audiodocumentarydotorg

AD Needs Your Help

Hi all. I'd like to start with a sincere thank-you to all the AD fans that have helped spread the word about AD and who keep coming back and sending their encouragement.  It's truly touching to see how many people care about the site and appreciate what we are trying to do.

AudioDocumentary.org was started about a year ago to provide a portal to all the great, free audio documentary online.  Since we started I have heard from fans around the world about how much they enjoy and value the site.  I have received contributions from listeners and producers, fan mail, and even letters from university students using the site to study the genre.  A few dedicated volunteers have helped keep the site going -- helping me update.  And the site has been included in audio documentary curricula at a number of prominent universities including University of Calgary, The University at Albany - SUNY, Parsons (New School for Design), even in a power point by Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, among others.

We have also received recognition from some very flattering sources.  AD is a featured link on RTE Documentary on One and a Featured Collector on SpokenWord.org.  GenPRX called AD "a mother lode of audio goodness."  And Barret Golding -- on the Hearing Voices blog -- was kind enough to link to us very early on.

All this has been very gratifying and beyond all my expectations when I started this humble site.

But we have a problem...

AD is what I would refer to as an "unprofit."  That's lower than a non-profit.  That is, we have no funding whatsoever.  Starting with the awesome web designer who spent countless hours putting together the site for free, the volunteers, the fans, those who have helped spread the word...  everything has been done without a dime of funding.  There is indeed something very cool about that.  But there is also something very limiting -- very confining -- about that.  I feel AD could be much more than it is right now.  If we can do what we have done with such limited resources, think what we could become with a little push!

So, if you have found AD to be useful, entertaining, or amusing -- if you have used the site -- please consider making a donation via paypal (scroll down to the bottom on our "contribution" page).  No contribution is too small.  No contribution is to large!

Or, BETTER YET consider becoming one of our volunteer updaters.  We need people with their ears to the ground (so to speak) -- people who are out there listening and finding unique audio -- who can actively update the site.  It's great to have people send me links but updating can be time consuming and I (along with a small cadre of volunteers) cannot do justice to the mission of AD and still maintain our day jobs.  I envision a team of updaters who would keep the site constantly fresh -- consistently updated -- everyday... perhaps multiple times a day. 

If you are a student looking for a resume boost, an audio doc enthusiast, or a radio pro with a little time to spare, please consider joining our team.  It's actually a lot of fun.

You could also help by spreading the word, linking to us, or just offering some sage advice about funding, the direction of the site, or advice on what we could do to improve it.  Together we can continue building something truely unique to the world of audio.

But most importantly, thanks again for all the support and encouragement.  It means a lot.  Here's to a vibrant future for AD and the audio documentary community as a whole!

Sincerely,

David Maxon

AudioDocumentary.org

My Mom Wants to Get a Haitian

Lots in the news about the controversial adoption of Haitian children.  AD listener Kevin Bolger sent this really "on-the-ground" personal story from a 25 year-old whose mom really wants a couple Hatian kids.

"brief interview with my friend about a possible change to his family. His mother is considering adopting children from Haiti."