The Eagle’s editorial blog launched one year ago, and it’s been an amazing ride. By the end of its first week, WE Blog had become a top destination on our Web site, Kansas.com, and it has kept growing ever since. In fact, page hits are up 25 percent since January. But what is most impressive is the reader participation. WE Blog averages 1,900 reader comments per week. That ranks second among all the Knight Ridder blogs nationwide (Dave Barry’s blog at the Miami Herald is still No. 1).
Thanks to you readers for making WE Blog such a success. And help us celebrate by attending a WE Blog meet-up at The Wichita Eagle, 820 E. Douglas, from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22. There will be a meet-and-greet time, plus we’ll do a Q&A in which we hope to get your feedback on ways to make the blog better. We’ll also give a short tour of The Eagle to anyone interested.
Hope you can attend.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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42 Comments
You might want to get those bouncers from the Jerry Springer show to help with the meet-up. The way some people are talking to each other on this blog, they might be needed. ;)
I’ll try to make it. Will there be cookies and punch served?
:)
I have found out since this was first announced that I have a meeting in Topeka to go to on that date. I am hoping to be back in time to make it. I will have to be listed as a “maybe”.
Define the event better Phil.
The tour of the Eagle interests me.
The Q & A as to what us bloggers think as to ideas for the blog is also interesting.
Can you tell us just who from the Eagle will be there?
You need to sell this as was done with the first informal meet up and the second. Weigh in here. RSVP the bloggers. Let us know just who is gonna be there. TALK TO US!
You did not come to the first meet up. Though invited repeatedly you did not come to the second meetup. Make YOUR meetup inviting more so than we did?
You will shortly be recieving a birthday card signed by all the attendees the last meetup.
Yoiks!! I will be there. As a new resident of Wichita, but a long time blogger, I look forward to meeting the people who made this blog possible. And a short round table discussion as to improvements (HTML anyone?) could turn out some good ideas.
Will the right side show? Come on people. I would love to meet all.
Happy Birthday, WE Blog!
Of course I’ll be there….wouldn’t miss it.
Special congrats to all of us who have been here since the beginning.
Pretty sure I can make it. Anyone want to meet earlier for some dim sum or sushi?
Unless of course the Eagle does something classy and has some wine and cheese!
Hank
I’ll be there….looking forward to meeting those who didn’t show up to the first meet and then I was out of town the second time.Sounds like fun.
Count me in, Hank. Let’s do dinner first.
Sounds like a deal!
Hank
I plan on being there, my wife is having surgery on her shoulder so she may or may not be there.I look forward to meeting any that were not at the second meeting, though raw fish does not sound appealing.But I can understand that better then mountain oysters, every time someone bring up those I wonder just how drunk the first person was that stood behind a Bull and said “Man them look tasty!” .
Grrrrr…..Can’t make it. I have a prior commitment.But I would sure like to meet everyone!
Writerdog, A friend of mine brought a bunch of mountain oysters on a trip one time, they sure smelled good, but couldn’t bring myself to try them. We paid the kids $5 each to eat one. Had to admit, it was fun slicing them up and throwing them in the hot oil. Great therapy!
Hank? Where can you get dim sum? I thought there was a Chinese Restaurant on Broadway, but I’m for sure.
I would really like to know. I haven’t had dim sum since 1999 when I was in Hong Kong.
I’ll try to make the meet-up. But I have a job that is really unpredictable, day-by-day kind of thing, and I travel quite a bit. I plan on staying in Wichita for that entire day, and if all goes well, I’ll be there.
There is a place on N. Broadway, I think. I saw it a few months ago. Haven’t tried it yet. Unfortunately they don’t seem to last too long in Wichita.
My wife is really quite good at throwing some dim sum together on short notice. She has about 25 recipes and is adding some more on a regular basis. Not bad for a little Sicilian!
Hank
Dim sum at Hank’s house!!!
Damoon,”Had to admit, it was fun slicing them up and throwing them in the hot oil. Great therapy!”
And you want to go shooting with the boys? Guys, I don’t know about you, but I’m wearing my stainless steel jock:-)
All,Dinner, Japanese, would be awesome before the meet. But I would go with anything: my palate is universal.
I’ll be there. I wonder if the editors are actually going to show up though?
I have this funny feeling that we are going to be in some obscure room with some unlucky intern that drew the short straw…
A “WE Blog Meet-up”? Considering some of the blog entries, wouldn’t that be a bit like trying to entice BTK and other criminals to a police barbecue (before their capture)?
Another question I’m wondering is, do the blogs improve EAGLE’s bottom line?
Greg, it’s been done before and the meet ups were peaceful and a lot of fun. But with the exception of the Price boys and a couple of others, conservatives don’t seem to have the “sand” to show up.
Greg,All of the times I have been lucky enough to meet other bloggers have been nothing but fun. The ones I would watch out for are the ones who read the blogs, such as yourself, and glean opinions of us based on our writings.
There are many average people blogging at the WE, and all ahve the same daily problems much of the rest of the people have. The difference is we write about what we think, rather than just letting it go. We are the ones who are bringin g the arguments out in the limelight, not the ones who do nothing but read.
Hopefully, the readers will open up and start writing. IMHO there really does need changes to be made in government, and the message needs to be gotten out.
But join us June 22nd and find out for yourself.
Details of the meet-up are still being worked out. Rhonda, Randy, Melissa and I and probably Richard will be there. We will provide refreshments — possibly cookies and punch, Joe. The tour will include an observation room in which you can see the presses and a walk through of the newsroom and our editorial offices. As I mentioned, I want to spend some time getting your feedback on the blog and answering questions. Hope you can attend.
Unfortunately I will not be able to make the meetup – schedule conflicts. Several of us have already met – and there was no bloodshed!
Thanks for answering our questions about the Meet-Up, Phillip. It sounds like it will be a fun and very interesting evening.
This could turn out to be fun!!!
I’m sure it will be a great time, it’s amazing how civil we all become when we’re face to face!Japanese food (or any food) before the meet up sounds good, can I bum a ride with you, Hank?
Don’t worry, JM. I promise to be good even if I am armed!
Damoon,
Making a speed rn to Oklahoma on that Wednesday night, should be home early afternoon. If we go out to eat first Joyce is coming, is Dave coming?
More than welcome to ride with us/me depending on what we do before.
Hank
Greg
You are correct to assume that WEbloggers add to the Eagles bottom line. Phil acknowledged this in an offhand manner when he posted that hits on the Eagles website skyrocketed when the blog was introduced. We get their online seen. And that includes their ads.
Hank, not sure I can drag Dave to this one, it’s just not his thing.
Values boy wont be there?
More eveidence of lack of “sand” hehehe that XXX pointed out. Afraid of the mean old lefty bloggers?
Cant values boy wrap himself in the bible for protection?
I mean, the prices will be there armed to the teeth. With them and god on his side, why would values boy be afraid to show up?
And I wont even be there to call him out on his pathetic writing skills, his transparant shilling for the taliban, and any questions about HOW he got his job.
Funny how lack of sand runs in only one direction.
What is values boy afraid of? The truth? or the truthiness?
I’m planning on being there – hopefully Mountain Man will join in. I’m in for dinner. Just please nothing too spicy (I’ve hit the heartburn stage of pregnancy).
Dear ksfarmgrrl,
I’ll probably not be armed at this affair, I now know that XXX’s is bigger than mine.
I would only use a firearm if I was afraid for my life. At the first picnic I wasn’t sceered a bit.
Hank
Damoon,
Tell Dave we’re going for dinner. Then we’ll detour to the Eagle afterwards!
I’m not sure I can get Joyce to go either, she’s smarter than I am!
Hank
Greetings all bloggers and WE staff: I hope to attend the meetup Thursday evening, June 22nd.
In regard to improvements, I wish names of bloggers were placed at the beginning of the post or at least delineated better at the end of the post.
I ran into someone who is involved with advocating for trash recycling who said to me, “How could you have said that?” I couldn’t understand what the problem was until I reviewed that thread. I found another comment below mine vehmently opposed to recycling. Now invitations to me to attend the Wichita Recycling Club meetings have been rescinded by the great long-time Wichita recycling supporters who I respect very much, Margaret and Paul Miller, because they blamed me for Ian Santiago’s remarks!
So WE editorial/opinion staff, please consider this request for improvement.
The WE blogger’s cheer:WE’RE #2, WE’RE #2, WE’RE #2 !!!!
Uh, maybe I should try to come up with sumpin’ else, I’m not sure everyone will appreciate being called #2.
JWink, I commend your friends for supporting recycling. My I suggest your trouble with them might be scotched with a gift of reading glasses? ;-)
P.S. It was nice meeting you last time around. I may make this one, too, but I don’t know if I should say. . .maybe the more timid souls might make an appearance this time! :)
I personnaly think nametags are a good idea. I need someplace for my gold star!
Hank
Hank, I didn’t know you were Jewish.
And I promise to try to keep the gun brandishing to a minimum.
(Rambo)
Dave will be gone, Hank, he’s headin’ to the mountains to do some serious climbing next week. Tell Joyce we’d not only be honored with her presence, but everyone will be in awe of her ability to put up with you!
To follow up my comments several postings above about being summarily booted out of Wichita’s Recycling Club —- today I talked to Margaret Miller, president of Wichita Recycling Club. Margaret was volunteering at her periodic morning location in the circular information desk in the downtown Wichita Public Library.
I explained to Margaret the extremely confusing format of the Wichita EAGLE’S blog site. I blamed the situation entirely on the EAGLE’S opinion team. I begged and begged to be reinstated to the Recycling Club’s mailing list. Happily, Margaret graciously consented!! So thank you Margaret and Paul Miller, long-time advocates of recycling for Wichita.