Suggestions for Content on Metro Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

In an effort to improve the quality of content being produced by Metro Jacksonville, I'd like to get readers opinions on the following:

1. What do you believe sets us a part from other sites in Jacksonville?

2. What are the strong and weak points with the articles we currently write?

3. What areas of focus would you like to see more in-depth coverage on?

4. What areas of focus would you like to see less coverage on?

5. What topics do we currently cover that you see as most unique and compelling?

6. Should we attempt to focus on specific niches or be more general-interest with our articles?

7. Do you believe the content we produce is being strained by the site's current design?

Feel free to take off the boxing gloves and be raw and honest in your assessment. That's the only way we can improve our content production strategy.

[thelakelander]

Some overall audience demographics from 1/1/14 to 8/9/14:

Gender:

male = 69%
female = 31%

Age:

18-24 = 6%
25-34 = 28%
35-44 = 21%
45-54 = 20%
55-64 = 18%
65+ = 7%

Device Category:

Desktop = 73%
Mobile = 17%
Tablet = 10%

[Dog Walker]

You mean that Ron and Ock and I make up 7% of your total audience?  Wow!   

[urbanlibertarian]

1. What do you believe sets us a part from other sites in Jacksonville?

Your focus on the urban core, old neighborhoods and local history.

2. What are the strong and weak points with the articles we currently write?

Images and referenced documentation is very good.  Stephen's writing skills are awsome.  Non-journalistic backgrounds of the board members make for unique perspectives.  Weak points?  Can't think of any.

5. What topics do we currently cover that you see as most unique and compelling?

Local history and the older, poorer neighborhoods that tend to get ignored.

6. Should we attempt to focus on specific niches or be more general-interest with our articles?

You already have a niche.  Who else does what you do?  General interest is already over-covered elsewhere.

7. Do you believe the content we produce is being strained by the site's current design?

Current design works for me.

[Badfinger]

1. What do you believe sets us a part from other sites in Jacksonville?
The almost radical focus on local issues.

2. What are the strong and weak points with the articles we currently write?
The main strength is the diversity of backgrounds and opinions of the posters an the varied perspectives that they bring to the site.

The weakness is when the threads devolve in to name calling and snarkiness from both posters and moderators (I plead guilty).  I always lose interest when it starts and feel that it takes away from the quality of the content.  For instance, discussions that contain any reference to orange trees and urine are worn out and yet, still continue.

3. What areas of focus would you like to see more in-depth coverage on?
Process of how policy is made at City Hall.

4. What areas of focus would you like to see less coverage on?
Can't think of any.

5. What topics do we currently cover that you see as most unique and compelling?
Neighborhood issues.

6. Should we attempt to focus on specific niches or be more general-interest with our articles?
You have one and it works.

7. Do you believe the content we produce is being strained by the site's current design?
Design is fine.

[jcjohnpaint]

1. What do you believe sets us a part from other sites in Jacksonville?
Your stories come quicker, are more accurate, are not biased (especially to extreme right wing), and I think the niche is pretty focused (covering and supporting urban aspects of Jacksonville). 

2. What are the strong and weak points with the articles we currently write?
Most of the articles are really focused and very interesting.  Sometimes there is off the wall articles that don't seem to relate to the thread.  An example would be the recent HPV article seemed kind of out of place and strange. 

3. What areas of focus would you like to see more in-depth coverage on?
Personally I really like the articles that focus on urban aspects of living.  I always look forward to articles about developments going on in the city/ with facts etc.  I feel the site is a great place to learn about such issues- and something needed in this city. 

4. What areas of focus would you like to see less coverage on?

5. What topics do we currently cover that you see as most unique and compelling?

6. Should we attempt to focus on specific niches or be more general-interest with our articles?  I do like the general-interest, but if you go too far in that direction, I feel the site will loose it's purpose and vision. 

7. Do you believe the content we produce is being strained by the site's current design?  I think you should stay on course.  This site has lead to much progress in this city, even if you don't get credit for all of the good you do.  I would stick to your design. 

[jcjohnpaint]

Badfinger has a good point:  I too would like (and do like to) learn how and why decisions are made in this city/ maybe aside from reading through arguments in the discussions.  Sometimes I think it would be nice if we should have "Metro Jacksonville approved politicians", or something like that.  When elections come/ a breakdown of who these people are and what they have done/ not done etc.  I think this town is pretty corrupt and would like to see a list of someone like Richard Clark out there.  This guy or gal did all of this crap to keep our city in the ditches.  I don't know how that would look, and it might cross some like, but I think it is hard to find anything like that out here.  Maybe a issues list on politicians, stating where they stand on issues relevant to your readers and followers.  This might be helpful to newer readers or residents- to get them active early. 

[Tacachale]

It's hard for me to figure out exactly what to add, since Metro Jacksonville has several different facets that are all equally important. You produce both articles and host an active forum; these two sides feed off each other. I have yet to encounter another site that really works like this. At any rate, I'll cater my suggestions to both sides of the equation.

1. What do you believe sets us a part from other sites in Jacksonville?
In both the articles and the forum, the strong focus on local issues and urban living sets you apart from all the other local sites.


2. What are the strong and weak points with the articles we currently write?
In terms of the articles themselves, your well researched and well considered articles on local urban issues, neighborhoods, and history are the strongest things you put out. The weakest point is EDITING. Content aside, just having someone to handle copyediting, fact checking, and determining stories to cover would add a new level of professionalism.

In terms of the forums, major strengths are the strong local focus and the fact that you produce daily content to help drive the conversation. The weaknesses include a tendency for conversations to fall into back-and-forth tangents; moderators are slow to drop the hammer in these cases, and sometimes actively participate.


3. What areas of focus would you like to see more in-depth coverage on?
I second the idea of covering City Hall in greater depth. I'd also like to see you revisit the articles on the neighborhoods, writing in the same excellent quality of some of your more recent stories.


4. What areas of focus would you like to see less coverage on?
In the articles, I often find myself skipping the ones on other cities.

In the forums, I usually skip the threads that just contain a link to stories that don't have anything to do with Jacksonville, particularly when they're just thrown in to rile people up.


5. What topics do we currently cover that you see as most unique and compelling?
Without a doubt, the focus on local urban living is the most unique part of the site.


6. Should we attempt to focus on specific niches or be more general-interest with our articles?
I think you've found your niche and should stick with it. That isn't to say you couldn't explore additional, complimentary niches (it would be cool to see more regular coverage of local culture and events, news reporting, etc.) but that would probably require staff expansion.


7. Do you believe the content we produce is being strained by the site's current design?

I don't think so in general. To be honest, though, I find the mobile site frustrating to use, to the point I often avoid using it on my phone.

[edjax]

^^Agree wholeheartedly with #4 above regarding the forums.   To me that is the biggest negative.  And most are nothing more than national political issues.   There are times when you may view the most recent threads and a third of them are of this nature.  Yes there are some national issues that impact us locally obviously but I can get that stuff and nasty comments associated with such stories from other sites.  I seldom ever bother looking at those threads here as I come to MetroJacksonville to see what is going on locally. 

[Noone]

I would like a translation icon for Noone's and Know Growth's posts please

+1 Positive

[AuditoreEnterprise]

I would like a translation icon for Noone's and Know Growth's posts please

Are you prepared for the unable to translate content error lol. Noone I like you buddy trying to figure out what point your making makes my days interesting! keep it up lol.

As for the questions... I think the site is a good place where people can voice their opinions on various things, the arguing is just a part of the world we live in and it personally doesn't bother me. I just choose when to look and if there is something going on I don't like I simply keep hitting the mark as read button and don't give the threads the time of day. After all the most unique thing about this site is that it has so many active users. I think everyone hear has the capacity to teach someone something they didn't know  (even though no one will admit it), but a difference in opinion is always good for people in general as it gives them an outlet to become more engaging on the topics that matter to them. As for the site design I like it all and all maybe some fresh header graphics that rotate and possibly some rotating color schemes. I have seen sites that have 2 or 3 and each individual can choose the one they want to use in the settings. Not sure how people feel about this, but I have seen it be successful before is a chatbox where people can post from the main page and partake in real time discussions, or possibly a scrolling news feed that shows recent stories posted from the main site in a short form of course, like subject and maybe the first sentence or 2. another thing that could be done is possibly a bit more expansive profile so that people can get a summary of a person if they wish to disclose it without having to ask around. All in all it's a good site that is pretty active compared to other forums that aren't directly related to a problem you can't figure out on your phone. So I think you guys are doing a good job of manning the helm so to speak.

[sheclown]

Metrojacksonville is a record of daily living -- the posts are reference material for the struggles that we go through to have a more responsive local government.  Of course, I'm thinking of the fight for preservation -- I can look back through and see all of the struggles.

Same is true of transportation issues.  The lost fight of the mobility fee -- anyone can read the history and get a unique view of the topic, and readers will understand that it wasn't for lack of the fight.

I don't mind the infighting -- I'd rather see that than heavy-handed editing. 

The issues are arranged thematically -- unlike other social media.  And the search feature is good.

I especially like when a topic is renewed with current conditions and we revisit the older thread.

No changes, IMHO.  Keep on course, of course.

[IrvAdams]

In an effort to improve the quality of content being produced by Metro Jacksonville, I'd like to get readers opinions on the following:

1. What do you believe sets us a part from other sites in Jacksonville?
Absolutely the in-depth local focus and the honesty and expertise of the individuals on this forum. There are some qualified urban and transportation types here, for sure.

2. What are the strong and weak points with the articles we currently write?
Strong: quality and depth of focus
Weak: sometimes I actually would like more content on particular stories, especially historical and local. Or follow up information and links.

3. What areas of focus would you like to see more in-depth coverage on?
Neighborhoods and their origin and current status, whether they are vibrant or existant nowadays or not. I think this city has quite a collection of them. We're a city of cities.

4. What areas of focus would you like to see less coverage on?
Just keep them coming and I'll pick 'em. Least favorite I guess are other cities' focus, unless their issue or problem is one we're currently trying to deal with.

5. What topics do we currently cover that you see as most unique and compelling?
Recent (last 30-40 years) political history and current City Council wranglings. I think there should be a book. And a movie.

6. Should we attempt to focus on specific niches or be more general-interest with our articles?
No, no, no general. We are an in-depth bunch here.

7. Do you believe the content we produce is being strained by the site's current design?
Definite issue with smart phone usage, but of course this type of medium is not best suited for a blog-type forum.

Feel free to take off the boxing gloves and be raw and honest in your assessment. That's the only way we can improve our content production strategy.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Most sites have a unread post button, I miss that.

Otherwise I love this site.

[Gamblor]

4. What areas of focus would you like to see less coverage on?
In the articles, I often find myself skipping the ones on other cities.

I agree with the general sentiments already being discussed, but I do want to counter this. While others may not enjoy them, the articles on other cities are some of my favorites