I personally would like to thank all Newsvine users who have helped
make Newsvine what it is - the most vibrant and active community of
users on the digital news media landscape. In addition to being one
of the most powerful and unique publishing platforms on the web - the
open dialogues, the free and creative expression of ideas and the
genuine manner in which all of you participate on the site are some
of the foremost reasons that msnbc.com found Newsvine to be an attractive
company to partner with. As Newsvine.com has developed and grown, so too have
you users gelled into a community that can (and does) stand
alongside professional journalists and the mainstream media. This
has been the objective all along, to give citizens a
platform to share their ideas, experiences and access to events - by
delivering their stories to the greatest number of people - all the
while allowing readers to decide what makes it to the Top of the Vine.

I know that there are many Newsvine members who have questions
relating to the future of Newsvine, so I'd like to take this
opportunity to acknowledge and respond to your concerns. Of course,
I won't be able to answer every single question, since we ourselves
may not yet have the answers. But, I will do my best to address each
person's concerns to the best of my ability.

In anticipation of your collective concerns, here are a few things
I'd like to make clear, right off the bat:

- You (still) own your own content. Copyright to the articles you
write and publish to Newsvine will remain yours. This is the way
it's been, and will continue to be.

- The revenue sharing arrangement we have with users will continue in
its present form for the time being. Though, and completely
unrelated to the acquisition by msnbc.com, we have been considering
making an adjustment to the way contributors are compensated based on
suggestions from users.

- Newsvine's editorial functions will continue to be carried out by a
blend of collective, democratic user behavior (voting, comments,
etc.) and automation.

- One of the first things I plan to do once the dust has settled is
to begin working with the bright minds over at msnbc.com to develop
ways in which Newsvine's best content can make its way to a
significantly larger audience. There are many factors to consider in
this regard, but one of the primary incentives for doing this deal
was that the outcome would result in more readership and opportunity
for our best contributors - thus making the Newsvine brand something
the average news consumer will be familiar with and eventually even
come to depend on.

- The Newsvine Team you're familiar with will continue to be here.
While we'll expand the staff a bit, we don't plan to change the formula that allows us to improve the site at breakneck speed. The relationship with msnbc.com will allow us to be
freed up of some responsibilities that are inherent in running a
startup company, which will allow us to focus on projects that are of
greater significance to all of you.

I have met with the top executives at msnbc.com, and my biggest
takeaway from those conversations is that everyone over there is
extremely sensitive to altering the very properties that
make Newsvine what it is. They have conveyed to the staff,
emphatically, that things are to continue running as they have been.
Of course, the potential synergy is tremendous, but we will proceed
with integrating Newsvine's best attributes with those of msnbc.com
and vice versa, with great care and thoughtful consideration. The
first (and probably only) thing you'll notice right away is
more people coming to Newsvine!

Please feel free to ask me questions relating to the future of
Newsvine, and to air any concerns you may have at this time.

Calvin Tang
Co-founder, Newsvine