Modernizing the Supporter System

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about noticing some suspicious activity on our Stripe account. It turns out that some nefarious actors were using the system to test stolen credit card numbers. I detailed the potential cost implications of this in the newsletter (in time and real money,) and I am now happy to announce that I’ve made a series of changes to hopefully mitigate this activity.

I have rebuilt the website’s supporter platform to better use Stripe’s tools for processing payments and managing subscriptions. I also took this opportunity to add a variety of features and better streamline the entire flow.

For anyone that is currently a supporter, nothing has changed. You don’t need to do anything to take advantage of the new system; your account will automatically work with it.

The Changes

  • I redesigned the support page. All three plans now offer even more ways to signup, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Just pick which tier you’re interested in, and you can easily signup and choose between the monthly or yearly options.
  • There’s also a new manage page for supporters to manage their subscriptions. This page lets you change your payment method, switch from a monthly to a yearly plan, change membership tiers, and cancel your plan (plz no).

Unfortunately, I had to turn off membership signups for the past two weeks while I was making this change, and the end of the year is usually one of the biggest signup periods we have (end-of-the-year lists, holidays, etc.). So, if you were unable to signup before, or you’re a long-time reader ready to now, please do!

I’ll monitor the new system over the next few days to see how it’s all working while I finish putting together our end-of-the-year feature. If all goes well, I should have some time this week to work on a few other new features for the website I’ve had on my list for a while as well.

As always, thank you to everyone that reads this website and helps fund its continued existence. If you ever have any questions or issues with your subscription, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Liner Notes (December 24th, 2022)

v

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas eve. I’ll be spending the weekend with family, so this week’s newsletter is very brief. I really just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holiday and thank you all for subscribing and reading each week.

Next week I will be working fixing the Stripe issue I detailed here, and finalizing our end of the year feature for publication on January 2nd. I had hoped to work on a few other features I’ve had on my list for a while, but this Stripe issue really needs to take priority. I got a good start on it yesterday and hopefully there won’t be too many setbacks and I can get this rolled out within the next week.

Some things I saw around the internet this week that are worth your time:

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Liner Notes (December 10th, 2022)

Snowflake

This week’s newsletter has me mostly frustrated with credit card fraud. There are also some thoughts on music I’ve been listening to, an app I don’t think I’ve recommended before, and various other tidbits. As always, there’s also a playlist of ten songs I liked, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Read More “Liner Notes (December 10th, 2022)”

2022 Gift Guide

Holiday

The holiday season is upon us!

I’ve once again collected a list of things that I’ve personally used, enjoyed, and think make pretty good gifts. I have recommendations posts that I update regularly for software, headphones, and miscellaneous stuff, so this list is more focused on things not included in those posts and geared towards stuff I’ve come across in the past year or so that I like.

I used my Amazon affiliate link when the product showed up there, which gives our website a slight percentage back if you make a purchase and therefore helps fund our continued existence.

If you’d like to get me a gift, becoming a supporting member or gifting another user a supporting membership for a year would mean the world to me. And, if you’re looking for something in just about any price range with a Chorus.fm or AbsolutePunk.net logo on it, check our merch shop.

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Liner Notes (November 27th, 2022)

Thanksgiving

Welcome to a lazy holiday version of the newsletter. This week I tweak my task management system, revisit some bands I haven’t listened to in a while, and break out the holiday/feel-good movies. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I think are worth your time, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

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Liner Notes (November 6th, 2022)

This week’s newsletter has thoughts on music out this week (and last), some early first impressions of the new Anti-Flag album, and commentary on other media I’ve consumed recently. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

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Liner Notes (October 23rd, 2022)

Halloween

This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on the When We Were Young festival cancelation yesterday and early thoughts on new music out last week (Taylor Swift, Pinkshift, Young the Giant). There’s also a playlist of ten songs I think are worth your time, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Read More “Liner Notes (October 23rd, 2022)”

Liner Notes (October 16th, 2022)

Ferris Wheel

This week’s newsletter has my thoughts on the Blink-182 reunion, first impressions of new music out this week (1975, Betty Who, Ten Foot Pole), and some early impressions of the new Carly Rae Jepsen. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I liked, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Read More “Liner Notes (October 16th, 2022)”

Liner Notes (October 8th, 2022)

Leaves

This week’s newsletter leads with my thoughts on what this upcoming week may bring us and then has some thoughts on music I enjoyed this week (Sunsleeper, AFI, Origami Angel). There’s commentary on some entertainment I consumed and a pumpkin patch story. As always, there’s a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Read More “Liner Notes (October 8th, 2022)”

All Things Go Festival Creator Summit: Interview With Bartees Strange

Bartees All Things Go Feature

Over the weekend, I was in attendance for the All Things Go Festival and specifically the “Creator Summit” that featured several key interviews of All Things Go artists like Bartees Strange, and Empress Of. I was able to record the full interview session of NPR’s Marissa Lorusso’s “Fireside Chat” with Bartees Strange, where he shared his unique story that led to his critical acclaim and commercial success. The event took place in the heart of Washington D.C., at the Eaton Hotel’s Beverly Snow Room.

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Furnace Fest and Thoughts on Legacy

Furnace Fest

The second year of the rebirth of Furnace Fest has come and gone, the weekend flying by even faster than I expected, and I’m probably buying a pre-order ticket for next year after I submit this write-up. I still remember the 2021 iteration as if I attended it last weekend, not over 365 days ago. My ears are still ringing, even though I wore my ear plugs a lot more faithfully this year. My legs still haven’t quite found their full strength again yet, and the less said about my lower back the better. It’s a special weekend and I am so thankful I’ve gotten to experience it twice.

I showed up to a Zoom conference with my freelance client at 6:45pm on the following Monday, still coughing and blowing dust out of my nose every few minutes. My face was slightly sunburnt from three days spent in the Alabama sunshine. Throughout the meeting, I couldn’t stop yawning. Eventually, my client goes, “You look like you had a fun weekend. What were you doing?”

“I was at this metal, hardcore, punk festival thing down in Birmingham.”

“Of all of the things you could’ve said, that is the one thing I wouldn’t have expected from you.”

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Liner Notes (September 24th, 2022)

Moon

This week’s newsletter has some first impressions of the new AirPods, some results after experimenting with iOS 16 lock screens, and the usual commentary on music and entertainment I enjoyed last week. As always, there’s also a playlist of ten songs I liked, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Read More “Liner Notes (September 24th, 2022)”