I realize the new incarnation of the Zone has been long in coming, and I haven't been as diligent in keeping you all up to date on the progress as I should have been.

My apologies.

So, you may be asking yourselves, what is keeping Robert so damn busy? Part of the answer lies in the byzantine details of making the databases from previous incarnations of the Zone compatible with the new software. Another complicating factor is cost- not just my own substantial monetary outlay for a server, but my personal time - the countless hours I have spent curating this site have been substantial and have cut into the number of hours I can spend on my day-job as a contractor for Facebook.

And of course there are the improvements to substance and format I want to make, for instance the veracity ranking of posters and sources- this requires paying for hefty licensing fees for AI packages, and consultants.

For a while I was playing around with the idea of making the Zone a subscription service- a small monthly fee - maybe $49.99. In exchange, members would get to post freely--not subject to moderation, and get your choice of a snazzy Bio-degradeable tote bag, or an eye-catching coffee mug that lets the people around you know that you care enough about the Zone - and the violent argument it fosters- to support it by paying your fair share.

I gave up on the subscription concept, however, when I ran the numbers and saw how high the subscription fee would have to be to cover my hours and expenses. For a while I feared that the Zone may have to shut down for good--but fortunately for us all, my new job with Facebook taught me a few tricks that I think may be our salvation.

While working on the database of all the past posts late one night it struck me-- all the personal political views, all the likes and dislikes, nuanced opinions, personal anecdotes, personality traits- THESE are the true wealth of the Zone, and I would be remiss if I failed to leverage that wealth in order to save the Zone.

Think of it- in our accumulated database we not only have all this valuable personal data, we also can look at how personal traits, political preferences and even consumer habits have evolved and changed over the past 16 years. Facebook would KILL to have information like that! My database, OUR database, predates Facebook by several years. Information is a commodity, and I believe it is time to cash it in, for OUR collective benefit of course.

I have contacted several data brokers and they assure me that personal data as granular as that contained in my database could easily fetch 7 figures on the open market- possibly more if enough interested parties drive the price up bidding against each-other.

I know some of you will be concerned because in some cases your real names are associated with your accounts here- but that is precisely what makes this data worth so much to the interested parties- so you shouldn't be WORRIED- on the contrary, you should be PROUD that you have helped make the Zone so valuable with your lack of anonymity.

Think how much my database, OUR database, could be worth to some people, or corporations- same thing really- they could precisely know what products would appeal to which Zone members-- For instance they would know that TB has a fondness for Solid State drive technology, and votes republican, they would know that RL is a sucker for high-end graphics software and hardware and a liberal, that mcfly is Canadian and thus will buy any hockey paraphernalia that pops up in an ad on his screen, they would know there is a high probability that ROBVG will pay large sums for penis enlargement pills, and SDAI has a penchant for Japanese octopus porn-- AND THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING!

The possibilities are endless with 17 years of data to sift through. With each pop-up ad you get when posting here, you can feel proud that your data made it possible, and that the Zone is stronger thanks to your contributions.

Don't worry, I am not suddenly a sell out to our corporate overlords- YOU EACH will be able to bid on the data as an individual if you really want to ensure your information remains 'private'- if you are the high bidder, then it is YOURS, AND YOURS ALONE to do with as you please.

You can expect to see the new changes in the coming week, as well as the current high bid for the Zone's database.
A GLORIOUS FUTURE LIES AHEAD FOR THE ZONE- THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!