In Internet time, 10 years seems like forever. There were just a relative handful of online alternatives to the corporate media when I launched Online Journal on September 5, 1998, and was amazed at the reception it received from readers hungry for news and commentary the so-called “mainstream media” were failing -- and are still failing -- to give them.

Thanks to the many journalists and writers -- both professionals and citizens -- around the world, who provide their work gratis, and the multitude of readers who have spread the word and helped pay the bills with their donations, Online Journal has grown and evolved over the years. But it’s still not where I would like it to be, nor, due to the expense involved in investigative reporting, can I respond to the many pleas for help I receive, because Online Journal was started on a shoestring and still operates on a shoestring.

So what to do? Thanks to Bush/Cheney and a worthless Congress, who take their marching orders from the bankers, Wall Street and the corporate captains, and have destroyed the US economy with their endless wars, offshoring jobs and letting speculators run wild, these are hard times for all but the top 5 to 10 percent of Americans, which makes it that much harder for me to ask you for financial support.

However, as my expenses keep rising, too, I have no choice. So I am launching the 10/10 Campaign -- 10 years/$10 -- and asking those of you who can to donate $10 or more to keep Online Journal going. You can make either make a secure credit card donation or if you prefer to send a check or money order, write to me at editor@onlinejournal.com.

Whether or not you can afford to make a donation, you can help by spreading the word about Online Journal.

As a journalist and former newspaper editor, I fervently believe that a free nation cannot exist without an informed people and people cannot be informed without a free, independent and unfettered press. It’s not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with what is published, but a matter of thinking after gaining the information necessary to make an informed decision.