When I started Band Back Together, it was sort of a nebulous concept for a blog. Most group blogs I’d ever seen were strictly controlled and stuck to one subject. Or they weren’t controlled – or worse, forums – at all and Internet Mole People (my word for trolls) abounded. And having the resource pages available for the broad range of categories, well I hadn’t seen that either. When I had to explain the concept of the blog, I couldn’t.
I just knew that Band Back Together was going to go somewhere, I just didn’t know exactly, well, where.
On a Monday in the middle of September, Band Back Together was launched. I’d put out a call for some stories the Friday before so that the site would have some stuff on it initially, hoping that filling it with other stories (besides my own) would make people feel more encouraged to submit. It was hard to explain that the site wasn’t another Superblog of Bloggers. It was just, well, us.
I think I slept a total of six hours that weekend, trying to get the site ready for the launch.
We launched and the server crashed and burned. I had to frantically scramble around to get a new one set up (whatever that means).
I’m not a numbers person, but I think that you should see this:
In the past 2.5 months, we’ve published 460 posts (there are 25 more waiting to be published).
We have moderated and actually published 2,600 comments.
We have 934 Twitter Followers.
As if those numbers aren’t staggering enough, here is where my mind is truly blown.
Are you ready?
Just. Holy balls, Pranksters:
486 people.
486 people have signed up in 2.5 months to WRITE on this site. 486 people have signed up to pour their heart and soul out onto a blank WordPress document, exposing all of their secrets and letting their demons, at long last, out.
Four-hundred. Eighty-six. People.
Those are the people I can measure. The people who have bothered to take the time to fill out a profile, even if they’ve never been able to spill their words out through their fingers. They are here. Youare here.
There are others, of course. Those of you who read silently, tirelessly in the background, sending prayers and love to the writers who write on this site, which is really your site, every day.
Band Back Together may have once been my site, but it is no longer, which is precisely as it should be. This was never meant to be my site. This is not another tired Super Bloggers site where I sit around with my friends and tell the same old shit. It’s so much more than that. The site goes beyond everything I ever expected it could do.
I’m honored to be a part of this site and I am humbled by each of you. Every comment matters. Every word you write is read by someone else. Your stories matter. You matter.
Here’s some comments I’ve received on Mommy Wants Vodka:
I forgot to add that Band Back Together has been the best therapy for me I have had in YEARS! Not only has it set words into the universe that I have been dying to say, it also made me realize I am not alone. I will forever –eva –eva applaud you for this.
And I love (and post at) Band Back Together. I think it’s a great site and has so much potential to grow into something AMAZING.
I lurk around on Band Back Together almost every day. There are so many beautiful stories there. I feel that it really is making a difference in people’s lives.
I LOVE Band Back Together! TY TY for starting it. I just started my own blog last week. And Band Back Together is the reason. I realized I liked getting my feelings out. I liked writing for me. It helped me. I like telling my stories and being humorous. I also like telling my dark stories. So TY again. But most of all I LOVE the community of Band Back Together. Everyone there is so supportive and caring. People need that. Especially during the dark days.
There are more, many more, just like it.
I did not write them myself. Nor did I pay anyone to write them. I just thought you should be aware. It is your site, after all 
We have a Facebook Page we have Networked Ourselves on their Networked Blogs AND we’re on The Twitter.
Just, you know, let people know that Their Band is ready for them to join, okay?
And in the meantime, WRITE HARD, Pranksters, WRITE HARD. Can’t wait to see what happens here in 2011.
(We also have shirts.)
Update (I’d written this post on Saturday): I wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to tweet and promote their stories and others from their personal Twitter, Facebook profiles and blogs. I think that seeing stories connected to real people – real people that you know – I think that really helps to make each of your stories real. And you ARE all real, I think, unless you’re actually robots, in which case, WELL PLAYED ROBOTS.
The outpouring of support in the past two days has been tremendous. You continue to amaze me.
Thank you.
Your friendly editor,
Aunt Becky
TIFFANY @ MOMNOM says:
January 3, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Aunt Becky? You are fucking amazing.
MORGAN {THE818} says:
January 3, 2011 at 2:02 pm
What you’ve done here is truly incredible. You, the pranksters, the writers, all of it. Much love woman.
MAMAKK922 (KRISTIN) says:
January 3, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I agree. This site is so truly amazing. I can share things here that I can share nowhere else. I know I am safe here. And you Aunt Becky made that Possible so thank you for allowing me to share my hardest stories. And I’m not done yet it just takes time. But TY again. I don’t think I will ever be able to say that enough. And to all the other Pranksters THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support you have offered when I have poured out my hardest stories.
LEAH says:
January 3, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I could say thank you 100,00 times and it wouldn’t be enough. These last few days have been so freeing and rewarding to me.
You rock. Hard.
THE SWEETEST says:
January 3, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Because this blog is all awesomeness. It’s honest, funny, serious, and enlightening. So awesome.
Katya says:
January 3, 2011 at 2:33 pm
I love you. I love BB2G. I love your passion and commitment to BB2G. You’re my hero, AB. Really & truly.
PS you can paypal me the royalty check for using my comment above… j
aunt becky Reply:
January 3rd, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Bwahaha!
As soon as I get a check, I’ll divvy it up. You can expect that in a couple thousand years.
Nancy P says:
January 3, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Ditto what Tiffany said.
mimzyofcourse says:
January 3, 2011 at 3:11 pm
This site has my full support. I truly believe in what BBT is doing. So, so very proud to be a part of it in any way I can.
Just let me know what else you need and I’m there. Here. For you all.
I recently (yesterday) got an iPad so I can check in when I’m not home and when I’m traveling.
Love each and every one of you! I’d been looking for some way I could give back and help others who are in need of comfort and support. I thank God I’m in a position to help now.
Really, let me know what you need.
My love for you all goes way past 11. Rock hard and Band Together!!!
CYCLENINJA says:
January 3, 2011 at 3:27 pm
The only thing the site lacks are t-shirts that have some sort of “Hello, Cleveland!” theme.
Because, obviously 🙂
Oh, and I emailed Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Dish to try to plug this site, but he probably gets a bajillion emails a day. The Bloggies is a better idea.
Heart you, Aunt Becky.
RUTH says:
January 3, 2011 at 5:41 pm
I am amazed and awed by the wonderful blog space you have created. You balance staying open to writers and still protect them by monitoring comments which I imagine is a massive job. I am so impressed. Thanks for what you are doing, Aunt Becky.
BECKY G. says:
January 3, 2011 at 6:01 pm
I can’t say enough wonderful things about this blog! I was already planning to make 2011 my bitch and had started blogging about it when I saw your post on Twitter. I was so thrilled to find out that there were others out there like me. Feeling alone is the worst feeling in the world–finding out you are not alone is like a miracle!
MOMMAKISS says:
January 3, 2011 at 9:20 pm
i read so often and don’t comment nearly enough.
this shit is incredible.
flutterbylizzie says:
January 3, 2011 at 9:30 pm
I’m so thankful to have found BB2G. Thank you for imagining it and thank you so much more for following through on it.
Dara26 says:
January 4, 2011 at 8:28 am
Thanks for a great blogsite!
VARDA (SQUASHEDMOM) says:
January 4, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Aunt Becky!!!!! I just nominated Band Back Together for a Bloggie in the “Best Group or Community Weblog” category. You rock!
(I would also have voted for it for “Best New Weblog”, but I started “The Squashed Bologna” in 2010 and blatant self interest won out, sorry!)
Love to you and this wonderful site, always!
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