The Fog Lifts

What a 24 hours!

You have all clearly demonstrated what makes this place such a wonderful community.  The activity here on the site and across at Facebook and other places has been utterly amazing.  The support for Joe and the other members of Blip Central is manifest; we really have given it our all.  So many thoughts about how we can help to ensure the survival of the community.  Real passion.  It was wonderful to see the response to a number of blips yesterday.  I imagine we were close to taking down the Blipfoto servers with all of the chatter!

And tonight we get a communication from Joe, an explanation.........and hope!

Sit tight folks, we are going to have to weather uncertain waters for a few more days until we know what the solution will be, but we do have a preferred bidder and discussions sound well advanced.  Given the alternative I for one will be happy at anyone who is willing to come in and keep the site viable.

Just one or two points that I have found out over the last day or so.  Firstly the relationship with Polaroid was a brand licensing agreement, not a buy out, or partnership.  I am sure the board made the decision for this affiliation to try and secure long term security for Blipfoto.  In no way do I see the relationship as being the cause of the liquidation.  If anything it probably held off the evil day - negotiations will have gone on for some time prior to the announcement.  Secondly some people have suggested that liquidation means that the Company's survival is no longer an option, the servers will be switched off and content destroyed.  Well Joe's statement gives us reason for hope.  Polaroid are still part of the site and if they weren't in for the long haul I imagine without their consent to retain the branding it would have resulted in the site being taken down.

We were unrealistic to believe that the cosy world of Blip could continue without some changes.  My memory of Polaroid was instant cameras and waving the print, waiting for it to develop before my eyes.  I've looked into the company.  Perhaps people think Polaroid is a bad brand.  I've read it is the second largest mobile phone company in France, one of the top three TV brands in Europe and their instant photo cameras outsell Fuji five to one in the USA.  The company has grown by 15% each year over the last 5 years in what has been fairly difficult economic conditions.  In a survey it was the 9th most recognised brand in the world.

Joe and the board would not have gone into the branding arrangement without due diligence and the belief that the relationship added to Blipfoto.  They thought it was the right choice, who are we to question that decision? Sometimes we as members almost seem take ownership of Blipfoto.  The cold reality is that it was a business and we had no more say on how it was run than the person who walks into a store to buy a loaf of bread.  That we should feel like this is credit to the people who ran Blip, who developed it, nurtured it and let it grow.  They created an environment where we 'belonged' and took on this sense of ownership.  It's gold dust.  Thousands of company CEOs would walk over hot coals to get that sort of buy in.

Keep your fingers crossed.  Should know something soon.