Anyone care to share their feelings about the new SI blog "system"?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hazel "The Queen" Walker on April 19, 2009 at 11:20am

I have noticed that I do not check in to SI as often as I use to because the front page seems to be static, same blog here now that were here one hour ago so I move on to something else. There was in fact a conversation on twitter between some of the people who have been on SI before SI had a 1000 members about the static front page and that there seem to be one or two people getting front page attention repeatedly.

I also know there are a lot of blogs that are posted that are self promotion or SALES tools only, recently I saw one that was simply to SELL a home the Realtor had listed with photos and all, so I do understand the problem but trying to solve that problem has created a new problem. Members want to know why their material is not good enough for the front page, while others just really have quit checking in to SI.

All that being said, I know how hard it is to manage a membership organization. So I wish Pat and his team the best of luck!

Thanks David, good post.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Deanna Sipe on April 19, 2009 at 3:23pm

David and Hazel,

I resemble those remarks! I too have stopped checking in so often to SI, and unfortunately (in my opinion) have stopped writing as much. I find the static front page leaves me less interested and I am one of those that see my content is not good enough to rate being included. I too am very grateful for the work that Pat has done, but if I am not good enough to be added to the front page and the front page doesn't move much.... what's to check?

Pat said that he hoped it would inspire others to step up their writing skills. If that's the case then we are stuck with the favored ones until the rest of us become better writers.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Theresia Whitfield on April 19, 2009 at 4:21pm

Unfortunately, I don't think good writing skills has anything to do with not being placed on the front page.Like so many others, I too have stopped checking in with SI for the same reasons posted here. For as wonderful as SI was in the beginning (and in some ways, it still is wonderful), this has become like another "networking" organization where popularity and cliques determine guidelines, rules, growth and even bottom line. If you're not in with the "in" crowd on SI, then you stand little chance of getting on the front page. And sadly, if you're not in with the "in" crowd, it's very difficult to get in. And I thought I was out of high school.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Daniel Herndon on May 1, 2009 at 12:09am

I am not aware of this "In" crowd, as I have never met Pat Coyle personally or anyone that I know to be involved in SI blog selection process. That being said I have had I think like 4 of my last 5 blog posts featured on the front page.

Is it possible that people that are in this "In" crowd don't know they are in it? Is it Possible the superior blog decision makers also don't know?

Or is this just a conspiracy theory?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeff Zuber on April 19, 2009 at 3:27pm

Hazel, First of all it has been WAY TOO LONG since I have got the opportunity to read your words of wisdom here on SI...... I've missed you! And as per usual you are correct in your observations. When I started on SI there were about 500 members and I found SI after an article in the Indy Star. That article promoted SI as a place for business people to share ideas and contacts to promote the businesses here in the Indy area. Somehow along the way SI has lost that focus. That's a real shame as Indy needs such a forum now more than ever.

Why couldn't we have a means to "Shamelessly Promote" everyone's agenda not just a few? How lively and informative would a level playing field be? Oh well, my two cents worth......

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Pat Coyle on April 19, 2009 at 11:56pm

Guys,
Sorry to hear you're not liking the changes we've made, but thought I'd remind you that every single blog post writen by every smoosier is still available to you. Just hit the "blog" link at the top of the page, and you'll see the unfiltered list of blogs, with more recently posted at the top. The only change we made was not allowing every post to hit the front page. Sorry if this seems like favoritism - as if there is some sort of "in" crowd. There isn't. Or if there is, then I guess I'm not in it since I dont' get invited to the meetings :-)Thanks for caring enough to share your thoughts.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Litz on April 20, 2009 at 12:43am

So ... who or what determines which blogs make the front page?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Pat Coyle on April 20, 2009 at 8:33am

Jennifer, you can find a deeper explanation here

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael R. on April 20, 2009 at 5:02am

Seriously, are grown ups really whining because their blog isn't showing up on the front page??? Get over yourselves, you're all better than that. This site is a GOOD thing....and NOTHING is perfect. I, for one, couldn't be happier that I found this site because all of my friends moved out-of-state years ago and I'm not particularly good at networking. This site gives me the opportunity to network in a VERY comfortable medium where I don't feel any pressure and I can be myself. We should all be thankful SI is here at all, because I sure haven't seen another Indiana-based networking site that even comes close to this one. The potential for this site and what its members can produce for the betterment of Indiana is infinite; and if any one person isn't participating on SI because of what isn't being put on the front page is doing themselves, and the Indiana community as a whole a great disservice.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kyle Lacy on April 20, 2009 at 6:53am

I second this. Thanks Michael.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Deanna Sipe on April 20, 2009 at 9:09am

Michael thanks for your enthusiasm, and I am glad SI makes you happy! It's a beautiful thing and I have mentioned it not only here but directly to Pat several times. While the static front page doesn't diminish my gratefulness for the site, the people and Pat's work, it does diminish the frequency of my checking in. And, every human responds to being heard, appreciated, responded to, noticed and included. I am human and not ashamed, and not whining, just agreeing.

There are lot's of formats/media I can submit to and be lost in the middle 1000 pages, but SI was the one place that I used to be able to contribute (that's the way it was intended anyway) and have everyone see it for just a moment in case what I had to give was right for them. Isn't most of life about having a gift to give and finding those who want or need it? Isn't that what we all hope to do for a living? So it's changed. Ok. Life is change. Peoples (meaning the majority, not the featured) blogs are not as noticeable, mine or yours or those of anyone else.

Oh! Then there is the blog I wrote last week to support green and fair wage companies locally, because I met a woman who has one such company and is finding it hard to keep afloat. Green and fair wage is often in the media but we have to support with our $ right? Few people saw the post, and it disappeared into the abyss of past blogs. The blog was my effort to contribute to others and their work that mattered. I hope this helps provide understanding as to why I don't know that the new plan is better. When you read the explanation that Pat shares, it talks about 3 people, 3 SI users, who resigned and it seems that was the catalyst to change it. So it seems like, .... yea! we are 4000, then a couple months later, yea! we are 5000, then oops we are 4997! It's gotta change the way it was doesn't work. Did the change bring back the 3 important ones that we lost?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael R. on April 21, 2009 at 1:29am

All a member has to do to see the blog posts is click on the blog button. That's it. It's simple. If an SI member logs on, and only looks at the front page, well, they probably don't have much time to do any reading anyways. If having your blog be seen and read by other users is important, bump the topic. I just see this as adults being unhappy because they are not getting the attention they want and I have a problem with that.

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last