Hey everyone,

I just wanted to check in with you all about the issues we’ve had regarding the web site. Team McBride got into a room with Ground Ctrl yesterday and we talked about everything that’s come up for about 5 hours. We talked about the complaints we’ve gotten from the fans, we talked about the issues and glitches we had with the web site and fan club and we talked about how we can all work together to make the best experience for each and every one of you fans.

I’ve read comments here on the site that Ground Ctrl is a money grubbing and evil corporation who only cares about the bottom line and not Martina’s fans. I truly don’t think that is a fair assessment at all. There are features that we offered you in the past (being able to friend people and send private messages) which are not a part of the free accounts here on the site any longer, but this is a new system and a new web site so there will be some changes. Some of the changes people will love and some people will hate. We do hope that it falls mainly in the love category, but that is all up to you, the fans.

Everyone agrees that there have been communications breakdowns between those of us on Martina’s team and you fans. You all deserve to know what the free accounts get and what the fan club accounts get. Things will be spelled out more clearly on the web site shortly. We’re also going to work to have a more pointed control of communications with the fans. Here on the forums I’m going to do my best to get you all the information that you need as well as to listen to your concerns and ideas. That’s not to say Eddie or any of the other guys from Ground Ctrl won’t chime in from time to time because they truly want to be a part of the Martina community but they also understand that you and I have built a relationship already. I’ve known a lot of you for ten or fifteen years now and Ground Ctrl understands that.

A lot of the feedback you’ve given us has really helped, whether you believe that or not. While there have been a bunch of technical issues that hit the site over the first 6 weeks I can tell you that it doesn’t come from a lack of effort or a lack of passion. Brent and Vinnie over at Ground Ctrl take their work seriously and take it personally when people criticize their work. Have they deserved some of that criticism? Sure, we all know the launch of the new site wasn’t perfect. But on the other hand, now that the bugs are starting to get fixed and new features added I sincerely hope that you all put some of the same effort into posting positive comments and thanking them for their hard work.

You can believe me when I tell you things behind the scenes have gotten heated at times. I said in the meeting yesterday that I’d be more worried if they NEVER got heated. Martina and John have a team of people around them, Ground Ctrl included, who are passionate about both our jobs and Martina and her music and career. All normal functional families have arguments, they have fights, people yell at each other and they make up. Ground Ctrl is just the newest members of our family and we’re not going to treat them any differently. For the good and the bad they’re now a part of the crazy family that is Team McBride.

As for the specific errors, it would appear that the 404 errors have finally been fixed. The fan club expiration dates are either fixed or in the process of being fixed. There are a few other cosmetic glitches with the site that will be taken care of as well.

As far as the features of being able to add friends and send private messages, that is going to stay a fan club member perk for the foreseeable future. For those of you non-fan club members though we are interested in getting you involved and showing you the perks involved with the fan club so we’re working on getting everyone that was a member of the old Martinaville forums a free three month trial membership to the fan club so you can see what’s going on behind the curtain if you will! Stay tuned for more information on that.

No decision has been made yet, but my suggestion to Ground Ctrl was to shut the feedback section of the forum down. Not because we don’t want the input, but because it seems like it’s a place where it’s way too easy for everything to get a negative tone too quickly. It’s my feeling that I’d rather just post my email address and deal with any issues on a one-on-one basis. I think we can get more done quickly that way and try to keep the forums a place for lively fun discussions about Martina and her music.

I know I’ve heard from a lot of you about this switch over to Ground Ctrl and I appreciate all the positive things I’ve heard about my work here. For 15 years I was the guy that wrote ever line of code on the website and sent out each and every newsletter. It’s an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of great fans and I’ve been treated as one of the family from Martina and John. I’m looking forward to working with Ground Ctrl to create some great new content for you all and continue to do what I’ve always done, promote Martina to every new person that I can find! That’s really where it all started for me 15 years ago with the first Martina McBride web site and that’s really where I’m still at. Nobody can sing like Martina McBride, nobody - and it’s my goal to help make sure everyone on the planet knows that!

If there’s ever anything I can do to help you promote Martina, please let me know! Friend me up here or on Facebook or Twitter and let’s talk about how we can spread the word. I know I’ve said it for years, but Martina truly has some of the best fans in the business. And in this business that’s what it’s about, the fans. You all make or break and artist, make no mistake about it! We thank each and every one of you for letting us do what we do. Either you rock or you suck, and you guys sincerely ROCK!!

Thanks,
Darren

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