Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Zoe, Ottawa Canada on January 8, 2008:

Hmm, I've read a couple comments to the effect that to truly appreciate an experience, one has to experience it. And that learning about it isn't enough. You have to do it.

Does that mean that to get the real, firsthand, hardcore experience, one actually has to DO something really weird and stupid?

Hah. Well, I'm not a Premium subscriber, mainly because I don't like to spend money on things I don't really need, but I do very much enjoy the Free edition and am always a little saddened when I finish it, wishing there was more.

Posted by Doc, Mexico on January 8, 2008:

After riding free for several years, I finally upgraded to Premium last year, and would only let it lapse if in the throes of bankruptcy! Like Dan, I also made the decision after trying the free sample you made available, Randy. Keep 'em coming!

Posted by Dottie, Houston TX on January 8, 2008:

Wow, I could not have said that any better than Dan. I enjoyed True for several years as a freebie, always wondering how much better the Premium issues were. I, too, subscribed immediately after receiving your complimentary Premium issue a couple of years ago. Seeing is believing. My only regret is that I waited so long.

Posted by Dan in North Carolina on January 9, 2008:

Thanks for the feedback on my comments to Randy, guys. I guess it's true what Randy keeps saying -- that True readers are THINKERS. Sometimes I suspect we're one of the only communities on the internet where people engage their minds on a regular basis (I mean, have you ever read YouTube comments? Yikes!).

Posted by Al, Wichita, KS on January 9, 2008:

All I know is that I got a email notice this morning that my Premium was going to elapse before the end of the month.

The check was in the mail this afternoon.

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Check? Mail? What are these strange concepts? :-) -rc

Posted by John - Warkworth, new Zealand on January 11, 2008:

Dan's comments as to 'why he took the plunge and upgraded' are spot on ... that was exactly how it came about that, a month or two ago, I likewise upgraded, after being subscribed to the 'regular freebie version' for some time. It happened on a day that I got to sit back and read the complimentary 'see what you're missing' full version of the newsletter ... for once, not at a stage when I was 'rushed off my feet', so I was able to sit back and appreciate just 'how much more fun' it was to relax and and read the extended range of stories, presented as they are, 'one after the other'.

I'd never begrudged the subscription charge for the 'full version', but hitherto, I'd been more focused on ensuring that my my monthly expenditure patterns matched my pension income! However, on this occasion, having so enjoyed the 'full version', I was in the mood to decide it was time I started to enjoy life just a little bit more ... and I became a premium subscriber.

Overall, it was just a case of 'the right thing at the right time'.

I'm delighted that Dan and Dottie communicated their views on the matter ... readers' actions naturally aren't always that obvious to the publisher, and publishers need to know 'why' readers act or react the way they do.

Thanks Randy for the opportunity to reinforce Dan and Dottie's comments.

Posted by Michael, Paros, Greece on January 12, 2008:

I too was impressed with the deeper or broader meaning of Dan's thoughts on the value of experience.

I intend to quote him on my blog about living on a Greek island--with proper reference to "This is True", of course.

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If you'd like to credit Dan directly, I can pass along a request to him for you; just e-mail me with a request that I forward a message, and he can reply (or not) as he wishes. -rc

Posted by Amy, Portland, OR on January 14, 2008:

I have been a free subscriber for years and at this time, I do not check my e-mail regularly. I have a set folder that all my TRUE e-mails filter into so I can enjoy them when I have time. SOMEDAY I hope to be a PREMIUM subscriber, but I am waiting till I once again have home internet access so I can enjoy each issue when it arrives. Until then, I will not ask for charity - I am just thankful a free edition exists! Anyway - thanks to Randy for all his time and efforts to keep TRUE alive.

Posted by Darin, Indiana on January 17, 2008:

True, priced at $24, is one of those subscriptions that would be well worth the money. The main reason I don't upgrade, however, is because I just can't take that much stupidity in our world. I get by perfectly fine with 4-5 stories each week to provide a "Reality Check."

If I received more than that, every week, I would lose faith in our society and have to move to some remote mountain in Colorado. Oh, sorry Randy;)

This blog has made me take time to appreciate my free edition, however. Randy, if you could provide some preferred on-line retailers that some of your free subscribers could send you an e-gift card (particularly around the holidays), we would be able to show some appreciation for your hard work.

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I appreciate the thought, Darin. Unlike many sites, I don't solicit gifts for me or my part-time staff, but some people send things anyway. I order most of the things we need, from books to hard disks, from Amazon.com, which is both cheaper and more convenient than anything near us here in the boonies of Colorado. -rc

Posted by Jody, Florida on February 6, 2008:

I thought I would chime in, even if late, that I get the Premium to support your most excellent efforts to entertain me. Quite frankly, I have had the Premium for so long I don't even remember what the differences are.

I figure that I can give up a dinner and a movie once a year to help keep you in the business.

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That'd be a pretty cheap dinner before your movie, considering ticket prices these days. McDonald's, maybe? -rc