News: The End of MacMinute

Despite the fact that there are many tech web sites out there and we all are hoping you’ll add our site to your bookmarks, there isn’t that much news worse than when the landscape changes. Back in April, our colleague over at MacMinute, Stan Flack, passed away at the too young age of 42. Stan was the mastermind behind MacMinute and also created MacCentral, which later was folded into the Macworld empire. However, we’ve recently learned that MacMinute’s future is a bit uncertain.

Always to the point, MacMinute featured headlines, press releases, and important updates with a very simple design. The site’s design has not changed in almost six years, as the content was key. People went to MacMinute for the news, and many sites partnered up with MacMinute thanks to technologies such as RSS and other means of syndication. Now, certain complications have come up and the site cannot be continued, as posted by Stan’s sister yesterday:

Upon careful consideration and with deep sadness, I regret to inform Stan’s MacMinute readers that we are unable to continue operating the MacMinute website at this time. It is not that we do not have the passion, nor is it because of the emotional pain attached to it. Due to reasons that are completely beyond our control, we are neither able to sell nor operate MacMinute. I cannot tell you how much this pains me personally, as I know how much Stan cared for MacMinute–we spoke of this often in our lengthy daily chats. However, I want everyone to know that this is not something that we want to do, but must do. If there was a way, any way, that we could continue to operate MacMinute, we would. I have personally done absolutely everything within my power to “make this happen,” but there is simply no way. In fact, I did post a previous notice explaining our intentions to close the site down (so none of you are hallucinating), but with a new lead, I did remove it in a last ditch effort to keep the site running. I wanted to be sure that I had exhausted EVERY avenue. However, this also proved to be a dead-end. So now, as we have said good-bye to our beloved Stan, we now must say good-bye to that which he has created–MacMinute. I am presently in the process of having MacMinute traffic redirected. I will make one more post to inform all readers as to where we intend to redirect and when. I do apologize for not posting with paragraph breaks. Stan had me set up to post on his site, as it was his intention for me to carry on the business, but the editor’s page is not formatted to post in paragraph form, or at least not easily. We would like to thank all of you MacMinute readers for your faithful support of Stan’s website in the past and trust you are able to find the Mac news you seek in a different forum. May God bless each one. On behalf of the Flack family, Julie (Flack) McKenna, Stan’s sister.

Earlier today there was an update, and the situation does not look very promising:

I would like to make a clarification as, evidently, I was not crystal clear with my previous post. I have read many of the comments made online regarding MacMinute, and I would like to clarify a couple of points. Firstly, I did not say that a buyer for the site could not be found. In fact, we have been approached by many with interest in purchasing MacMinute. For reasons known only to Stan’s family, the business cannot be sold at this time. Secondly, some were puzzled that no one has stepped forward with an offer to run the business. Again, several have kindly offered to assist us in this regard, and we are extremely grateful, but that is still not an option. Not only that, WE cannot keep the site running, not because we are not capable, as we are very familiar with Stan’s business, but for other reasons which need not be disclosed. I realize that you all may not understand this decision, but there are many factors that you all are not privy to. Be assured, we have done everything within our power to enable MacMinute to live on, but this is simply not possible. The best we can do is to redirect traffic to another site, so that MacMinute can live on in some way. I will make a post when this arrangement has been made, prior to it being put in place. It will not be for a few days. I have read through the Member’s Lounge comments, and it is quite evident that you have all become “family.” So, from our family to yours, we wish you all the very best, and we trust that you are all able to keep connected in a new forum. Thanks again for your kind words of sympathy to our family. We appreciate it! On behalf of the Flack family, Julie (Flack) McKenna

We’ve already lost a great member of the Mac Web and now it looks like we’re going to lose his greatest creation. Thank you, Stan Flack. You will be missed.