Rabble.ca Relaunch

For half a year now I have interned at rabble.ca, an independent web-based media, for progressive thinkers! We're undergoing a relaunch, and any contributions are greatly appreciated.

rouse V. (rauz): To stir somebody into action or a more active state, or to become more active

Change is in the air at rabble.ca and we are rousing people to be a part of it. rabble.ca is undergoing a redesign to provide a better product, highlight more voices, strengthen independent media, and promote more interaction on Canada's site for alternative news and views. With this redesign comes a re-launch and we are asking you to be part of the new rabble. You can contribute right now by making a secure donation at www.rabble.ca/donate. And for contributions of $25, $50, $100 or more, not only will you be contributing to the next phase of rabble's independent journalism, you willbe entered into a drawing for great prizes including:

- a guided canoe trip for two in Algonquin Park (courtesy ofBeautiful North)

- a gift certificate to Grassroots Environmental products (valued$500)

- a one of a kind Canadian cd music box set, featuring the Good BeTanyas, Bruce Cockburn, and more!

- a gift box of Cocoa Camino fair trade organic products

The new rabble will incorporate a number of web 2.0 tools and will feature:

- New voices on the site, including in-house rabble blogs, comment features on articles and podcasts, and more opportunities for visitors -YOU - to interact with the site

- Greatly improved navigation and search functions

- Multi-media such as video, slideshows, interactive graphics and rss feeds (which allow visitors to subscribe to some content)

- A much greater ability for rabble to adapt the site to the needs.

We need you to make this vision come true. We have set and met many goals for rabble. And with your investment we can re-launch the site and continue to strengthen independent Canadian journalism. rabble.ca was launched in 2001 by a group of committed activists and media professionals to address the democracy gap in the media and to bring fresh and under-represented voices to the media mix. We have done this.

We are proud of our ongoing successes. To date our babble discussion board has over 14,000 registered users. We were one of the first to develop and promote podcasts by Canadians from diverse backgrounds through the rabble podcast network. Civil society groups, including organized labour, have received greater exposure and website traffic due to our feature in cahoots. Canadian authors have found a new home to have books promoted, reviewed, discussed and sold at the rabble book lounge. And of course we also publish original articles by established and emerging writers as well as reprinting intelligent and progressive pieces by some of Canada's best thinkers and writers.

Can we rouse you to support the rabble re-launch? rabble.ca is an independent non-profit organization. We do not receive tax funding and are not owned or supported by any corporation. rabble.ca depends on support from organizations and from people like you. You can contribute right now at www.rabble.ca/donate.

At rabble we are proud that we have provided free alternative independent news and views for six years. We plan to be around for much longer, with more voices, more interaction and greater services and ease of use. rabble.ca will remain free to listen to, free to comment on, free to read. However, it is never free to operate.

We believe our redesign will bring new people to rabble and provide a better experience for our regular visitors. This is a crucial funding drive for our redesign and re-launch and we are depending on your support.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kim Elliott, Publisher, and the rest of the rabble.ca team!

P.S. Please help spread the word by rousing at least five of your friends into action, sending them an email asking them to support rabble's re-launch. We make it easy with a form on our site: www.rabble.ca/tellafriend