"AOL’s Patch keeps expanding, adds unpaid bloggers" - WTF is wrong with this picture?

[OneGrassRoot]

For those who don't know, the Huffington Post was bought out by AOL in February 2011, with reports of disgruntled HuffPo bloggers decrying that they provided content -- without pay -- while Arianna made a literal fortune.

When reading about the AOL bout earlier this year, I discovered another project AOL was launching: www.patch.com

About Us
What is Patch?

Simply put, Patch is a new way to find out about, and participate in, what’s going on near you.

We’re a community-specific news and information platform dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local coverage for individual towns and communities.

We want to make your life better by giving you quick access to the information that’s most relevant to you. Patch makes it easy to:

* Keep up with news and events
* Look at photos and videos from around town
* Learn about local businesses
* Participate in discussions
* Submit your own announcements, photos, and reviews

Before learning about Patch, I had posted here several times asking if there is any interest in creating a grassroots community blog network -- a member-owned co-op blog network (meaning member/writers share in any revenue) -- with a focus on not only reporting good news happening in local communities, but highlighting local community issues requiring action, and then gathering to discuss DOING something about those issues.

[astral]

1. Your title and your content didn't match.

"Can you think of an existing national network which I might tap into that may have members to create such local blogs?"
_____________________________________________
My guess would have been that DU would have given you some kind of response. I'd have a web page set up as a starting focal point to ask people what you want to ask them.

I think in real life a whole lot of this goes on but starting from the opposite end of things: People in real life start a focus and then add a website or sites to aid in communication and spreading of information.

I was surprised no one had responded to this yet and so put my 2 c/ worth in (don't you miss the cent-sign on the keyboard ; )

What is your primary focus of concern or major concerns you want to zone people in on? It may be you can't get anywhere starting with such a global idea, as these kinds of things are all happening to some extent already on a smaller or larger scale than what you are trying to start.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Yeah, I pretty much suck at DU attention-grabbing subject lines...lol

Or subject lines in general unless I'm using the title of an article. ;)

I'm so familiar with the subject matter, and am offended by how huge corporations try to don a grassroots "for the people" approach with projects which end up simply taking advantage of people, that I just can't understand why we don't take matters into our hands more to offer alternatives.

Anyway, thank you for responding.

I've been trying to find those individual blogs/websites which start at a very local/personal level, as you said. That is absolutely overwhelming, since the project isn't limited to one area. The idea is to provide content from all communities, or at least multiple regions to start.

Maybe confining it to one issue is an option, but that also feels very limiting to me, since there are so many issues of importance in all of our communities. Still, you may be right about that, and I will definitely give it much more thought and try to zero in on it that way.

Along that same line, perhaps choosing three areas of focus and finding national networks with a local presence in most areas devoted to those foci is another approach. Many may already blog about those issues in their area; if they don't, they likely should be. Maybe such a blog network could be developed more by local community organizations rather than individuals, and they could benefit from a co-op approach.

Hey, that may be a way to go that I haven't thought about before! See, I knew a brilliant DUer would help me have an "aha" moment. Now to narrow down that focus. :)

Thanks, astral....:yourock:

(BTW, I didn't even notice that about the cent sign being gone from the keyboard!!!)

[OneGrassRoot]

3. Maybe focus on community building via Neighborworks...

http://www.nw.org/network/neighborworksprogs/leadership/default.asp

I'll start there. :)

[mmonk]

4. Interesting.

[OneGrassRoot]

5. It is, isn't it?

I hadn't thought in that direction before. I have a connection with United Way global, and of course they all have local networks, and partner with different local community organizations in each of their networks, so I just wrote him about this.

Lots of ways to overlap and create mutual benefit for many by working with their network, as well as their 211.org initiative.

:thumbsup:

*fingers crossed*

[mmonk]

7. I like the training and certification links.

[mmonk]

6. Maybe a combination of ownership, advertising, and fund raising

to produce blogger stipends. The stipends could be issued either per piece or numbers or by time (such as monthly or bi-monthly). The key would be to get the flow going at the beginning.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Yes, I think creating a way to generate revenue is the easier part...

as far as figuring it out, at least. Implementing it will be more complicated.

But just GETTING those on board to be part of the blog network has been a huge hurdle for quite a while now.

Working within an existing network -- such as what I discussed above by working with local organizations that have a presence in communities throughout the country -- may be the place to cull the original bloggers regarding local community-relates news.

Then others can come on board perhaps.

We'll see what kind of response I get from United Way.

I originally thought DU would be the perfect place to find people interested in doing this. We certainly cover all areas in the US (and other countries), and as a community have an interest in social issues and local grassroots issues, in general. Many DUers already blog, write LTTE's, etc.

Plus, I've also posted here and FB, asking "if people want to blog about how community, cooperation and compassion are currently manifesting -- or COULD better be implemented -- in different areas of business, healthcare/wellness, education, politics, the environment, the arts, media, religion, law, or community in general."

But, no luck, and I'm too pooped to keep begging. Perhaps I never explained it well in the first place, but I'm also too pooped to keep trying to explain things. Astral's idea helped me go in a different direction, which may be best -- tapping into an existing network -- at least to start off.

:hi:


edit for typo

[mmonk]

9. It may have to do with community, cooperation and compassion

vs purely political where people sound off sometimes.

[drpepper67]

10. Well...

"For those who don't know, the Huffington Post was bought out by AOL in February 2011, with reports of disgruntled HuffPo bloggers decrying that they provided content -- without pay -- while Arianna made a literal fortune."

I've heard the guy that created Facebook makes some money off that idea too.

[OneGrassRoot]

11. Of course, it's the way of the world....

Many websites do, at least inadvertently, make money off of content generated by their members. The more traffic and content, the more advertising revenue.

It seems particularly egregious, to me, in the case of HuffPo and Patch.com, because they are wanting professional bloggers -- and in the case of HuffPo bloggers with a platform/following already -- to generate content for free.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. Yes, I've discovered that most online venues are about venting...

and being informed, rather than coordinating any sort of action.

And that's cool. It all has its place. ;)

[mmonk]

13. A place that sometimes doesn't lead anywhere.

We are now in need of redefining society to meet our needs if all the politicians are bought. We can't dilly dally forever.

[OneGrassRoot]

14. "redefining society to meet our needs"

:thumbsup:


I'm just really tired and cranky today, trying not to have a full-on breakdown bitchfest anywhere and everywhere. ;)

You know I hear you and agree.

:hi:

[mmonk]

15. Understood.

;-)

:hi: