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It's not an easy decision, but at some point I have to face reality and accept that after the 25 years Mailfriends has been around, times have changed.
Back then, in the late nineties, I got my first access to the internet. I started making websites and had a lot of fun doing it. I wanted to use my new knowledge to create something new that didn't exist before. And so Mailfriends was born, bringing pen pals into the digital age.
Since then a lot has happened. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter... were born and are now more or less a thing of the past. The demand for pen pals and e-mail pals has also drastically reduced in recent decades. I was aware of this trend, but I continued to run Mailfriends.
The last big change was in 2017. I was actually ready to close Mailfriends back then, but somehow I felt compelled to put all my strength into it again. The attempt was successful and I am very pleased that there are still loyal users who appreciate this offer and actively support it.
But if I'm honest with myself, Mailfriends has been a burden for me over the last few years. And by that I don't mean financially, although that has always been a problem, but personally. It is complex to operate such a site responsibly. There are always problems with the server that need to be fixed. The site must be continuously updated to reflect the current state of the art for the security of your data. Inquiries come in daily, which I try to answer as best I can (even the rudest ones).
All this costs a lot of time and nerves, around the clock. There is always something to do, there is no real timeout. When I started, I was still going to school, so I was able to put it down well, but at some point I had to admit to myself that I'm getting older, that I don't have the strength I used to have, that the responsibilities and priorities in life are changing.
The last three years have been particularly tough. Corona and the bad economic situation were or are additional burdens that led to this step. I have decided to downsize for myself, my health and my family. I'm quitting my part-time job and I'm quitting Mailfriends at the end of this year.
Please stop your ongoing support by December 31, 2022. Anything that comes in after that I will donate to charity.
Warm greetings
Your Christoph
Although Mailfriends is freely available for you, it needs to be hosted, maintained and developed, and this depends on your voluntary support. More information...
In the last 30 days Mailfriends was supported by 3 users, with currently 518 active users.
Unfortunately, the support from the community is currently not enough to cover the basic operating costs. Please also contribute something and secure the future of Mailfriends!