Hey there,

Hope all is well. I'm writing to let you know about some changes to Special Fish...

I went through the directory recently and removed profiles that were empty. Going forward, I will be taking a more deliberate approach to moderating the directory. Hopefully moderation will help make the website more enjoyable to browse. If your empty profile was deleted, feel free to create it again and make sure to follow the guidelines below to complete your profile. I'll also be publishing these on the website soon.

Here are the kinds of profiles I'll be removing...

• Profiles that are empty / placeholders.
• Profiles that promote far-right / racist ideologies. Thankfully I haven't seen any of this on the fish but let me know if you come across it.
• Profiles that are too commercial. E.g. marketing a business / product.
• Profiles that don't feel considered. Your profile should say something about you or your interests. Spend at least 15 minutes filling out your profile.

For those that currently have incomplete profiles, please update them by July 31 otherwise they will be removed.

What does a complete profile look like?

1. A personal log: What have you been thinking about lately? Talk about your day-to-day life, a recent dream, or where you see yourself in a few years from now. This isn't a twitter bio so the longer the better. Some people use this as a blog but it's not required.

2. Lists: Create a few lists. Again these should feel personal and considered. Create a playlist of music you've been listening to this month, a list of friends personal websites you admire, or a recent recipe you've been cooking.

3. Fans: Go through the directory and favorite some profiles. Add these favorites to your profile by checkmarking them on your favorites page.

4. Website: This is by no means required, but it's always nice to follow links to personal websites, so if you have one please add it.

Complete profiles should have a log and at least 2 thoughtful lists.

Special Fish is becoming more of a directory than a social network so I hope moderating it will make it more interesting to browse going forward. Let me know if you have any questions about these changes. I am always curious to hear your thoughts on the fish.

See you in the water,
Elliott