Awate.com is back—with a cleaner, faster, and less intrusive experience after the removal of the excessive pop-ups and disruptive plugins that had burdened the site for far too long.
This moment gives us an opportunity not only to announce technical improvements but also to reflect honestly on where we have been, the challenges we faced, and where we hope to go next.
Many of you will remember that Awate experienced relatively few technical problems after 2022, when Tesfalidet Meharenna devoted his knowledge, time, and commitment to helping Awate.com run smoothly. Together, we developed ambitious plans to improve the platform, expand its reach, and strengthen its impact.
Sadly, those plans were interrupted when Tes became seriously ill and was hospitalized. None of us imagined that he would not recover. His passing in January 2024 was not only a personal loss but also a profound institutional loss for Awate.
Since then, his family and institution have done everything possible to keep the website functioning. But over time, the effects of limited technical support became increasingly visible. Awate was gradually overwhelmed by intrusive ads, neglected maintenance, outdated software, and persistent pop-ups that disrupted the reading experience and undermined the quality of the platform.
The recent cleanup required dedicated technical work to remove the advertising clutter, upgrade the website infrastructure, improve performance, and restore stability to the site. While much has now been addressed, this is only the beginning of a broader effort to modernize Awate without losing its identity.
At the same time, the digital landscape itself has changed dramatically.
Social media platforms increasingly reward speed over depth, reaction over reflection, and brevity over substance. Audiences are pushed toward clips, fragments, and algorithm-driven engagement, often at the expense of serious analysis, long-form writing, and thoughtful discourse.
Yet the appetite for depth has not disappeared.
Short-form content may dominate attention spans, but it cannot fully satisfy readers seeking context, historical understanding, careful argument, and intellectually serious engagement. We believe there remains a large audience—quiet perhaps, but significant—for readers who still value substance over noise.
Awate was built for that audience, and it will continue to serve it while adapting to changing realities and technologies.
The veterans of Awate remain committed to their original mission: creating a space for thoughtful discussion, intellectual rigor, and civilized discourse. Preserving that standard requires more than nostalgia. It requires adaptation, discipline, technical renewal, and a willingness to evolve with the times without surrendering the principles that gave the platform its meaning in the first place.
The rise of AI and automated content generation has further transformed the information landscape. Like every powerful technology, AI can be used both responsibly and irresponsibly. In the short term, visibility may favor those who flood platforms with endless quantities of low-value content. But in the long term, serious readers will continue to distinguish between noise and substance, between information and understanding, and between volume and credibility.
Awate intends to remain on the side of credibility, seriousness, and intellectual integrity.
The purpose of this announcement is therefore severalfold:
- To inform our audience that the intrusive pop-ups and excessive advertising have been removed, creating a cleaner and faster reading experience.
- To announce that established writers will soon be able to publish their work directly without having to go through website administrators.
- To share the beginning of a broader institutional and technical renewal process for Awate.com.
- To invite veteran writers, colleagues, friends, and supporters to participate in discussions about improving the platform, updating editorial policies, and helping establish an editorial board. Preliminary details will be shared within the coming weeks.
- To remind our community that independent public-service platforms cannot survive indefinitely through isolated individual effort alone. Awate’s future depends on collective participation, technical support, social media engagement, financial contributions, and broader community involvement.
Your participation is essential to strengthening Awate.com—in outreach, technical development, marketing, financial support, and engagement across English, Tigrinya, and Arabic.
The recent technical overhaul was made possible through the generous support of the Asmarino.com team and Apache Web Services. We extend our deep appreciation to Sam of Asmarino.com and software engineer Nasser Ali, co-founder of Apache Web Services, for their invaluable assistance and professionalism.
As part of the next phase of development, we would also like to announce several upcoming initiatives:
- We are seeking volunteers to assist with Awate.com activities, including moderating discussions, reading and presenting news, and helping expand the platform’s reach.
- Dormant columns and inactive sections of the website will soon be reviewed. Some may be reassigned to active contributors, while older material may be reorganized into archives unless reactivated.
- We are calling for volunteer stringers and contributors in major diaspora communities and throughout the Horn of Africa. Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact Awate.com.
- We will soon begin a membership drive for both Awate and Negarit, including members-only live streaming programs and expanded community engagement initiatives.
Some readers will also notice the return of Awate’s original blue color scheme.
During a previous redesign, we introduced a red-themed interface in an effort to modernize the site’s appearance. Many longtime readers, understandably attached to the familiar visual identity of Awate, did not welcome the change. What appeared to be a small aesthetic adjustment carried greater emotional significance than we anticipated. We have therefore restored the original blue design, and we appreciate the patience of readers who endured the transition.
The experience served as a reminder that Awate is more than a website. For many readers, it is part of a shared intellectual and historical memory built over decades of engagement, disagreement, debate, and community.
The success of a platform like Awate depends on a combination of factors: the quality of its content, the strength of its technical infrastructure, the ability to adapt to changing forms of communication, and—above all—the continued engagement of its readers and supporters.
Since its launch on September 1, 2000, Awate.com has survived difficult moments because of the commitment of a community that believed such a space should continue to exist. We remain committed to improving, adapting, and serving that community with seriousness and integrity.
On behalf of the Awate team, our readers, supporters, and friends, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped sustain this platform through difficult years and periods of uncertainty. Your support made survival possible.
It remains an honor to serve you.
Thank you.
Awate Team
Inform. Inspire. Embolden. Reconcile.
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