Quitting · For my testers

Thank you SO MUCH for your help!!!

Please do NOT share this site with anyone before contacting me directly — it is running silent and not linked to or indexed anywhere, which is mildly important to me for the time being. There is quite a lot here, and I’ve made a way for everyone to help me out with feedback. Let me give you the whole story — or you can skip to the bottom if you’re really some kind of animal who just can’t sit through a tutorial…

As you probably know, I’ve been working on a book – and it’s done! I am so, so happy with it. Along the way I have shared what I’ve been up to with many friends, family, and interested strangers, with whom I promised to let them cast eyes on my book once it was done. However, after pouring in this gargantuan amount of work, I realize that having an electronic copy of it out there in any form is not something that I am willing to do, no matter how careful everyone is. It’s just too risky in this day and age.

And so, while I would be happy to share pretty much any part of my manuscript with you, I’m not sending it out to anyone in the publishing industry who I couldn’t sue the pants off if it were to leak. And what we have here is another way that you can see what I’ve been up to AND help me in a much more important way.

Aside: If you’re especially interested in my prose, check out the Field Notes, the first few episodes of a Newsletter that will be sent every week after launch with a tool and a short essay. That is material that got edited out of the book (which is a little heavier, with more research, and to-the-point) for being somewhat…fluffy? They are mostly tangential to the big ideas in the book — but various interesting things about sobriety that I thought were interesting enough to save.

Because over time, this website has turned from purely something to get my book noticed, into something that looks a lot like some of the paid sober apps that are out there – but as you will see, quite different. A little weird. But definitely different.

The original idea was just a few apps that you could scan with your phone to enhance the book – and they all exist. But now there’s a whole bunch of other functionalities (including a phone app) as well. I don’t want to spoil them because that’s part of what I would like you to do now – just go blunder in and see what you find.

One thing that’s not a spoiler is that many are just entertainment or relaxation tools with the aim of funnelling people to the site. There’s some sharing and community whatnot because people and publishers like that. But there’s also some pretty serious and I would say highly useful, science-based content that nobody has ever put out there before, let alone given away.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to cut it to shreds. Seriously!!! Be honest. BE HONEST.

⚠︎ BE HONEST

I use the “shotgun” approach to basically everything, which involves throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Sometimes it’s a happy surprise. Sometimes I get halfway in and realize it just sucks and throw it out, other times it is half-baked but maybe kind of fun anyway? Send it! Anyway, I know some of these things don’t land properly — that’s fine with me. You should see the ones I’m not sharing! But your feedback, both good and bad, will tell me which ones to launch with, which to polish some more, and which to pretend never existed.

Also, in the comments box — any word choice, or “a label here would be great” type comments are lovely. It’s so easy for me to polish things, or add little user aids or pop-ups, or even whole databases under a “click here” thing with a touch of the button — but I have the tendency to overdo it. Feel free to go nuts on a wish list for any page, and I can probably do it.

One last request: there is the potential in this area to end up making claims or saying things to vulnerable people that I, as a non-certified expert, should not be claiming. This is not the easiest thing to explain, but I see other writers doing it and it makes my blood boil. I’ve tried to be very careful, but the potential is there — and if anything here even could be seen that way by someone in the wrong headspace, let me know and I’ll do something about it. I have some crisis numbers around but if you think I need more or some joke or tool is inappropriate, please let me know as well.

Sorry that was so long! Now try to pretend that you are someone who does not know me, and is just coming across this website randomly in the wild. You’re semi-curious and poking around, then moving on to something else (press the bottom button) when you’ve had enough. At that time, I’ll give you a few more questions.

While you’re browsing, there’s going to be a panel floating (you can shrink it to navigate easier) along with you to make comments about whatever is on your screen at that time. Here’s the cheat sheet for what each button means:

The feedback panel — left side of every page

  • ↑This is a standout! — tap on anything that lands particularly well.
  • ↓Not my favourite / Not to my taste — tap on anything that misses for you.
  • ?Instructions unclear / I don’t understand — tap when you’re not sure what something is asking you to do.
  • 🐞Something went wrong / This didn’t work right — opens a quick box for details on what broke.
  • $People would actually pay money for this — opens a slider for roughly how much per month.
  • commentSpecific comment box — type any note that doesn’t fit a button. Send it.
  • ↔shrink / expand — collapses the panel to icons only so it’s out of your way. Still works that way.
  • ✓ donedone for now — at the bottom of the panel. Takes you to a few short wrap-up questions when you’ve had enough.
  • ×X close (top-right of the panel) — removes the panel for good. The feedback you’ve given me already is still saved.

Then I’ll ask you a few questions about the ups, downs, and what you found. You can go back to exploring and continuing to give feedback for as long as you want. Thanks ever so much once again!!!