Blogging the Blog Pt. 2: Pho Vadis?

So I've made some changes and thought about where we go from here.

You may have noticed that the title of the blog quietly changed to Pho’s Akron Pages. Norka, for the uninitiated, is “Akron” spelled backward. For me it was a) cute, b) an homage of sorts to a short-lived Akron net portal that I liked and c) a way to fly under the radar back before I was sure how far to take this thing.

(Sidebar: I explained the title of the blog to a new friend from Oklahoma. She said “Oh. You can’t do that with Tulsa.)

At the MeetUp, it was gently pointed out that if I was interested in attracting people to the blog, perhaps the name should give some indication of what it’s actually about. And changing the title has drastically changed the Googleworthiness of the enterprise. Before the change I couldn’t generate a Google hit with a search for “Akron politics,” even in the blogs-only database.” Now that search gets me a spot in the “Related Blogs” list at the top of the search results list.

Similarly, the “About” section is new. Not only might this bump up the Google hits, it better reflects what is going on here.

Some other changes: I also added some art to the “Profile” section, compliments of Kid Z. I wish I was as good looking as the guy depicted. I particularly wish my goatee looked that good.

You might have noticed a SiteMeter at the bottom of the page. It’s about a week old and a source of hours of time-wasting amusement. A quick shout-out to whoever is reading in Calgary.
All of which has been about solidifying what is going on here. When I started this thing five months ago, it was mostly a form of therapy. But between the feedback, the comments and the occasional link in another blog, it seems like people think something valuable is happening here. And in all modesty, I agree. No one is hitting Akron politics. Moreover, the posts -- when I get to them -- are going well.

I've read some navel gazing blog-about-the-blog posts in which the blogger is unsure of what he/she ultimately wants the blog to be. I know what I want to do here. I want to create a forum for discussing Akron politics from a left-of-center perspective. Come along for the ride.