Blogger tells me I've posted 507 times since February when SFDB started off down the road. I'm pretty satisfied with what we've been able to accomplish thus far but I'm wondering how SFDB readers are feeling.Are you happy with your visits to SFDB? What would you like to see more of? Anything that you want to see less of? How can we do things better? What's working for you?
I really, honestly want your input. If you feel uncomfortable leaving your name, just be anonymous, but please let me know. I'd like this to continue to be a place where readers can stop in and catch up on the SoFla blogging scene without having to check each and every blog out there. And while you're here, maybe chat about politics or whatever else is on your mind.
Tell me about your thoughts in the comments, if you would.
[Thanks to commenter Billy Zane for making me think about this.]
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30 comments:
I'd really like to see more commentary. Reading a list of links is more of a chore. The links are often interesting, but I bet you could offer more than a couple words about most of them.
Hey Rick,
Back when SoTP was alive, I really enjoyed the Friday blogs on events happening around town during the weekend. Now that SoTP is no longer, I've gone to other blogs to try to find info on events going on and just haven't found them to be as informative or helpful as SoTP use to be. I know this is not SoTP and SFDB, but it would be nice to see a blog on events going on, since they were so helpful before. Other than that, everything is great!
I visit daily, often several times, first to see what you've selected off teh internets as gander-worthy, and thereafter to see who you've aggravated sufficiently to bite back. It's the second part that tickles me most, and there's a lot less of it than there used to was.
All in all, this is a required stop on the daily browse. Thanks.
As Riley Freeman might say, I don't want to be nut-riding, but I love coming by here, and like squathole, it's a daily stop, often a multiple-times stop to see what's going on and who's saying what. It has increased my awareness of the south Florida blogging scene immensely.
Rick,
Love everything SFDB. This is a regular stop for me (you know, when I remember to get out) just so I can keep abreast of what others are writing about in the SoFla blogosphere. And I've definitely found myself venturing out to other blogs that I probably wouldn't have, thanks to you.
Fan.
I used to enjoy the "what is it now?" pics from SoTP.
Thanks for the input, folks. Let me add my thoughts on the commentary thus far and then turn it back to you guys for hopefully even more feedback...
I'd really like to see more commentary. Reading a list of links is more of a chore. The links are often interesting, but I bet you could offer more than a couple words about most of them.
When SotP was done and I was thinking about what it was I wanted to do next, the one thing I was absolutely positive about was how much less time I wanted to spend blogging. SotP was a lot of work. I didn't want SFDB to be nearly as much. Hence the abbreviated format. And the attempt, at least on weekdays, to keep posting to 2 or 3 posts a day. Although I do hold an opinion on most posts that I reference in the Sifts, the majority of the time I let the post's author do the opining. After all, it's their post...I'm simply pointing the way.
It's a different concept than SotP was....for a reason.
Having said that, I'll consider the suggestion and see if there's a way without greatly increasing the time I put into the blog.
Back when SoTP was alive, I really enjoyed the Friday blogs on events happening around town during the weekend.
Jessica is the 2nd person to make this suggestion since we started in February [Miami Nights was the other]. Again, the time issue is the main consideration but since this is something that appears to be really needed, maybe it's worth a shot. I'd be interested in what sources of info are out there for something like this. I know Critical Miami, MiamiNights and MB411 usually do their lists of things that I could link to...does anyone know of other sites? Would late Friday afternoon or early evening be too late to post something like this? What does everyone think?
I visit daily, often several times, first to see what you've selected off teh internets as gander-worthy, and thereafter to see who you've aggravated sufficiently to bite back. It's the second part that tickles me most, and there's a lot less of it than there used to was.
You mean to tell me my opinions of babalu's blogging don't satiate your thirst? :) Yeah, I'm afraid the SFDB format of just linking to other blogs doesn't quite stir the emotions like the individual, opinionated posts of SotP once did. But, of course, this isn't SotP.
I used to enjoy the "what is it now?" pics from SoTP.
I'm having a senior moment, jc. I don't recall those. Help me out.
Thanks for the compliments, too. I've also received a couple emails of people saying that they've been turned on to other blogs through SFDB. That is the heart of SFDB and the reason I created this thing...to help develop, promote and encourage a community of blogs, bloggers and readers in the SoFla area. I'm happy to hear that it's apparently working.
Okay....back to the comments.
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Rick, your blog is awesome!
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It's like a hub airport for South Florida Blogging. You can get anywhere from here, and as you connect to the various flights that are other bloggers, there are really nice amenities at the hub. It's like you have HDTV set up on your blog, and toilets that flush themselves, with a nice airport bar that serves dollar drinks by hot waitresses.
One thing SFDB and SotP both helped us with was feel South Florida as more of a community. People like us. People who care about the quality of life, diversity of opinion, intelligent debate, and making sense of ongoing transformations in the world around us. So thank you for that.
One question I have: how do you pick the news articles that you profile? While I find some of them salient, others not so much. Obviously, a pretty subjective thing. I'd love to see more attention paid to environmental/development issues that I feel so often end in terrible policy and decision-making that benefit only a few.
Rick,
I stop by twice a day. In the morning for The Cooler and in the evening for the Sift. Thanks to you I have been able to find out things that make my job a lot easier. Keep up the good work!
To follow up on the first Anon comment, if you could put a little extra detail in your "The Cooler" posts, it would be helpful. Plenty of times I read your comment, don't know what the article is, only to click on the article and find I had already read it. Your other posts from around the blogosphere usually let us know what the post is, but "The Cooler" doesn't give info on the post you're linking to. Just an idea.
I suggest that you set the hyperlinks to launch in a separate browser. Also, I'd like to see less attempts at humor with your story summaries.
Just have to say that this blog is so needed as a guide to South Florida blogs.
I've been collecting blog links for a long long time and when I started there were, like, three blogs in the Miami area.
Now....wow, don't know how you keep track of them all. It's a great service.
Wouldn't change a thing.
(well, the give and take with the hardliners probably could go but heck, it's so entertaining....!)
Keep it up.
Liz
Bill: loved that analogy.
Okay...so The Cooler. Let's discuss.
The Cooler is a collection of links to mainstream media stories that I can find entertaining, important, or informative. Yeah, sometimes they're silly or strange and, well, that's the point.
I hear that you would like a straight forward description of the Cooler story that I'm linking to instead of an attempt at humor. I can certainly do that. It's going to be hard to control myself when a nude couple riding around in a car gets in an accident, but I can try.
I checked out whether I can make the hyperlink open in a new window but have been unable to find any Blogger settings that facilitate that change. Is it a simple CSS command that can be inserted into the template code??
Liz: thanks for the words. It's extra special coming from you. Appreciate it.
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Listen to your friend Billy Zane. He's a cool dude.
Rick,
I think the "What is it now" is something Alex had thought up. He'd take an old pic of something in Miami that had been torn down and ask...well, you know.
Seconding the Friday links, and the commentary. As for me, I'd like to see more of the poar bear with his head over the pool's edge.
More polar bear.
- g
Thanks, g. Yeah, now I remember that feature. Alex originated it and ran it. Nope, sorry. I don't have the knowledge of the local area nor the time to dig up old photos. Not going to happen.
Polar bear? Now you've thrown me.
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Rick,
Great blog, period. Youve got me to actually read stories printed by a newspaper, which is a feat in itself. Ive also found some other cool blogs thru this blog and thats been great. All of that and being a frequent commenter along with many, many, others has kinda been like being a part of a community. That is one of the things I liked most about SotP because it was a community that served as a platform for an exchange of views and ideas.
As far as changes, I agree with the Weekend links thing. Definitely keep with the humor descriptions though, dont make this a boring news blog. Sure, they may not describe the posts perfectly and they arent always funny, but I do get quite a few chuckles out of them (especially the naked driver one LOL!). As for hyperlinks, just use Firefox, right click on the links, and select "open link in new tab". Done deal. The only thing Id like to see less of are the political posts that bash Republicans because its gotten quite old (Im independent but I get tired of hearing the same old crap no matter who's spewing it. I also hate politics.). Id also like to see less advertising for babalu because those guys are just plain stupid. Ive yet to click on one link to them and never will.
Its your blog though, so do whatever. I can just glance over the crap I dont like if it bothers me that bad.
Blog on witcha bad self...
You've done a good job on what you set out to do, which was creating a central point for all the South Florida blogs.
A blog like this was much needed down here.
Contrary to what some people may think, I believe you need to provide even more opinion and commentary on the articles and blog posts you mention.
This is what sparks the debate that is sometimes missing from this blog.
Rick,
Thanks for addressing my comment. I don't think that the evening or afternoon is too late to post up events happening. If people are looking for something to do they'll probably do it around that time, anyway (before they get out of work or what not).
I tried googling Miami websites on what's happening in town but all that came up were blogs already mentioned here. If I hear of anything, I'll mention it. I just remember it always being very informative and I couldn't believe I'd find myself saying, "There is nothing to do in Miami!" when I was just not looking in the right places. Of course, more advertisement and announcements aren't happening for such events which is why I was ecstatic to find blogs, specifically SotP blogging about it.
I'm hooked on SFDB and find myself logging on to read several times a day. Thanks!
Hey,
since we are on the topic about me bitching about your site(which I wasn't, I just want everyone to know those are the best ribs i've ever had in my life), how about bringing back those Best Of things you use to do on SoTP. I used to love those when I lived in south florida, and they certainly led to me discovering many places I would have never gone to before. Im sure alot of others loved that to. I love passing by here.
I enjoy reading your blog. Every day I wonder what I will learn.
You have created a great outlet for connecting readers with other bloggers. Every once in a while I click on one the links from the side bar with the list of SFla blogosphere and find a new blog to follow.
Thanks! You are doing a great job.
I agree with Billy Zane about the best of posts.
Those posts enabled readers to share their opinion on whatever it was we were voting on.
Not only were those posts informative, they were extremely interactive, which I believe is a criteria for a successful blog.
You could do this as a weekly feature, maybe on Fridays.
This would fit the format of the blog because many people who will respond are South Florida bloggers.
The only thing that is really missing from this blog is more comments, so you need to be creative in generating that.
The readers are there. They just need to comment more.
Another reason why I like the Best Of posts is because those threads can be archived as a valuable resource.
In this day and age, we don't have to depend on the Miami New Times to tell us what is the best in Miami.
We can decide and discuss for ourselves, and inform the rest of the world in the process.
Personally, I think the blog is great and I love seeing that SoFla has such an active blogosphere.
To jump straight to the point here, I'd like to second what Anon said and ask for more commentary. It's the first thing that came to mind before I even opened up the comments.
And non-content wise, I would recommend a bit of a layout tune up. But that's just if you ever have the extra time, it's really what's in the blog that matters.
I love it the way it is, thanks for all you do!
It is the best thing to hit the South Florida blogging world, period. Hell, you even put up with my cranky comments!!!
Seriously - it is an essential part of the blogging community.
Thank you for taking the time to do this every day!
SCG
Wow, you're prolific! I'm new as you know, but I just want to say I think this is a great idea for a blog.
I think SFDB is a great gateway to most South Florida blogs. As a long time reader of local blogs, I had a lengthy list saved to my favorites. Some updated only occasionally, or would become inactive for months before resurfacing with a new format and more energy. You hate to delete them, because you never know when they’ll return, but it became a lot of work to get through my own list to look for the good reads. Now, with someone sifting through them to tell us who posted, or who’s new on the block or who’s called it quits, it’s easier to maneuver the world of South Florida blogs.
Also, much as I have read, and appreciated local blogs, it never occurred to me to comment if I found something particularly helpful, or moving or outrageous. As a reader of books, and newspaper and magazines, it wasn’t something I was accustomed to doing. A year and a half ago, I started a blog, and I’ve had a lot of fun with it, though I literally would get no comments for a long time. But, you know, it was nice when I did.
Only now have I grown more comfortable with commenting when I see something I like. It’s kind of a nice format, and especially helpful that there’s this place where bloggers and readers can go to see what’s happening with other local blogs. Now it’s easier to find little treasures that can’t be found anywhere else, like Wide Lawns colorful quote about the six-foot Goth drag queen that spilled a vanilla frappucino, with whipped cream, all over her legs … or All Purpose Dark’s gorgeous beer picture taken in Little Rock, or the fascinating pics Some Crank Guy took of that little creature inside a flower eating a caterpillar ….or that beautiful photo of a red-headed woodpecker posted on Not Exactly Coral Gables.
I did read SotP in earlier days, and while I too miss much of the commentary, I appreciate what it’s become and the potential it holds for local bloggers. I do think it would be nice to see food blogs in a separate category, as people tend to like to read them when they’re scoping out a place to dine, or they want to become inspired to cook something. But I realized the difficulty of categorizing, since some food blogs go beyond the borderlines of food. But overall, SFDB is really, really useful.
Without it, I probably never would have found things like Tropic of Mom’s little story about rescuing the baby possum from the pool (that’s the cutest possum I have ever seen) or Restaurant Gal’s ode to a cockroach she named Coletta, which is a must-read for anyone who’s ever battled one of the big brown bugs that not only refuses to die but is capabale of flying. (And I hate to kill bugs, but my fear of palmetto bugs usually kicks in and takes over.)
I see that people get to know other bloggers through this site too, and I think that could lead to collaborations that will expose local blogs to a wider audience. For instance, the Miami area has some really excellent food bloggers, all working very hard at doing their own thing. While sifting through the individual blogs is fun, I think it might also be really amazing if there were a blog where they also posted collectively. Then if there’s a restaurant you want to go to, you can search it on that one big site and see if any local food bloggers have written about it. People could still have the individual blogs, and I think it could even bring a bigger audience to a bunch of really good bloggers.
Bottom line … I think there’s a lot of thoughtful and introspective writing being done on local blogs lately and sites like this help to expose it. So thanks to anyone who has actually reached the end of this wordy post, and keep up the good work.
As a more or less newcomer to SFDB, and one with an Internet-induced short attention span, I like that everything is short and concise.
I agree with the others who commented that they like that this is a one-stop jumping off point for S. Florida blogs. Sort of the unlimited on-and-off blog tour bus, if you will.
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