WTF? Wattpad is taking away private messaging.

We had a deal, Wattpad you provide us a convenient well-maintained platform for interacting with likeminded authors and readers and in exchange we would provide content and an audience for your ubiquitous ads. Now you've taken away private messaging making interacting with each other a lot less convenient. You apparently have already given up maintaining the platform. At times we can't comment, whole sections disappear temporarily, and numerous other glitches are quite common now. Yeah, why pay for decent software maintenance when you can increase your profit margins?

How about just keeping your promises and living up to your commitments to us?

I fear this is part of a growing trend in human society. Younger pups won't believe this, but most people used to pursue careers to make the world a better place. People became health care workers, first responders, engineers, and artists all with the intention of making the world healthier, safer, easier to live in, and generally aesthetically more pleasing. And when they made a commitment, they kept it. We cared about each other more than the money.

Last year I entered a writing contest called "Shadow Trials" where we were supposed to be given a new prompt every month to write 5000 words on. Winners were to be chosen for each month and after twelve months an overall winner would be chosen and prizes awarded. The contest went well for eleven months. I was even one of the monthly winners. Then, before the final month's prompt could be posted, the group sponsoring the contest fell apart. They disbanded without any explanation. I'm not sure how the other contestants felt about this, but you'd think after writing thousands of words for the contest that they'd be a bit upset. Maybe we all have just gotten used to people failing to live up to their commitments.

A friend of Farley's was complaining about how people on the West Coast are always saying they will do something and then never show up. Unlike on the East Coast where she grew up. There people took commitments seriously. I guess the fact she now lives in California explains why she left her husband. Ironic? No, what is ironic is she's a professional family counselor.

I don't think failure to live up to commitments is limited to either coast. The United States Congress has members from every part of the country. Most got elected by making promises they couldn't possibly keep, and they all took an oath to support the constitution. Yet once elected, most seem to be more interested in supporting themselves and their own party even to the detriment of their constituents and the constitution.

Maybe even I sometimes lack the commitment to finish what I ...

You saw that coming, didn't you? Coyote commitment comically concluded.