What is the best way to use this site?

[tefen]

So, I've been using this site for about 6 months now and I sometimes have a hard time keeping up. When I come to the site for the day, I first scroll to the bottom and read the "recent posts" If there's a whole slew of new stuff (which seems more often then not), I go back up and read "Unread Posts since Last Visit" but even then I sometimes miss comments on old threads it seems.

So here's the question: How do YOU use the site? Is it effective? What do you think is the best way?

[Chief]

I look at clarkblog as an informational resource in order to keep myself abreast of the long running issues here in town and in the County. There is no place that you can easily locate a running record of what has really transpired with the City and some of the issues they are involved in such as Boise Cascade, or a way to even be marginally aware of what anyone is saying about anything here in town.

Louis and I try to manage the Boards as the site needs change. We started out last year with a whole slew of dedicated Boards, one for every Neighborhood in the City, but those were replaced with other Boards as time moved on. I have taken suggestions for new directions, most recently WB asked for a Board dedicated to Pacific Northwest History, and that was a dandy idea, considering the interest in the threads posted so far.

As far as using the site goes, it's entirely up to you what you do with the information you get here, and hopefully you are more well informed on some issues now, than you were before you came here and started joining in the fray.

Believe it or not, when the Principles of Clarkblog first got to gether to discuss standing the site up, one concern of mine was whether I could find enough to talk about if I tried to keep a narrow focus on just issues here in the County. I committed to carrying the site by myself if necessary, because first and foremost this place is my personal web journal. Secondary to that, if my friends and neighbors can glean any kind of insight from what I talk mostly to myself about here, and they are a wiser voter because of what I find out on a particular issue, then I have provided a service to my Community, and I can sleep at night knowing that.

I'm not doing this for the money, which constantly mystifies people. I do this for my own amusement, enjoyment, and edification n issues that concern me as a Private Citizen, and because I enjoy having a good conversation. My health has limited my activities severely. I do not get into those issues here because I do value my privacy, but the internet has proven quite valuable to me, because it enables me to express myself in ways that I otherwise could not do.

Many of us have opinions on more than one subject too. It is impossible to adequately express yourself on numerous public issues on someone else's website. I have been a member of too many websites to mention over the years, some better and some much worse. I've always felt frustrated about not being able to focus on local issues, and the local paper out of necessity has to limit letter writers to the number of words they can publish, and only so often. Clarkblog does not have those restrictions.

So please use the site as you wish, do what you can to participate at what ever level you care to and are comfy with, and I share your frustration at being unable to keep up with everything that is going on here in the County. It is way busier here than I realized at first, and a lot of things go on behind the curtain that we would otherwise go un-noticed by anyone.

[Waterbuffalo]

Since I am one of the more prolific posters here, tefen, what do you want from the site.

I think a good number of us value your opinion and ideas.

[Chief]

I absolutely value everyone's insight here, whatever they care to contribute.

[tefen]

Maybe I phrased that wrong. I think the site is doing a great job on sharing information... I'm just having a hard time keeping up.

I was just curious about what you do first when logging in to the site. Do you look at the "Unread since last visit?" Do you wander through the different boards looking for posts? How do you identify the new information?

[Chief]

I usually stay logged in during the day, and refresh my browser periodically to see what's new. If I leave, and WB shows up to do one of his info dumps, I go to "Unread Posts Since Last Visit" to catch all of the threads everyone commented on while I was gone.

Sometimes it's a good idea to use the "Mark All Read" button to clear the decks and start fresh. Don't feel badly tefen, we now have 8365 Posts in 2279 Topics by 119 Members, and that is a lot of data to keep up with.

Again, who knew there would be so much to duscuss??

;D

[Waterbuffalo]

And most of the data was from "Months" ago, unless you like to follow my 20 thread drops per time i come in. Would be curious how many comments I leave per time i come in.

[Chief]

You have hit a 2nd page a couple of times in the past few weeks WB, but volume isn't the issue, is it? It's hard work being well informed, and some of us have a lot to say about that process. I wish more people would log in here and join the conversation.

I have found a lot of that data from months ago comes in mighty handy at times when it suddenly becomes important to recall what has already transpired on cuurrent events. And with so many long term projects here and about, there is a lot to keep track of.

[Waterbuffalo]

Would love to hear what others have to say than most of my ramble-on in the channels.

Its nice to hear from April, Comsense (yes, I have seen him on recently) MHJW, Karma and many others. Don't think I want to read my own comments all of the time?

[Chief]

I have been urged to share some insight with you on something that might give you some insight about how best to utilize Clarkblog.org.

Something for you to consider is: "Who is reading what I have to say?" It's a fair question to ask about a website like this. After all, if you are going to invest any significant time at a place like this, there must be something in it for you. I have been wrongfully accused of running this site for profit, and I am certain that there are those out there who think much worse things motivate me. I know and freely admit to saying something at one time or another here at Clarkblog that everyone could disapprove of for one reason or another. That is part of the attraction: not allowing myself to be led by the nose by a National political party or parties, like D4V is.

But another good reason for me to run this place is that I know who is reading what we talk about too. I deliberately avoid sharing too much about who is here and who is not, and to a casual observer, there are an awful lot of "Guests" at clarkblog and few "Members" who have anything to say at all.

In reality we have a number of regular Guests who stop by often to read the site, because I think we provide a fairly good pulse point for a reasonable point of view here in town on matters that count like the CRC. I think it's time to provide a short list of who is reading clarkblog without diming out anyone by name, or any particular frequency or order of importance.

US Federal Highway Administration, Washington DC
City of Vancouver, different offices
Port of Vancouver, different offices
US Department of Transportation, Oregon
US Department of Transportation, Washington
US Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Oregon State Legislative server, different offices
ODOT
WSDOT
columbian
Oregonian
Columbia Crossing Project
Every political candidate who is running for office in Vancouver, and many in the County
Clark County server, different offices
Washington State Legislative server. different offices
Clark County Assessor, different offices

But most important of all to me are a whole lot of quiet friends and Clarkblog.org supporters who appreciate some of the things that I keep them informed about, and are way too busy to do much else other than stop by the site and at least stay up on what's going on. I feel a responsibility to stick to the facts for them as much as I do for myself, and I take that responsibility seriously, most of the time... ;D

Just sayin' boys and girls. That list is why I keep things clean, current and properly source what I am talking about, because I don't want to look foolish, and neither do you.

Thanks for your support and your continued interest...

;D

[karma]

Tefen, time is money and if you look at it that way. I go to the 'Show unread posts since last visit.' first and if I have the time then I'll check on some of the back posts. I will admit I don't and won't read all the posts, just what is important. If one just scouts the web to be adding post here it really takes away from the issue of Clark County and I think that is why we joined and not those other sites? Just two cents from the peanut gallery!!

[Waterbuffalo]

The past day or two I took off because I needed some time away and feel that I am too much of a prolific poster here and want to allow others to post their opinions as much as I do.

I kind of get tired of posting my blather and not some real meat to a topic. Trying to work on cutting down my S/N (signal to noise ratio) so that others get a chance to say some thing plus it gets me on to other things than just being on here 24/7 in the past months.

Now if I could just figure out how Tefen does those beautiful Google Maps, I would love to learn. :-)

Chief tells me there is some interesting and meaty comments I need to get on, so hope to see you all on the forums now that I am back. WB