A note on hyperlocal content

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A note about legwork on Olyblog.

Submitted by paisleyboxers on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 10:32am.

Olympia is full of activism, almost to a fault.

Most of the activism groups in groups tend to form Acronyms to help identify themselves.

While this seems obvious it is also extremely tedious to have to try committing any of these groups to memory. It can get very frustrating when reading posts on Olyblogs front page and have to see sometimes two or three brand new acronyms with little identifying information about the group.

At a time when many groups need support, it is difficult to identify or even turn up information about which group to join.. where to send money to.. or how to get in contact with someone to volunteer.

It would be great to see Olyblog host a link to an acronym table.. something that has a small tidbit about an acronym group.. even just the name that the acronym stands for.

Case in point: ODA, DNA and the PBIA are all different things.. but had to have a special post helping clarify what those groups represented.

What if a new activism/support/charity group was required to post on the acronym link of the site, when also posting about an event? Could be a one time thing that would not only track the history of the group.. but act as an anchor to keep the group(s) name(s) in the public mindshare.

Just a thought. (please make the acronym list page!!)

Friendblog: None are known to exist since bloggers don't have friends.

O.A.L.

Submitted by enpen on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 12:03pm.

An excellent idea. Would this be something you're willing to write up?

"In principle, I am an anarchist. Kurt Vonnegut once said he was an agnostic who respects Jesus Christ. I am an anarchist who loves democracy." - Kenzaburo Oe

I don't see it particularly useful

Submitted by DSnyder on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 4:03pm.

to require any organization to do anything before posting. It seems like that would create a hurdle to information being shared, rather than a catalyst for it.

I think your overall point is a good one, though. Creating a database of short profiles would be a useful project and would make accessing services and becoming "involved" easier for a lot of people.

As far as google not returning any results useful to you, I don't think anyone can do much about that. Typing "olympia" doesn't seem like much of an extra step to me. I've never had any trouble finding B&R's blog, for example.

Mr. Snyder

Submitted by paisleyboxers on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 4:17pm.

Good point about the hurdle to post.

Perhaps though.. someone who wants to post will take that into future consideration, if it is seen by example here on the blog.

So far though.. a good number of posts consist of a place.. sometimes with.. and sometimes without and address.. to attend.. some vague acronym and a nondescript picture. And almost always, no contact information.

Another point is that if you have to preform a trick to decipher information on Olyblog.. or anything else for that matter.. there is a fundamental flaw in the implementation.

Olyblog doesn't work.. if you need to google every-other new word.. because the poster was inconsiderate enough to leave important identifying information from a post.

EVEN the Olympian .. attempts to cite acronyms and deliver small amounts of information to help keep the content relevant to the reader.

Sometimes that happens here on Olyblog.. and alot of the time it doesn't. But assuming your readers are going to google evey other acronym and hunt down a history of a group .. or place through a third party like google.. is amateur.

Or to put it into words relevant to you, "pedestrian".

Friendblog: None are known to exist since bloggers don't have friends.

ODA, DNA, PBIA info is actaully very easy to find

Submitted by libby on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 10:45am.

"At a time when many groups need support, it is difficult to identify or even turn up information about which group to join.. where to send money to.. or how to get in contact with someone to volunteer."

While I agree that it would be helpful if people got in the habit of writing out the names of organizations before using the acronym in comments, the above statement is puzzling. I did a Google web search on each of the acronyms listed -- ODA, DNA, and PBIA -- and, in each case, the website for the organization was the first item to come up.

Yet

Submitted by paisleyboxers on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 11:23am.

I see that my point could have been drawn a little more clearly.

As an organization that needs support and community help, not linking to more information is harmful to requesting support.

Try it for yourself, just googling "oda" or "bread and roses" turn ZERO search results for olympia. Although one would just have to refine a search query to include the word Olympia, there is an axtra step thats being taken outside of the information loop.

To me, that information disconnect is an important gap that loses those who would have stopped there and digested more information.. move on instead to the link or flyer that already has actual information contained. Completely losing the target audience.

I'm not trying to get a whole Darwinian argument started about survival of the fittest Advocacy group.. these groups after all are here because people want to help people.

Failing to have descriptive information is also annoying, and carries a whole self inclusive "you don't know?" type of attitude that can be very typical here in Olympia.

Relying on google to sort out one's own group information is irresponsible and lazy.

Friendblog: None are known to exist since bloggers don't have friends.

"...self inclusive 'you don't know?' type of attitude..."

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 11:46am.

I don't get that at all. But then my capacity for projection is not what it used to be. I can only assume that this kind of information sharing is just not a priority...and for reasons I can only imagine. Nothing is stopping others from helping out.

part of the problem is...

Submitted by einmaleins on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 12:14pm.

... that there's no real local platform where, is it organizations or businesses can list themselves/advertise.

I had the same problem when starting my business here in Olympia and wanting to advertise.

I'm quite savvy with google, so it was no problem for me to get the information I needed, but for my potential customers to find me, I found it hard to find a good platform to make myself known.

I.E. Did you know, that einmaleins, my business is listed in google in the local buisiness section. You can google me and find me on the map and can even print out a $10 coupon to be used in the store for a FREITAG bag. The problem is that those national/worldwide tools don't cater well to the local community level.

That's one of the reasons I started Everyday Olympia (http://www.everydayolympia.com).

To function as a information platform that can gather, hold and spread all this information.

my two cents,...

mathias

einmaleins

Well put.

Submitted by paisleyboxers on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 12:41pm.

I am convinced that I should be submitting my posts to you first.

Friendblog: None are known to exist since bloggers don't have friends.

Are we ignoring the national election?

Submitted by Anonymously Larry on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 11:23am.

And all of the possible implications it may have on us locally?

It is rather difficult at this time to tie in the presidential campaigns to local news and yet, after it's over, there will be plenty of local tie.

how are we ignoring it?

Submitted by enpen on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 11:59am.

I'm relatively certain there are local groups working for the various election camps. Getting in contact with them as a part of writing something up for OlyBlog would be an excellent way to immediately tie it in on a local level. Likewise, if somebody notices campaign issues with local connections then I think it would be a valuable thing to share.

"In principle, I am an anarchist. Kurt Vonnegut once said he was an agnostic who respects Jesus Christ. I am an anarchist who loves democracy." - Kenzaburo Oe

Operation Democracy

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 1:27pm.

Local Connections example: MoveOn.org has endorsed Barak Obama for President. The Local MoveOn.org Operation Democracy Council does a variety of things, from telephone canvassing, to rallies and petition deliveries, in which the topic of Obama for President comes up. I am sure there are other local opportunities to stump for other candidates, like Ralph Nader, for example.

Aldo Leopold: "We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

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