belongs only to the brave.

http://www.fitd...rcie.com/?p=146

Jeremy said:

“Each of the points has already been proven false, though folk are still entitled to their opinion. I wish both of the above bloggers all the best either way.”

No they haven’t been proven false.Not by a long shot. Jeremy knows it. I know it. And everyone who works at b5 knows it. That’s ok. The proof is in the pudding.

Morale IS low and bloggers are leaving in droves. This month alone there were a few dozen blogs in need of Bloggers. Prove that wrong Jeremy. I can give you a list of all the blogs that opened up after you cut our pay. The original bloggers left because the pay was too low for all the work involved in a b5 blog. Go ahead Jeremy and deny it again. Hopefully a new blogger will read this and realize some of us want to warn them of what really goes on inside b5.

Something else. Your CEs will stab you in the back. They’re only looking out for number one and that is not you, dear b5 blogger. Trust me.

Another thing. Why not kick your bloggers when they’re down? It’s bad enough they all received pay cuts but for a Manager turn around and send them a happy, fun email congratulating two bloggers for landing full time writing contracts rubs salt into the wound. Knowing you’re hiring more full time people in Toronto doesn’t make it better. Tact and consideration people. Use it.

Like other bloggers, we’re all sick of seeing Jeremy Wright walk around blog conventions as if he owns the place. The truth people is that Jeremy Wright owes his career to us and he rewards us by paying as little as possible and lying to us.

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Each of the points has already been proven false, though folk are still entitled to their opinion. I wish both of the above bloggers all the best either way.

Hope everyone is happy now.

When I was accepted to work for b5Media I walked on air for days. Imagine, me, getting into a network with such a great reputation. Liz Strauss works for b5Media, Brian Clark works for b5Media and Darren Rowse was one of the owners. I could be a big name blogger too! Except that didn’t happen. I became known among other b5Media bloggers but no one knew of me outside of the network. But that’s not why I’m leaving I’m leaving because

- Our new contract makes our jobs more difficult. We can’t post images without government sized amounts of paperwork, we can’t use affiliats anymore and we can’t review big ticket items anymore. Considering I just lost MORE than half my pay this doesn’t give me much incentive. Did I mention I lost more than half my pay?

- In the private b5Media forum, certain team members are flat out ignoring certain questions regarding new pay and the contract. There is no excuse for this rudeness and starts you off on the wrong foot. At least say you can’t respond to that.

- Morale is at an all time low.

- Bloggers are leaving in droves. I can tell by all the internal blogger’s wanted lists. (Best to keep that off of ProBlogger. Can’t have everyone worrying about a “mass exodus” can we?

- CE’s promise one thing to us and turn around and say something else to each other in the CE chat. I no longer trust the people who are to manage us.

Nice work, b5media. I stuck with you because I believed in you. Now I don’t believe in you at all any more.

Signed,

A Recently Former Long Term Blogger

My only regret is that I didn’t leave earlier.

Gawd some people need something better to do with their time than imagine we’re screwing bloggers while pocketing millions.

The bottom line here is freedom. b5media is a business, and has revamped their entire business model (not just the pay), and any current/past/future b5 blogger has the FREEDOM to decide what works best for them, as an individual.

Doesn’t give need to the rise of bashing, doesn’t lend kindly to the scare tactic mentality, and doesn’t mean crap to those who support b5media. Give it a rest already.