An open letter to LifeTwo readers

Last quarter LifeTwo experienced a dramatic increase in traffic and it seems like a good time to update you on us and talk about a few things you might want to do on the site.

First, what is LifeTwo? We are a site that deals with all of the things (both the good and the not-so-good) that happen in midlife. Several years ago we found this to be a largely ignored phase of life on the web compared to other periods. As we thought about it we decided that the optimal way of helping people was to feature published articles from credible & recognizable sources (for example from the New York Times or perhaps a newly published academic report) combined with contributions from "everyday" people who have something to say on those topics. Every day the LifeTwo editors and contributors scan hundreds of sources looking for information that we think is relevant and important. We then capsulize the key points and then link to the original source. If our growing traffic is any indication, you agree with our choice of topics and how we are presenting them.

Become a member of LifeTwo. At long last we are starting to roll out additional benefits and abilities for registered users. If you use the site then please take the one minute to register. This is especially important if you participate in the discussion groups. To join look for the sign-up link on the far right hand corner of this page.

Discussion Forums. Want help? Want to help others? Visit our midlife discussion forums and share your midlife experiences while others do the same. It's one thing to read an article about dealing with a cheating spouse, it's another to hear the first hand accounts of those dealing with it in real-time. This is the power of the Internet at its best. Participate!

Leave comments. User participation is not limited to discussion forums. Every article on LifeTwo can become a conversation. If you agree/disagree on a topic or just think you can add something to it then please chime in.

RSS. If you like reading blogs then you should consider tapping the power of RSS, a technology that brings your favorite blog posts to you instead of you having to go to it. Read about it here.

Newsletter. The best way to insure that you never miss out on our big stories, developments, giveaways, news, etc., etc., is to sign up for the LifeTwo monthly newsletter. You can always unsubscribe and it's free.

Facebook. If you are on FacebookPodcasts. Have an iPod? Then you should absolutely be listening to the LifeTwo podcast series. You can find us in iTunes or by going to this Podcast page where you can listen to it directly. All we ask is that if you like what you hear that you consider leaving a comment at iTunes.

SPAM. You may occasionally find that after you leave a comment it is no where to be found. It likely got caught up on our automated spam filter which uses algorithms to try and identify suspected spam. Rest assured that we go through the filter several times a day and we will rescue your addition and publish it. Spam filters are a necessity in today's internet. We filter several hundred unwanted commercial messages (most coming from Russia and China) every single day.

We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and participation. Please consider participating in one of the manners above and don't hesitate to let us know if there is something you feel can be done better.

Greg, Wesley and all of the LifeTwo contributors