Salon launched Broadsheet on Oct. 24, 2005, which makes this cohort of broads (and our companion blokes) a year old today. When we started the blog, it's fair to say that we were completely unprepared for the volume and intensity of the response we would get from every side. While the combatants may not have found too much common ground in the span of the year, the conversations sure have been scintillating.

What is perhaps most exciting about this project is the degree to which Broadsheet's readers have become contributors. The letters section often feels like a hangout with a mix of regulars and newbies all ready to share anything from opinions to incisive criticism to their own experiences. And the tips! We had no idea what good sources our readers were until we launched Broadsheet. If our early days were spent hunting for enough items to post, we now spend days scrambling to try to get to all the amazing stories sent our way each day. Thanks, and keep 'em coming!

We also want to thank our fiercest critics, with whom we often disagree, but who keep us honest, and who have hung on with admirable tenacity. Your devotion to showing up, reading what we post and articulating your frustrations each and every day is a big part of what keeps us going. Brightstar: Shine on, you crazy diamond.