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Windows Secrets & LangaList NEWS UPDATE • Issue 86a • 2006-11-28

 		   
   
LANGALIST PLUS SPECIAL BONUS

Two months' extension for paid subscribers

Brian Livingston By Brian Livingston

This is a special news update of Windows Secrets & LangaList. I'm sending this message only to people who, like you, were paid subscribers of the original LangaList Plus newsletter.

Long before the Windows Secrets Newsletter and the LangaList merged on Nov. 16, editor Fred Langa announced on June 22 that the LangaList would be taking a summer hiatus of "at least 6-8 weeks." During this period, Fred moved his home office and reconfigured his computer systems.

As you may know, this process took longer than expected. Fred's publishing hiatus stretched for three months, with the next issue of LangaList not appearing until Sept. 18.

That period of nonpublication might be fine for the free LangaList subscribers, who didn't pay anything. But a different situation affects the paid LangaList Plus subscribers, who didn't get an extension of their expiry dates. I'll let Fred explain, in the box shown below, the thinking behind that.

In any case, before the two newsletters merged, I couldn't say anything about LangaList policy. Now that Fred and I are working together, however, I can make an executive decision that you should have received an extension to your paid subscription. That's what I'm doing today.

I think it's fair for any publication to take the month of July off for a summer break. (PC Magazine and many others go four weeks between issues in the summer, and that's fine.) But you should have received credit for the two months of skipped issues in August and September. So I'm offering a no-questions-asked, two-month extension at no cost, plus an additional 14-month extension for those subscribers who are interested.

All you need to do is read the details (shown below Fred's text box), then go to your preferences page to get one of the two extensions I'm offering. Just click a button there and you're done.
Fred Langa Why your paid sub wasn't extended before

By Fred Langa

LangaList subscriptions used to run for a calendar year. As was described in the signup and renewal materials at Langa.com, I wasn't able to promise a specific number of issues per year. As a one-man operation with no back-up helpers or staff, if I broke a hand or whatever, there was no one to pick up the slack until I was back writing again.

With that kind of uncertainty, I felt I shouldn't and couldn't promise a set number of issues per year. On the other hand, I never anticipated a hiatus of the length that happened this past summer. Frankly, that wasn't great foresight on my part.

Brian Livingston, the editorial director of the combined Windows Secrets & LangaList, has generously offered to correct my oversight. He'll extend your paid subscription, at no cost, by two full months. That's actually more than the excess portion of my hiatus! It's a super deal for all former LangaList Plus subscribers, and one you shouldn't pass up. An extra two months, tacked on to the end of your subscription, absolutely free!

In the section below, Brian gives you the details on how to get two free extra months on your paid subscription. But first, I'd like to publicly thank him for this generous gesture, and for going the extra mile to make sure the LangaList gang is treated right as we merge with Windows Secrets. Thanks, Brian!


One click to get your 2-month extension

It's as simple as clicking the link shown below for you to get two free months added to your paid subscription. Here's the deal:

1. All LangaList subscribers who had a paid subscription on Aug. 1, 2006, are eligible for the two-month extension. Simply visit your preferences page, make sure that your delivery address and locale are set correctly, and click the Continue button. Two months will be added to your paid subscription automatically.

Why do we ask you to go to your preferences page? Because we don't have a good way to separate out those paid subscribers who upgraded for the first time in October and November. They didn't miss any issues and aren't due an extension. We'll assume they're honest and won't claim the extra time.

Why do we ask that your locale be set correctly? Paid subscribers who enter a country and ZIP/postal code (if your country uses postal codes) will receive future newsletters several hours before paid subscribers who don't. It now takes 9 or 10 hours of e-mail transmissions for us to send the newsletter to our newly enlarged audience of more than a quarter-million subscribers. Sending the first batch to those paid subscribers who've updated their preferences page is one way for us to get the information first to those who seem to be the most interested.

2. Any subscriber who renews a paid subscription will be given 14 months at the same price as 12. After you claim your two-month extension, if you'd like to renew now, you'll receive another, extra two months for the same contribution amount that would ordinarily only get you 12 months. You've seen how good our combined publication can be. Your renewals will help us make it even better.

Ever since the merger of our two publications, the contribution amount to get the paid version has been up to you. We no longer have a fixed fee — we just want as many people as possible to have the information, whatever it's worth to you. Some will contribute more, some less, and that's how we pay for the research into Windows that we do.

3. This offer is good through Dec. 31, 2006. It's a little tough, database-wise, for us to keep track of who's eligible and who's not. We'll do everything we can to keep this straight through the end of the year. After that, we'll assume that everyone who's interested has taken advantage of the offer.

If you don't immediately take us up on our free, two-month extension, we'll send you one more reminder in December, in case you missed today's message due to mail filters or something. Then the two publications will be fully integrated and the free, extra time will no longer be offered.

Use the following link to get your 2-month extension: Visit your preferences page now

How do you know that this isn't a phishing message? No problem. Fred assigned a unique reader number to you on Oct. 30. That number appears at the top and bottom of every newsletter. Spammers couldn't possibly know your number, so you can be certain that messages from us really are from us.

Don't hesitate to claim your extension because you're concerned about the financial impact on us. This is coming out of my pocket, not Fred's. It's important to both of us that you get everything you've paid for, plus more. We're happy to offer you this extension, and we're doing so with no hesitation.

There's no need to write and thank us. We should be thanking you for sticking with us as we perfect our unfamiliar new format! We promise to work as hard as we can in the months ahead to bring you the best information possible about Microsoft Windows.

Our next regular weekly issues will be published on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. Until then, keep on computing! —Brian Livingston, Editorial Director

 Brian Livingston is editorial director of Windows Secrets & LangaList and the coauthor of Windows Me Secrets and nine other books.

 		   
   
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 Windows Secrets & LangaList (after Jan. 1, 2007, the Windows Secrets Newsletter) is published weekly on the 1st through 4th Thursdays of each month, plus occasional news updates. Vacation breaks occur in late August, Thanksgiving Week, and Christmas/New Year's.

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