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| Pause for thought... |
That is partly down to the facebook fan page set up for this site, partly down to YOU sharing it, partly down to my efforts elsewhere, partly down to Portland just being a great interesting place!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of you for commenting, sharing and most of all... being a reader.
So, just to share an update of sorts here and where's next for this site...
Portland's traffic...
No, not on the local roads where they are yet again ruining everyone's summer by digging it up, replacing it, and causing endless problems for people... the traffic here! :o)
From day one it's had a steady growth here, for a long while it seemed to stay around 100 - 150 hit's daily, then spike a little each time I posted, since adding a facebook fan page, that has doubled although some days it gets into the 500's a day, which is great stuff. Thanks to you.
Please do continue to share this with your friends.
I plan to test and try some new ways of generating traffic to this site, it will be interesting to see what happens, if anything. I think it will steadily grow, I would like to aim for 1000 hits a day.
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| One step a time... |
Portland's changing
Yes, while Portland itself is changing quite rapidly, it means I will have more to write about here, I am more meaning this site will be changing in some ways, the main one being I would like to get this blog onto a wordpress platform, it's a better set up full stop.
I have a few ideas to implement here, products to create (which I am doing at the moment) which will help me do more with this site for this site.
Having stopped working on several other sites I have more time and energy to put into the fewer I am keeping, this being one, I will be writing more, more often.
New photos to come too as the island changes, I will be adding pictures I have and document some things we see happening here.
Portland's community
A place is only as good as it's community, that's true of everywhere, online and off, seeing as I have mentioned Portland itself and this site in the last few points, I'll do the same here.
Portland is having a few issues at the present time, sadly, and I say this as fact, the local community has changed for the worse... it sucks to see it and something will snap before long. The locals have made their feelings known too, yet, I feel the authorities should pull their damn fingers out and start sorting the mess they created out.
I do not say this as a personal insult just as fact, the authorities ruined this community because of what they did with the old naval area, meaning the homes the naval personal used, the local council treated us with contempt.
Before any of those who were part of that slam me, let's face facts, the facts are we can SEE it with our own eyes, we all know that it is mentality.
Let me explain that in simple terms so as for you to know I am not slamming them, but making sense.
They created a small community within a community, this community continued with the collective mentality they had, from where they came from, that's common sense. Had that small community been spread all over the Island, the collective mentality would have fragmented, it may not have changed it completely, but it surely would have lessened it as each of them would have had a different mentality around them.
COMMON SENSE! Maybe not so common, sadly!
Remember a place is only as good as it's community, it's no point slamming each other and doing nothing, best to do our own bit to make it better, don't like Portland? MOVE. Like it? Then treat it and it's locals with respect. We have an island mentality here, we don't like to be pushed, when we are, we push back harder... just like the UK, an island mentality but on a tighter scale and more evidently.
As for this community here, it's a great one, I appreciate every one of you readers, which is another reason I would like to get this onto WordPress, I can involve you all more.
Twice I have started a local community site and they were both ok, though the issues caused put me off doing it anymore that way, or doing it again, facebook doesn't help in that respect at all, it seems most of you won't get off the damn site, why compete in that way? Not worth it.
The existing social sites I will probably close, I mentioned people either use them or I'll close them, as I am not wasting time and effort like that anymore, I know now you aren't using them enough, so they are likely to close, not sure when, not bothered. No offence.
You come here, so if I can have the community connected to this site in a better way, then it will work out better, wordpress is better at allowing me that.
Portland's look and feel
Portland itself, again, the place is improving in some aspects, the way the Port has been transformed is great, no more oil tanks, although looking at pictures of them feels nostalgic, they were ugly!
The old naval flats have been revamped well, though I think they should have pulled them down myself and did it all differently, it's better than it was, by far.
Concerning to see so many homes popping up, the place is already crowded and a lack of real job prospects here means problems too, let's just hope most of these homes go to locals raised here, a new generation of Portlanders.
Victoria square is an eyesore which needs revamping badly, first impressions count!
As for here...I'd like to say this site works ok and looks ok, but I would be wrong, it is not quite right and I am keen to change it alot, a completely new look and feel would be worth it, wordpress will help!
I use the standard blogger template on here and yet it still doesn't work as it should. Rubbish really!
I have added the new Zemanta set up below, testing it, it shares related post to the one you are reading.
I have added the new Zemanta set up below, testing it, it shares related post to the one you are reading.
If you suddenly see a completely new site here one day soon, don't be surprised and I hope it will do the site justice, just need to sort that out.
All in all, it's going well, but could be better so it will be better.
Thanks to every one of you for making this what it is. Any thoughts?
