Urban Jacksonville

There’s a saying in blogging, “You’re only as good as your last post”. Prepare for some self loathing… Lately I’ve felt I haven’t been so good. All I’m doing is posting things people email me. I don’t even have to go out and find things to post about like I used to, it comes to me.

Maybe that’s a good thing.

To me it’s starting to feel boring and not real. I’m losing a bit of enthusiasm for the whole thing. It sucks because I just won the Folio Weekly’s Best of Jax: Best Blog, which says I’m doing something right. So I want to know what you think.

[poll=8]

Part of what I’m feeling has to do with the amount of free time I have to blog, which has been steadily decreasing. I started working on a new theorem last week, here it is: The frequency and quality of posts is inversely related to the amount of free time. This was never more evident than last week when I wrote a whopping two blog posts.

So, over the next couple of months I’m making an effort to change the formula a little bit. I’m also working on a pretty cool idea which I hope will revive my love for the game. So please answer the poll question and leave a comment if you have any thoughts. I’d like to hear them.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 9:37 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

JP

Winston Churchill: "Never ever never ever never never quit."

I always get the number of "evers" confused -- but the point is keep up the awesome job you're doing!
Jack

Anyone who has ever started a project, particularly one that is online and public such as a blog, feels this way at some point or another. But you have a readership that many writers/bloggers can only hope for and for good reason. Of all the Jax blogs, yours digs the deepest and you have really tapped into the soul of Jacksonville. The pace may have slowed a bit but even if I have to wait for it, I still know that I can count on reading something on UJ that is either enlightening or inspiring (or both) in some way. Now that there is a fairly established community of local blogs, I would say take a step back, do a complete evaluation and focus in on what you think UJ's role should be as the standard bearer for Jacksonville's local blog scene. Cheers...
JH

in surf-speak, peaks and troughs, peaks and troughs...
Daddy Papersurfer

John I respect - listen to him [I have to so I don't see why you can't suffer as well]
John

You've been able to do more as an individual and retain more respect by more people than a group of bantering ranters in a ganglike mentality.

One door closes because one's opening.

Screw worrying about the next step. Be the mayor in the next three terms and do the right things that are needed to be done, not what friends expect for their own purposes and interests.

That's what you're fighting for, isn't it?

Take this blog to the next level. You're already halfway there as the person in that role.
biggie tea

Get rid of comments! Computers are a flash in the pan.
laura

hey joey~

i spot checked some of the middling to older posts on archive.org and it seems as though there are changes which have happened to the blog, but I'm not sure they're quite as expected..

you've always posted events, but now there are other blogs that post the social events, and perhaps there aren't the same amount of more or less political events going on. things like the rally protesting river regions taking over the jobcorps building (dec 05).

you went through a podcast phase where you were interviewing people, but that came to an end. not necessarily good or bad, but a change.

seems like the biggest change is that you have received recognition, and as such, feel a need to step it up. the blog has a more polished feel than it once did, and maybe that just seems a little less personal. you've always reposted items from other places, I know I don't tend to read the Jax Business Journal unless pointed there by an article of yours (for example), the difference now is just instead of summarizing it yourself and supplying links, you give blurbs from the actual article. that's not a bad thing.

I know you may feel down on yourself and that you need to recharge your batteries, but you have a good thing going. Might change up your routine or layout or something, but don't take a break. jacksonville's internet representation will be a sadder place without you around.
Dylan Phillips

I think I'm in the consensus. You're not doing anything wrong. You are experiencing the cyclical nature of any endeavor.

What makes you unique is that you've had such wonderful success. Your work is a big part of the network of creativity in Jacksonville. That's why you've received recognition and respect. In fact, I think posts from others is a sign of your success. You used to be the microphone and the voice, now you find yourself often just being the microphone. No worries, that's what we are looking for. That might deflate the ego a bit, but it doesn't make urbanjacksonville any less important.

Last two cents is not to minimize the energy output of the election. We've all been very busy in these last three months. I myself didn't realize where this sudden burst of energy came from last Thursday, until I checked my calendar.

You do great work Joey. And you always will do great work. I'm with Bryon, take some time off, if you need it. But the blog will always be in my set of Feeds.
Louis

I just recently discovered your blog, and I have enjoyed catching up to your most recent posts.

I recently moved to Jacksonville this summer, and I know absolutely no one here besides family. It's nice to be able to see what sorta events "someone in the know" knows about. There are a lot of places to go to find out what's going on in Jax, but I would be more inclined to read opinions rather than just a bulletin board if that makes sense.
globatron

Dude. I feel ya on the posting flyers and such from folks.

I got really tired of JaxCAL now Globatron.org being turned into a bulletin board that I did what I did and made some enemies, and now I think we're all cool. I hope so:)

I do enjoy it when it's you writing your opinion and such and taking pics on your bike. I've always liked that the most.

You know you could have a page that maybe shows flyers and such too but experiencejax.com is perfect for that also.

I agree with Madeleine. Everything goes in cycles. Energy and all that jazz. But this is your baby. Do what you want to with it. Turn it into your photo blog if you want. Whatever.

That's how globatron changed because I wanted to focus on original content. Not that posting flyers is bad, but it just wasn't want I wanted to do in order to get folks talking about art. Which has always been my main focus. The dialogue as much as people are tired of me saying dialogue.

But yeah man. Keep it up for sure. Take a week or two off, and maybe try and pass the torch to the contributors you already have in the mix. It'd be nice to see them take up the slack for you when you get burned out.

Take another week off man. Month even. I'll keep checking back every day or so regardless :)
Adrienne M. Moore

I hate to read this particular post, Joey. I feel somewhat to blame for the recent lack of posts, but I hear you when you say that the frequency of posts is commensurate with free time. Hopefully, I will soon be able to pick up the habit of posting again. After December life should return to normal. No more applications and tests! That is, of course, until I begin law school! Woop woop. Thanks for the letter of rec. You're the best!

As for the blog, UJ is still the best one around. Don't admit defeat, yo! And everyone should remember that UJ is always seeking contributing writers. Joey doesn't even care what you write, as long as you write. I mean, he lets Von Tiny Paige write for crying outloud! :)
madeleine

Everything is cyclical, and I think your readers understand that this is something you do for it's own sake, not to get any rewards/awards...if sometimes you post more or less frequently, I think we'll still keep reading.

You do a really great job, and you are only human. Take it easy on yourself.
Josh

Joey,
I've been reading the blog for a couple years and it has definitely changed. I wouldn't say that it's gotten bad or anything but maybe evolved from a traditional blog to more of a current events bulletin board. In the past I remember that you would editorialize on subjects and write articles about things that I found compelling and might not have otherwise known about. Now I notice that many of the posts are (correct me if I'm mistaken) 'copy and pastes' from other sites. I definitely understand time being an issue; it's hard to work all day and then come home and find the energy to be creative. I've been working on a book for two years now and it's barely half complete. Have you thought about bringing on contributing bloggers? It would vary the content and increase the frequency of posts. I'd love to help out and I'm sure others would too.
Matt

I just recently found and subscribed to this blog, haven't been reading it for more than a month or so. I must say I've found it to be a great addition to the other feeds that come in throughout the day. I say its great and wouldn't change a thing. Whatever goes on behind the scenes or where the content is generated from doesn't make much difference to me as a reader, just as long as its fresh and interesting, and so far it always has been.
matt burro

buroo! score.
matt buroo

Ride more, ya dummy!

Take that Pista out and see things at eye level.

Keep It Wheel
Brian G

jesus...i should have used spell check first...sorry. : (
Brian G

Hey Joey. I feel ya on this one. theouterbox.com is a lot of fun to run but, it is also very time consuming and time is something I have less and less to go around. Its hard to balance work,blogs, art, and life. Your blog has influenced so many otheres here in town to get off our asses and start up our own blogs. I do hope you continue with the blog. Im new to the whole bloggin world but, i have to admit its very hard to keep comming up with new ideas and keep the content fresh. I usually devote and hour a day, while Im at my job, to blog at The Outer Box. Thats the only way I can even squeeze in a lil time for the blog. Hang in there man!
andrewfallondottv

I visit the blog daily, and, yes, I can notice a bit of a difference, especially last week, but I don't think that takes away that much. I remember when I first started reading that I enjoyed the posts with your pictures or video of random stuff from riding around. That's what probably got me hooked.

The updates emailed in from others, etc, are always good and have their place, but seeing a firsthand, unfiltered of someone else's take on this city is truly unique.

Obviously time is an issue, which is why I won't take up doing my own blog, so I understand that. Either way, it's a great blog and I'll still continue to visit every day, since, to me, it's one of the few looks into this city that isn't powdered or sugar coated.

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