WE DID IT!
If you are coming here because you heard (maybe from me) that the UU Hysterical Society was on the threshold of closing, I have wonderful news for you. The good people of our UUHS responded in full force with “not on our watch” and made monthly pledges that solved the imminent crisis. We are going to be fine. You are still welcome to donate—all money collected will go one hundred percent to the mods, after transaction fees—but it’s not necessary to keep the group from closing.
A couple of people have asked why we pay our moderators—not every group does. We’ve responded that many groups are smaller, or have less complex topics. When we were that size, we had volunteer mods, too. At 280,000 members, UUHS moderating requires several hours a day, and frankly quite a lot of expertise. And… They do a really, really good job. We believe UUHS is a very special corner of the internet, and Kathy and Lynn (on the left in the photo above) are a huge part of why.
I’m Liz (I’m on the right in the photo). I used to moderate UUHS as a volunteer. I burned out. I asked the group to donate so I could get some help, so they did. And you know what happened? The moderation got way, way better. So, that’s why we have had paid moderation since 2020.
It’s no secret that the social internet is turning into a dumpster fire in places. But… Not everywhere. There are a lot of places where people are pushing back, and people like the UUHS mods put in many hours a day in service of the vision of a better online world. Are we sure it’s the right thing to expect them to do it for free? Is that fair? Respectful? Is it getting us the results we want?
If we want a not-dumpster-fire-internet, shouldn’t we be prepared to value that, and fight for it?
If you feel mod work should be paid work, I invite you to consider a one time donation or a monthly pledge. But I want to clear that this is only an invitation. People who don’t donate are ALWAYS welcome in UUHS. They don’t need a reason, they don’t owe us an explanation—everyone is welcome here.
Hey, what else is here?
While you’re here, have a look around! There are funny writings about the beginning of the UU Hysterical Society and more (see the Resources drop-down menu), as well as more serious blog posts, sermons, and other items (further down that list). We have a UUHS Shop, where there are many free downloads and some physical items to purchase. 100% of our Shop profits support Flaming Chalice International. You can find out more about why, here, and in the rest of the Flaming Chalice drop-down. Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your support!