RealCrozetVA

I wonder - might the day come when RealCrozetVA.com merges with a print paper ?

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In September, RealCrozetVA was opened to all writers and contributors, furthering the drive to create a community hub of discussion and debate.  Tuesday’s elections provide a great opportunity for somebody to craft a summary of the results.Will Arin Sime, fresh off the News Virginian’s endorsement, pull out a victory in the 24th District race?Will challenger Ann Mallek upend incumbent David Wyant?Log in (it’s on the right, under “Meta”), write a story, save it as a draft, and then email me to let me know.

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Blue Ridge Internetworks is now hosting RealCrozetVA.com, gratis.  It is humbling to have a company offer hosting services, and I am grateful for the offer.  The transition from my previous host was seamless, painless and completely invisible to readers - just how it should be.  Thank you.I expect that I will be moving a site or two over to them soon.

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There’s a blog covering the 151/Afton area - just west of Crozet.  Their goal?We are a non-profit group dedicated to improving the safety on Routes 151 & 6 in Nelson County, Virginia It looks like they have been up and running since mid-September.I saw the blog pop up in one of my keyword alerts this morning, but Hawes Spencer beat me to the blog.I like their “white-knuckle” gallery.

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Anyone can post anything (so long as it’s not defamatory, insult-laden or designed to be disrespectful or laden with vitriol).  Register, set up a profile (you can choose to be anonymous) and start writing.It’s easier than writing a letter to the editor, and I know that your thoughts will be read by people who care and can often “do things” to make things right.Some ideas - - What type of growth you want to see in Crozet.- Opinions on the Fall elections.- Restaurant reviews.- Your thoughts on the Crozet Community Association meetings- the Crozet Music FestivalPlease let me know your thoughts if you have any questions.One thing I am working on is an interview with Henley’s new principal - what questions would you like to ask him?

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I have upgraded the software that runs this blog.  The “announcements” feature in the sidebar is still broken, but other than that, all should be working well.  Please let me know if you have any problems.

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Perhaps the most efficient way to read this and other blogs if through RSS.

There are two types of Internet users, those that use RSS and those that don’t. This video is for the people who could save time using RSS, but don’t know where to start.

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RealCrozetVA was started in September of 2005 with a simple goal:I am starting this blog somewhat on a whim, so as to provide a forum for Crozet to (hopefully) discuss their thoughts about Crozet’s growth.My whimsical vision also sees this as a place to discuss Crozet’s goings-on, music and cultural events, local vineyards, etc. This will be a slow start, as my business and my blog and my life already consume so much of my time….  That it has been over 18 months since its inception is amazing; it feels like only yesterday that I got the bug to start it.One thing differentiates realcrozetva from some of the other “hyper local” blogs that have been discussed in the re.net - it was started purely for the community, with no desire to gain profit (much like cvillenews.com, but even more localized).  Only very recently have I added the “Search for Homes” tab, and I debated and struggled with that for quite some time; I do not want to detract from the site’s being for the Crozet community.  One of the best features of the site is the Community Map, which shows many, although not yet all, businesses in Crozet.I cannot yet attribute a single transaction to the site, and don’t really care; that was never the goal.

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Taking the idea of a reader responding to the post asking for ideas on how to raise awareness of RealCrozetVA, I am doing a very limited mailing (it costs a lot of money!)…  We have had some interesting discussions lately, on and off-line.  Thank you.The postcard is below - feel free to download it, print it out and give it to your friends and neighbors.  As always, if you have a story idea or want to write one yourself, please contact me.

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I thought I would share this recent email exchange with a reader:No story here, just wanted to say that the site you have put together is great, and Crozet really needs this intimate type of discussion - my suggestion would be how can we get more people to know about this site - seems as though a lot of my neighbors haven’t heard of it and I’d like to see more people comment on these stories - there are too many “no comments” on really pertinent issues.—Regarding awareness of the site - this is something that I am struggling with….  On the other side, I guess I could accept ads on the site, but I feel that that would detract from the perceived impartiality of the site.  —Thats a tough call re: ads - providing funds vs. detracting from the feel of the site.  I suppose local ads probably wouldn’t be too distractive, but even things like a posterboard sign at the 4-way stop with the website name could be pretty effective for people to get in their heads…either way, I’m sure word of the site will spread.So …

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