Santa Paula’s Blog hits one-year milestone

December 07, 2005
Santa Paula News

Santa Paula’s very own Blog hit a milestone last week: one year old and thousands of hits, the number one destination of those who first visit the city Website.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesSanta Paula’s very own Blog hit a milestone last week: one year old and thousands of hits, the number one destination of those who first visit the city Website.City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz created the Blog as an alternate source of city information that also allows public comments on the posted items.The Blog has covered everything from community events to disasters and in recent months has even included some personal information about what Bobkiewicz is up to including his recent travels back East - including a stop at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade - for the holidays.Bobkiewicz wrote on the Blog last week that five-percent of all page views for the City of Santa Paula Website, 23,000 total since January 1 have been to the Blog, making it the number one destination of city Website visitors.The Blog was followed by the site for “Santa Paula for Vinick” - the favorite son presidential candidate via “The West Wing” - and the employment opportunities page.The Blog also features lively comments about many of the more than 200 items posted by Bobkiewicz with opinions expressed either anonymously or with a name attached.Past Blog postings are also archived back to the first one in December 2004.
The allure of the Blog is easy to explain.“In this information age people like to get information fast and you can up to date information faster than you can get from a newspaper,” said Bobkiewicz said. “And, people get the information on their own terms...that’s why blogs are successful.”The comments from visitors is a “forum where people can put in their own two cents on city issues too” although when the comment format was introduced about six months ago for the first two months there wasn’t a single comment.Comments are “slowly picking up and as long as people are not completely off the subject or obscene I let it stand,” for public perusal.Bobkiewicz said that for a time the Blog was being scammed with those finding cyberspace ways to place advertising on the comment pages but now he requires some verification for postings.The Blog, www.santapaulablog.com, represents good government noted Bobkiewicz.“From a government perspective it’s great to find another avenue to get information out about Santa Paula. The City Council made it clear they want to be a transparent government as much as possible and if the Blog helps that, great.”



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