NY Times Launches Maplewood - South Orange - Millburn Site archived

But the story itself had value even if the picture did not.

I have found interesting news on both sites about our area that I would either have not found out about or had to wait to see in the weekly local newspaper. So I am glad to see the proliferation of sites.

I don't think you need a username to click "email the author," do you? But I agree SOP, there should be a very visible link to offer feedback.

Also, it's interesting to note the South Orange Patch editor posted a piece about The Local being launched. She said some nice things about them and how she honestly believes the two can coexist happily. And then The Local editor posted a nice comment on the article. It's wonderful seeing them trying to get along so well. I do wish Dave and Jamie would try a similar approach, but they're obviously entitled to handle those relationships as they see fit.

I like the NYTimes Local.

Fishy - If a kitchen store opened across the street from you and they had a very large financial backing that enabled them to offer enough similar product that you offer and much lower prices for as long as it took you to go out of business, would you feel threatened?

I actually think there is an opportunity for MOL to develop their "Newsy Blogs" into local news of interest if they wanted to, but I think the discussions that surround the news are interesting enough here to keep bringing people back. I don't think that Patch or NYT offer that. It's the discussions that are what is interesting to me (I like to read the facts too, but I don't *return* to the news sites for updates and perspectives).

And, I can understand why these new ventures are of interest to both local writers and readers. I don't begrudge them for trying.

TL, if I viewed this as the same thing as a deep pocketed kitchen store opening across the street from Kitchen a la Mode, you can bet your bottom dollar I wouldn't be supporting it. I'd throw my fins behind MOL, hands down.

No, I see MOL and Patch as I do the relationship Kitchen a la Mode has with Eden Gourmet. Sure, there might be a tiny bit of overlap here and there but mostly, we complement each other and pass business back and forth to one another.

Now, if Patch was not a local news site and was instead a message board, then we'd be talking about something else altogether.

I have to admit the visual of you throwing your fins made me laugh. Thank you. :wink:

The thing is, and I'm guilty of this because I go straight for the message board, but I think people forget that MOL is actually much more than a message board, it's a community center that provide local information - I tend to skip the home page, but there's a lot there links to articles (Maplewood Matters excerpts and Newsy Blogs) about local people, community calendar, restaurants, etc. similar to what is found on Patch. I don't know what MOL really wants to do with that. If they want to grow it, then there's some competition. If not, then not so much.

I don't really see them as competitors to MOL right now either to be honest. They are all kind of different....at least for now.

Posted By: mfparkI would love it if Dave and Jamie opened a Morristown On-Line operation.

http://www.morristownonline.com

Love it!!

Well done Jamie!
:clap:

Ask and you shall receive.

Now wasn't THAT quick?

fishyz, I'm going to buy my pans somewhere else


Patch - Google - message boards - ads- etc., Google has designs on everything, and most of it involves directing ads towards you.
Have a google account? Have you googled something lately? Have you clicked on google links? Have you visited Patch? what articles have you clicked on to read? < all those cookies help direct advertising to you, they help google sell their marketing data, blah-blah-blah

I think Dave and Jamie should go worldwide.

Morristown is still in development as is a lot of things on MOL. I do hope to have more news and video soon. This is something I've been wanting to do for quite awhile - and with these new ventures coming online it's helped me bump up my game.

So - go visit all of the other sites, we're just not actively promoting them. BTW, we got over 6,000 visits yesterday!

Hey Jamie - I'd love to see the Newsy Blogs section take off. I really like the idea behind it. Do you have plans for that? Just curious.

If you're ever looking for people to check out beta versions and give feedback, sign me up!

nytimes "local" should be a nice place to go for people who stroll thru (and can appreciate) mplwd online but can't weather an interface from 1992. seriously, whoever designed this site needs an enema. it barely functions. no wonder it breaks down all the time.

:fierce:

... and the @$$hole of the Day Award goes to...

felix, meet jamie, our host and the pioneer of the Maplewood blogolopolous. jamie launched MOL in 1998, a decade before any of the others, and has built the site himself from the ground up. That's the reason for the 1990s aesthetic. It could be time for a redesign, but he doesn't have the same kind of resources that Patch and the NYT have.

I may do a redesign soon - when MOL 3.0 launches.

There is a reason behind the current design, but I can't give away my secrets.

How often does the homepage breakdown and barely function? Please let know when it happens.

Posted By: kirkpetefelix, meet jamie, our host and the pioneer of the Maplewood blogolopolous. jamie launched MOL in 1998, a decade before any of the others, and has built the site himself from the ground up. That's the reason for the 1990s aesthetic. It could be time for a redesign, but he doesn't have the same kind of resources that Patch and the NYT have.

That is a VERY nice post kirkpete:clap:

I'm glad you liked it, SOParent. Later today I expect to post a followup item on my blog, in which you'll be able to read equally kind words about MOL and Jamie from an executive at the Patch.com mothership. Patch doesn't see MOL as a competitor - they're doing different things. They definitely see NYT Local as a competitor, however.

Dave, I'm puzzled by your 12:21 post, which apparently is a screenshot from Millburn Patch. What point are you making? I don't mean that in a hostile way.

Interesting... somehow "Patch.com mothership" -- or perhaps I need to say "P@tch.c0m mothership" -- in my post was rendered as "the another site mothership"

Posted By: jamie

Posted By: mfparkI would love it if Dave and Jamie opened a Morristown On-Line operation.

http://www.morristownonline.com

You da bomb. I can't wait to take on all those Republicans in Morristown when they post--I am going to be one of the lone liberals, I think.

I doubt it, mfpark. I know plenty of lefty-liberals in your area.

Posted By: kirkpeteInteresting... somehow "another site mothership" -- or perhaps I need to say "P@tch.c0m mothership" -- in my post was rendered as "the another site mothership"

:rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:

After trying Jamie's patience this far, I see little further downside in posting a link to my followup post about MOL, NYT and Googliath. MOL loyalists will be glad to see that Jamie gets mad props from Patch dot com.

Took a quick peek at the local but have not made it to patch yet.

IMO the local would be like the Sunday paper where I get my local news and MOL the sports bar or neighbors house where I'll go to have a beer discuss the issues, get gossip, or just plain chill. They definitely can co-exist.

I agree with Fishy. I think it's great that our towns are being talked about and discovered. We should be proud. MOL/Patch/the Local/Maplewoodian all are very different...some different topics, different perspective and probably different audiences (with some overlapping - I read all of them). The more the merrier, that's how I feel.

The NY Times is a massive company with a huge reputation and for them to go LOCAL is awesome. I think it was really smart of them. Not everyone is doing the local thing and by them doing so will help boost local economies. Go LOCAL!

i love MOL, the maplewoodian needs a new format, the local is boring, i prefer patch over the local.

If anyone feels swamped by all the headlines, please consult the "Dispatch" link in the navigation on this page. We hope this new service saves you time from spending your day visiting the plethora of other sites to see if there are "must reads."

I just looked at "The Dispatch" tab for the first time earlier today. Thanks. It's better than a "Maplewood NJ" search in the news on "the Google".