“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”

Throw my hat in the ring of those interested in the domain. When my mom died in 2008, I was appalled at the way the whole funeral industry handles a final farewell….especially the prices.

I envision more than a Legacy operation that is done at GoErie (and nationally). Newspapers will not be around much longer anyway, so that outrageous cost will abide.
Note: Erie Times-News runs a free announcement of a death, but includes just the vitals. You pretty much have to do your own in addition, at an extraordinary cost. The wealthy can do so. The less wealthy die unknown. It ALL disappears in the twinkle of a day or two. I would prefer an online permanence for ALL our town dwellers of today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

I would like to see people in Erie writing their own Obits –in advance of their death—when they are coherent. It should reflect what they want said of their life, not “Enjoys Bingo”. Every life is worth more than that.

As families fracture more and more, pre-obits gather all the details, and can be changed right up to the last moment. The cost of saying farewell has to be brought down financially, and brought up in meaningfulness.

I appreciate your reply Mike. This has been on my mind a lot.

I was delighted to see Job Board revitalized. The cost, location, and benefit to employers and employees is exceptional. Erie used to bustle with Human Resources. No more. Jobs are a function of the Temp Agencies and placement is Russian Roulette.

In truth, agencies represent the employer.
A “Middleman” has been set up with temps as they handle payroll, taxes, and the like. It robs employees of documented start dates…vital for health and pension membership, and vacation. It also places them at risk since they are not employees.

I believe that direct employer-employee contact is far better for both sides and the New Media, such as your own Jobs Board is a tack to the winds of better direction. It also shows a community willing to help each other at the most basic of needs….finding a job, and employers finding a body that does the needed operation very well. We have to do better.

As you have brought Jobs Board to life, I was wondering about “Blog of the Week” you started too.
“Sunshine and Moonlight (an MS blog)” was first, followed by “A Splattering”.
Though worthy of recognition by Erie Blogs as best of the week, neither are on your Blog Roll to the far right of your homepage and should be added.

There has been no Blog of the Week since those two, and that was a while ago. Is that on or off; and how is it determined? The basis of determination reveals the value of whether to read it. I have often read the MS blog, and never (yet) seen A Splattering to date….even after the win, since I do not know what the win is.

I believe you know I truly favor comments and I am glad to see Erie Blogs beginning to accept that comments have value. The old policy of No Comment, or precious few, has been superceded by some decent remarks by a wide array of folks out there. I hope you expand comments even more.

Someone asked that you increase fonts. The response was go click “a” “A” to increase them. It does, but ONLY for the Daily News, NOT the actual Blog Roll or roll to the far right. THAT is what folks want in a larger font.
I would have no problem with adios to the hover screen (it makes it more difficult to read the small font), and an increase to the font of Blogs you carry.
The “a” “A” font changer has no effect on the actual blogs folks come to read.

I believe you and Rich are out to make a long term success of Erie Blogs and an impact on the community in the process. I wish you well and hope the input above helps you see things clearly from the reader’s side of the table too.

Best regards,
Danny Lucas

I meant to – I even bought a domain name, ErieCondolences.com that anyone is welcome to have.

Even the two local TV stations that Tweet used a combines 15 Tweets on the recent manhunt story, and those were tinyurl’s to the story elsewhere.

It was a missed opportunity to link to people in the actual turmoil, as Twitter did in Mumbai terrorism.

The mention to make a directory at Erie Blogs for Twitter addresses everywhere related to Erie was more a challenge for them to beat Erie PA Today, a competitor that is rising rapidly in comparison to the stats to the establishment at EB.
(SeeGoogle).

A year or more ago, they also sent out a cry for the audience to chime :What should we add?”. I suggested they add Obituaries, thus eliminating any need to go to GoErie. Notice there is no Obit at Erie Blog, but Erie PA Today may eventually due them.

And why do all people die once a day.
Funeral homes are being given death info 24/7, but compile the story of a person’s life and sit on it.
Why not reveal it in real time as it is happening and the family releases it. [same with births, marriage, etc]

Maybe I’ll start my own company to do Obits and a final farewell to folks right.

More technology mainstream media misses is CallWave.
Once you are hooked up to them (in Calif), voice to text occurs. They designed it for the busy executive, who gets 10 voicemails while in a meeting, and has to listen to all of them when he really needs only number 7.

Anyone who calls a voicemail at CallWave has the message in text form sent to the recipient cellphone, emails, fax, whatever you want, simultaneously.

During the Obama weekend of calling every person in the USA from a supporter, I received CallWave voice to text from about 7 states…..all individuals with a story to tell. Obama is linked into the new media second to none. He not only Tweets, he sends emails even NOW on his Inaugural, plans, raising funds without going to Hillary type mega-donors, and more. He is light years ahead of any competition on the horizon.
Reason? He uses the new media well without any fear.
The Press and our Towers nationally still cannot figure this guy out. He is connected directly to the public.

Erie Blogs did a blurb on the Twitter addresses and the Twitter system. Fine. But no Erie Based directory exists, organized by category (church, politics, business, social, etc) and it is long over due.

As for CallWave, folks could call in media news stories and the transcript is ready to air, like CNN does with mini-people posts all day.

New media will change ALL news in extraordinary ways yet to be perceived.

Joel maintains that the old can survive if they incorporate the new. I agree.
The problem and probable outcome is death to all old media for lack of embracing the new in such a way that their audience grows exponentially.

PS. In reading the Jerusalem Post online, the recent invasion against Hamas was told in a first person way that was all but ignore in the USA media.

Get excited.
It won’t be long until you can watch ALL NFL games at once, and toggle in and out of the best one at the moment. Someone in the stadium somewhere will Tweet, and the entire viewing network will switch to see a cool play.

Categorizing is underway on blogs too.
Too much out there; how can you find any quality?
See the Daily Beast and how they incorporate best of the day, albeit a slant, but better writing noinetheless.

Last aside spoon, I thought the economic collapse and no credit would undo the Budweiser- Inbev buyout.
Here is a laugh just for you spoon:
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSL76178420090107

Consolidate; eliminate competition; raise prices DESPITE lower overhead due to consolidation……all while the global economy tanks.

Hoist away spoon. Cheers to beers.

You are dead-on about twitter. It can’t be just a dumping ground for links to news stories. To use it well, it needs to be a two-way tool — and it needs to be cared for. At the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where I work, twitter has become our fastest-growing source of new traffic.

We have more than 1,800 followers — many of whom are reposting our best stuff on their own feeds (thus multiplying our ability to reach new people).

We post links, for sure. But we also pose questions, point to other interesting posts, find sources, and interact with our audience there.

The result is that we’re finding new readers, new sources, and new ideas.

BTW, we’re @philanthropy for those who want to join us.

My thoughts are if you have a twitter account and a website/blog you should take advantage of the Twitter plugin for your site that shows your last few tweets. Now in the Erie Blogs case this might not be helpful since its mostly just saying there are new headlines but it is good for checking archives quick.

Right now we have a standoff going on in a section of town and the only one giving updates is the KDKA feed. Jim Lokay ( http://twitter.com/jimlokay ) from KDKA is an advocate for Twitter and is the only one to embrace it. Plus side, he’s the traffic guy so if there’s a problem I get an update right away.

I don’t want to wait for an RSS reader to update while I’m at work or an email to eventually get sent out from a mailing list with thousands of users.

There are plenty of tools also to expand twitter. I use BrightKite to post pics straight to Twitter. It shows the location of where the pic was taken (you have to set that) but on many occasions I’ve visited business because of pictures some people took of the food there and have gone to some entertainment venues because I saw them on BrightKite/twitter. Whenever I’m in Erie I try to BrightKite so I can show ppl what I’m doing.

Communication is more than Facebook and MySpace used to be even a year ago. Now it’s all about interaction.

Long ago we had a discussion on comments.
I find value in them.

Now, in this media talk, Twitter is the rage.
Maybe for the kids, but the older are having adjustment problems and, in effect, losing an audience.

When I go fishing, I use whatever bait the fish are biting, maybe even a lure. If I do not adjust to what they want, I go home empty handed.

I had no clue 2 local TV stations had Twitter.
They obviously rarely use it, and certainly not in a way to gain marketing advantage. But, they have it.
They relate to one another apparently, rather than to the audience at large. That’ll change.

As these links and relationships grow, I suspect all of Erie will be better connected in an unexpected way.
Anyone can follow whatever or whoever they desire, anytime. In news and media, that has to be a plus.

Kuddos to Mike at Erie Blogs.

I suggested he add any and all Twitter accounts related to Erie at his site. He did that just this very day.

He added a blurb on what Twitter is as well.
It would amaze you to see how few people know technology, in existence, since the changes are so rapid.

In general, Twitter and/or Text Message will grab 99% of anyone under 30. My experience is that they do use cell phone to talk, but not as much as plucking their fingers to text.

Erie Blogs is constantly encouraging local businesses to host a web site at their company location to increase marketing.

But until today, I have not seen a plug at ErieBlogs to Erie, PA to get Twitter. Soon they will advise on FaceBook and MySpace with emphasis on the former.

I am delighted to see them host a “Yellow Pages” of Twitter Addresses for all. I suspect it will expand.

If you want to catch these younger “fish”, Twitter and Texting are the bait that work…….for now.

Best regards to you spoon.

I wish more media would get into Twitter. We have the Post Gazette, KDKA, WPXI and a lot of the local on air talent on Twitter and not only does it make news travel faster but also puts some of these businesses on a human level.

I’ve become friends with brewers all over the country that I would never have had access to before because of Twitter.

I think the issue for old media to embrace new media comes to the fact of being scared to try something new and fear of giving certain information for free. It’s like specials at a restaurant, you have to give a little to get a little.